14416229 Peter Oliver William ELY, 7 Parachute Regiment - My Uncle Killed / MIA

ThanksOlli I will look into what you have sent , I’ve got some local French help it’s taken 3 years to get to this point every little helps , will keep you posted on my progress still have a few rolls of the dice to go thanks again for your quick response regards Brian

 

Most probably members of Ost Bataillon 642 (Rus.) from 716. ID. The Division was badly mauled and it´s remnants were withdrawn (22 June area Le Mans, 10 July Leucate)

Another small bit: 28 August ´44 the No. 6 Canadian General Hospital opened at Saint Hymer

 

I found this snippet from the war Diaries very interesting .did they carry alternate dress to confuse the enemy if captured or were they a snatch group dressed in black wearing plimsols?, guess we will never know.

0330 - Four men of patrol (Sjt Padly and 3) reported in. Sjt and two of this party wounded. (One returned for duty) Lt Howard and four ORs missing. Patrol was machine gunned by enemy at close range from 146755. This patrol not dressed in airborne eqpt.

 

Had the same impression reading the WD
I´m not sure if this matches (due to language barrier) but it seems an idea of what´s behind:
When Airborne Equipment(AE)is employed there is potentially an associated Risk to Life (RtL).
https://assets.publishing.service.g...ttachment_data/file/760765/RA1150_Issue_3.pdf

 

Brian Hall1963
Hope I am not hijacking your thread will move it elsewhere if need be.(Admin)
Ltdan
I think that report is more to do with the flying equipment.

The favored recce patrol dress at that time was Dennison smock worn loose without belt which helped disguise the silhouette .Not sure if Lt Howard was leading this patrol as his was a fighting patrol and can not imagine why they would not use airborne equipment
.

 

Hi redtop
just out of curiosity: What´s meant with "not dressed in airborne equipment" instead? Would imagine some kind of disguise...

 

Could this relate to one of Hitler's Commando Orders of 1942, from when captured parachutists could be liable to execution or being handed over to the Gestapo etc rather than being processed as ordinary pows.
Commando Order - Wikipedia

 

Good evening all I think they ditched Thor para kit because of the kill order I’ve read a letter from cpl Woods saying the went out looking line ordinary infantrymen . I’m more than happy for all your thoughts who knows what it might lead to thank you all very much for your input keep up the good work one and all

 

He also said he didn’t know how he ended up in that area as he on got of a ship a few days before when he was being questioned by 2 American speaking Germans that came back at the start of the war and he pretended not to now the other prisoner regards Brian

 

Good evening all , my uncle was not a bad boxer and I remember find a army boxing medal a longtime ago which is not about any more would I be able to find any information about him through the boxing channel?

 

Lt John Pape was subsequently killed in action near Wunstorf airfield, Germany on 7 April 45.

 

Good Evening it’s nearly 77 years to the hour that my uncle Peter Ely of 7Para and 8 other of Britain’s finest young men went out , four where to lose their lives that fateful night , two still lay in a Norman field . Peter and one other are waiting , I’m not giving up on you sooner rather than later I will find you .Util we meet sleep tight Peter Ely

 

BrianHall1963,

2 of Peter's Patrol mates are buried at Ranville War Cemetery:
-14421370 Pte John WEBSTER grave VI-B-28 (as mentionned in a previous post Pte Webster died of his wounds at Le Chateau Gassart, St Hymer, near Pont L'Evêque; this was a German Hospital during the 1944 summer; all the men who died there were later transferred to Ranville War Cemetry).
-UNKNOWN found 2 years later

would you know the grave Number for this unknown man?
Regards,

Ludo

 

Good afternoon Ludo .I think so but if I can’t find it I can get it off a friend of mine who is a gardener at Ranville , will post it as soon as I have it.Out of interest only would you be able to share your thoughts with me if possible regards Brian

 

Hi Ludo the unknown is buried in IX .C. 13 regards Brian

 

Good evening all I’ve been back to Normandy.Fully of optimism for our search but unfortunately after excavating near 30 magnetometer hits found a horse heck of a lot of bones but wrong type. The theory of bodies in craters work but to many legs this time. On wards and up wards, just gets harder every time. Still there somewhere RegardsBrian

 

Hi Brian.
Sorry it didn’t turn out with a positive result. Fingers crossed one day you’ll find him.

 

Seconded.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Thanks Alex andJim , just got to get my thinking cap on but you never know, keep asking questions and something or someone might have the key .Don’t think it’s time to give up yet they are still out there.The thought this time was a larger group with maybe Germans also as it was behind there lines this time