Interesting day at work this week as I was given an HJ armband - my fascination for this period of history is well known! The 'story' of the artefact is that it was brought back by a soldier who served in the 9th battalion, DLI. He was killed on 11th September 1944, and buried at Geel. This got me thinking. I have heard of the battle at Gheel, but know little in detail about the 9th DLI's part. I would like to find out more. I wonder if anyone has the War Diary for this date? Thanks
Drew, Thank you so much. That was quick! No mention of the casualty - not unusual I know. They were clearly in the thick of it fighting against German Paras if I read that correctly.
* It wasn't just German Paras they were fighting... The 151st Infantry Brigade [6th, 8th and 9th Bns Durham Light Infantry] clashed 3 times that I recall with German Paras, result Durhams 3 German Fallschirmjäger 0. A search of the CWGC site using Geoff's search engine reveals five 9th Bn men Died that day. CHILD, COLIN CAMPBELL Rank: Private Service No: 7942970 Date of Death: 11/09/1944 Age: 31 Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry 9th Bn. Grave Reference: III.A.25. Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Tom Kenworthy Child and Edith Helen Child, of Dewsbury, Yorkshire; husband of Marjorie Child, of Earlsheaton, Dewsbury. HEWITT, JESSE Rank: Private Service No: 5347357 Date of Death: 11/09/1944 Age: 22 Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry 9th Bn. Grave Reference: III.B.1. Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Charles Joseph and Rose Hewitt; husband of Lilian May Hewitt, of Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. KEELING, B Rank: Private Service No: 14228256 Date of Death: 11/09/1944 Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry 9th Bn. Grave Reference: III.A.24. Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY MOSCROP, RICHARD Rank: Private Service No: 14623048 Date of Death: 11/09/1944 Age: 38 Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry 9th Bn. Grave Reference: I.A.17. Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Joseph and Ada Moscrop; husband of Marion Moscrop, of Rillesden, Keighley, Yorkshire. WARD, WILLIAM JEFFREY Rank: Private Service No: 3606721 Date of Death: 11/09/1944 Age: 21 Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry 9th Bn. Grave Reference: I.A.4. Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of John and Charlotte Ward, of Burnley, Lancashire. 'The Gateshead Gurkhas' (Moses) reveals another 9th Bn man Died that day and buried at Gheel. Strangely, his battalion is noted as the 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry on CWGC; but the 16th Bn were fighting in Italy... This has to be a mistake. HALEY, JOHN SMITH Rank: Private Service No: 14254205 Date of Death: 11/09/1944 Age: 20 Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry 16th Bn. Grave Reference: III.A.21. Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of John and Annie Haley, of Newton Hill, Yorkshire. I and others posted some information on the Battle of Gheel last week; here: More Battlefield Looting: Geel Hope this helps! Best, Steve.
It was not a happy battle. The Germans seemed to be winning at one point before 151 Bde rallied and beat them off. Some tankers of 8th Armd Bde were rather caustic about the Durhams' performance.
* Meant to look this up last night... Private Bert Keeling was from Tunstall, near Stoke on Trent: The Tunstall War Memorial - Ww2 Casualties- Names J - O Best, Steve.
* A newspaper article and photograph of Private William J Ward at Message No. 263 here: Durham light infantry ww2 headstones Best, Steve.
There is a chapter on Gheel and Market Garden (Ch 19 - Gheel and Market Garden) - re. the Sherwood Rangers - in An Englishman at War: The Wartime Diaries of Stanley Christopherson DSO MC ... By Stanley Christopherson (Ed. James Holland) Ref: Gheel: An Englishman at War: The Wartime Diaries of Stanley Christopherson DSO MC & Bar 1939-1945 And i.e. mentioning the 9th DLI: An Englishman at War: The Wartime Diaries of Stanley Christopherson DSO MC & Bar 1939-1945 Also don't know if you have seen the "Battle for the Locks" site: home And pictures: fotoalbum
Thanks so much for all the information. Got some reading to do! The soldier in question is Pvt Hewitt as identified above by Steve. Shame the War Diary isn't more helpful on specifics - mind you I didn't think it would be (just occasionally you strike gold though). Anthony
Hello Anthony, Here's something for you to build into your research. You would expect someone from Middlesbrough to have joined the Green Howards, but given the close proximity to Co Durham it is not surprising that Private Hewitt was with the Durhams. Okay so far. However, his service number is from the Royal Berkshire Regiment block of numbers, so he had previous service with that regiment. Best, Steve.
CHILD, COLIN CAMPBELL Durham Light Infantry 9th Bn. Grave Reference: III.A.25. Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY HEWITT, JESSE Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry 9th Bn. Grave Reference: III.B.1. Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY KEELING, B Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry 9th Bn Grave Reference: III.A.24 Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY MOSCROP, RICHARD Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry 9th Bn Grave Reference: I.A.17. Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY WARD, WILLIAM JEFFREY Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry 9th Bn Grave Reference: I.A.4 Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY HALEY, JOHN SMITH Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry 16th Bn Grave Reference: III.A.21 Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY
