1st Armoured Battalion Coldstream Guards, 1944-45

Hi John although not a witness to the event he was in the locality as far as I know, regrettably he passed away in 2013 but he definitely mentioned the event at times and the horrific result.
Regards Nigel

 

Hi Debbie as far as I know these photos were taken by my father and were in his collection that I discovered after his passing in 2013. As I was piecing together his war travels I discovered the article by Recce_Mitch about his father and linked Colin Wray with the 1938 squad photo, as you also appear to have done also. I really regret that I no further information that can help you, I really hope someone can. Best wishes Nigel

 

Thanks Nigel...too sad that you don't know more. Was Wray a friend of your dad? Sorry to hear that your dad passed away. We have no clue what happened to Wray and the Circumstances of his death. I hope one day we can find it out and clear this mystery. Every little bit could help. The pictures are very interesting for us. We know that Wray and other soldiers got burried in an orchard on a farm in Kutenholz first before they were reburried to Becklingen. Your pictures show the original Graves in Kutenholz. Is it possible to scan them and sharing them with me please? Can you see other names on the crosses? You would help us a lot.
Best wishes
Debbie

 

Before I forget....you wrote about your dad's war traveling. Seems he and Wray where together...do you know where they stayed at that time? Wray died on the 30th. On the 30th of April 1945 exploded a Armoured Car infact of a sea mine. Wray wasn't part of it. 3 men got killed infact of the explosion. Their grave was beside the road where it happened. Wray's grave was in Kutenholz not close to the grave of the soldiers from the Armoured Car. Many questions about what happened. Did your dad write down where they stayed at the 30th of April 1945 and the days before?
Greetings Debbie

 

Thanks Nigel it is good that after all this time there is still link's with story's from that part of history I have read other accounts
from interviews with men from the same troop who actually witnessed the Destruction of the tank just a few day's before the
end of the war that is all he mentioned about that event , Another interview was with a crew member of a tank that got hit at
Enschede the way he describes what happened to him leads me to believe that and I quote ( his trousers set on fire from the
burning tank that was close to his disabled tank) .This mans claim to fame was running across an open field with his trouser's
on fire ! ,I have tried to work it out who's tank it was that set the man's trousers on fire and I think it was Robert Boscawen's
tank in which he was badly injured . My point is that through being in touch with forum's like ww2 talk how we can piece stories
together its not always the right outcome but you cannot knock a trier and believe me I have been trying for 67 years and it is
all coming together now with being in touch with Debbie from Kutenholz , So thanks again Nigel
Best Regards
John Lamb

 

Hi Everybody I would like to say thank's to this Forum for the link and information that as resulted in a possible identification of a
missing Soldier of the 1st Armoured Battalion Coldstream Guards , On 1/5/1945 the Sherman Tank of the said Regiment was
Destroyed just outside of a small village in Germany called Kutenholz the entire crew were killed including my Uncle Frank Lock ,
Three of the crew were identified L/SGT JT Green-Grdsman RG Moore and Grdsman A Taylor-Hurst , Were buried at Becklingen
war Cemetery , The two missing men are Commemorated at Groesbeek Canadian war Cemetery in the Netherlands . Last year
2021 the Area where the tank was Destroyed was searched and remarkable large pieces of the tank were recovered but the most
remarkable find of all are human remains ! , These remains have been sent for Forensic examination and have proved positive
for DNA , The four Families of JT Green -RG Moore-F Lock and S Somerset are providing a DNA donor for a possible match , We
are still trying to trace a Family connection for Anthony Taylor-Hurst , This story is being well covered by the British press also
Debbie Buelau gave a brilliant interview to Radio Sheffield on the 14th of December . The photo is of the Suspension unit recovered
from the Area of the Destroyed tank . With what as been discovered it my be possible to give a WW2 Hero a fitting burial .

Best Regards
John Lamb

 

Anthony features on one family tree on ancestry & I have messaged the tree creator via ancestry.

Travers

 

Quick reply to my ancestry message, was a step second cousin to Anthony. They had already heard of the appeal via a local magazine & a cousin of theirs has been in contact with the searchers.

 

It seems that this might be largely resolved locally.
I understand that there is an article in today's online Mansfield and Ashfield Chad newspaper.

 

New information emerges in Second World War tank tragedy search for Mansfield soldier's family

 

Becklingen Commonwealth War Cemetery is on the eastern edge pf the NATO training area Bergan Hohne and south west of the Munster Artillery ranges. IRRC that it was where the British local garrison will have held Remembrance services durign the period of the cold war.

 

Hi Every body and thanks for the quick replies , Things are now moving along a Central ITV report and interview with Debbie Buelau was shown on TV last Tuesday , The interview was carried out by Peter Bearne of Central ITV Television
and now we wait to see if anything comes from it ! Once again thank's for your help in this search .

Best Regards

John

 

On ITV Central News

'Found at last' How we tracked down the family of WW2 soldier | ITV News

 

On behalf of everybody on this photo please accept my thanks to the help given by this WW2 forum in bringing this event to take
place on the 8th of May 2022 at Kutenholz Germany , And a huge thank you to the Royal British Legion for organizing the whole
event , this would not have happened but for the brilliant work and research carried out by Debbie Buelau and her research team
at Kutenholz , Once again THANK YOU .

 

Thank you John and Thank you to everyone who helped us searching! We had a very special weekend in May. I created a webside with information. If you are interested take a look at www.gedenkorte-Kutenholz-und-umgebung.de it is also written in English. Best wishes and many thanks Debbie