Sydney Robert TREMLETT Stalag IVB or IVC

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by risca_boy, Feb 20, 2020.

  1. risca_boy

    risca_boy Junior Member

    I'm trying to find information about Sydney Robert TREMLETT, 7611935, with 7th Armoured Division, Ordnance Field Park, Royal Army Ordnance Corp.

    He was a POW who died on July 21st 1944 and is buried in Prague War Cemetery, Czech Republic along with 6 other POWs who all died the same day.

    I have found records which show he was in Stalag IVB. I understand that Stalag IVC, or at least the area close by, was bombed on July 21st and that 6 POWs were killed.

    I'm assuming that Sydney was in IVC at this time as I can't find any record of IVB being bombed on the same day?

    Can anyone shed any light on him please? Also where he was captured?

    The names of the other POWs are: WARD, GOSLETT, TODD, BROWN, UMPLEBY and FRANCIS.
    Thanks.
     
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  2. CL1

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

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  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
    Name: Sydney Tremlett
    Given Initials: S R
    Rank: Private
    Death Date: 21 Jul 1944
    Number: 7611935
    Birth Place: Newport
    Residence: London NW
    Branch at Enlistment: Other Corps
    Theatre of War: Balkans and Greece Campaign, 1944/45
    Regiment at Death: Royal Army Ordnance Corps
    Branch at Death: Other Corps

    TD

    I see from the CWGC details that he and the other 6 have note

    Buried Near this spot Special Item C
    [​IMG]

    It might be worth trying to find out from CWGC what 'special item c' actually says
    Casualty
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2020
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  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    You might also need to contact the Red Cross to see if they hold anything on the records for him and where he was. There are threads and links around to that service but it only happens every so often and is full very quickly so you will need patience

    TD
     
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  5. risca_boy

    risca_boy Junior Member

    Thanks both for the image and details. I don't have his service record unfortunately nor the war diary. The info I found online relates to Camp 53 in Italy (Sforzacosta, Macerata) and this info from a Czech site. (North Bohemian Aviation Archive Most)


    Pte Sydney Robert TREMLETT (kgf.n. 226744 Stalag IVB)

    b. October 25, 1918 Harrow, Middlesex, 7611935, 7th Armd. Wonder. Ordnance Field Park R.A.O., Holzer - Woodcutter. He died on 21 July 1944, buried on 25 July 1944, the cause of Bombentod - bombing.
     
  6. risca_boy

    risca_boy Junior Member

    Thanks, I looked last night at that and the window is closed now for a while.
     
  7. risca_boy

    risca_boy Junior Member

    Meant to add this image. He is mistakenly named TREMLITT

    upload_2020-2-20_13-28-17.png
     
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  8. risca_boy

    risca_boy Junior Member

    I read that to be 'Special Mem. 'C'
    It shows on the top of his headstone 'Buried near this spot'. None of the others have that on their headstones.
     
  9. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    I still think it would be worth contacting them and see what other info they hold on him - might be something, might be nothing

    TD

    They might have some details of where he was initially buried - a map ref or something which might help you
     
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  10. CL1

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

    Special memorial suggests original grave has been lost or not practical to maintain
    Also have checked a few local memorials for Kenton and he does not show on any so far
    May I ask your interest in this casualty
    Regards
    Clive
     
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  11. risca_boy

    risca_boy Junior Member

    Hi Clive
    He is named on a headstone in our local cemetery, Danygraig Risca, along with his parents.
    Both his parents deaths were registered in Harrow, father 1957 and mother 1980.
    Not really sure why they came back here though assuming they are buried here. I just found someone from my village who is researching the family so will try and contact them to see if they can shed any light on it.
     

    Attached Files:

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  12. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
    Name: Sidney Robert Tremlett
    Death Date: 21 Jul 1944
    Death Place: Middlesex, England
    Probate Date: 8 Nov 1944
    Probate Registry: Llandudno
    32858_611411_1973-00405.jpg

    A bit more family history that may help - William James [his father] looks to have died prior to 1944 otherwise not sure why his probate would be paid to his mother and having added she is wife of .............. thats how I would read that - but you say his father died 1957, but then the headstones says he died in 1957 - thats confused me a little

    TD
     
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  13. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    I think it's fairly safe to say that he was a victim of the bombing but you can check this out from the newsletter:

    WIKIPEDIA :

    This plant was designed to process oil from coal, and as part of the Allied campaign to attack German oil production it was bombed several times between July 1944 and April 1945. In the second raid on 21 July 1944 six British POWs were killed and 21 were injured.[3]"Spring 2002 Newsletter". The National Ex-Prisoner of War Association. 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011.

    Vitellino
     
  14. CL1

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

    There were a number of Welsh folk who came to London in the thirties when the mines started to close in sth Wales assume his parents were part of that.A number of them went into labouring helping build the new London suburbs

    Regards
    Clive
     
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  15. risca_boy

    risca_boy Junior Member

    In 1939 Sidney and his parents William and Ellen were living in Berkeley Rd, Wembley and William was a labourer.
    Sidney was an ophthalmic lens polisher.

    By 1946 Sidney's parents were living in Cowbridge Road, Harrow. From 1959 and onwards until at least 1964 she is then on her own in the same house in Harrow, so confirms her husband died in 1957, which is backed up by a registered death in Harrow district between Apr - Jun 1957 of William Tremlett aged 66.

    Ellen died 13 Nov 1980 in Harrow.

    They had another son William Henry who also lived in the Harrow area dying in 1996 so I'm not sure why there is a headstone back in Risca for them, because as far as I know they never lived here. They lived a few miles up the road in llanhilleth and Abercarn but people from there don't normally get buried in Risca.

    Unfortunately our council charges £25 a lookup for burial information.
     
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  16. risca_boy

    risca_boy Junior Member

    Clive, his father was in Wembley in 1939 employed as a labourer.
     
  17. risca_boy

    risca_boy Junior Member

    Thanks
    As you say it's pretty certain that he was a casualty of the bombing, I'd just like to be able to prove it.

    I managed to find a copy of the newsletter using the Wayback Machine as the National Ex POW Association website is no longer working.

    Spring 2002 Newsletter
    The plant at Brux which was bombed by both American and British aircraft was the Sudentenlandische Treibstoff Werke (Hermann Goring Works), a coal hydrogenation plant involved in the processing of oil from coal. It was protected by 266 anti-aircraft guns.

    There were three chimneys in the centre of the target, nicknamed Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin. The first raid took place on 12th July 1944 and during the second on 21st July 6 British POWs were killed and 21 were injured.

    At least a dozen raids took place until the last raid in April 1945 by RAF Lancasters put an end to the plants production. The holding stalag for the British slave labourers was Stalag 4C Wistritz.
     
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  18. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Another way to find out would be to check out this Camp Inspection Report held at The National Archives:


    Reference:
    WO 208/3274


    Description:
    Stalag IV B Muhlberg


    Date:
    1941-1945

    Vitellino
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2020
  19. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

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