7961213 Tpr Colin PICKERING, 2nd Lothians and Border Horse: 08/02/1944

At least that is now clear.

 

Thank you Hereward you are so good, all the detail is wonderful and the time you have given to find me the answer. I do not know the family, I am researching all the men on Hope WW2 War Memorial and I do not live there, but quite near. My project is to research as many men as I can on Local War Memorials as they seem almost to be anonymous, just an initial, sometimes and a surname. They should be remembered for their sacrifices.
I cannot thank you enough and will credit you and all the Forum members as usual when I write his story. Kindest regards, Mavis

 

Jemmapes is present day Azzaba in Algeria.
Google Maps

 

Thank you Tony56, much appreciated. Regards, Mavis

 

That's great that you are conducting such research Mavis, I hope you produce a locally produced book on what you find. I think that will have great significance in the community. If you locate any others from the Lothians and Border Horse and Yeomanry, please don't hesitate to contact me here and through the Facebook group! Could you post a few pictures of the memorial site on the Facebook group? A wide shot showing the surroundings, a close of the memorial and of course a close up of where his name appears? That way any members who happen to be in the area may pass by may pay their respects.

 

Great find. Is that map cropped from 1:25000 or 1:50000 map series? I haven't collected either that far west of Tunisia although I do have the 1:200000 series. I should get them!

 

Map
https://maps.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/algeria/txu-pclmaps-oclc-6543467-jemmapes-32.jpg

 

Thanks again Hereward, Colin is the only soldier that I have seen on our War Memorials belonging to the 2nd Lothian Border Horse and Yeomanry so far, so certainly will let you know if I find anymore. I think that perhaps Colin was in the R.W.F. perhaps and was transferred at some stage, but I'm only guessing.
Thanks again, Mavis

 

His number is from the RAC block and I'd say early/mid 1942 enlistment

 

Thank you AB64, I was thinking Royal Welsh Fusiliers, as so many of our local men were in that in WW1 and WW2 and they, very often, were transferred to other Regiments, I suppose as other Regiments needed more men. Good to know where and what date he started. He must have been only about 18 years old at the time he enlisted.

 

Thank you so much Owen. I will make a note of that for future reference.

 

Thank you Owen, I will keep a note of this, it looks as though he went straight into the R.A.C. from what I can see. Thank you.

 

I have received a reply from CWGC and it agrees with Vitellino and Hereward who said that it might have been a clerical error.

From: CWGC Enquiry Support Team [mailto:enquiries@cwgc.org]
Sent: 01 September 2021 13:51
T
Subject: Website Enquiry--00112182


Dear Mrs Williams


Thank you for your recent e mail.


Concerning Trooper Colin Pickering, I would explain that all our documentation is consistent throughout in showing the casualty as being buried in Bone Cemetery, Algeria. The Casualty List page which you kindly attach, as confirmed by our Records Section, is clearly a continuation page for reports for North Africa and Italy. It appears that Pickering has been incorrectly included under the sub-heading Italy.


I hope this is helpful and thank you again for getting in touch.


Kind Regards


Julie Somay

Enquiries Administrator

​

Regards, Mavis
















Commonwealth War Graves Commission

2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7DX, United Kingdom

Tel: | Website: www.cwgc.org



***************************

case number: 00112182

case enquiry date: 30/08/2021

customer name: Mavis Williams


__________________________________


Original Enquiry: 30/08/2021




Dear Sir/Madam, I am researching this Soldier:-
TROOPER
COLIN PICKERING
Service Number: 7961213
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Royal Armoured Corps
2nd Lothians and Border Horse
Died 08 February 1944
Age 20 years old
Buried or commemorated at BONE WAR CEMETERY, ANNABA
VIII. F. 5.
Algeria
On Casualty Form 1376 it states that he was killed in Italy, but he is buried in Algeria. Have you any more information to clarify please?
Many thanks in advance, Mavis Williams

________________________________


[ ref:_00D24Kljz._5004H19GFJp:ref ]

 

There are lots of similar errors in the casualty lists, in my case mainly men listed as being wounded/killed in North Africa when they were in fact in Italy.

However, the Casualty Lists were continually revised and errors listed. T

There maybe a correction somewhere in a later Casualty list that hasn't been transcribed correctly on Ancestry.

 

Will check this- the casualty lists are all available on findmypast - it will mean trailing through them all, I'm afraid.

 

Have looked through the first thirty pages of the next list WO 417/75 for the correction and have found nothing so far. There are over 400 pages so it's going to be a lengthy undertaking....

 

That's devotion to Duty Vitellino! Thank you.

 

I don't want to depress you but the corrections can be months in the future. Usually, but not always, there is a pen correction of the original page. It may just be an error that was never corrected.

Are you using the FMP portal as well? That is painfully slow to load.

 

I might just give up on this one,Gary.

You're right, I was using FMP. Any better suggestions for a similar case in future?