Army names i'm researching

Hi All, These are the names i'm researching who were in the Army along with their units, Service No, date of death. If anyone has any info on what the units were doing on these dates it would be appreciated, especially from war diaries, personnel accounts etc.

Wells, Ernest Frederick (Pete), 5338399, 1st Bn Royal Berks Regt, between 30/05/1940 and 31/05/1940.
Ryding, Phillip Patrick, 7585591, Royal Ordnance Corps, 21/05/1940.
Roper, Samuel Francis, 5379459, 1st Bn Ox and Bucks LI, 22/05/1940
Wigley, Maurice John, 2614075, 1st Bn Grenadier Guards, Between 31/05/1940 and 01/06/1940.
Hooker, Albert Richard, 5379527, 1st Bn Ox and Bucks LI, 19/01/1942
Arnold, Ronald Gilbert, 5390298, 6th Bn Ox and Bucks LI, 03/03/1945
Gale, William Henry, 7589298, Royal Berks Regt attd The Queens Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16/09/1945.
Weston, Jack, 5346371, 1st Bn Royal Berks Regt, 02/04/1943
Crabtree, Patrick Leslie, 5350818, 5th Bn Royal Berks Regt, 14/10/1942.
Rouse, Patrick John, T/195427, RAOC, 14/01/1942
Town, Cyril Edward, 1876512, 79th Assault Sqn, RE. 08/11/1944.
Allen, Henry Arthur, 7580592, REME, 10/02/1945.
Scase, Frederick John, 7358143, 60th Field Hygiene Sec RAMC, 15/08/1944
Marriott, Henry Eden, 5380547, 1st Bn Ox and Bucks LI, 19/06/1947
Brogden, Charles, 5504079, 5th Cinque Ports Bn Royal Sussex Regt, 27/10/1942
Slade, Reginald Joseph, 5249752, 2nd Bn Worcestershire Regt, 05/01/1945
Reeve, George William, 5429379, 9th Bn Formally DCLI, 24/09/1941
Baker, William George, 7584097, RAOC, 24/05/1943
Bowler, Ernest Gordon, 7585391, RAOC, 29/08/1941
George, Oswald Edgar, 168140, RAOC, 05/07/1941
Shelley, Eric Arthur Harry, 7586992, RAOC, 12/07/1945
Taylor, Joseph James, 7007152, RAOC, 26/09/1946
Leigh, Eric W, 822557, 13th Anti Tank Regt RA, 27/05/1947
Noble, Walter Edward John, 7887545, 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry RAC, 04/08/1944
Goodall, Horace Victor, 7901167, 10th Royal Hussars RAC, 04/09/1944
Moore, Alan George, 7901993, 32nd Army Tank Bde RAC, 14/11/1942
Creed, John, 7889653, 16th/5th Lancers RAC, 25/04/1943
Everitt, John, 2090772, 9th (Airborne) Field Coy RE, 29/11/1944.

I know some of these are buried locally here in Didcot and the best place to get their details is probably the local library, but if anyone has any further suggestions please let me know.

Thankyou in advance for any help that anyone can give me, any info may help me on getting this research a step closer to going to print for the local schools and libraries.

Regards
Mike

 

This is definately one for the muddy feet brigade. However, I can say that Allen, Henry Arthur, 7580592, REME, 10/02/1945 was Mentioned in Despatches (Gazette Issue 35020 20 December 1940)

 

Owen, i'm always going to have an early night but seem to stay on here until the early hours.
Kyt, How did you find that out so quickly? Is there a site where i can read what the mention in despatches says?
Thanks again
Mike

 

gen, it's always worth checking out a service number in the London Gazette. I use it for the RAF, but have to admit that it might not be so useful for the army. Air force crews tended to have greater chances for decorations and/or promotions than soldiers. Anyway, always worth having the LG in your bookmarks:

Gazette

p.s. I got lucky with Allen - it was the first name I picked at random from your list!!

 

Thanks Kyt, I did use to use it for WW1 but forgot it had WW2 on there as well, now i can check the rest of my lads.

Mike

 

Just read it Owen, Thats awesome. I think he may have been on one of those foot patrols, but unless i can find proof i'll never know. I've copied this info to his file so it will give me something to go.
Thanks again
Mike

 

Owen,

It says on the top of your history part that he died at Vire and they were patrolling the Vire Road on foot so putting 2 and 2 together and possibly coming up with 5 maybe but i would say he was shot up while on one of the foot patrols.

Sleep tight and thanks
Mike

 

Hi Owen,

Many thanks for all this information, it certainly gives me so much more to check up on.
I recieved the 1st and 5th Bn's Berkshire Regiment unit histories and war diaries today. The 5th Bn's is really well documented in that it names all ranks who were casualties even wounded. They are both going to make great reading material. Do you happen to know if any other Regiment's have published their war diaries? I will also be buying the other war diaries of the Berkshire Regiment over the coming weeks.

Take care
Mike

 

Hi,
I can help with one name ; Trp.Moore Alan George 7901993 R.A.C. Remembered Column 14 of the El Alamein Memorial. Died as a P.O.W. on the S.S.Scillin 14/11/42. He would have been in the Larger Camp at Benghazi(PG154)until towards the end of October. Taken to one of the Camps near Tripoli to await transport to Italy. Boarded the Scillin Friday 13th November.

 

Scase, Frederick John, 7358143, 60th Field Hygiene Sec RAMC, 15/08/1944

The 60th Field Hygiene were part of the Guards Armoured Divsion - during the time that Scase died the Division was part of VIII Corps (they transferred to the XXX Corps on 28/08/44).

So if anybody knows what the Guards or VIII Corps were doing on that date, you may get an indication of the causes of death.

And this article gives an indication of the type of work they undertook:

BBC - WW2 People's War - Medical Corps Field Hygiene work in Normandy 1944

 

Should have done this before but I see that Scrase is buried in Didcot. This seems to imply that he either died whilst on leave or from injuries.

 

Hi Owen, Kyt and ADM,

Many thanks for this info. I went to the local library today and the records they have including the local newspapers were very poor, in fact non-existant for WW2. They were mainly concerned with advertising local companies and had very little about the war in them. I'm going to try a couple of other libraries in the area which may have more.

Again many thanks for all your help so far.

Mike