Having completed my research on the Great War last year and having published the results I'm now trying to do the same for WW2. I'm beginning to regret it as it's much more difficult - much less in the press, no service records etc so I need HELP!! Is there anyone out there who can help with the following; Frank Barnes, Gunner, 119 Bty 2 AA Z Regt, Died playing football 22 June 1941 George Brown, Able Seaman, HMS Duchess, Destroyer collided with battleship, Mull of Kintyre 12 December 1939 William Frayling, Gunner, 172 Field Regt, RA, Killed Salerno, Italy 22 September 1943 Harold Gove, Corporal, 59 Squadron, Died of head injuries in England 26 March 1943 Vivian Ody, Steward, SS Waimarama, Ship sunk by bombs in Malta convoy 13 August 1942 (Daniel) Robert Pitt, Lance Corporal, 2 Wiltshire Regt, Died of wounds 30 July 1943, Sicily Geoffrey Shrubsole, Gunner, 99 Field Regt, RA, Killed at Kohima, India 20 April 1944 George Thompson, Corporal, 2 Hertfordshire Regt, Killed in Italy 16 May 1944 George Thornbury, Corporal, Royal Army Service Corps, Died of TB, OdstockHospital, Salisbury 27 February 1948 Arthur Woodward, Lance Corporal, 44 Royal Tank Regt, Killed in tank battle Libya27 November 1941 The circumstances surrounding the deaths of many of these are known but can anyone answer the following questions, please? The history of 119 Battery, 2 AA Z Regiment. George Brown (pity it’s such a common name) was a long serving seaman (I’ve so far got back to 1935) – he was apparently married with 2 children who were living in Plymouth but I’ve been unable to trace their names or address. William Frayling – any information Harold Gove – there was a good report in a local newspaper - Sometime before the outbreak of hostilities, he joined the Royal Air Force, in which he had 5½ years’ service, having gone to Egypt about a year before the war started. He served in Tobruk for some time, and during his service in Libya was injured by the blast from a bomb. He died in the North Devon Infirmary, Barnstable as his squadron was based at Chivenor. I have been in touch with Hendon who are unable to help, can anyone speculate which war diary might fill in the detail of his time in Tobruk? Vivian Ody – the circumstances of his death are clear but I cannot find anything else about him. I believe he was born in Purton, Wilts on 11 June 1918 but know nothing else and cannot connect him to Malmesbury. Robert Pitt, Geoffrey Shrubsole and George Thompson – I haven’t discovered how these guys died although I will be going to Kew soon. George Thornbury. This man was a pre war Territorial in the Malmesbury Platoon of the Wilts Regt. Again the local paper said he died in a military hospital near Salisbury on Friday. A member of the Territorials, he was called up on the outbreak of war and with the R.A.S.C. served in the Middle East and Italy, where he was taken ill. He returned to this country and had been a patient in various military hospitals for five years. Was Odstock still run by the military in Feb 1948 – the death cert gives the informant as Ronald Brooks, Resident Medical Officer – no rank as would be usual in a RAMC unit. Any clues as to the RASC unit he served with? Arthur Woodward – there’s good information about 44 RTR on the net but the exact circumstances of his death are unclear. 9 men from the unit died that day and Arthur was the only substantive NCO (there were 2 acting L/Cpls) – could he have been the commander of the tank destroyed by the heavy mortar shell? If so who were the other crew members? I am also trying to track units based in Malmesbury during the war. I think these included; 61 Anti Tank Regt late 1939-April 1940 8 CCS at CharltonPark 1941? 13 General Hospital 1940-? 120 USStationHospital 1945 61 VRD, RAOC 1944-45 Can anyone provide any further details? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Charles Welcome to the forum, your 1st port of call should be the CWGC to find their details, if you can contact the local hospital they often had (military wings) eg wards that were offically set aside for military paients, they may be able to give you the medical unit attached. Oldman
See if you can have a look at the probate indexes as these will give the servicemans home address and next of kin.
Hey Charles, my Gran lives in Luckington, about 15-20 mins drive south of Malmesbury, I will give her a ring over the week and ask her if she knows anything. I know that there was a thing on at Sherston Church (on the way to Malmesbury) during the summer for all of the different happening in Sherston in preparation for D-Day. I can't promise anything, and will check back, hopefully with some results, within the week!
Colonel J R McDonald MC RAMC was sent to command Emergency Medical Hospital, Malmesbury from Nov 1940 untill May 1942, he came back from France from 8 CCS. Keith
