"Battle accident in a forward area"

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by ritsonvaljos, Feb 4, 2018.

  1. ritsonvaljos

    ritsonvaljos Senior Member

    General enquiry about a WW2 casualty on the Western Front (18 April 1945)
    Can anyone help with a query as to how a WW2 casualty from my home area of West Cumberland died please? Would anyone have access to a 'War Diary' which may give further details, please? This chap is buried at the CWGC cemetery at Niedersachsen, Germany (near Luneburg Heath).

    The soldier in question was Staff Sgt. William Fisher Birkett, REME from Cleator Moor, Cumberland.
    According to the contemporary local newspaper report Sgt. Birkett "... died of injuries sustained in a battle accident in a forward area on the Western Front on April 18."

    Possibly this is falsely reading between the lines on my part, but could the wording indicate a case of so-called "friendly fire"?

    Whatever the circumstances, Sgt. Birkett's death was a terrible tragedy. His late father, Dickinson Fisher Birkett, was a WW1 casualty while serving with the 11th (Lonsdale) Battalion, The Border Regiment (died 12 January 1917, Somme area).

    Thanks in advance to anyone who can assist.
     
  2. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    From Canadian files I've seen online "battle accident" usually gave rise to a court of enquiry.

    I don't think "friendly fire" was in usage in that period.

    I've seen court of enquiry results for cases where

    1. Shot by front line sentry on return from a patrol.

    2. Blown up on a tank carrying "defused" German land mines to a safe place.

    Steve
     
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  3. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    2nd from top
     

    Attached Files:

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  4. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    As previously stated or he could have been knocked down by a Tank, carrier , car, motor cycle etc.
     
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  5. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    Previously wounded in 1944 whilst attached RAC ?
    Kyle GBM_WO417_082_0155birkett.jpg GBM_WO417_091_0254Birkett.jpg
     
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  6. ritsonvaljos

    ritsonvaljos Senior Member

    Is the six-figure map reference given for the original grave location from a British WW2 military map, please?
     

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