Hi everyone I'm seaching for details on my grandad David pottinger Corporal 1st btln oxford and bucks LI Killed in action may 30 1940 Quite a fit man who enjoyed his army boxing,taught pt,and previously lost a stripe due to a punch up. I've seen his name on the memorial But would really like to know company records concerning his death Which I believe given the date would be In the area of houthes...outskirts of dunkirk. His body was not buried in a marked grave I would be most grateful should anyone have any information that could help. Best regards.
Steve The only way to start military research for a relative is to obtain their service records and they can only be obtained from the MOD via the forms on this link - Request records of deceased service personnel Others more specialised in BEF activity will be along to help answers some of your questions I note the date of death shown twice below is different to the one in your initial post UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 Name: David Pottinger Given Initials: D Rank: Corporal Death Date: 22 May 1940 Number: 5377804 Birth Place: Staffordshire Residence: Worcester Regiment at Enlistment: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Branch at Enlistment: Infantry Theatre of War: France and Belgium Campaign, 1939/40 Regiment at Death: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Branch at Death: Infantry Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current Name: Corp David Pottinger Death Date: 22 May 1940 Cemetery: Dunkirk Town Cemetery Burial or Cremation Place: Dunkirk (Dunquerque), Departement du Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France Has Bio?: N URL: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-... UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947 Name: David Pottinger Age: 35 Birth Date: abt 1905 Death Date: 22 May 1940 Cemetery: The Dunkirk Memorial Burial Country: France Father: William Pottinger Mother: Serena Pottinger Regimental Number: 5377804 Region or Memorial: Memorial Register Other Records: TD From family trees David Pottinger Birth: 1 Oct. 1904 - Staffordshire Death: 22 May 1940 - Dunkirk, France Marriage: 1926 - West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England Spouse: Lilian Russell F: William Pottinger M: Teresa Cornfield Casualty Corporal POTTINGER, DAVID Service Number 5377804 Died 22/05/1940 Aged 35 1st Bn. Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry Son of William and Serena Pottinger; husband of Lilian Pottinger, of Greets Green, West Bromwich, Staffordshire.
As stated above records show he was killed on the 22nd, the CWGC website states 22nd too. > Casualty Until someone posts the war diary here's some info on an old thread. > ox & bucks at dunkirk
Thankyou both for your detailed and quick Replies. I apologise. ...I have a copy of the cwgc and For some reason misread the kia date, Indeed ,as you so rightly say,22/5/1940. One of his comrades later visted my grandmother,who incidentally suffered temporary blindness upon receiving the news,and gave her his cigarette tin,and some, very few,personal items. From what I understand,he was killed in a wooded area,shot several times,the bodies remaining where they fell. The story,does seem to gel quite well with the report you posted of the counterattack at hallain,an assumption I know,but not without some pointers. Thankyou.
I'm currently on 12 hr nights so no time to search for you at the moment. However, I'm pretty confident he was killed north of Hollain and not so confident at this stage he was possibly part of D Company.
Ahhh Thankyou, That's really encouraging news And I look forward to any light you can shed When time allows. Thankyou again.
1st Battalion O.B.L.I. Killed in action 20.5.1940 - 28.5.1940 Drew5233 will be able to provide the finer details, where the men were killed and initially buried (Matthews and Roper) 1 O.B.L.I. also Killed in action 22.5.1940 5383775 CALLOW Sidney Raymond Pte. Casualty 5381386 COOMBER Arthur Edward Pte. Casualty 4075295 JENKINS Alfred Roy Cpl. Casualty 5378414 MATTHEWS George Edmund Pte. Casualty 5379459 ROPER Samuel Francis Cpl. Casualty 5379401 WHEELER Charles Oliver Pte. Casualty Matthews and Roper were buried in Bruyelle War Cemetery. The others are remembered on the Dunkirk Memorial The graves were concentrated at Bruyellle C.W.G.C. Information on Bruyelle Cemetery All but one of the men buried in Bruyelle War Cemetery died in May 1940, during the battle on the line of the river Scheldt (Escaut) before the final withdrawal to Dunkirk ahead of the German advance. Of them, 58 were buried originally in Bruyelle, and the remainder in other villages in the neighbourhood, until November 1940 when they were all brought together in the one site.
Thankyou guy for that information Very informative,and something I had not seen before. I looked at bruyelle cemetery on line, It lists 130 british and allied sevice men From various dates,17 of which are unknown British servicemen. Do you know who ,in november 1940,bought the other British war dead to bruyelle. By then under german occupation. It's very heartening to know that after so many years of uncertainty ,perhaps one of the unknowns is my grandfather. Best regards.
I've added some pages dated a day earlier as the regimental history mentions some dates being recorded wrong. Happy reading-I've not had a chance to look myself.
Steve, Five men from A Company killed by a direct hit on their forward post on the evening of te 22nd
Greatfull thanks drew I will be contacting you reference copies, Meanwhile I'm engrossed in the detail And it gives you a real feel for the events The German probing in night parties across the scheldt,the counter attacks,the German spotter plane and resulting directed Fire across the river.Adancing in artillery formation bayonets fixed,against mg42s Snipers and mortars ,to keep cohesion is A great testament to them. I saw that too guy, but I'm still unsure what Company my grandfather was in, Allthough it would explain why some of the graves at bruyelle are listed as unknown As I'm sure a direct hit by a shell on a dugout Sadly,Would make it allmost impossible to ascertain who was who. How do I find out which company he was in?
Steve, Take a look at this thread, you may be able to confirm your grandfather was A Company? A Company 1st Batt Ox & Bucks Light Infantry WW2
Thankyou guy.....I have posted there. Here is my grandfather 2nd from left Pt instructor....all with obli tshirts
Saw this on Soldiers of Oxfordshire site: One tradition that has been difficult to maintain on this website is the regimental intense dislike of the abbreviation, "OBLI". We hope the ghosts of times past forgive us! Tim
Ahh interesting As the photograph I have is original I wonder whether 4 copies were made for the four participants. And yet,abreviations are common within the military itself, E.g. 1 and 2 para.....the buffs......the surrey's My own experience within the rct...... Function over form preferred on this occasion.
After a little searching,I am still none the wiser about my grandfather's platoon designation or his demise. It's possible he was one of the five that took a direct hit from a german 5.9 artillery shell Fired by the 253rd artillery regiment attached to the 253rd infantry division army group b. It is also possible he was one of the dead in the sweep of the wooded area ,where a furious firefight took place . Looking at a Belgian map of circa 1920 And today's satellite imagery it is possible to trace 1st batalions company movements As jerry murland has done so well. I shall endeavour to persevere Regards Steve
