1st Battalion Coldstream Guards Belgium May 1940

Discussion in 'The Brigade of Guards' started by Orlasdad, Oct 23, 2011.

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  1. Orlasdad

    Orlasdad Paul

    Hi

    My great uncle Charles Henry Riches was a corporal in the 1st Battalion of the Coldstream Guards. He was killed on 22nd May 1940 near Wilsele, Belgium. We recently visited the cemetery in Wilsele where he is buried along with around 30 of his regiment and 10 others.
    I have uploaded a short video of our visit to the cemetery to youtube..(link below).

    [YOUTUBE]4eYKOz7l9cE[/YOUTUBE]

    Charles Henry Riches - 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards - Wilsele Cemetery Belgium - YouTube


    We would very much appreciate any help with finding out more about what happened on 22nd May 1940, and how they may have come to meet their end.
     
    Orlasdad, Oct 23, 2011
    #1
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    CWGC :: Certificate :poppy:

    Here is the units war diary for the date of his death.
    [​IMG]

    The Bn was at Cyghem (Kooigem today, I think) which is 80 miles from Wilsele.

    So considering the two facts of the distance and the lack of contact with the enemy on the 22nd May I suspect he may have died of wounds received in an earlier contact. Another consideration should be that he may have been attached to another unit (quite common for 1940).

    Do you have a copy of his service records?
     
    Drew5233, Oct 23, 2011
    #2
  3. L J

    L J Senior Member

    Wilsele is not that far from Louvain,and Kooigem is situated south of Courtray,near the French border .
     
    L J, Oct 23, 2011
    #3
  4. Orlasdad

    Orlasdad Paul

    Thats really interesting thanks...it appears that the 30 of them died on the same day 22nd May. Would this suggest perhaps they were all attached to another unit near Wilsele maybe?

    We don't have a copy of his service records as yet, where would be the best place to get these from?

    Thanks for your help
     
    Orlasdad, Oct 23, 2011
    #4
  5. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    dbf, Oct 23, 2011
    #5
  6. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    These casualties have to be from the original fighting on the Dyle, probably around 16th May. Weren't the Coldstreams well installed in the Belgian fortifications north of Leuven ?

    I would suspect either died of wounds or more likely, bodies not recovered until 22nd May and entered in the local records on that date.
     
    Rich Payne, Oct 24, 2011
    #6
  7. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    CG at Wisele listed in order of date of death. There is no mention in the CG BEF Missing personnel file for these names as far as I can tell.

    Link SIMPSON DAW 2654747 1ST BN 13/05/1940 - - 22/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 6.

    Link FARMERY TW 2654403 1ST BN 15/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 17.

    Link HUNTINGTON JE 2658528 1ST BN 16/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 21.
    Link MAYCOCK H 2655779 1ST BN 16/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 14.
    Link SAUNDERS MS 2658998 1ST BN 16/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 19.
    Link TENNEY J 2654246 1ST BN 16/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 15.
    Link WOODWARD CA 2658794 1ST BN 16/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 28.

    Link BAINES E 2654717 1ST BN 17/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 23.

    Link BURLINSON J 2658629 1ST BN 21/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 1.
    Link WILLIAMS EG 2654180 1ST BN 21/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 24.

    Link CROSS F 2653645 1ST BN 22/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 10.
    Link DAVIES D 4446940 1ST BN 22/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 11.
    Link ESTILL J 2658750 1ST BN 22/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 2.
    Link ANDERSON A 2657646 1ST BN 22/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 4.
    Link FERGUSON J 895979 1ST BN 22/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 12.
    Link GOLDING DP 2659100 1ST BN 22/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 3.
    Link HEWSON ET 2659106 1ST BN 22/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 7.
    Link MANDERSON E 2653294 1ST BN 22/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 8.
    Link RICHES CH 5772550 1ST BN 22/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 9.
    Link STEPHEN JG 2658272 1ST BN 22/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 5.

    Link BAXTREM D 2658578 1ST BN 25/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 30.
    Link BIRCH CH 2658470 1ST BN 25/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 18.
    Link GILES EV 2657964 1ST BN 25/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 20.
    Link LONG J 2658520 1ST BN 25/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 22.
    Link MITCHELL CHG 2658621 1ST BN 25/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 16.
    Link MORRIS A 2653300 1ST BN 25/05/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS
    ROW A. GRAVE 29.

    :poppy:
     
    dbf, Oct 24, 2011
    #7
  8. Orlasdad

    Orlasdad Paul

    Orlasdad, Oct 24, 2011
    #8

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