Hello, Somerset Light Infantry help required

Hi

As a newcomer to the forum I hope it's ok to leap straight in with a request for help?

I hope someone will be able to help me or point me in the right direction in researching my uncle's ww2 service. All the information I have is from the CWGC - his name is George Ernest Nicholson, service number 14333643, He died on 24/09/1944 whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion Somerset Light Infantry in Italy, he is buried at the Gradara War Cemetery.

I've sent for his service record but I was wondering if there are any other sources of info like a battalion war diary?

Any help would be gratefully received.

Regards

Dave

 

welcome to the forum Dave

have posted his CWGC details below to give forum members a bit more info.Hopefully someone can add to your request

Private GEORGE ERNEST NICHOLSON

14333643, 2nd Bn., Somerset Light Infantry
who died age 20
on 24 September 1944
Son of Lawrence and Catherine Ellen Nicholson, of Hull.
Remembered with honour
GRADARA WAR CEMETERY
CWGC :: Casualty Details

 

Dave - Gradara cemetery was one of the first to be built for the Gothic Line Battles and is just North of Ancona on the coast on the highway to Cattolica - it is different inasmuch as the graves are in tiers on the side of a hill but very attractive and well kept, some of my friends are also buried there.
Cheers

PS - 24th September was two days after Rimini was captured.

 

Dave
If you are planning some sort of visit to the area then this might help before his records get to you - this is part of the path taken by 4th Inf Div and particulrly 28th Bde during the Gothic Line Battles- the 28th was composed of 2nd SLI - 2nd Kings and 2/4th Hampshires- at that time.

4th Sept - Over the Marano to Ospetialetto
17th Sept - on our ( 1st Canadian / 21Tank bde) left flank at Coriano Ridge at San Martino
18/19 Sept -Casa Brioli and Sant' Aquilinni
21st Sept - Over the Marecchia River ( to Rimini)
22nd Sept - Over Hwy 9 (Via Emilia) and rail tracks at Sant Giustina ...then it goes off my map

this might help note the place of his death - from his number he would have been called up in the summer of '42

I witnessed the first experiment with the Artificial Moonlight and saw some of the 4th Div being slaughtered at San Martino on the 17/18th Sept
Cheers

 

Dave -
just found an extension of my map and it shows that 28th bde took over at Santa Giustina and on the 24th September they split with one section going towards
Casale and the other towards Variano less than a mile from the Hwy #9 and the railtracks to Rimini - on the 25th - they appear to rest and the Westminster Regiment from Canadian 5th Armoured took over the chase towards San Vito....

In my memory this seems to be about the time when 4th Div were warned to prepare to move to Greece as the 4th Indian Div was already there.
Cheers

 

Owen -
While it sounds - just a shingle or two so apart from the Germans - easy to cross - the monsoons hit at about that time - earlier at Croce /Gemmano ALL the rivers in that area were raging torrents - and extremely difficult to cross especialy with Tanks ......
When I last visited there- 2005 - I toured the Coriano Ridge Cemetery on the 15th meaning to visit the others in the area but the monsoons hit on the 16th - keeping me very close to the Hotal at Riccione - on my departue on the saturday - the b.....y sun came out once more......
Cheeers

 

Welcome to the forum


Cheers
Paul

 

Dave - Gradara cemetery was one of the first to be built for the Gothic Line Battles and is just North of Ancona on the coast on the highway to Cattolica - it is different inasmuch as the graves are in tiers on the side of a hill but very attractive and well kept, some of my friends are also buried there.
Cheers

PS - 24th September was two days after Rimini was captured.

Cemetery Photos

GRADARA WAR CEMETERY

 

Spidge - that's the one - different but still attarctive and was one of seven cemetery's for the Gothic Line - from there all the way to Cesena with the Ghurkas
crematorium

Cheers

 

Thanks to everyone, there's some realy interesting information there. Tom, a call up for him in Summer 42 would fit he as would have been 18 on 20/09/1942.

Cheers

Dave

 

Dave -
You are very welcome to any knowledge imparted through the forum - would like to point out that from your initial query - within 1.5 hours - you had an almost complete answer to that inasmuch as you had the area in which he was killed within half a mile - what was going on at the time - and a photo of the cemetery- all you have to do now is to apply for his service records and the gaps will be filled as as to where and when he was trained - how he got to Italy and stuff like that.....

That is the real worth of this Forum...and I am surprised that no one picked that up
Cheers

 

Tom,
I'm certainly appreciative of all the help received and do feel a bit inadequate because as yet I can't contribute anything to the forum. But you're right, forums like this are all about the willingness of it's members to share their knowledge and help with questions and that should be recognised.

Regards

Dave

 

Hello and welcome.

 

Dave -
don't worry about contributing - when you get his records - eventually - you will be back I have no doubt for translations - and you will contribute at that point when we see what really happened to his training etc which led to his death- but I can assure you - his grave is very well looked after - not only by the gardeners but children from the local school !
Cheers

 

I've just received my Uncle's Service Record, its only taken 11 months to come through! When I've had chance to look through it I'll no doubt be back seeking help to interpret it!

Dave

 

Welcome to the Forum Dave!

 

Dave.

Given the distance from Gradara to the River Marecchia, I suspect that your uncle was not killed on 24 Sep 44 but died in the care of the RAMC having been wounded earlier. Their Field Hospitals were some way back.

I suspect that he was badly wounded a few days earlier in the early days of 4 BR Inf Div being committed to the Gothic Line battle in support of 1 (Cdn) Corps immediately after the fall of Coriano on 13-14 Sep 44.

Regards

FdeP

 

Minden -
WE can speculate all day long as to how men died in battle- but we never know unless there are eye witnesses however - I was wounded on the Sunday 17th September - alongside a battalion of 4th Div who - that evening made an attack on our (Cdn 1st Div) left flank by the first use of the Artificial Moonlight as we were being hauled off to the CCS which was at Ancona - 50 miles away- when this chap was wounded they were further North of Coriano - after Rimini fell he would have been perhaps also treated at Ancona to have been interred at Gradara which was fairly close.

Cheers