Durham light infantry ww2 headstones

Jim

The men buried at Leopoldsburg are from the 2nd Battalion, DLI. I looked at the names of the 2nd battalion commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial and the only one with a Sergeant's rank is the following.

Name: HEYDON, GEORGE
Rank: Lance Serjeant
Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Age: 31
Date of Death: 27/05/1940
Service No: 4448350
Additional information: Son of George and Caroline Heydon.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Column 121.
Memorial: DUNKIRK MEMORIAL

He is shown as having died on the 27th May, whereas the Unknown at Leopoldsburg is recorded as having died on the 15th May. When you look at the numbers of casualties which are recorded on the memorial as having died between the 10th May and early June because of confusion of the times and dates, it is entirely possible that either date is incorrect.

Cheers - Rob

PS - The only name on the Brookwood Memorial from the 2nd Battalion is May 1942 and he is a Private.

 

Jim

You probably already have these from the Medjez-el-Bab Memorial. If not, a bonus.

The link to the site I found.

The Medjez el Bab War Memorial Face 28

 

Jim,

A possible mystery for you to solve.

I took a photo of a Sergeant DLI unknown, who died on 15 May 1940, who is buried at Leopoldsburg in Belgium. Did a date search for DLI on 15 May 1940 for DLI and only found one Sergeant, A PSM who is named and already has a headstone, also at Leopoldsburg. I could not find another Sergeant listed, who should have been on either the Brookwood or Dunkirk Memorials.

Here is a photo for you.

Cheers - Rob.

Hi Rob,
Wrote off to the CWGC regarding the above and received this reply today;-


Thank you for your e mail of 23 October. Please accept our apologies for the delay in reply: due to the high volume of enquiries received by our offices we currently have a backlog we are working to clear.
With regard to your query as to the ‘Unknown Serjeant of the Durham Light Infantry’ who is buried in Leopoldsburg War Cemetery in Belgium.
I have examined our Second World War records and can simply confirm that are limited records consistent throughout in recording these details. Our records are, as you may be aware, based on information provided to us after the war by the Service Authorities at the time. They would have provided us the above detail, based on the limited information that they had available to them at the time when the casualty’s remains were recovered from their original burial place in Gastuche Temporary Burial Ground at map reference:
M.R. 822424, Sheet 56
1/50,000, GSGS 4040
The map reference given above refers to the Second World War maps held at the Imperial War Museum. However, the maps are in the process of being digitised, and this is expected to take some considerable time. Should you require further information on this, you may wish to contact the following address:
Imperial War Museum
Department of Printed Books
Lambeth Road
Lambeth
London
SE1 6HZ
Tel: 020 7416 5342
Fax: 020 7416 5374
E-mail: books@iwm.org.uk
In closing, I am sorry that we have no further information other than the above, but I hope this is of some interest.

Yours sincerely,


Julie Somay (Mrs)
Enquiries Section
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Head Office
2 Marlow Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 7DX

 

Hi Jim

Using the coordinates translator, it works out to be a field North of Gastuche. Latitude 50.44 27.28 N, Longitude 4.38 57.10 E.

Keep up the good work. It would be nice to identify him.

Cheers - Rob

 

Hi Jim

Using the coordinates translator, it works out to be a field North of Gastuche. Latitude 50.44 27.28 N, Longitude 4.38 57.10 E.

Keep up the good work. It would be nice to identify him.

Cheers - Rob

It would indeed Rob,although chances are slim .Four Sgts listed from the DLI on the Dunkirk memorial;-
Three from the 9th DLI ;-
4451039 Sgt Norman Edwards 26th May 1940.
4451613 Sgt George Harrison 26th May 1940.
4441216 Sgt Robert Stonehouse 26th May 1940 (Killed Instantly in Provin and listed as so in the Regimental history)

and then we have as you suggested 4448350 L/Sgt George Heydon listed as died 27th May 1940 2nd DLI and the only one who should be in that area but the dates are wrong!...puzzling to say the least.

 

Remembered Stevenage,Hertfordshire

Lieutenant Colonel HUMPHREY REGINALD WOODS
D S O, M C and Bar

67184, King's Royal Rifle Corps
Cdg. 9th Bn., Durham Light Infantry
who died age 28
on 14 June 1944
Son of Colonel Reginald Herbert Woods, O.B.E., M.C., and Ivy Oswald Woods, of Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
Remembered with honour
BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY

12:15 hrs Lieut.Col. H.R. Woods, DSO MC & Bar, was shot and fatally wounded.

9th. DLI War Diary

 

Jim/Ramacal,

The unnamed dead Sergeant is almost certainly 2DLI, who were defending the crossings (railway and road) at Gastouche on the 15th May 1940; this is the day and action in which 2nd Lt ‘Dickie’ Annand, of ‘D’ Company, won his VC.

The DLI At War (Rissik) states “...the Battalion was now without any reserve, had suffered considerable casualties and was spread pretty wide and with little depth.” ‘B’ and ’C’ Companies had suffered so many casualties in killed and wounded that they were amalgamated.

I’ll see what else I can find and revert.

Steve.

 

Hi Steve,

We have a problem with this one mate as Rob has pointed out to me,2DLI only losted one Sgt at this time (Bourne out by the Roll) and he is buried in the same cemetery with a named headstone.Sgt Ditchburn
Best Wishes
Jim

 

Jim

I'm sure I've asked you about the outstanding guys on your list for Geel Steelen. If there are any missing, let me know.

Cheers - Rob





A Canloan Officer attached to the DLI.

NIZNIK, H



ALLEN, J.B.



AMBROSIANO, A



ATHEY, C



BAMPTON, S.L.



DAVIES, R



DIXON, J.F.



DONOGUE, J



ETHERINGTON, G.T.



FARRAR, S



HAZEL, L.W.



MARSHALL, B



MARTIN, J



O'DONNELL, W.J.



PASCOE, E



PITTS, L.R.



RODEN, A.J.



ROOD, S.C.



WALLBANKS, S.P.



WARDLE, J



WILLIAMS, S.H.



WINCH, R.B.

 

Jim

I'm sure I've asked you about the outstanding guys on your list for Geel Steelen. If not, then they can be found on my a/c at photobucket. If there are any missing, let me know.

Cheers - Rob

DLI GEEL STEELEN pictures by rahonour3947 - Photobucket



Hi Rob,
Many thanks for those mate as far as I can see only two remain outstanding;-

HAZEL, LESLIE WILLIAM, L W Serjeant 4799746 Durham Light Infantry 09/09/1944 Brit. Plot, grave 12

O'DONNELL, WILLIAM JOHN, W J Private 4036493 Durham Light Infantry 09/09/1944 Brit. Plot, grave 25.


Thanks again
Best Wishes
Jim

 

Hi Rob,
Many thanks for those mate as far as I can see only two remain outstanding;-

HAZEL, LESLIE WILLIAM, L W Serjeant 4799746 Durham Light Infantry 09/09/1944 Brit. Plot, grave 12

O'DONNELL, WILLIAM JOHN, W J Private 4036493 Durham Light Infantry 09/09/1944 Brit. Plot, grave 25.


Thanks again
Best Wishes
Jim

Jim

Here are the missing ones. I thought I'd uploaded them all for you.

 

Remembered Stevenage,Hertfordshire

Lieutenant Colonel HUMPHREY REGINALD WOODS
D S O, M C and Bar

67184, King's Royal Rifle Corps
Cdg. 9th Bn., Durham Light Infantry
who died age 28
on 14 June 1944
Son of Colonel Reginald Herbert Woods, O.B.E., M.C., and Ivy Oswald Woods, of Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
Remembered with honour
BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY

12:15 hrs Lieut.Col. H.R. Woods, DSO MC & Bar, was shot and fatally wounded.

9th. DLI War Diary

 

Remembered Denham,Buckinghamshire

Private LESLIE WALTER JAMES HAYWARD

14632159, 8th Bn., Durham Light Infantry
who died age 34
on 19 June 1944
Son of James Walter and Annie Hayward; husband of Annie M. Hayward, of Denham, Buckinghamshire.
Remembered with honour
BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY

 

Remembered St Marys Church Rickmansworth Herts

Private JOHN HENRY DONALDSON

4444883, 2nd Bn., Durham Light Infantry
who died age 31
on 25 May 1940
Son of Thomas and Beatrice Donaldson; husband of Winifred Donaldson, of Mill End, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.
Remembered with honour
HAVERSKERQUE BRITISH CEMETERY

 

Remembered Northchurch Hertfordshire

Private HAROLD WEEDON

14379260, 8th Bn., Durham Light Infantry
who died age 35
on 09 August 1944
Son of William John and Nellie Weedon; husband of Gwendoline Lily Weedon, of Aldbury, Hertfordshire.
Remembered with honour
HOTTOT-LES-BAGUES WAR CEMETERY

 

Thanks for Posting .
Best Wishes
Jim

 

Remembered Berkhampstead,Hertfordshire

Private ROBERT SNOWDON

5957027, 8th Bn., Durham Light Infantry
who died age 27
on 17 July 1943
Son of Thomas Henry and Hannah Snowdon; husband of Winifred Constance Snowdon, of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.
Remembered with honour
CATANIA WAR CEMETERY, SICILY

 

No 4451900 Private RICHARD ANDREW
14th btn Durham Light Infantry
Died 3 April 1945
GOOLE Cemetery, East Yorkshire
(no other details found)

 

No 4451900 Private RICHARD ANDREW
14th btn Durham Light Infantry
Died 3 April 1945
GOOLE Cemetery, East Yorkshire
(no other details found)


I thank you
Best Wishes
Jim

 

LANCE CORPORAL ERNEST WALKER.
4462227,16th bn.DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY.
WHO DIED AGE 29.
BETWEEN 27 FEBRUARY 1943 AND 01 MARCH 1943.
REMEMBERED WITH HONOUR.
MEDJEZ-EL-BAB MEMORIAL.
ALSO REMEMBERED
WORKINGTON (HARRINGTON ROAD) CEMETERY.