5050828 Sergeant Harry SALT, MID, 1st Reconnaissance Regiment: 30/04/1943

Sgt. Harry Salt

 

He gets a mention in the regiments war diary along with the IG. I've added a few days earlier to get an idea on what was happening.

 

App J

 

To compliment the details posted above, I have attached a map and a satellite view of the locations mentioned in the diary, to find the area on Google maps, point 212 is at 36.722305, 9.751569

View attachment 1 Recce diary (map).pdf

View attachment 1 Recce diary (satellite).pdf

 

Sgt. Harry Salt

 

Serjeant HARRY SALT
Mentioned in Despatches
5050828
Who died age 24 on 30 April 1943
Son of Thomas and Sarah Hannah Salt, of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.
MASSICAULT WAR CEMETERY V. G. 9.

Hi there...hoping someone will be able to reply to this thread although it is 7 years old!

This is my great great uncle, and anyone at all can help point me in the direction of how to find out more about him I would be eternally grateful. My Grandma (his niece) and her family were never made aware of how he actually died, we have his last letter which included a bank note signed by the men who served under him and this is dated 20 April 1943.

Hoping for any reply! Thank you..
Danielle

 

Hello and a warm welcome to the forum Danielle. I'm so pleased that a relative has come forward about Harry.

Yes I have the service records of your great uncle. Have you read the whole of this thread from the first post? It does explain the circumstances in which your relative died; unfortunately the service records just state that he was killed in action. You should be very proud of him and his actions which earned him a Mention in Despatches. Unfortunately these MID's are quite hard to find, but I am sure a forum member will be able to offer more information about this.

There are many more sheets of his service record I didn't post in my Gallery. I have copies of his enlistment form for the North Staffordshire Regiment, plus his Attestation form for the Reconnaissance Corps, to name but a few. In all there are about 14 sheets.

I will send you a private message.

Lesley

 

Thanks Diane

 

Wow! Thank you so much for replying and so quickly!

Until today we knew none of this. Sat with my Grandma, who was very close with her Uncle, she was saddened still that we didn't know how we died or even where.

I've read the thread and I'm just amazed, I'm putting all of this together to show my Grandma, she will be overjoyed to hear of her Uncle Harry spoken of in such high regard. And I'm definitely one very, very proud great great niece.

Thank you!
Danielle

 

Danielle- have you a photo of Harry you could post here please? It would be lovely to see it.

Lesley

edited: e-mail received and have replied

 

I do! He was a handsome fellow

Harry was the youngest of 7 children and had only been working a matter of months before being enlisted. My Grandma's father (William, known as Bill) was the second eldest, as such my Grandma was 18 to Harry's 24 when we was killed. They were very close. I also have a bank note signed by those we served with. It's hard to read but some names which you may recognise, beautiful caligraphy from these brave chaps means I may not copy these down correctly:

• Eugene Fretton
• Geff (?) Parks
• M. Mitchell
• Willis
• N. Plunton (can't read this well)
• J Selina (again not too clear)
• J M McFarlane
• Alexander
• H King
• E Stanley
• J E Witherford
• D Jenkins
• G or C Wright
• C Harris
• Newton
• T Unsworth

There are more, but hard to read. He has written:
Come what may,
I'll always say.
They were the best.

In his last letter with which this note was included he talks about their bravery and how he would not have wished for a better bunch of 'chaps'

Danielle

 

Thank you Danielle for the lovely photo. Handsome indeed


Lesley

 

Harry Salt’s death is recorded on the British Army Casualty List No. 1141 dated 22 May 1943. In this list he is shown as being with 56 Recce! Details as follows:

Killed in Action, Reconnaissance Corps
56 Regt
6347862 Attwood L/Sjt EG, date of casualty 24.4.43
5051087 Ball L/Sjt A, 28.4.43
10601682 Brown Tpr A, 28.4.43
10601817 Cumberworth Tpr H, 28.4.43 [should be 1 Recce]
4104303 Davies Tpr WA, 28.4.43
10600934 Fraser Tpr RD, 27.4.43
3603665 Haney Tpr J, 30.4.43
10601353 Lowson Tpr MS, 27.4.43
10601752 Palmer U/L/Cpl P, 28.4.43
6144949 Powell Tpr WT, 26.4.43
3322284 Reid Tpr A, 29.4.43
5050828 Salt W.S/Sjt H, 30.4.4343 [should be 1 Recce]
3598929 Slee Tpr TE, 24.4.43
3972001 Staniforth Tpr EJ, 29.4.43
4980034 Taylor Tpr S, 28.4.43
3966073 Thomas Tpr WR, 27.4.43
4531263 Wood Tpr W, 27.4.43
44 Regt
5573823 Orton Tpr CR, 28.4.43

I have also looked at a few of Harry’s colleagues from the bank note, at least those that can be made out, have found these:

10601776 Tretton Tpr E, Wounded 28.4.43 (56 Recce) Died of wounds 23.1.44 (46 Recce)
[Note: name is unusual so looks like errors with regiment]
10601996 Plunton Tpr V Wounded 29.4.43 (1 Recce)
10601067 Innes Tpr DM Wounded 16.9.43 (1 Recce)

Could well be others but difficult to determine with common surnames and possible errors with regiments.

 

Hi Danielle

Welcome to the forum. Great to have another Recce on board. Thanks for posting the photo of Harry.

Cheers
Paul

 

Remembering Harry Salt today, KIA 30/4/43

 

Evening Sentinel Tuesday 18th May 1943