Guidance where to start please !! KOYLI Italy

Rosemary.

The listings for Companies are not shown on any official War Office documents. The only returns that the Adjutant - a young Captain in the Battalion and the Commanding Officer's private secretary, would make showed all Officers by name but Other Ranks by quantity. This makes tracing Pte Hydes's Company almost impossible.

Regards

FdeP

 

The only thing that I would add to Frank's comments are that a number of war diaries that I have seen have included a ordered listing of officers/NCOs shown by individual company (including HQ and Support Coy) - before going off to Sicily,for example, or landing at Anzio. For researching individual officers/NCOs, that's as good as it get, unless you have a personal narrative, or letters home on which to fall back on.

But those occasional listings never go below the rank of L/Cpl - there would be an approx further 75 riflemen/privates/fusiliers not mentioned in these listings. The only time that I've seen a private/fusilier/rifleman's specific company/platoon being noted is when it's included as part of a medal citation.

Needle/haystack....

 

Needle/Haystack is the way forward. I am not sure if there are some letters at my Fathers home from my uncle written to my Mother. (My Mother died in 1984) I will have to see. He wrote a lot to her as they were close. Somewhere there is some postcards from him. I think may well be up in Yorkshire.

 

Good afternoon Rosie, my Grandad was in the same Company of the KOYLI 2nd 4th (was 1st 4th) as your Grandad. He recalls him and has a photo of his grave stone. Feel free to email me Karl.fretwell@gmail.com and I'll speak to him about him further and send you the picture ifs it's correct. Regards, Karl.

 

Karl.

With the greatest of respect for your grandfather, his recollection does not quite follow. Pte Hyde was in 1 KOYLI rather than either 1/4 or 2/4 KOYLI.

He was in 5 BR inf Div.

Regards

FdeP

 

Owen.

Now awake.

Frank