Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME) Wiltshire regiment and the Lancastria

Hello Everyone.
Im trying to piece together my Grandfathers Campaign in France during WW2,

My Grandfather was Private Walter Aaron Fillis and he was in the Wiltshire regiment as a Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineer, I know he was in France after the Dunkirk evacuation and he was (almost) evacuated from Saint-Nazaire on 17th June 1940, Sadly the ship he boarded was the Lancastria, sadly she never set sail as she was boomed whilst still at anchor and a possible 7000 soul ( personal, crew and refugees) lost there lives.
My Grandfather survived this disaster (physically at least), but was never allowed to talk about what happened to him due to the gaging order signed by all those who returned. To be honest I don't think he would have spoken to much about it with or without the gaging order. So we don't really know much about his time in France or his journey home, over the years we have pieced thing together as towards the end of his life he opened up a little, We know he and two friends were in a cabin together (which might have played a huge part in why they were able to survive the sinking). We know that one of those pales was passed a baby who with his/her parents survived. We know that My Grandfather hated the song roll out the barrel until the day he died. But we don't really know why he ended up at Saint-Nazaire in the first place.

So I was wondering if anyone could point us in the right direction to find out.

 

bombed

There are plenty of threads on here re the Lancastria if you need more use the site search facility

TD

 

First name(s) Walter Aaron
Last name Fillis
Birth date 17 Feb 1908
Baptism year 1908
Baptism date 19 Apr 1908
Residence 8 Hare & Honed St
Place Devizes, St Peter
County Wiltshire
Father's first name(s) Aaron
Father's last name Fillis
Father's occupation Carter
Mother's first name(s) Alice

 

Hi s.fillis,
About 135,000 British servicemen could not be saved at Dunkirk and made their way westwards. Of those 14,557 were saved during Operation Cycle 11-13 June - some being moved to Cherbourg. Another 10,000 were made POWs. During Operation Aerial, to 25 June, 139,812 were saved, most from the Breton peninsular - your grandfather was among this second group. There were further rescues from ports in western and southern France, mostly Poles Czechs and civilians.

Churchill prevented the news from getting out, saying 'they have had enough bad news' and the troops were hastily moved away from the Channel ports. You will see that the arithmetic doesn't add up; this is because a second BEF, of about 30,000, was sent via St Malo and had to be rescued a week later - so in Southampton they said that BEF meant back every Friday.

 

I cant see you have mentioned it but if you have his service records could you post them, if you dont yet have them I would suggest obtaining them and the link for the application forms is - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/request-records-of-deceased-service-personnel

TD

 

Thank you very much.
I understand that there are a lot of discrepancies in what actually happened to the lancastria and a lot depended on who's butt was being covered at the time, I can understand to some degree why, just not sure the loss of life or lasting effects of those who returned justify the reasoning,

I'll have to ask my dad and his siblings if they have his service records, I myself haven't applied for them as yet, but am interested in doing so.

but thanks again for your information and advice, as you can guess, I'm a beginner.

 

This is indeed my Grandfather, thank you.

 

Enquiries here about the same family with Walter Arron Fillis mentioned?

Pte. Eli Fillis

Kyle

 

I don't have any documents my self, I was told about this sight and thought it would be a good place to start a military search due to the wealth of knowledge already on here.

 

Eil Fillis was my Grandfathers uncle, Eil's brother Aaron his father so I think that makes Eli my Great Great Uncle, I have seen this feed and it was very helpful, thank you.

 

Hello. Im writing about this tragedy and I would like to know your story if I may, I have much information already but my writing I would like to know about the men not the tragedy.

 

Hi

Just in case you were unaware, the REME wasn't formed until October 1942 and so your grandfather may have been in the RAOC or RASC at some point before.

My father was one of the first too.

Hope this helps

Gus