hi,, I,m trying to find details about "Jack" 5057916 South Staffs, I've got his citation and a brief history, but I'm looking for his time in service, then N.Africa, I believe on the way to Sicily his glider ditched? Also how he got to and what did he do on Market Garden until his death on the 20/9. Can anyone provide details? regards, dave...
John Daniel Baskeyfield in the UK, Victoria Cross Medals, 1857-2007 Name: John Daniel Baskeyfield Birth Date: 18 Nov 1922 Birth Place: Burslem, Staffordshire Death Date: 20 Sep 1944 Death Place: Arnhem, Holland John Baskeyfield in the UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 Name: John Baskeyfield Given Initials: J D VC Rank: Corporal Death Date: 20 Sep 1944 Number: 5057916 Birth Place: Staffordshire Residence: Staffordshire Branch at Enlistment: Infantry Theatre of War: Western Europe Campaign, 1944/45 Regiment at Death: South Staffordshire Regiment Branch at Death: Infantry TD
Jack Baskeyfield, still a Private at the time, was on a Waco Glider, Chalk 54A, carrying 13 members of Simforce, which ditched in the sea on the night of 9/10th July 1943. An official statement by one of the passengers said "Bumpy flight. Glider released at 2230 hrs at unknown height. Pilot said just after releasing, "We are at 600 feet", next moment glider landed in sea about 8 miles from coast. All men got out of glider, but both pilots and 7 ORs missing". The two glider pilots were Sgt J A Bennett and Sgt W T Morel. The missing South Staffords were Cpl G Bain, Pte W Montford, Pte E F Busby, Pte J Ryall, Cpl D Masters and Pte J Kennard - all presumed drowned (note 6 not 7 as per statement)
Capt Simonds, the Officer i/c Simforce who was on Chalk 54A, made a similar report for each of the missing men
hi, thanks for all replies so far, the pictures getting bigger. Whilst searching him I found a site called Defending Arnhem, and a section is details of all German vehicles lost during the battle, but there were no Tigers listed till 1 on the 25th, so I got in touch with the owner and he said as far as I can remember the first Tiger tanks 16 were dispatched by train and 6 arrived near to Arnhem due to air attacks, of the 6, 4 had mechanical breakdowns, leaving 2 in Arnhem on the evening of the 19th. They were used in the town not in Oosterbeek, it shows on the list- 1- Sturmgeshutze III, 1- 2cm FLAK Wagon( under the railway bridge). 2- Char B2 tanks (no proof it was J.D.Baskeyfield). The owner also mentioned that to the allied soldiers all German tanks were Tigers... regards, dave...
Thanks Lesley. It feels like winning the lottery when you find something like that. Well done to Tricky too for turning up a photograph. It's the icing on the cake when you can put a photo with the story.
hi, all, thanks for the information received so far, does anyone know where he left from, glider/aircraft number, for MG, also what he was doing from landing till his death? and I know a long shot but anything on the other soldier who died trying to join him at the second gun before he was killed. Finally when we visited the cemetery in 1994 we were shown one of a row of unknown graves, and told this was thought to be his but investigations were on going but as nothing as come of it, he's still missing... regards, dave...
