Pte 7022508 H J W Redknapp - Queen’s Regiment. Is he Harry Redknapp’s Dad?

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by Tullybrone, Jul 21, 2019.

  1. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    Just reading this article about former football manager Harry Redknapp and noted mention of his father being a POW -

    Harry Redknapp: ‘Without football I’d still be on the docks’

    I’ve turned up Pte 7022508 H J W Redknapp - Queen’s Regiment - in my copy of WO 392/1. POW Camp not shown. He is the only Redknapp in the list.

    Steve

    PS
    Nice pic of 'Arry wiv his "financial advisers" in the article...
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2019
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  2. BFBSM

    BFBSM Very Senior Member

    H J W Redknapp married a Violet M B Brown in the 4th Quarter of 1946. They had a child a Henry J Redknapp in 1947, in Poplar, Greater London. Does this information fit?

    Mark
     
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  3. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Henry (Harry) James Redknapp was born on the 2nd March 1947 at Poplar. Those are his parents, so it would seem to be a classic winter wedding with baby Harry well on the way, if you see what I mean.
     
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  4. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    From Harry's autobiography. Photographs of Harry and his Dad, who was almost a professional footballer himself. Mr. & Mrs. HJW Redknapp at Harry's wedding:

    Harry and Dad.jpg Mr&Mrs HJW Redknapp.jpg
     
  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945
    Name: H J W Redknapp
    Rank: Private
    Army Number: 7022 508
    Regiment: Queen's Royal Regiment
    POW Number: 82543
    Camp Type: Stalag
    Camp Number: VIII-C
    Camp Location: Konin Zaganski, Poland

    Stalag VIII-C - Wikipedia

    TD
     
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  6. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Thanks everyone. That'll be him.

    Steve
     
  7. CL1

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

    I was going to check with Harry but he doesnt know how to text or email
     
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  8. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Thats because hes busy making jam roly poly's :lol::lol:

    TD
     
  9. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Looks like an RUR army number - possibly could have been an "LIR issued" one as a number of east Londoners seemed to be in that batch and served in N.Africa/Italy - others of that "number grouping" served with 1st/2nd RUR in France...obviously the transfer could have happened at any time...as you know 3 battalions of The Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey) were with 169 Infantry Brigade as part of 56th (London) Division in Iraq, Tunisia and Italy....
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2019
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  10. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Thanks Richard.

    Perhaps a member with access to the pre Sept 1943 Italian POW Lists might be able to spot him there and confirm if he was an “early POW” transferred to “Greater Germany”.

    Steve
     
  11. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Obviously Anzio was a particularly sticky period for the 56th Div...
     
  12. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    Serving with the 1/7th Queens, captured 14th June 1944 in Normandy
    Screen Shot 2019-07-21 at 16.49.29.png
     
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  13. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Casualty lists
    North West Europe
    Queen's Royal Regt
    7022508 REDKNAPP Pte HJW 1/7 Bn

    Casualty List No. 1497 Dated 13 July 1944
    Missing 14/6/44

    Casualty List No. 1531 Dated 22 August 1944
    Previously reported missing now reported POW in German hands location unknown

    Casualty List No. 1823 Dated 1 August 1945
    Previously reported POW now not POW
     
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  14. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Thanks for POW details.

    In the absence of the Regimental History/ War Diary P5 of this PDF may give an overview of the action in which he was taken POW - Operation Perch.

    https://assets.publishing.service.g...loads/attachment_data/file/30055/ww2_caen.pdf

    Steve

    PS

    On a slightly flippant note.....

    As it probably won’t be long until ‘Arry extends his “sleb” status and appears on WDYTYA (new series starts tomorrow) we can at least say we are ahead of the curve and have researched his Dad’s WW2 Service:salut:
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2019
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  15. idler

    idler GeneralList

    I was wondering which battalion he was in. Looks like he went into the bag at Villers-Bocage or just outside it.

    That means he would still have had time to invent the Roly Poly. before D-Day...
     
  16. BFBSM

    BFBSM Very Senior Member

    Deleted. I am late adding information to the thread.
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2019
  17. BFBSM

    BFBSM Very Senior Member

    Looking at the Regimental History, on page 357:

    This could place Redknapp's father in "C" Company and in the platoon which was overrun.
     
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  18. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    I am sure Harry would love all this info. I don't have any contact details for him but he lives in Sandbanks in Poole and is often interviewed by The One Show or local TV stations.
     
  19. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hopefully - with the power of the internet - it won’t be too long before the information is brought to his attention.

    Wouldn’t it be great if a family member picked up on it and posted a response here?:salut:

    Steve
     
  20. idler

    idler GeneralList

    I've dug this out, but not the source of my belief that 15 Pl was perhaps 'outsmarted' rather than 'overrun'. The large number of POWs might support the former. 15 Pl's position was on the extreme left and ahead of the battalion's line West of Le Mesnil. Their left flank rested on a small river valley, the other side of which was Le Haut de St Louet which was on the extreme left of Pz Lehr - I think their Recce Bn was in the area.

    WO 361-594 Queens Missing.jpg

    Unfortunately, Cpl McDougall's statement has not survived in the file. Perhaps it was a bit embarrassing...

    That said, 15 Pl appear to have been in the thick of the infamous battle of Villers-Bocage the day before. Delaforce's Marching to the Sound of the Guns mentions that 'Paddy Singleterry' hit a Tiger's 'toolbox' and spooked it. Some of the post-battle photos clearly show a circular hole in the turret bin of the Tiger KO'd alongside the Pz IV in front of the Mairie, after it had been driven on to the guns. (Edit: it's actually visible in the photo on p3 of the Caen booklet linked by Steve/Tullybrone.)
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2020
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