James E Linehan, MIA 1942 Wellington X3757

At Midday an overjoyed Bailiff Coutanche accompanied a German delegation led by the Island Commander, Generalmajor Rudolf Wulf, aboard HMS Beagle anchored in St Aubin’s bay, where the separate surrender of Jersey was to take place. Arriving at the same time in St Helier’s harbour was a small naval inspection party sent to report on the health of the Islanders, who were promptly overwhelmed by an enthusiastic crowd delighted at seeing their first liberators landing on Jersey soil.

About half way down this web page, between the first two photos in the text:
http://jersey.com/English/discoverjersey/occupationtoliberation/liberationday/Pages/default.aspx
I think Rudolf Wulf was held until 1948 then released back to Germany and died in November 1972
Hope that helps.
Obviously you have been very determined (dogged- wolf!) in your research and congratulations.
It's heart warming to realise what emotions you have brought back in tracing the memory of these men.
EDIT: Found a bit more about them being taken to Plymouth and on to PoW Camp in Wales.... Axis History Forum • View topic - Fate of German Command - Channel Islands
hopefully you'll be able to tell Reta about how her part fitted in!

 

Thanks Kevin, I will pass that on to Terry Lakeman, who can then pass it on to Reta for us.

 

Someone has asked if I have the right Service number for Sgt Ronald Richards. I got the number from his service record as 1113440 with his enlist date as March 1940, but my contact gave me a link of Service numbers and the sequence doesn't match the service number and date:

935000 to 964999 Sep 1939 Cardington
965000 to 1149977 Sep 1939 Padgate
1149978 to 1150000 Mar 1941 Dutch
1150001 to 1250000 Apr 1940 Cardington

Can anyone enlighten me as to what the problem might be?

Thanks
Nicola

 

I chatted up my local newspaper reporter and they've run an article about my search for my uncle and the crew etc. I also mentioned the forum and how helpful you've all been, which has been very much appreciated. My brother commented recently he couldn't believe how much I had found out.

Anyway here's the newspaper link: Hanwell woman aims to solve WW2 mystery - Ealing Gazette

i've already had an email from someone as a result, who happens to have Naylor connections, although their branch is London based not Scottish, so lets hope it filters out into the interweb and reaches the right family

 

Just read - very interesting. Well done, and thank you for sharing with us!

A great topic, a great search. I wish you all the best, dear Nicola.

 

Just did yet another Google search for Norman Joseph Naylor and amazingly found him remembered on the Chipping Norton Royal British Legion website CHIPPING NORTON ROYAL BRITISH LEGION!!!!

Now I have a better area to search . Any one based in Chipping Norton and can help me, or let me know the best local paper to contact?

 

Just spoke to the lady that runs the Chipping Norton museum. She's very interested. Hopefully will have an update soon

 

I have now received information about Sgt Naylor's father. He died in 1968 in Chipping Norton, so that definitely places the family there in the period I'm interested in. I've spoken to a lady at the Chipping Norton Museum and there are some people they know that could be related. They are looking into it for me, so watch this space

 

Had a call from the Chipping Norton Museum. They think they have made contact with a living relative of Sgt Norman Joseph Naylor!! me so happy. Am waiting for them to contact me

 

I have just received a photo of Sgt Norman Naylor from my contact Pauline Watkins, curator of the Chipping Norton museum. Its a little grainy but I may receive a better when if/when I hear from Kay Smith who is Sgt Naylor's niece, daughter of his sister Eva. I'm waiting for a response to my email earlier in the week.

What I've learnt about Sgt Naylor so far is that for whatever reason, the family moved to Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. Pauline said the family lived at 47 Churchfield Road, Chipping Norton. She thinks that his father Joseph Claude or possibly Norman himself ran Hartwells Hardware shop in the village. There is also record of a Norman Naylor running a hairdressing business although Norman would have been very young at the time, late teens, listed in Kelly's directory of 1939, so perhaps the father ran the hardware store while Norman ran the hairdressers.

Norman had a brother called Robert, who Pauline & her husband remember. She also remembers a lady a few years ago, giving the museum some bits & pieces including a fireman's helmet with the name Naylor on it. This lady turned out to be Kay Smith, who as I've previously mentioned, is Norman's sister Eva's daughter. She married an American and for a time lived 6 months in the house in Chipping Norton and 6 months in the US. Now she lives totally in the US, having sold the house to a couple, who still keep in touch with her.

Kay is 70 years old and is a history teacher. She has grandchildren.

The museum has a Book of Remembrance where Norman is mentioned and this is where the photo comes from. I've also found him listed on the Chipping Norton Royal British Legion website and am waiting for a call back from someone from the RBL.

 

Have received a very interesting email regarding Sgt Richards. Can't post the details yet, but my search (at least for the families) could be drawing to a close now . And now perhaps I can stop banging my head against that brick wall

 

And so it gets even better, have found someone on another forum looking for Sgt Richards although they have his name as Roland. Seems they are distantly related and have a photo of him in uniform. Have emailed them. So now we wait

Its so much more helpful when you're working from the correct information

 

The search for Sgt Richards family is still progressing and whilst I have made contact with 2 different people who seem to be related the whole story seems to be extremely convoluted and I'm still struggling to work out all the details enough to post a coherent post.

It does seem that there was in fact a name change, but it seems from what I know so far that the whole family changed their name for some reason which i haven't worked out yet and people are cropping up all over the place. Ronald it seems may also not be Ronald, but may in fact be Roland, or not depending on who you speak to and what record you view. He also seems possibly to have spent some time out of the country with people who weren't his parents.

So bear with me while I sort it all out ('I may be gone sometime' - to misquote a famous explorer lol). I always knew Ronald was going to be the difficult one to trace, but not this difficult. At least my head isn't pounding now from lack of detail, its just feeling very confused with all the conflicting information

 

I'm still making enquiries regarding Sgt Richards as I'm still not sure if the people who have contacted me are the correct family.

I've been sent a photo of their Roland and he's a very handsome young man. However it looks like he's wearing an army uniform rather than an RAF uniform.

Would there have been any occasions where a Sgt from the RAF would have worn an army uniform? Is it actually an army uniform?

Thanks
Nicola

 

It was not uncommon for personnel to change branches of military service particularly those volunteering for RAF aircrew from the army.So the serviceman's photo posted might be your man before a transfer to the RAF from the Army.

However, when I first saw your note relating to the search for Sgt Richards,a name change entered my thoughts as Roland as a first name is used in both Germany and France as well as in Britain.There is the possibility that the surname change might be related to a change of residence as a refugee from prewar Germany.

Would Sgt Richard's service record reveal anything further.

Just an added note ...Sgt Richards joined the RAF as a recruit at Padgate in September 1939 which discounts the probabilty of an Army transfer.

Best wishes in your continued quest to collate information on your uncle's crew.

 

Yes, a bit of a curate's egg:

• His uniform has all the hallmarks of a WW1 officer - see "Some tips for spotting an officer in a photograph" at the bottom of this Long, Long Trail page
• His insignia shout Labour Corps (1915-1921) or Royal Pioneer Corps (its 1939-1993 reincarnation)
• Aviation Wings and Badges of World War II is a good guide of what insigna to expect

If not a costume prank, maybe a case of mistaken identity by your source. How much, for instance, did Roland look like his father (if you get my drift)?

 

It was not uncommon for personnel to change branches of military service particularly those volunteering for RAF aircrew from the army.So the serviceman's photo posted might be your man before a transfer to the RAF from the Army.

Would Sgt Richard's service record reveal anything further.

Just an added note ...Sgt Richards joined the RAF as a recruit at Padgate in September 1939 which discounts the probabilty of an Army transfer.

Best wishes in your continued quest to collate information on your uncle's crew.

Thanks Harry. I got his service record from RAF Cranwell and posted it earlier in this thread. However, because I'm not a relative I wasn't sent the whole file, it only had his (supposed) DOB & place of birth, or shall we say, those details that he gave the RAF, which have proved to be false, or at least incorrect. To get further information someone from the family would have to apply, but given that I'm still not 100% sure this is the right family, I don't know if the RAF would release that info.

 

This particular Roland's father was called Horace Cheetham, with 2 uncles: Augustus Alexander Cheetham and Leslie Alexander Cheetham. Roland had 2 brothers called Oswald Victor Cheetham and Sydney Theodore. All of them except for Oswald are photographers. Horace's father Richard Cheetham was a Court photographer as well, so very well connected.

I've found Deed Poll documents from 1934 where they all renounce Cheetham and take on the name Richards. This particular Roland's dob is 14 May 1923 (not 1922) as given on the records. However I can find no trace at all for a Ronald/Roland born on 14 May 1922 as given on the records.

However, to confuse the issue, I've also been sent (Thanks Red Goblin) Passenger lists from Shanghai & Singapore that cover a period of 1923 to 1937. A Ronald Cheetham is listed travelling with an Arthur Cheetham who is listed as Master, Ada Cheetham who is listed as wife, then there is a John Cheetham who seems to be his brother and then Ronald. In the 1923 list, Ronald is listed as being 7 months old which ties in. But if this is the same Ronald/Roland, who are the 2 adults? Are they biological parents? Or are they an uncle and aunt looking after him for Horace?

 

Having just posted this, it occurred to me that perhaps the Ronald Cheetham on the passenger list was born in Singapore/Shanghai/China. How would I go about checking that sort of information?

 

However, when I first saw your note relating to the search for Sgt Richards,a name change entered my thoughts as Roland as a first name is used in both Germany and France as well as in Britain.There is the possibility that the surname change might be related to a change of residence as a refugee from prewar Germany.


One of the sources made mention of a possible Jewish connection from Eastern Germany at some point, but have not had that confirmed as yet. I've contacted AJEX and they can find nothing in their records. However he may not have made it known. I'm waiting to hear from the Manchester jewish museum.

I did find in a google search details for 2 bankrupts in the 1880s that have the name Elkanah Howard and Samuel Howard Cheetham, but have no idea if these are related to this family.