Watman A belated welcome. Very interested in your comments about Wilhelmshaven Can you remember where you were billeted? Did the Royal Marines give it a Naval Royal Marines themed name (I know the Royal Navy presence in Wilhelmshaven was referred to officially as HMS Royal Rupert in Royal Navy correspondence)?
Thank you Bluebell Minor. We were not billeted in private houses in Wilhelmshaven and to be truthful I cannot remember where we lived and slept. The picture I enclosed was taken, if I recall rightly, on the docks at Wilhelmshaven where I do remember watching small ships arriving carrying many Displaced Persons for onward repatriation to their own countries of origin. I can only assume we were quartered somewhere on or adjacent to the docks. I can also recall one instance of being in a building in the centre of the city where German small arms were collected. This was an occasion when a German Army officer arrived to surrender but would only do so to an officer of equivalent rank: not to me, I was a mere Lance Corporal. This was a time of "non-fraternisation" with the local populace - at least officially - and so there were no connections with them, as there were in Holland, to establish distinct memories. I cannot recall the name HMS Rupert: this may have been because we were under the overall command of the Canadian army and not the Royal Navy at the end of the war in Europe (see posting above 20 June 2010). Watman
Hello, My grandfather was in this unit, however he died before I was born in a car accident. As a result we only have fragments of what he was involved in during the war. I'm particularly interested in anything Witman might be able to add, although Battalions are big enough that he probably didn't know him personally. His name was Marine Edward Henry Strike from Northampton and we believe that he was in Antwerp (he had a similar story to Witman regarding a Dutch family who he remained in touch with until his death). He was at Bergan-Belsen, although we are not sure why, dealing with the aftermath. One of my uncles seemed to think he had been wounded and they were trying to surge people in to deal with the bodies etc. My uncle also seemed to think that he was involved in some urban fighting in Hamburg. This is all second or third hand so it's difficult to know how much has been garbled over time. His service record is pretty unhelpful. I'd be interested in the details of the book someone mentioned at the beginning of the thread and any other details. I'm in the Army myself and am keen to get as much detail as I can so that when my son is old enough I can tell him something of his grandparents.
Hi people My Grandfather was in this unit, Norman Edwards. I am currently doing research on the unit and their involvement in the war. My main source is a book he wrote about his life that covers his time in Holland and Germany. I know he was part of a Carrier Section and accounts his time in Wilhelmshaven. His book names a few other people that he was with at the time in his section. He also accounts of one member of the section being killed the day before the war ended.
Morning, Unfortunately missing from Drew's list at the start of the thread is Marine EX/2722 Alan EAMES KiA Saturday 7 April 1945 Casualty Details Given the aforementioned interest, would anyone know what happened this date at all ?? Regards, Graeme
Hi Graeme Found this on an Ancestry tree: shortly after there marriage he was killed while on duty.need to get more info.since been told,he was shot by a german sniper in holland.only 3 weeks after there marriage. TD
Morning TD, Crikey, that was quick. Many thanks for finding that for me, appreciate it, Regards, Graeme
CAN YOU HELP? WERE YOU THERE? ARE YOU IN THIS PICTURE? Our C.O was Capt. Bevis 27 & 28 Bns. Royal Marines part of 116 Brigade RM attached to Canadian Divisions during the fighting in the Heusden / Hengelo & river Maas areas of Holland & at Oldenburg, Germany in February 1945. Did you belong to either of these battalions? Very little has been recorded of the exploits of these units, although it is 72 years ago & many of the Veterans have probably passed on. I am hoping there are still a few Veterans left who can recall their experiences. I suffered a serious head wound, & my memory was lost for 5-6 months. Both Battalions suffered many Killed & wounded during the battles. The graves of our colleagues are tended by the War Graves Commission Veterans or their Families please help to build the story of the Royal Marines experiences during WW2 In Europe. My son Peter & I recently visited Heusden, we met many local citizens who were young children in 1945 their harrowing memories still linger on. Many of the citizens were massacred when the German Army blew up the Town Hall where 140 mainly women & children went to shelter. The Dutch people had a horrifying ordeal during the German occupation, many were made to work in German factories or sent to concentration camps. Heusden has been rebuilt, & is now once again a proud Town. The people of the Netherlands are grateful for all the Allied Forces who liberated them in 1945. Les Wynn CH/X 112220 Life Member RMA 16302 (I used my grandsons account to post this message and picture)
My dad- still alive and with a brilliant memory- was with 27R.M., 'B'Company. He was just 20, Second Lieutenant Keith Holloway. He wrote this on18th August 2017, it's about one memory of the time before they were moved to Wilhelmshaven. " One day at the end of April 'B' Company was heavily mortared and took casualties. The woods we were in were a few hundred yards away from the woods the Germans were in. The adjacent company, 'X' company, was ordered to send out a patrol that night - it was either 30 April/1 May or 1 May/2 May - to find where the mortars were, 'X' Coy. commander Major Henry Pope selected 2/Lieut Keith Holloway, 13 Pl., to do the job. His briefing was poor, only vague information about direction and distance. They never found the mortars - perhaps they were mobile - but on the way back one member of the patrol spotted movement. The patrol slowly sunk to the ground. It was a man. When he was about 30 metres from the patrol Keith challenged him - 'Halt! hende hock'. He did and two men quickly got hold of him and removed his submachine gun and pistol. The patrol then made for home. The German, encouraged forward by a rifle prodding him said 'Ich bin officier'. On return they found Henry Pope anxiously awaiting them. He sent Keith and the German lieutenant in his jeep to battalion H.Q. where Keith handed the man over to the battalion 2i/c, Major Freeman. By now it was nearly dawn. Next day Keith's platoon were detached to 'A' Coy. and advanced through the woods. However, they were soon withdrawn, packed into Canadian trucks and rushed to the north west ports, Wilhelmshaven and Emden to prevent demolitions. They were too late. 13 Pl's final objective was the telephone exchange for N.W. Germany at Langewert, 4 miles outside Wilhelmshaven. Fortunately the small garrison surrendered. Three weeks later Keith was back in England with the advance party - having said goodbye to his Dutch girlfriend in Hengelo on the way' Dad would love to know if there is any reference in the diaries to this incident.
Hi Les, Many thanks for visiting Alan, he is on the Newhall War Memorial in South Derbyshire, Regards, Graeme
Hello, I look for the 27th battalion RM his name is Paddy W. Neill. I know that in 1945 May he was in the city Hengelo, the Netherlands and the street name was Kievitstraat. This is the only information that I have, I write it down hopefully someone knows something. I have some handwritten letters with the following name: Paddy W. Neill PO+4553 Marine W.Neill 27 th battalion rm y boy b.l.a.
Hello, It is the anniversary of my father's death tomorrow and I am determined to learn more about his war record, as like most serving men, he was very modest about it. David Ring started in the ranks and was then commissioned in 1943 as acting Lieutenant. He served in the 27th Battalion under P.W. Phibbs and later Norman Taylyour, both of whom he remained in contact with post-war. I recall as a boy being taken onto General Taylyour's yacht in Salcombe, which was a great treat. From what I remember, he was involved in the action to recapture Arnhem, and then went up through Holland as others have written here, billeting with local people. In the 70s he went on a nostalgic road trip retracing his steps, with Arthur Hambleton MC (then the Chief Constable of Dorset). They were welcomed warmly by people who remembered them. Arthur Hambleton's obituary speaks of a daring raid across the Kursten Canal into Germany, with a close quarter battle which was successful despite being outnumbered on landing and coming under heavy fire. I assume that Dad was part of this but I don't know that. My family's anecdotal story is that he accepted the German surrender in one at least of the Frisian islands, which chimes with the official records that the Battalion was sent to ensure that surrender did take place. It would explain the German officer's memorabilia that I still have. Dad was by then an acting Captain. I know that he did end up at Wilhelmshaven, where he picked up a hernia injury which took him back to Wakefield Emergency Hospital, where he was nursed by Kathleen, who was to become his wife. After surgery he went to Infantry School near Plymouth where I have a photo of him with fellow officers. He was not demobbed until January 1947. Can anyone add to or correct my sketchy knowledge? Thanks in advance, Chris Ring
Hi, I'am very interested in plotting the actions of 116th, Like everyone else it seems, I am struggling to find information https://www.royalmarineshistory.com/
This is great I hope you dont mind but I have added this to a pin on my website Royal Marines a Geo History https://www.royalmarineshistory.com/