The Mystery of Gosfield: The Soldier Who Disappeared

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Charley Fortnum, Feb 22, 2017.

  1. ARPCDHG

    ARPCDHG Member

    'While inspecting a bomb crater...' and 'said that Meecham vanished into an existing crater "and was sucked down into it." Another said that the troops who dug in the crater to find Meecham were "gassed" by something there" sounds exactly like he fell into a camoflet - so he may still be there.
     
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  2. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I have just learnt a new word.
     
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  3. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Guy, that is an interesting obit. Fancy being one of eighteen siblings!

    Service return is for James Meechan, driver, RASC, T44256, KIA France between 30/5/40 and 2/06/40.

    I wonder if he climbed in and stepped into running sand conditions. I know we've lost metal drilling casings in such ground conditions. Surely if it was a crater, the pit sides would be too far apart to have collapsed?

    Edit: sorry, just spotted ARPs response.
     
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  4. chrisharley9

    chrisharley9 Senior Member

    Will have a look at all of this later as I might be able to find something
     
  5. chrisharley9

    chrisharley9 Senior Member

    And as we now know very well a good number who are buried in the UK & CWGC were never informed at the time.
     
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  6. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    It is just a story/myth what every you like to call it.
    The facts as I had them were that the soldier, James Meecham, was a military policeman serving with the Royal Army Service Corps who "was buried alive while inspecting a bomb crater in a field near Sparrows Pond, Gosfield, in 1940."

    Buried alive. This implies that someone must have see this.
    Another said that the troops who dug in the crater to find Meecham were "gassed" by something there.
    Again there must be a reason for the troops to believe someone was buried there.
    Now as no body was found, surely it would then be stated on the records that this was where the body was, and be recorded on Brookwood memorial as such.

    The soldiers were billeted nearby at the time, but they never found any trace of the soldier after that night."
    Strange no exact location is mentioned. like the soldiers were billeted at Smith's farm.

    What I suspect happened was the James Meechan recorded at Brookwood Memorial saw a bomb drop nr Colne engraine went to have a look and while inspecting the hole where it went in, it exploded blowing him to smithereens.
    Then the pub talk started and by the time it got to Gosfield it all happened at their bomb crater.
     
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  7. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Once again, hard to disagree with your points - but I'd feel wholly satisfied if I somebody managed to turn up something authoritative/definitive from a largely unimpeachable source. Something that proves, as you say, that it's all a rumour that has become a myth.
     
  8. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

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  9. chrisharley9

    chrisharley9 Senior Member

    For the Brookwood casualty the WO casualty list on FMP shows KIA Home
     
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  10. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    I was wrong about it being his parents headstone. The Jane Elizabeth Harker and Edwin Harker were James's parents in law.

    James married wife Susan Harker in Richmond, North Riding, Yorkshire in Dec 1931.

    James was born to James Meechan and Janet Hugh 14 Dec 1911, parish of Scoonie, Fife. Parents marrying in St. Giles, Edinburgh 1914. Mother Janet passed away age 42 in 1926 over in George Square district, Glasgow.
     
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  11. ARPCDHG

    ARPCDHG Member

  12. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    From that link:

    "Camouflets may cave in under weight; anyone falling in may be exposed to a fatal dose of Carbon Monoxide."

    I think that pretty much covers all of the scant details we have - excellent find.
     
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  13. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Seconded by me Charley - maybe the web site wish to investigate another one, so maybe contact them??

    TD
     
  14. CL1

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

    Very interesting and well done
     
  15. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    We knew at the beginning of this thread that a soldier had disappeared and was buried alive in a crater and know which crater it was.
    The facts as I had them were that the soldier, James Meecham, was a military policeman serving with the Royal Army Service Corps who "was buried alive while inspecting a bomb crater in a field near Sparrows Pond, Gosfield, in 1940."
    But are still no nearer to knowing if the story is true or not.
    We have a name James Meecham, but no record of a soldier of that name dying in ww2.
    We have a James Meechan dying in the same county and the same year, but not at Gosfield.

    As this story was just word of mouth at the beginning, was the name written down as heard, if so then this man could also be a possibility.
    MEEHAN, JAMES

    Rank:Private

    Service No:S/1438919

    Date of Death:04/08/1940

    Age:27

    Regiment/Service: Royal Army Service Corps

    Grave Reference: 5. B. 2.

    Cemetery:

    BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY

    Additional Information:

    Son of Patrick and Bridget Meehan, of Cloonagh, Co. Sligo, Irish Republic.
     
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  16. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
    Name: James Meehan
    Given Initials: J
    Rank: Private
    Death Date: 4 Aug 1940
    Number: 1438919
    Birth Place: Eire
    Residence: Eire
    Regiment at Enlistment: Royal Artillery
    Branch at Enlistment: Other Corps
    Theatre of War: United Kingdom
    Regiment at Death: Royal Army Service Corps
    Branch at Death: Other Corps

    TD
     

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