Search of James Frederick Ryder

Discussion in 'Durham Light Infantry' started by Paul van de Winkel, Jan 4, 2018.

  1. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Ahhh - OK - sorry spent most of yesterday chasing not only this Ryder but coincidentally this Ryder as well - Trying to trace Stan Ryder (24th Lancers and 1st RTR) or living relatives. so I was up to my ears in Ryders.

    England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2005
    Name: Mark A Harris (I would make a guess at the A = Anthony after his father)
    Mother's Maiden Surname: Ryder
    Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1963
    Registration district: Stafford
    Inferred County: Staffordshire
    Volume Number: 9b
    Page Number: 746

    Name: Claire Louise Harris
    Mother's Maiden Surname: Ryder
    Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1971
    Registration district: Stafford
    Inferred County: Staffordshire
    Volume Number: 9b
    Page Number: 1347

    Maybe someone can find out about these 2

    TD
     
    Paul van de Winkel and SDP like this.
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Brief mention in the battalion war diary
    [​IMG]
     
  3. Hi Kyle,

    Joseph Donaldson was also buried on our street before he is reburied in Nijmegen.
    I just found out (few weeks ago) , that there was a standing patrol (and warning post) between our village Posterholt and Karken in Germany. Posterholt is situated next to the German border. This patrol reports in the morning of 8 february 1945 around 00h30 that it's firing on a German patrol which contains about 20 soldiers. Donaldson was member of a MMG-team and is also firing on this German patrol as well as some artillery, drafted in our village. Then the standing patrol retreats to Posterholt. Donaldson was one of these members and dies, when German artillery opens fire.
    I'm still trying to find out, where this was. I know, that there are a few houses blown by artillery fire in the beginning of february.
    My house is also damaged in the last months of the war.. I also have a shrapnel in one of the steps of my stairs..

    The third man on the grave report is Ernest Brooks. There is very little to find back of this soldier. He was member of the Army Catering Corps and was working in the kitchen from C-coy from 9Bn DLI, when the kitchen was hit by a light bombardment on the 20th of February 1945. The kitchen was situated in a meeting point for the youth (KJV-huis). This youth house is still in use!

    A few months ago I met somebody, who passed the temporarily graves when he went home after being at school, when some instance was taking out the bodies of these three men for reburial. Some years ago he also did some research. He showed me a copy of a letter, wich the mayor wrote to the red cross for the reburials. In this letter was also a fourth name written..
    This is Thomas Heyes, service number 14671595, from the 65 (the Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery. He died on the 29th of January. He was in the first instance buried in the neighbourhood "Holst", on the other side of our village..

    Funny, how this all started with some research of the man who died in my house... brief bewerkt.jpg
     
  4. Wow, TD..
    I'm impressed. We're going to look, if we can get any further with your reply!

    Thank you very much!!

    Paul
     
  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Paul

    It is possible this is their daughter
    UK, Electoral Registers, 2003-2010
    Name: Claire L Harris
    Birth Date: 1969-1971
    Residence Date: 2006
    Address: 9, Wood View, Wood Lane, ST7 8QU
    Residence Place: Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, England

    and their son may still live locally

    Mark Anthony Harris
    Age Guide: 55-59
    Staffordshire
    Full Address

    Maybe use Facebrookthingy to see if they are on there as well

    TD
     
  6. Hi TD,

    Thank You. We are going to look, if we can find her!!

    Paul
     
  7. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    That house was sold in 2016 according to Zoopla so unlikely she still lives there but the new owners may well have contact details.
     
  8. voorlopige graven.jpg
    Hi Kyle,

    here is also a picture of the tree temporarily graves on our street. voorlopige graven.jpg
     
  9. Hi Harkness,

    Do you also know the date of birth of James Ryder? I can't find it anywhere..

    Paul
     
  10. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2005
    Name: James F Ryder
    Mother's Maiden Surname: Ryder
    Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1916
    Registration district: Tenbury
    Inferred County: Worcestershire
    Volume Number: 6c
    Page Number: 174

    Obtaining a copy of his birth certificate will give you an exact date of birth, it would also appear on his service records but that might be more expensive.
    https://capublic.worcestershire.gov...2690.43329958.1515256347-657559182.1515256347

    Maybe one of his living relatives knows??

    TD
     
  11. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    There is a James RYDER born 25th July 1916, residing at Droitwich, Worcestershire. He is employed as a highway maintenance worker for Worcestershire County Council in 1939.

    Screen Shot 2018-01-06 at 17.05.50.png
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2018
  12. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Trouble is the James in this thread died in 1945

    Name: James Ryder
    Given Initials: J F
    Rank: Lance Corporal
    Death Date: 25 Jan 1945
    Number: 4037041
    Birth Place: Worcester
    Residence: Worcester

    TD
     
  13. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    TD,
    It's from the 1939 register.
    Guy
     
  14. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    The 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry WWII history ‘The Gateshead Gurkhas’ (Moses), Page 340, states:
    NB. Date in square brackets added by me to aid understanding.

    L/Cpl JF Ryder is also later mentioned in the Roll of Honour.

    There is no mention of any sort of Pte J Donaldson or Ernest Brooks in ‘The Gateshead Gurkhas’, albeit Pte J Donaldson does appear in the Roll of Honour in the 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry WWII history ‘The Faithful Sixth’ (Moses); his previous posting.

    Gnr T Heyes is mentioned in the Roll of Honour in the 65th (Norfolk Yoemanry) Anti-Tank Regiment, RA, WWII history, ‘The Norfolk Yeomanry in Peace and War’ (Bastin). From my reading of events around his date of death 258 Battery (Bty) was attached to the 131st Infantry Brigade and 260 Bty to the 22nd Armoured Brigade, both of the 7th Armoured Division = the same Division as the 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, and therefore likely that Gnr Heyes served with one of these two Btys. The other two Btys - 257 and 259 - do not appear to be attached to 7th Armoured Division at this time.

    Edit: I see in the letter at post No. 23 that Gnr Heyes was in 260 Bty.

    Best,

    Steve.
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2018
  15. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Ooooooooooops

    TD
     
  16. Hi Guy,

    this could be right. He must be born in 1916 or 1917!
    I'm trying to contact Claire (granddaughter). I think, my wife found her
    Hi Steve,

    I've read this page from the Gateshead Gurkhas a few weeks ago. In the war diary, which Drew showed in post no 22 you can see, what happened that day. The casualty in the story is James Frederick Ryder.

    From Ernest Brooks I know where he died. I think it's strange, that when your having a service number (1559995), you can't find anything back. But I didn't spend a lot of time yet for some research for him..

    Paul
     
  17. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
    Name: Ernest Brooks
    Given Initials: E
    Rank: Private
    Death Date: 20 Feb 1945
    Number: 1559995
    Birth Place: Newcastle-on-Tyne
    Residence: Lancashire
    Branch at Enlistment: Other Corps
    Theatre of War: Western Europe Campaign, 1944/45
    Regiment at Death: Army Catering Corps
    Branch at Death: Other Corps

    TD

    Added

    Very sad in that there is a family tree for him and it shows he was married 1 month before he died

    Ernest Brooks
    Birth: 1922
    Death: 20 February 1945 (20 Feb 1945)
    Marriage: 24 January 1945 (24 Jan 1945)

    Possible:
    England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
    Name: Ernest Brooks
    Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1945
    Registration district: Westmorland South
    Inferred County: Westmorland
    Spouse: Margaret Clark
    Volume Number: 10b
    Page Number: 1375

    A very long shot - married in Jan 45 + 9 months
    England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2005
    Name: Nicholas R Brooks
    Mother's Maiden Surname: Clark
    Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1945
    Registration district: Bath
    Inferred County: Somerset
    Volume Number: 5c
    Page Number: 643

    Would Ernest have been training in Bath area before shipping over to Holland in Jan/Feb 1945??
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2018
  18. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Hello Paul,

    Yes, I saw Andy’s War Diary posting but didn’t know you had the details from the battalion history...

    Pte Ernest Brooks army number appears to be a Royal Artillery number, but he was serving with the Army Catering Corps, attached to No. 67 ‘Infantry Brigade’ Coy, RASC (Royal Army Service Corps) at the time of his death. The latter were divisional troops of the 7th Armoured Division throughout the fighting in NW Europe, but going off their ‘Infantry Brigade’ Coy handle it appears they were tasked with looking after the needs of the 131s Infantry Brigade.

    TD - Do you know which Parish in Lancashire he was living in?

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  19. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Steve

    No I haven't any better details - I wish I had

    TD
     
  20. Wow guys,
    I'm impressed, how fast I get responses from you!
    Thank you again!
     

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