14548686 Rifleman Dominic JAFRATO, 1st Bn. London Irish Rifles, Royal Ulster Rifles: 02/03/1944

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by CL1, Mar 2, 2018.

  1. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Remembering Today

    Casualty
    Rifleman JAFRATO, DOMINIC
    Service Number 14548686
    Died 02/03/1944
    Aged 19
    1st Bn. The London Irish Rifles, Royal Ulster Rifles
    Son of Joseph and Florence Jafrato, of East Bedfont, Middlesex.
    INSCRIPTION: IN MEMORY OF OUR DEAR SON. ONE WE LOVED BUT COULD NOT SAVE. MUM AND DAD
    Buried at BEACH HEAD WAR CEMETERY, ANZIO
    Location: Italy
    Number of casualties: 2025
    Cemetery/memorial reference: XIV. H. 6.
     
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  2. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    "...the London Irish once again were formed into two companies, one under Major Lofting, and the other under Lieutenant L Rue with Lieutenant Toone. Intermittent shelling continued, and then on March 2 they were ordered into a counter-attack to recapture a position of the Royal Fusiliers which had been overrun by the enemy.

    D Company, with Lieutenant Rue, went in without preliminary artillery support. They attacked across open, flat country with little cover and overlooked by the Germans. Their effort was a gallant one, made by new men, but in the old London Irish tradition. The Germans were more numerous than had been thought, and they brought fire down from self-propelled high-velocity guns. The attackers did not falter. They struggled gamely on, but darkness came and further advance was impossible. By that time Lieutenant Rue and Lieutenant Toone had been wounded; the latter died later, leaving CSM F Kelly in charge of the company, now reduced to only fifteen men. Kelly was also hit, and Captain Bonham-Carter, who had returned to the battalion on recovering from earlier wounds, volunteered to take over the company...."

    17 London Irishmen were killed on 2nd March 1944 at Anzio.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2018
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  3. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    That sounds like a description from the Somme.
     
  4. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    A possible motivation for Dominic to enlist - grandfather?
    JAFRATO, MARCO. Civilian. Died 03/12/1940. Aged 76.
    of 50A Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith Reporting Authority. Died at 49 Queen Caroline Street.

    37 residents in Queen Caroline Street died as a result of 3rd December 1940 bombing - and no doubt many more all over London.
     
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  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2005
    Name: Domic Jafrato
    Mother's Maiden Surname: Lansdown
    Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1925
    Registration district: Hammersmith
    Inferred County: London
    Volume Number: 1a
    Page Number: 311

    Italy, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current
    Name: Rflmn Dominic Jafrato
    Maiden Name:
    Death Date: 2 Mar 1944
    Cemetery: Beach Head War Cemetery
    Burial or Cremation Place: Anzio, Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Lazio, Italy
    Has Bio?: N
    URL: https://www.findagrave.com/mem...

    UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
    Name: Dominic Jafrato
    Given Initials: D
    Rank: Rifleman
    Death Date: 2 Mar 1944
    Number: 14548680
    Birth Place: London W
    Residence: Middlesex
    Branch at Enlistment: Infantry
    Theatre of War: Italy
    Regiment at Death: London Irish Rifles
    Branch at Death: Infantry


    TD
     
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  6. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    As with a number of other units, the 1st Bn London Irish suffered terribly during their time in the Anzio bridgehead (from 3rd Feb to 9th March 1944)..

    "...During five weeks at Anzio, its casualties in killed, wounded, and missing were: thirty-two officers, five hundred and fifty other ranks. Only twelve officers and three hundred other ranks embarked, and many of these had just returned to the battalion from hospital..."

    Given Rfn Jafrato's age he may well have been part of one of the reinforcement drafts that arrived while 1 LIR were embattled at Anzio in mid February.

    "....For the next few days the London Irish rested and reorganised. Reinforcements equivalent to one and a half companies arrived, but they were mostly new and inexperienced troops and included only a few old members of the battalion who had recovered from earlier wounds...."

    From speaking to Riflemen who made it through, there was obviously no time to get to know their comrades before they were thrust into the line..not an ideal preparation.

    Luckily my Dad was with the 2nd Bn - he would only have to face battles at Bou Arada, Heidous, the Salso and Simeto rivers, Termoli, the Sangro river, in the Liri valley, Lake Trasimene and Argenta before he got home to see his Mum and Dad.
     
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  7. harkness

    harkness Well-Known Member

    Mother and brother:

    1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION
    33 Elmdale Street, Fulham, London
    NAME DOB OCCUPATION
    Florence (Mary) Jafrato 10 Aug 1892 Office Cleaner
    Gerald Jafrato 15 Apr 1922 Van Boy (Oil Coy)
    Sorry, this record is officially closed.

    (Name: Gerald Jafrato
    Mother's Maiden Surname: Lansdown
    Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1922
    Registration district: Hammersmith)
     
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  8. Cydni Jafrato

    Cydni Jafrato New Member

    I didn’t even know my grandfather even had a brother who died in the war
     
  9. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    The London Irish Rifles have visited the Anzio battlefield and the Beachhead CWGC Cemetery with the Royal Fusiliers a number of times over the years when we pause to reflect on the memory of Dominic and all his mates. He would have been a sprightly 95/96 year old today. QS

    P1100693 (2).JPG IMG_4305.JPG P1100702 (2).JPG P1100706.JPG P1100719.JPG
     
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