Lance Corporal William Parker 1940 2nd Bn Royal Fusiliers Friday 24th May 1940

Discussion in '1940' started by JBone, Aug 28, 2012.

  1. JBone

    JBone Junior Member

    Hello Everyone

    My name Is James Bone and I am looking for some information about my great grandfather Lance Corporal, William A Parker, 6456986, 2nd Bn, Royal fusiliers. From what I understand he was killed in service on the 24th May 1940 in dunkirk but we are not sure how or what happend any help or advice as to how to find this would be greatly appreciated ?

    Thank you:)
     
  2. jacksun

    jacksun Senior Member

    JBone, during that time there were several fronts and battles occurring (Calais, AA Canal, Boulogne...).
    Someone here may have diaries of his unit, or know where that unit was during the period, but to be 100% certain he was with a unit at a given time you need his service records. I put the link for the information on how to get them in your other thread.

    Wayne
     
  3. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    2nd Royal Fusiliers were part of 4th Division and based on a quick look in a couple of books and the CWGC records don't seem to have been in action around 24th May.

    I'd suggest a 'visitor message' to Drew5233 who can probably look at the battalion war diary for you and possibly the missing men enquiry files.

    The Dunkirk Memorial lists all those from the 1940 campaign with no known grave. It is unlikely that he was actually within the Dunkirk perimeter as early as 24th May (although possible) as 4th Division had not yet withdrawn to the coast.

    Many of the missing from the campaign are the result of difficulties with identification at the time of reburial (it was of course to be four years before British burial teams could have access).
     
  4. JBone

    JBone Junior Member

    I've got some kind of certificate which I printed from the CWGC website which tells me that he died on the 24th of may and the information I put in the previous post, but that's all I have to go on I've sent a message to Drew5233 and I'm just waiting for a reply , thank you for your help I really do appreciate it do you think maybe that it could be incorrect as I've been to Dunkirk when I was a kid to the memorial site ?
     
  5. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    I'm sure that he's on the memorial but it lists 'unknowns' from all over France and Flanders. Most of those listed did not actually die at Dunkirk
     
  6. JBone

    JBone Junior Member

    Thats interesting is there a way for me to find out where he was killed or what actually happened to him ?
     
  7. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    The two sources that I've mentioned above are the only ones likely to provide clues. The war diary will detail locations and may mention total casualties on a particular day and after the evacution, enquiries were made of survivors to try working out what happened to those who were still 'missing' at that stage.

    The fact that there is one specific date rather than a date range suggests that there was sufficient evidence to be sure of the date of your Great Grandfather's death rather than simply the date that he was last seen alive. It is by no means certain that all the files have survived but if it's there, Drew can find it !
     
  8. Alanst500

    Alanst500 Senior Member

    Found this on Anestry Hope it helps.
    - Ancestry.co.uk

    Also this
    In 1938, the battalion was converted into an artillery role, being redesignated as:
    10th (3rd City of London) Bn. The Royal Fusiliers (69th Searchlight Regiment)
    This regiment remained part of the Royal Fusiliers until becoming part of the Royal
    Artillery in July and August 1940. It remained in the U.K. for the duration of the war.
    4. In 1932, this battalion was converted into an artillery role, becoming the:
    60th (City of London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Royal Artillery
    It later became the 60th (City of London) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery.
    The regiment went to France with the B.E.F. in 1939, being evacuated in June 1940.
    It then remained in the U.K. until June 1944, when as part of the 2nd Army it again
    landed in France. It served throughout the campaign in N.W. Europe.
     
  9. Alanst500

    Alanst500 Senior Member

  10. JBone

    JBone Junior Member

    Thanks guys
     
  11. JBone

    JBone Junior Member

    Does anybody have any information as to what the royal fusiliers 2nd Bn (City of London) were up to on this date Friday 24th May 1940 Please ?
     
  12. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    According to Always a Fusilier, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers arrive "tired but intact at Halluin at 0730 hours on 23rd May, having marched thirty-one miles during that night. A position was taken up, forming a section of the "Gort" line at which, it was hoped the enemy might be held. The B.E.F. was now virtually at its starting point. They were there through the 28th at least.
     
  13. JBone

    JBone Junior Member

    Thank you the reason I ask is because my great grandfather Lance Corporal William a Parker was killed on Friday 24th may 1940 and I'm trying to find out how and what he may have been doing ,

    Thank you for your help any more information will be appreciated

    James
     
  14. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Have merged threads as they are covering same topic.
     
  15. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Not much to go on I'm affraid-First thoughts are he died of wounds from the fighting on the 22nd May but I'm just guessing. There maybe a mention in the Missing Men file but It will be next year at the earliest before I copy it.

    [​IMG]
     
  16. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Oddly there is another diary for the same unit covering the same period-First time I've seen this in a file. If you read this one carefully you will see there is a mention of a Lance Corporal Parker being killed on the 27th May :)


    [​IMG]
     
  17. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Well spotted, Drew.

    There are a number of Fusiliers in the cemetery at Warneton, although only one of them is listed as dying on the 27th. The casualties include three WW2 unidentified.

    CWGC - Cemetery Details

    Yeatman is buried at Linselles.
     
  18. JBone

    JBone Junior Member

    Thanks Guys this is brilliant Is it common that the CWGC put the wrong date on someones death, Also am i right in saying that He was kiiled in battle near comines on the 27th ? so if i try to find out information on this battle there may be some mentions of him ?
     
  19. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    James, you've already got more information than most people find after years of searching...

    It's not 'common' for the CWGC date to be wrong but it's not 'unusual' either...there are all sorts of reasons for it happening. War diaries are not always accurate, especially from 1940 as many were lost and written up again from notes afterwards. However the reference to defending a blockhouse does tie in with the idea that they were back on the 'Gort Line' defending fortifications which the BEF had largely built during the winter of 1939 - 40.

    If you look at a map of the area, you'll see where the battalion HQ was at Halluin and that Comines is indeed on the left flank of a unit that has pulled back and is more or less on the French / Belgian border. It's well worth preparing a large scale map of the area and annotating all the locations and dates which you can find referenced in the diary.

    Your next step is probably to talk to Drew about obtaining a full copy of the battalion diary which may if you're lucky have some diagrams of their positions on that day.

    There are few short-cuts with this sort of research but there is a lot of information out there and many of the blockhouses and pill boxes along the border are still standing. If it were me, I'd be planning a trip already.:)

    There is a good chance that he lies in an unidentified grave at one of the cemeteries in the area but unfortunately, the on-line CWGC records don't list those so work on the ground is often needed.
     
  20. Brian803

    Brian803 Member

    I know this is an old thread but anyone interested in the 2nd Bn Royal Fusiliers, City of London may find this of interest. Corporal George Alfred Smith 6459778, who would have been my uncle, was in Belgium in 1940. He was listed as "killed in action" between 10,5,1940 and 4,6,1940 on an army form B 104-82. In a hand written letter to my nan from a Captain William Thomas dated 21/1/41 the Captain states that Cpl George Smith was killed in action at Nieuport in, what he describes as, "This battle was the fiercest and perhaps the most vital in which the battalion engaged as we were responsible for holding the left flank of the strip of coast from which the evacuation took place". The latter also states that 2 fusiliers were with him when he was killed. A Later letter confirmed he was killed on the 31st May 1940 and is buried in a war grave at Oostdunkirk new cemetery 4 miles north of Furnes (veurnes).
     
    Drew5233 and Owen like this.

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