Anzio Royal Scots Fusiliers

Discussion in 'Italy' started by nemesis, Jul 4, 2012.

  1. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    Can anyone confirm that a soldier called Mc Meekan or McMahon from the RSF won the MM at Anzio
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Have a look for him here.
    The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Refine Browse Criteria

    Name McMeekin,
    John
    Rank: Fusilier
    Service No: 3133465
    Regiment: 2 Royal Scots Fusiliers
    Theatre of Combat or Operation: Italy
    Award: Military Medal
    Date of Announcement in London Gazette: 20 July 1944

    Gimme a while I'll post the recommendation.

    Anzio mentioned on here .
     

    Attached Files:

  3. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    That was the fastest response yet. Many thanks for the assistance Owen
     
  4. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    THANKS a million for this best regards M
     
  5. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Nemesis.

    What is your interest in 2 RSF at Anzio? I am intrigued.

    Regards

    FdeP
     
  6. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    My interest is, medal research and the history of Scottish Regiments in general
     
  7. allanpeter

    allanpeter New Member

    Was there a CQMS W. Smith 3127621 at either Anzio or Minturno who was taken POW? I would like to know what became of him.
     
  8. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Hello everybody,

    CQMS W. Smith 3127621 is on the list of prisoners of war being held in Germany (WO 392/1) National Archives but there is no camp given next to his name.

    Does anyone have a either a copy of The History of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, 1919-1959 or a copy of the War Diary for 2 Royal Scots Fusiliers for May 1944? If so, could you please tell me what happened on 29 May 1944 during the breakout from Anzio when 16 men were killed and are buried in the Beachhead Cemetery ?(CWGC website)

    Thanks in anticipation,

    Vitellino
     
  9. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    W Smith in the UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945
    Name: W Smith
    Rank: Colour Serjeant
    Army Number: 3127621
    Regiment: Royal Scots
    POW Number: 141960
    Camp Type: Stalag
    Camp Number: VII-A
    Camp Location: Moosburg an der Isar, Bavaria
    Record Office: Infantry Record Office, Perth
    Record Office Number: 16

    TD
     
    amberdog45 likes this.
  10. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Thanks to dryan67 I now have a copy of the relevant part of the book on the Royal Scots Fusiliers. I have discovered that after the battle on the Garigliano (18 January) in which Captain Pettigrew, commander of 'A' Company, was wounded, his company was disbanded. I presume the remaining members were sent to the other three companies making up the battalion - B,C and D. Capt. Pettigrew, who was awarded the MM, was invalided out to the U.K.

    According to a letter from Capt. Pettigrew to an Italian journalist in 1986, in his company there was a certain Fusilier Christopher C. Hayes. It has been shown that 'A' Company' and its commanding officer were never at Anzio, but Hayes could well have been if he had been transferred to another company. The RSF arrived on the beachhead on 8 March 1944

    Fus. Hayes was the originator of the Angelita of Anzio Story which unfortunately is still being taken as true by too many people here in Italy, including at least one military historian. I am in the process of collecting as much information as possible to de-bunk the story entirely. (Carlo d' Este has already done a good job on that score in his book on Anzio 'Fatal Decision' but he assumed that Fus. Hayes was at Anzio.)

    I have a suspicion that Hayes may have been wounded on the Garigliano and may never even have seen service on the beachhead. If I could find out when he died - it seems he emigrated to Perth, Australia - I could obtain a copy of his death certificate and send for his service records. (Birth seems to have been 1919 first quarter in Willesden. He's in the 1939 register in Willesden but birth date given as 1916. His address was in Teddington in 1961 when he wrote the letter that started the whole thing - See below)

    Vitellino

    Letter to Mayor as published in Carlo d'Este's book:
     

    Attached Files:

  11. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Possible:


    Christopher Charles Hayes in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
    Name: Christopher Charles Hayes
    Birth Date: 20 Dec 1918
    Date of Registration: Jun 1979
    Age at Death: 60
    Registration district: Hammersmith
    Inferred County: London
    Volume: 12
    Page: 1492

    Family tree info:
    Christopher Charles Hayes

    Birth: 20 December 1918 (20 Dec 1918) - Middlesex, England
    Death: 7 April 1979 (7 Apr 1979) - London, England
    Marriage: July 1951 (Jul 1951)
    F: Thomas Hayes
    M: Elizabeth Connelly

    Have checked immigration/shipping lists and can find no Hayes born 1918 +/- 2 years arriving in Australia

    TD
     
  12. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Was there a C. Hayes arriving at any time after 1964, the year he visited Anzio? He said he had five children, so perhaps some of them, if not all, went with him.

    Also, the 1939 Register has this entry for Willesden:

    Christopher C Hayes born 1916
    James Hayes and 2 more people are on this record

    Thanks

    Vitellino
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2016
  13. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Vitellino

    One problem is that by 1964 air transport was taking over from ships and records for both are pretty impossible to find.

    The only Christopher C Hayes I can find is the one above (born 1918). The only marriage I can find is 1939
    Name: Christopher C Hayes
    Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1939
    Registration district: Surrey South Eastern
    Inferred County: Surrey
    Spouse: Lena F Stedman
    Volume Number: 2a
    Page Number: 2579

    But checking for children with surname Hayes born before 1939 (you say the 1939 register has 3 children) to a mother maiden name Stedman - there are none coming up as James, and in fact no Hayes (with mother Stedman) born in the 1930's at all. There are 4 born after the war, (1945 - Jean, 1949 - Pamela, 1951 - Joan & 1956 - Robert)
    There are quite a number (135) of James Hayes (or a combination including James) born in the 1960's - seems a common christian name at that time - but none have a mothers maiden name Stedman or even Hayes, which sometimes happened.

    TD
     
  14. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Vitellino, one has to question parts of your first paragraph.Not sure how many relevant pages you obtained via dryan67 ( hes got more books than the
    British library).On which page does it mention that Captain W.A.Pettigrew was wounded, & 'A' Coy was disbanded? Etc. On the attachment below,
    Pettigrew was awarded the Military Cross. If I've misted something from the above Regimental History then please correct me. You have had me re reading various pages. Why has this book not got a Roll of Honour?
    Regards
    Stu.:cheers:

    CCF30122016 (2).jpg ?
     
  15. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    The copy that I supplied was originally downloaded from the Royal Highland Fusiliers website. It is a transcription, so is probably missing any illustrations and appendices. The only appendix is the Succession of Commanding Officers. Stu, if you start a conversation with me and provide your email, I can send you a copy.
     
  16. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    dryan67, I was far more questioning your source. Please see the attachment. This is probably a daft question, but we are on the same hymn sheet here? If we are, then i will gladly get in touch. Has mentioned there is no Roll of Honour, & there is no appendix.Edit, there is one. A succession of Commanding Officers.
    Stu.

    CCF30122016_0002 (2).jpg

     
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2016
  17. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Hello Stuart,

    Here's what I found:

    p. 129 (Garigliano)

    Captain Pettigrew, commanding” A” Company, which was afloat for two hours, gives this description of its experiences:

    “All was quiet when we set off from Mondragone. From the landward area occasional flares rose and some tracers flighted, but a low-lying mist made it difficult to distinguish coastal features. I placed full reliance on the American driver in his cockpit and when my watch read 2100 hours I pictured the landings of both forward platoons of’ A’ and ‘B’ Companies; in only 30 minutes we would be there too.

    p. 144 (Anzio)

    The Battalion’s first spell in the South Claw position, which was sited in the Wadi Spinacito, proved comparatively uneventful. Three companies of the Scots Fusiliers, “B”, “C” and “D “, took over the position from the 2/7th Queens. “A” Company had not been re-formed since the Garigliano operations, for lack of reinforcements.

    Regards

    Vitellino
     
  18. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    As Pettigrew was an officer, the award would certainly be an M.C. Presumably a small typo there ?
     
  19. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Thanks, Vitellino, that clears things up.
     
  20. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Yes, it was my error - Pettigrew was M.C. whilst the man I am researching, Hayes, falsely claimed to have been awarded the M.M. No record of such in National Archives

    Also, TD, I've now read in Carlo d' Est that Hayes was was an Ulsterman, and in an Italian source that his initial was S, not C.(this latter source is not 100% reliable).
     

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