Hello I wonder if anyone can help or may have any information. Below are pictures of William (Bill) Bellany born 24.05.1920 killed in action in Burma 01.05.1945 aged 24. He was my Nan's brother. Below are the only pictures I have of him. I do not know what Regitment he would have been in but the family he was Scottish. In the below picture he is the first male on the left. I will be travelling to Burma/Myanmar 2020. My Nan died last September aged 96 she always remembered her brother every year on remembrance sunday and talked of him. They are both in the below picture at their sisters wedding. My Nan is on the right and was in the WRAF. I would love any information, his regiment or whether he might have a grave or a cematary I could pay respects on her behalf.
CWGC gives his regiment..2nd Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers...A Lance Corporal, he is buried at Taukkyan. Was Bellany his middle name and the family name Ferguson ? He seems to have been buried originally at Meiktila. Some quick background info... 2 KOSB were part of 7th Indian Division. 7th Indian Infantry Division - Wikipedia Battle of Meiktila and Mandalay - Wikipedia Casualty
welcome you need to apply for his service records Get a copy of military service records you will not find his service records on the internet regards Clive
Tony, after a few goes trying mis-spellings, I searched on date of death and theatre...A lucky guess really, but Jacelyn seemed very certain about the date.
I honestly cannot thank you all more. Ferguson was my indeed my Nan's maiden name she had Bellany on a scrap of paper with the date. Thank you more than you can know today of all days. Lest we forget.
His death is reported in Casualty List No. 1722 dated 2 June 1945: Killed in action 2nd Bn. King's Own Scottish Borderers 3195805 FERGUSON L/Cpl W.B. Date of casualty 1.5.45
I noticed the wording "in or attached to KOSB" at the war memorial website Roll Search | View details Looking at the website Scotlandspeople.gov.uk his birth was registered in Edinburgh's Canongate District in 1920. You will be able to see the full birth register entry in January when the 100 year rule is lifted. His death is also recorded there, along with a Will 1/5/45. I can't see his marriage though to Marion Esther in the Scotlandspeople website or in the GRO's freebmd. But concentrate on getting his military record first. That's the most important part.
Think this one below is a pretty good shout for the marriage...... location is left field but it's not massively unusual for people to be married away from place of birth / main family location. His forename / middle initial / surname match, as does the first name and initial of the spouse Marion E Wharton. Year of marriage fits also. There's only x4 marriages for a William B Ferguson in then right year range, and this is the only one to a Marion E. Only way to tell is GRO certificate. Name: William B Ferguson Registration Date: Jul 1942 [Aug 1942] [Sep 1942] Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep Registration district: Barrow in Furness Inferred County: Lancashire Spouse: Marion E Wharton Volume Number: 8e Page Number: 1943
Jacelyn, also found these - can the name be a coincidence? Casualty Life story: William Bellany Ferguson | Lives of the First World War
Nice find Wibs. There was a daughter born the following year too, same district and mother's maiden name matched.