I've recently acquired a period photograph showing German personnel posing behind what appears to be a row of 9 BEF graves and one French with temporary markers. Although the seller's image was not too clear, I've been able to enlarge a number of the names and it has become clear that these casualties now lie in Boulogne Eastern cemetery. Despite the graves being well marked in 1940, at least four of them now lie on a collective grave which appears to hold six casualties. The mixture of units and temporary military buildings in the background suggest that this is probably one of the Boulogne military hospitals and that these casualties died of wounds there. The French Grave :- I can read the names Shepherd, J. - Faolkes (Faulks), Wilcox (Willcox) Walsh J . The collective grave in question is Plot 10 B 7-13 BRIDGEN, ALFRED JOHN Driver T/6140015 10/05/1940 27 Royal Army Service Corps United Kingdom Plot 10. Row B. Coll. grave 7-13. BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY FAULKS, EDWARD AMOS Serjeant 6595849 20/05/1940 38 Royal Engineers United Kingdom Plot 10. Row B. Coll. grave 7-13. BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY WILLCOX, THOMAS WILLIAM Private 6198579 21/05/1940 41 Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry United Kingdom Plot 10. Row B. Coll. grave 7-13. BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY WALSH, EDWARD CHRISTOPHER Guardsman 2719183 23/05/1940 20 Irish Guards United Kingdom Plot 10. Row B. Coll. grave 7-13. BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY It is likely that the following casualties are also in the row:- HARRISON, FRANK Driver T/73865 20/05/1940 33 Royal Army Service Corps United Kingdom Plot 10. Row B. Coll. grave 7-13. BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY EVANS, JOSEPH RICHARD Sapper 3955468 20/05/1940 31 Royal Engineers United Kingdom Plot 10. Row B. Coll. grave 7-13. BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY Shepherd is in the same row. SHEPHERD, JOHN Sapper 4915202 21/05/1940 22 Royal Engineers United Kingdom Plot 10. Row B. Grave 4. BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY
Interesting pic Rich , especially as I went there in 2010. I'll let D know about the pic as there Micks in there.
That Walsh is confusing. There is an Irish Guardsman at Bolougne with that name but not that initial rank or last 3 ..007
That Walsh is confusing. There is an Irish Guardsman at Bolougne with that name but not that initial rank or last 3 ..007 I've wondered about that Owen, but it can't surely be coincidence ? There are no J Walshes which fit the bill and this ones father had 'J' as a second initial - it was his mother's initial too. I've also searched all the 007 numbers for May / June and none tie in. Perhaps also oddly, there seems to be an 'FSP' where the grave next to him shows 'RE' and his rank shows as L/Cpl. In the same row in the CWGC cemetery is a CMP casualty - 7686074 - L/Cpl Hackett. Maybe the doubt about the temporary markers was what caused the communal grave to be allocated.
I would like to thank the person that found this . you have help me find my 1st cousin - ( Faulks Edward Amos , Sergeant 65958949 20/05/1940 age 38 Royal Engineers , United Kingdom ) if you have any other information on my cousin please let me know Regrads Kevin
Hello Kevin, I'm glad that a link has been made to the photograph all this time after the original post. I have no extra information about your cousin, simply an abiding interest in the campaign of 1940 and a feeling that the information the image contained was too important to disappear into a private collection for another seventy years. I assume that you've found his CWGC entry ? http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2278458/FAULKS,%20EDWARD%20AMOS We're fortunate now in that CWGC have uploaded the original Graves Registration Reports and entry from their ledgers. That there is no consolidation report suggests that the casualties had been re-buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery prior to the Graves Registration Units having access after 1945. Unfortunately, there is no indication of his unit beyond 'Royal Engineers'. As a 38 year old with the rank of Sergeant, it is likely that he had been a pre-war regular and perhaps recalled to the colours from his reserve service in 1939. Have you considered applying for his service records ? There is a charge but it's a straightforward procedure that we can help you through. The Service Records will normally show which unit he was posted to (Field Company etc.) and from this, in combination with the war diaries held in the National Archives, it may well be possible to come to some conclusions about how he came to lose his life. On 20th May, Boulogne was not yet under attack and the chances are that he died of wounds sustained elsewhere prior to evacuation by sea. Do keep in touch and keep us posted. As an aside, it's not a terribly good idea to post an email address on a forum such as this - 'spambots' will find it and send all sorts of nonsense to you. Rich
Hi Rich Again thank you . Please let me explain why it is important to me about finding my cousin . I have been trying to find my family for a long time as I left in the hospital back in 1965 here in Canada , So finding my cousin was a big boost for me , and how would I remove my e-mail address
I see that you've found the 'edit' button ! I've had another go at zooming in and scanning the original but unfortunately it is only 7.5 x 5.5 cm (3" x 2"). I was rather hoping that you might have a photograph of him. There may be one if his death was reported in a local paper at the time. There are others on here who are better at finding that sort of thing. Did he join the Post Office as a Temporary Assistant Postman at 15 and then progress to Sorter when he was 17 or so ? https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30319/page/10189/data.pdf https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31581/page/12155/data.pdf
There is quite a lot on him on Ancestry Edward Amos Faulks in the 1911 England Census Name: Edward Amos Faulks Age in 1911: 9 Estimated birth year: abt 1902 Relation to Head: Son Gender: Male Birth Place: CAMBERWELL, London, England Civil Parish: St John-at-Hackney Search Photos: Search for 'St John-at-Hackney' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection County/Island: London Country: England Street address: 71 Rendlesham Road, Clapton N E Occupation: SCHOOL Registration district: Hackney Registration District Number: 11 Sub-registration district: North Hackney ED, institution, or vessel: 27 Piece: 1060 Household Members: Name Age William Dixey Faulks 23 Frances Faulks 51 Joseph Frederick Faulks 22 Thomas Arthur Faulks 17 George Harold Faulks 16 Olive Mary Faulks 14 Gladys May Faulks 11 Edward Amos Faulks 9 His probate looks to have been paid to his wife Dorothy Mary and he, as Rich has stated was employed in the Post Office: Edwd A Faulks in the British Postal Service Appointment Books, 1737-1969 Details and copies of documents can be posted here if required or sent by PM/email TD edited to add: Forgot to say that there are 3 family trees on Ancestry that include his details - for example: Edward Amos Faulks (Sgt6595849) 1902–1940 BIRTH ABT 1902 • 17 Rust Square,Camberwell,London... DEATH 20/05/1940 • Boulogne Eastern Cemetery,St.Martin,France...
From Army Casualty List no 34, published in Birmingham Daily Post, Monday 29 July 1940: Listed under Killed R. Engineers, Sgt. E.A. FAULKS
Hi Kevin - If you find out what unit he was with let me know and I'll post the details from his units war diary on here for you. Regards Andy
Sadly not enough, Royal Engineers were normally working in groups called Company's and that's the level that the unit war diaries come in.
Thank you for posting these pictures. The Sapper Joseph Richard Evans was my husbands grandfather . The picture has great sentimental value for him. For Kliggs , i believe that Edward Faulks was his sergeant . They were both in the army postal service and were part of 1 base army post office. Joseph had previously been a soldier before becoming a postman when he married. He rejoined when war was declared and was assigned to the royal engineers as a postman / soldier.
