7th Bn Green Howards - Stanley Coleman - Hartlepool

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by Chris WIlletts, Mar 26, 2021.

  1. Chris WIlletts

    Chris WIlletts Active Member

    Looking to find more information on my Grandad Stanley Coleman who met my Nana after presenting her the personal items from her Uncles death Ted (John Dimmock) Stanley's best friend. Who was the only person killed from his 7th battalion at Dunkirk. This is the only battle my Grandad missed due to diphtheria. Stanley received oak leaf for bravery through out his war career from General Alexander. Which i believe was received whilst serving as a desert rat, saving Italian prisons from the front line, one handed after the truck became stuck and he was hit with shrapnel in one arm.

    Grandad:
    Stanley Coleman - Truck Driver (what trucks did he drive?) He wrote Jenny (My Nana's) name on the front of his truck.
    Service number # 4392252

    Great uncle: Killed 31/05/1940
    John Edward Dimmock - Private
    Service # 4392100
    Reading GS Branch 23rd Division 1940 - May 28th to 31st - 70 Brigade
    Looks like he was killed at 11:00
    However still trying to find his death location. Thelus Woods on the 20th?

    Stanley Coleman on the left - (Ted) John Edward Dimmock on the right.

    Thank you all for your time and efforts, this is brining great happiness to my Nana.

     

    Attached Files:

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  2. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Welcome to the forum, Chris.

    There is no mention of your grandad or great uncle in the Regimental history: ‘The Story of The Green Howards 1939-1945‘ (Synge), but it states this:
    The words in square brackets added by me to aid understanding.

    It looks from the timings that your great uncle was killed on the journey along the beach from Bray Dunes to Dunkirk.

    My uncle (dad’s oldest brother) was killed at Bray Dunes on the same day.

    Best,

    Steve.
     
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  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Chris

    To help you answer your questions you really need to obtain 'official' service records and these for WW2 are only available from the MOD - the forms you need are here - Request records of deceased service personnel

    You will also need a death certificate unless they died on active service - if they did then on their CWGC datapage there is s certificate you can download and use instead of a civil death cert

    From his records you will be able to ascertain what units he was with and where and importantly when, this would lead you to searching for War Diaries for those units during those time spans which should provide the details you are looking for


    TD
     
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  4. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Did your grandfather serve with the 7th Bn Green Howards right through WWII, Chris?

    If so, he was lucky to get home. They had a very hard war...

    Best,

    Steve.
     
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  5. harkness

    harkness Well-Known Member

    Casualty Lists

    KIA
    Dimmock_cas.jpg

    Wounded
    Coleman_cas.jpg
     
  6. Chris WIlletts

    Chris WIlletts Active Member

    Gentlemen, cannot express my appreciation for your inputs!

    I did find the Northern Daily Mail Monday April 18th 1943 newspaper snippet mentioning Stanley for Gallantry by General Alexander. My Nana tells the story of Stanley driving his truck one handed after being hit with shrapnel whilst saving Italian prisoners' from German shelling. This is the only time I believe he was wounded, but dint get treated for a while. harkness can you get a date of his wound? what does 406s. mean?
     

    Attached Files:

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  7. Chris WIlletts

    Chris WIlletts Active Member

    Thank you Steve, my Nana said he never came home and was always on the move, didn't make friends as people came and went. I think we he especially effected when his best friend John E Dimmock died.
     
  8. Chris WIlletts

    Chris WIlletts Active Member

    Steve the time/date of his death I am unsure of. Referring to The 7th BTY Green Howard war diary WO-167-752 , it mentions only one fatal casualty on May 20th.
    upload_2021-3-27_9-36-36.png

    There was mentioning of shelling on the 31st but no fatal casualties.
    upload_2021-3-27_9-39-24.png

    Reading: GS Branch 23rd Division 1940 - May 28th to 31st
    MOERES Crossroads - 30th May 1940

    At 11:00 hours the Divisional HQ was shelled and casualties were suffered - two killed and two wounded of 31 Line Section and one wounded of Divisional Royal Engineers.
    GS Branch 23rd Division 1940 - May 28th to 31st - 70 Brigade

    Could Dimmock and Davis be the two killed?

    upload_2021-3-27_9-43-12.png

    Find it fascinating that John Dimmock is not mentioned being the only loss to 7Th BTY GH.

    My Mum has the wallet with the hole where the shrapnel went through and killed him.
     
  9. Chris WIlletts

    Chris WIlletts Active Member

  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Just a small point of your use of Bty.

    Bn = battalion.
    Bty= battery.
     
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  11. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    PRIVATE, JOHN EDWARD DIMMOCK
    Service Number: 4392100
    Regiment & Unit/Ship: Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment), 7th Bn.
    Date of Death: 31 May 1940
    Age: 21 years old
    Buried or commemorated at: DUNKIRK MEMORIAL
    Column 49.

    CWGC entry or your great uncle. He has no known grave, but did die on 31 May 1940. He is the only man of the 7th Bn listed as died on 30/31 May 1940.
     
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  12. Chris WIlletts

    Chris WIlletts Active Member

    GS Branch 23rd Division 1940 - May 28th to 31st:
    Notes two people were killed... I find it strange the war diary doesn't mention someone being killed specifically from the
    GS Branch 23rd Division 1940 - May 28th to 31st - 70 Brigade
    upload_2021-3-28_19-49-56.png

    What is a 31 line section?
     
  13. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    31 Line Section.
    A Royal Signals unit that did the landlines.
    See this photo from later in the war for example.
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN ITALY, APRIL 1944
     
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  14. Richard Lewis

    Richard Lewis Member

    Sorry to be pernickety; an even smaller point of your use of ‘GH’. ;)

    GH = [US] General Hospital
    GREEN HOWARDS = Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment)

    Sometimes you need something like Bletchley Park to work out some of the armed services’ abbreviations!
     
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  15. Chris WIlletts

    Chris WIlletts Active Member

    Thank you for clarifying "Line Section"

    I wonder if John Dimmock was a casualty of the Dune Shelling 31st 6am? Still fascinates me he that he is not mentioned in the 7th Green Howards war diary. as the only man killed. Richard Lewis thank you.

    upload_2021-3-29_6-57-16.png
     
  16. harkness

    harkness Well-Known Member

    The Find My Past website.

    That's the only entry for Stanley Coleman.
     
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  17. Chris WIlletts

    Chris WIlletts Active Member

    Thank you, did it give you a date/location of his wound?
     
  18. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    Hi Chris,

    In relation to John Dimmock are you assuming he died at Dunkirk or do you have more information? I know you recall your Grandfather presented his neice (your future Nana) with her uncles personal possessions but if he wasnt present (due to diphtheria post #1) at Dunkirk how did he come by those personal possessions not been present at the time of his death?
    John Dimmock is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial but this covers the entire campaign . It is possible that John Dimmock was not present with his battalion and may have been `elsewhere` when he was killed (ie not actually in Dunkirk)
    Pte Kenneth Ernest Kilby was also 7th Green Howards and he is at Longuenesse (45 kilometres south-east of Calais having a date of death of 21/05/1940)
    I know you are searching the official regimental line but he may he may not have been with his unit :unsure:

    One Company at least was attached to 6th GH others were used in composite units
    6th and 7th Battalions in France 1940.

    Kyle
     
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2021
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  19. Chris WIlletts

    Chris WIlletts Active Member

    Kyle, thank you for bringing a new light to this. I was told John Dimmock was the only one killed from the 7th Green Howards, Do you know why Pte Kenneth Ernest Kilby was at Longuenesse (45 kilometers south-east of Calais having a date of death of 21/05/1940) What other units where down there? Why did they break 7th BN up?
     
  20. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Last edited: Mar 29, 2021
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