Hello, I was wondering if anyone could help me with Pte F. Meads, 6343812 . I don't have his first name, about his unit, documents tells: Regt. c. Coy Plt 15. That's all I know. This Pte. is buried now in an unknown grave. He got killed in Vichte on 21 may 1940 and was buried in a fieldgrave. Those who buried him put his name on the cross. Later on in 1941 the two fieldgraves ( one was Mc Douall J.E.) were buried in Vichte Military Cemetery nearby. Pte. Meads was buried as unknown although the local authorities and the Red Cross made docs with his name, content of his pockets, nature of injuries etc.... In this way I opened an identification case in CWGC in Maidenhead in the hope to give the poor lad his name on his headstone . That's about three years ago now…. CWGC Ypres told me : it may take a while for a Rededication Service. Still I would be grateful if someone could tell me his first name and which unit he belonged to. With kind regards from a locked-down Flanders, Jef
His number shows he enlisted into the West Kents. Royal West Kent Regiment 6334001 - 6390000 Doesnt mean he was still with them when he died. Army Number Block Allocations
He's not listed on CWGC. If he died without a grave his name should be on the Dunkirk Memorial to the Missing.
Have checked UK Army Roll of Honour 1939-45 on ancestry, no match for number or name in that regiment.. No luck in British Newspaper Archive. Checking births for F W J Meads the most geographicaly local with all three initials is: Name: Frederick W J Meads Registration Date: Apr - Jun 1918 Registration district: Eastbourne, Sussex Mother's Maiden Name: Smith Volume Number: 2b. Page Number: 131 He features in three online trees with a death year of 1972 in Southwark, London. Married and had one daughter. I will send pm's via ancestry to see if family knowledge can eliminate him as a possible for the unknown burial.
There is a Frederick William J. MEADS, but he survived the war. 28th June 1918 - 1972 Southwark He married at Edenbridge, Kent in 1938, he was from Hever, Kent.
Was able to send ancestry PM's to two trees. The first has confirmed that the Frederick William J Meads on his tree did indeed die in Southwark in 1972. He knows nothing of his military service or if he is the same man as 6343812. Am awaiting a reply from the other tree but not hopeful as they have not logged into ancestry for a year. IF this Frederick Meads is the same as 6343812, with an Edenbridge, Kent marriage in 1938 & living at Hever, this places him aprox 10 miles from the base of the 4th Territorial Bn QORWKR at Royal Tunbridge Wells. On the 1939 register taken at the end of Sept his wife is living with her parents at Edenbridge & William is not recorded there. Perhaps he is either working away from home,is a regular soldier, or maybe a mobilised Territorial. Other RWK battalions in the BEF were 1st (regulars) and these Territorials 4th, 5th (based at Bromley), 6th & 7th. 6343812 was in the 9th West Kents which was formed from conscripts, so easy to see how he could have been transfered from a unit which had suffered heavy losses in France & if not already a L/cpl achieved this rank to help train the conscripts. Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment - Wikipedia
Very possible. I don't have a sight of the casualty lists date where he is shown as wounded. Wikipedia states a different month for formation of 9th West Kents of June 1940 to my original source for July, but its still prob afthermath of the Battle for France after the men had leave. I dont know enough about the RWK's to say if his was a training transfer, amalgamation of remnants of the RWK's who survived or whatever.
Apologies. Somehow I seem to have got the Casualty List No wrong in my Post #3. It should read 291. Here is the heading of the List. Tim Edit: Jef. Has anyone obtained his records from MODUK?
Thanks for confirming. Can you confirm that the casualty list reflects his unit on the day its published or the day he was actually wounded, as it seems to refer to a wound in France/Belguim ?
Formation of the 9th Battlion The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment The formation of the Battalion began on the July 1, 1940, in the Drill Hall at the Depot at Maidstone, where a cadre of 17 officers and 150 warrant officers, N.C.O.'s and men from 224 I.T.C., 50th Holding Battalion and the battalions of the Regiment recently returned from France began to assemble. Lieutenant Benbow, the Quartermaster, with trnsport loaned by the I.T.C., began to draw up the necessary arms, equipment and clothing. Lieutenant Colonel G. Ingham, who had been Assistant Provost-Marshal with I Corps in France and had been evacuated at Dunkirk, was appointed to command. The R.S.M. was H.Hayward. On July 8 the cadre went by rail to Malvern, where it prepared to receive the remainder of the personnel. These were 800 militiamen straight from civillian life, most from the 26-27 age groups. Many of these men were from the Regimental recruiting area of Kent and south-east of London, and their regional pride was strong. Before the end of July the whole intake had arrived and had been clothed, equipped and accomodated in billets or under canvas. The Queen's Own West Kent Regiment 1920-1950 Lt.Col. H.D. Chaplin
Good to see more detail on the 9th RWK. By electoral rolls etc I have now located a 2016 address for the family of FWJ Meads (1918-1972) & passed it on via PM to the OP incase he needs it.
Dear All, Thank you for your answers. I didn't had a reply from David Avery to whoom I sent the files. I got this address from Louise Dorr ( JCCC). Only had a reply from CWGC Ypres. Enclosed you will find a wartime doc I found in the archives from Vichte.There is another doc meant made in 1946 but it has almost thesame content. translation of last sentense is This name Meads and number was written on the cross on a grave.probabely written by his comrades in blue coloured pencil . Take care in the lockdown/stay safe/stay home! Jef