My father's RASC Company suffered 4 fatalities in 1944/45. I have located the graves of two. One was killed at Caen and another in a road accident in the Netherlands. Driver A Scholes was killed on 18th April in a road accident while proceeding on private leave. I am presuming that he was on his way home from Germany. Would he have been regarded as war dead? If he died on the Continent would he have been buried there? Immediately after the war Driver Neighbour drowned in a boating accident while off duty. I should not think that he would be regarded as war dead but again would he have been buried locally. I was hoping to visit all the graves when I follow my father's journey in May.
If this is the chap then yes. Scholes Albert RankriverService No:T/14690495 Date of Death:18/04/1945 Age:43 Regiment/Service:Royal Army Service Corps Grave Reference:47. C. 18. Cemetery:REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY Additional Information:Son of Lomax and Fanny Scholes; husband of Ellen Scholes.
again yes Henry William Neighbour RankriverService No:T/1760787 Date of Death:20/05/1945 Age:38 Regiment/Service:Royal Army Service Corps 114 Tipper Coy. Grave Reference:3A. N. 1. Cemetery:HAMBURG CEMETERY Additional Information:Son of Henry William and Ellen Eliza Neighbour; husband of Edith Kate Neighbour, of Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex.
All service deaths from 3 September 1939 to 31 December 1947 are treated equally and there is no distinction relating to cause or place of death. This is different from civilian casualties. Provided they had not left the service prior to date of death then they should be on CWGC records as normal....If they're not on CWGC then perhaps you need to speak to the 'In from the Cold' project who can help in arranging for them to be commemorated correctly. http://www.infromthecold.org/ chrisharley9 who posts regularly here is very much involved with the project. I see that my post has been made redundant already !
I always think it is such a tragedy that men, and women, who had trained and prepared for war were killed in accidents.
Thank you RCG. Only surnames, manner of death and dates were given in the war diary and in the case of driver Neighbour, no service number. I tried basic and more detailed search in Geoff's Search Engine but no luck. I am pleased that now I can pay my respects to Dad's colleagues. I am surprised that there were so few fatalities in the company considering the miles driven often at night in blackout conditions. The diary mentions treacherous conditions with snow and ice for the whole of December in the Helmond area in the Netherlands with many accidents. In the case of Driver Neighbour, how awful for the family, who had no doubt rejoiced at him surviving the war, to hear of his drowning a few weeks after hostilities ended.
This Topic reminds me of a conversation with my late father. He told me that he was going on leave from Italy (Trieste I believe) and had to travel to Villach in Austria. The contingent had to overnight in an old barracks, which was equipped with an old stove type coal heater with pipe chimney through the Roof. Someone gathered Wood and coal and a fire was lit in the stove and as it was late went to sleep. My father woke with a noxious smell and realized that there was a Problem with the stove and roused everyone and started opening the Windows and door. Unfortunately one soldier died of carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of the faulty stove fire. Having checked my fathers record this incident could have been around the 20th August 1946 or when he was returning for Demobbing on 28th March 1947. Given the use of the stove I suspect the later date is the one when the tragedy occurred. Regards Tom
Hi I am the granddaughter of Henry William neighbour. I am also trying to find out any information about my grandad for my mother as she never meet him as he died in Germany when she has six months old. Any information from his colleagues families would be appreciated. I have a couple of letters that he wrote to my grandmother just before he died & a letter from his commanding officer when he died which states he drowned in a boating accident but my nan advised by a former colleague after the war that he was stabbed by a Germany prisoner of war. We would like to know what the truth actually is. Any help appreciated thanks dawn
I am in Germany at the moment and will be in Hamburg in a few days and will visit your grandfathers grave. I shall post a photograph for you. At home, I have the Company diary and it did say that he drowned when the boat capsized. I may be a bit cynical here, but I believe that a lot of information was falsified for whatever reason, and I would go with his colleagues version. I am so sorry for your family's loss, especially your Mum but I doubt you will ever find out the truth. My father was at Bergen Belsen concentration camp and this is not in the war diary. He was also part of a convoy taking Soviet displaced persons to Magdeburg to be forcibly returned to Soviet forces against their will. This is also not reported in the diary.
Hi thank you so much for replying. A photo of my grandfathers grave would be great and would mean the world to my mother. As she and our family have never see his grave. She has terminal cancer and I think this would be a boost for her. Any help with finding his service during the war would be appreciated. With thanks dawn. Enjoy your trip.
I visited the cemetery today and it is in beautiful parkland in the north of the city and very well cared for. When I get home I will look in the war diary for any further information .
Hi, thank you so much for the photos. It's very kind of you and means so much. Glad they they are all being looked after so well. Enjoy rest of holiday and safe journey back. Regards dawn
Thank you. It was a privilege to do this for the family of one of my fathers colleagues . Please give my regards to your Mum.
Was only too happy to help you out. Will be home next week and will transcribe your Grandfather's platoon role from the war diary for you. It has been quite an emotional journey for me going from Normandy to Hamburg . Very hard to imagine what they went through .
