6980520 Thomas KERR, 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers: May 1940

What a shame they haven't come back yet ...Fingers crossed.

 

Deleted

 

excerpts from diary:

The first unit is the 2nd Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers: D Coy to the left, B Coy in the middle, A Coy on the right and C Coy in reserve, the Bn Headquarters further in the rear.
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The 2nd Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers are no longer in their neighbouring positions. They have been forced to retreat, being saved only by masses of artillery fire and their reserve company. Their commander: W.M. Megaw is badly wounded and is evacuated to the RAP. (Regimental Aid post) on the main Ypres-Warneton road. On the way he sees the effects of the aerial bombardment on those innocent civilians. What sticks in his mind after all these years is the sight of a seriously injured woman with her mortally wounded child and baby in her arms, being led into the house. That was Maria Verlinde and her son Albert Vandepitte and their sister Zoë. They had been wounded by the the infernal German artillery during their evacuation by horse. The mother lived for a further hour and a half, the baby died in the arms of its aunt Zoë.
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The 2nd Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers will even carry out a counter-attack near Nuytens Vemield farm during which 2Lt. Dane was killed. Between 08:00 and 13:00 (28th May) the Germans pause to re-organise themselves.
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more to follow.....

 

Today I was in the neighbourhood and I felt so free to take some pictures, I have more of the RIF, I just post some, If someone want more of the RIF just let me know.


















Would that be the CCS in the background ?

 

As Ian mentioned 2nd Lieutenant Dane was killed attempting to capture a MG post sited in a house 300 yards from the Bn according to the regiments history and the war diary. Kerr may have been injured in the same action.

 

He was in A Company !

This is the form listing his last payment in France. Follow down the list to his name and if you look on the right you will see his signature - not everyday you see these kind of documents



In which war dairy was this document? And does it contain the other companys of the 2nd RIF as well?
This would be a great help for my researcher.

Regards Koen

 

Hi Koen,

It's in the RIF's 1940 Missing Men file.

Andy

 

Humpf....Just checked the original posters profile. All this work by everyone and they never bothered to come back and say thanks

 

Hi Koen,

It's in the RIF's 1940 Missing Men file.

Andy

Thanks Andy. I have that file on DVD. I knew I recognized it from somewhere.
Do you know if there are more pages of the form listing the RIFs soldiers last payment in France?

Humpf....Just checked the original posters profile. All this work by everyone and they never bothered to come back and say thanks

Well if the original poster doesn't say thanks I will. So thanks to those that posted in this post it is a great help for me.

 

Do you know if there are more pages of the form listing the RIFs soldiers last payment in France?


Only the ones in that file-if there are any more in there.

 

Would love a copy of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers missing men file if anyone can help? Can make a small payment via Paypal. Thanks, Conor

 

Would love a copy of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers missing men file if anyone can help? Can make a small payment via Paypal. Thanks, Conor

Drop me a PM if you haven't already

 

thank you so much

 

Hi folks, I know it's been a while since this topic was discussed but I just wanted to say thank you for the content contained therein... my Great uncle Phillip Williams was killed May 27th 1940 whilst serving as a Fusilier in the Royal Iniskilling Fusiliers. I've always been interested in him and the info I came across here has been a real eye opener. For your interest Phillip was a dock worker in Liverpool who enlisted in 1939 during the fervour generated by the outbreak of war. Apparently he had a huge falling out with my Granddad over this as they were both reserved occupation and didn't have to fight. My Great Grandfather had served in the First World War as an infantryman, survived it despite having being gassed twice, serving in France, Belgium and Italy winning the DCM and then volunteering for the Russian Relief Force to fight the communists; as you can probably tell I'm immensely proud of him but equally I never knew him and my own Granddad perhaps having done so recognised the horrors that war would bring, hence the falling out with his younger brother when he decided to enlist (my own Granddad died in 1988 when I was 8 years old). Phillip went off to fight as part of the BEF and was killed May 27th 1940 aged 21. From the documents and info you have supplied here and oral history passed down in the family Phillip died whilst forming part of a rear guard defending soldiers retreating to Dunkirk. As I understand it not many of them made it back. His regimental number is 3774608... I was wondering does anyone know what company he was in when he died? Also are there any photos of these guys? No one in my family has one. I do have a photo of his gravestone at Oostaverne in Belgium....

 

Hi Chris and thanks for posting - It's always nice to see family stories added to these threads. Finding a soldiers Company is like looking for the Holy Grail I'm afraid.

 

Hello Chris, as Drew already said it is not easy finding a soldiers Company. You can apply for his service records.
On the forum are some photo's of the Regiment.

Regards Koen