42/53 Field Battery, 2nd Field Regiment, BEF

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by cootuk, Apr 22, 2014.

  1. cootuk

    cootuk Member

    I've only just found this site and am wondering where to go next for information.

    My great uncle Lance Bombadier William Eric Crockett (831247) served with 42/53 Field Battery, 2nd Field Regiment. in the BEF. We know he was posted to France in 1939 and died on 3rd June 1940.
    Casualty

    For years our family believed that he was seen on the beach at Dunkirk, but took a direct hit from a shell.
    It's only recently that we have found out he actually has a grave at St James cemetery in Dover.

    What would be the best step forward from here to try to find out what actually happened?
    I guess the unit diaries would be good (from the RA at Firepower?), though at that time it was every man for himself.
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    If he is buried at Dover my guess would be he died there or on a destroyer bringing him back from wounds sustained in France. I say destroyer as only destroyers were allowed to use Dover as I understand it. It is highly unlikely he died in France as soldiers killed overseas were not repatriated back to the UK.
     
  3. cootuk

    cootuk Member

    The RA replied faster than expected.

    "I'm afraid the records are somewhat confused. His casualty record details him as KIA in France on 3rd June 1940, but the regimental war diary has them leaving France via the Mole at Dunkirk on 1st June with the regiment gathering in Leeds from 2nd June onwards. No mention is made of casualties."

    They suggest his personal file from Glasgow.
     
  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    From WO 167/467 2 Field Regiments War Diary
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    [​IMG]
     
    4jonboy likes this.
  5. cootuk

    cootuk Member

    Thanks for that.
    Would it be possible to post up the diary from 10th May to 23rd so we can see the previous movements,
    and to suggest where we can make a donation for your efforts?

    The reason this has all come up is my daughter is doing a project at school about WW2 and we had recently scanned a load of old stuff into the computer including several letters home from the "Phoney War" and the 1939 Christmas card issued to them.
    When my mom said there wasn't a grave I thought I would do a search to see if he was on a memorial at Dunkirk, and now we are left with more questions.

    It's beginning to look like he might have been wounded and then died of wounds in Dover?
    Would his Glasgow record show when wounded?
     
  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Service records are always a good idea for any serious research. Like most things in this game you never know what you'll find until you look.

    I'm 99% sure someone on here will have a photograph of your mans headstone at Dover. I copied them all there before a trip to Dunkirk but lost all the images last year.
     
  7. cootuk

    cootuk Member

    We've already got the headstone from the CWGC, thanks.

    As a slight way of giving back
    [sharedmedia=gallery:images:25398]
    [sharedmedia=gallery:images:25397]

    edit: war diary request taken to PM
     
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  8. cootuk

    cootuk Member

    I think I may have found his entry in the Dover Register of Deaths.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. cootuk

    cootuk Member

    Many thanks to Drew5233 for the war diaries.
    It looks like they were mainly in support of Guards battalions for SOS fire, though limited in ammunition to 50rpg/day from the 20th.
    You can almost taste the chagrin when they were ordered to hold a position so close to the ones they had prepared during the Phony War.
     
    Drew5233 likes this.
  10. cootuk

    cootuk Member

    The register of Deaths was the correct one.

    "Second June 1940. Killed during evacuation of Flanders. Landed at Dover"

    I think my uncle/mom will be getting the service record from Glasgow as there are also hints in his letters home about things that happened in Egypt.
    We believe he signed up in 1932 when he was 18, and the unit was stationed there in the 30s.
     

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