need help please 16 Durham Light Infantry

Discussion in 'Durham Light Infantry' started by donnyshell, Jun 17, 2012.

  1. donnyshell

    donnyshell Junior Member

    my grandad was with the 16th btn d.l.i. would any body be able to tell me which coy was he in he was private cecil cook no 3131554 i know he was in royal scots fusiliers from 16th october 1939 to 26th april 1940 then joined 16th d.l.i. 27th april 1940 29th may 1946.
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hello and welcome to the forum.

    If the link that Owen has posted does not answer your questions I would consider the units war diaries at the National Archives.

    Good luck
    Andy
     
  4. donnyshell

    donnyshell Junior Member

    Welcome to the forum.
    Have you seen this website on 16 DLI ?
    Might be some answers there.
    The 16th Battalion DLI 1940-46 Homepage

    hi owen thanks for the reply yes iv been on this site and i found 2 photos of my grandad in austria stood with pvt bart phillipson and aslo found on there the story i remember him telling me that he had just gone out of kitchen to serve the officers when a bomb dropped on the kitchen just after he left out there my grandad was a cook to all the higher ranks
     
  5. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Welcome to te forum donnyshell.

    There is no mention of him in 'The DLI AT War' - D Rissik (N&M Press), but this book is not as detailed as battalion histories; so not surprising.

    Although not directly related to your question, here are a couple of links that may be of interest:

    1) http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/durham-light-infantry/44075-durham-light-infantry-edinburgh-camp.html

    2) 16 DLI N.Africa & Italy - DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY 1920-1946

    His service number is definitely from the Royal Scots Fusiliers block of numbers.

    Hope your search goes well!

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  6. donnyshell

    donnyshell Junior Member

    thanks steve iv already been on these 2 i was at d.l.i. museum last weds got some items from the shop took a few photos the 2 photos i found on 16th dli home of him too the pic iv got of him is when he joined the royal scots fus he still looks like a little boy on it see thing is my grandad died when he was 63 i was only 12 but i was his 1st grandchild so we doted on each other but unfortunatly now im able to do the family tree and look into his war record he isint here to help me along i also have his dli certificatehis release book and his record of service but none of it states what coy he was in very frustrating
     
  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    If the truth be know you'll be very lucky to ID the company and the best bet would be in the units war diaries for a nominal roll.

    I've just looked through a hundred ish 16 DLI names listed in the Jul-Dec 1943 war diary and he's not listed.
     
  8. donnyshell

    donnyshell Junior Member

    ok thanks drew for your help he is listed in the dli books i have a photocopy of the page 22 in the 3rd and final book pte cook c 8 craithie road town moor doncaster
     
  9. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    You have to bear in mind that a man didn't always remain in the same Company all the time, as after action, the need for replacements, especially if he had any potential leadership qualities might mean that he would be moved where he was needed most.
    Be satisfied that you have what you have, many here don't even have that.
    That's not to say that something MAY turn up in the future, but don't let it eat at you.

    I bet someone enjoyed posting Private Cook to the canteen!
    PS: If he was that good a cook, perhaps he was in the HQ Company and not in one of the main fighting Company strengths?
    Of the 324 killed in the 16th Battalion, only 2 out of all these have a Company identified, one in B Company and one in D Company, so 2 out of 324 go figure...
     
  10. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Here's the battalion war diaries held at the National Archives-Let me know if you want any copying:

    WO 166/4230 16 Durham Light Infantry. 1941 Jan.- Dec.

    WO 166/8666 16 Durham Light Infantry 1942 Jan.- Oct.

    WO 175/498 16 Durham Light Infantry 1943 Jan.- June

    WO 169/10206 16 Durham Light Infantry 1943 July- Dec.

    WO 169/16282 16 Durham Light Infantry 1944 Apr.- June

    WO 170/1385 16 Durham Light Infantry 1944 Jan.- Mar., July - Dec.

    WO 170/5000 16 Durham Light Infantry 1945 Jan.- Dec.

    WO 170/7994 16 Durham Light Infantry 1946 Jan.
     
  11. skimmod

    skimmod Senior Member

    Not much more I can add apart from most of his fellow fusiliers were transfered into the DLI at this time also.
    attached is his attestation record.

    good luck.

    iain
     

    Attached Files:

  12. lambretta

    lambretta Junior Member

    Drew, I know this is an old thread. But, if you have any time would you be able to check for any mention of Corporal Sidney Nash in the diaries?
    He was killed on Feb 11th 44 with the 16th. Buried in Beach Head Cemetery Anzio.
    Just starting some research for his family.

    Thank you
    Barrie



     
  13. Pat Atkins

    Pat Atkins Well-Known Member

    Also very late to the thread, but for intetest can recommend Peter Hart's book would be worth a shufti: The 16th DLI in Italy 1943-45

    Cheers, Pat
     
  14. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    I can look in the War Diaries tomorrow but it’s unlikely he’ll be mentioned. Are you sure he was 16 DLI? They were with 46 Divsion which never went to Anzio.
     
  15. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I thought that too but says 16 DLI on cwgc.
    Casualty
     
  16. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    Will have to look at the casualty lists. I have found a lot of discrepancies (especially in battalion numbers) between these lists and what is in the CWGC database. I tend to go with the former.
     
  17. lambretta

    lambretta Junior Member

    Thanks Gary, Drew. The Family did mention to me that he should never have been at Anzio. Not sure why the Family story goes that way. But, goes with what you are all saying.
     
  18. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    16 DLI were still on Garigliano on 11 Feb 44 fighting as part of 46 Inf Div and trying to extend the bridgehead to the right of Castelforte.

    With their own struggle, I doubt that any 16 DLI soldiers would have accompanied 56 Inf Div when they were moved from Castelforte to reinforce the beachhead at Anzio.

    Regards

    Frank
     
    PaulE likes this.
  19. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Hi

    16 DLI were flown to Greece from Italy on 3rd Dec 44 to assist in the counter insurgency operations underway against ELAS in Athens and Piraeus.

    For most of the time they were there, they pretty much stayed withing a few hundred yards of the Carlton Hotel in Phaleron (circled), defending an area between Piraeus Docks and RAF Kalamaki. After ELAS were ejected from Athens and Piraeus on 6th Jan 45, 16 DLI sailed to the port of Patras which was still isolated.

    upload_2019-7-16_14-54-36.png

    During their time there, 7 were killed, 20 more were wounded and 52 men, all from B Company, were taken prisoner. The POWs were very badly treated by ELAS but returned at the End of January 1945.

    I have the War Diaries for December 1944 and January 1945. If you want a copy, PM me your email address using the inbox option above.

    Hope this helps

    Gus
     
    PaulE likes this.
  20. lambretta

    lambretta Junior Member

    Thanks Frank. Then it could well be an error with the CWGC? Maybe he was with another battalion.


     

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