Casualty Lance Corporal HUGHES, ERIC Service Number 2733768 Died 29/05/1940 Aged 26 1st Bn. Welsh Guards Buried at WARHEM COMMUNAL CEMETERY Location: Nord, France Number of casualties: 49 Cemetery/memorial reference: Row A. Grave 19.
I was so pleased to have found this website. This fallen Welsh Guardsman is my fathers cousin. I was aware that he was buried here in Warhem, but I never had a photo of the grave.....until now. Eric's was born in St Helens, Wigan after my great Uncle moved there from Blaenau Ffestiniog North Wales to work in the coal mines. I have a letter that was written by his mother dated 1944 to the War Office, she had been told that there was an Eric Hughes as a POW's. She lived in hope that this was him, but it was not. I myself served 24 years with the Welsh Guards, leaving in 2003.
Hello and welcome to the forum from the daughter of a Mick. Glad that Ramacal/Rob's photo was found by yourself and is of help. Do you have any photos of your Dad's cousin that you could share here? And would you be willing to post an image of the letter. It sounds like an awful mix up. Did the family ever get an explanation, or an account of how he died? Has anyone in the family applied to RHQ to get copy of his service records? I have a copy of the file for Welsh Guards BEF Missing Personnel so will have a look through for both Hughes to see if they are mentioned. I don't think I have the War diary for that period, but someone else might, will have to follow up later. Unfortunately I've read up more about the 2nd Bn than the 1st, as the 2nd were with the Micks at the Hook of Holland and at Boulogne. Do you have a copy of the WG History by Major Ellis? Regards Diane
2733768 L/Cpl Eric Hughes served with both 1st and 2nd Welsh Guards Killed in Action retreat to Dunkirk 29/05/1940 Eric Hughes 1914–1940 Born 15 MAY 1914 St. Helens, Lancashire, England Died 29 MAY 1940 • Dunkirk, Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France Kyle