Just like to introduce myself, I've recently started working on my family tree and it contains numerous family members who served during the wars. Being ex RN myself I have a keen interest to learn about each individual and where he served etc. I've been concentrating on my wife's great uncle these last few days after I had been given a load of letters and photos belonging the family to copy. He was George Reginald Armstrong, who served with the 48th Highlanders of Canada. He was killed in action by a sniper on the 15th April 1945 in Apeldoorn Holland and initially buried in a town called Wilp before being moved to Holten Canadian war cemetery
Hello and welcome to the forum. Have you checked his units war diary? I believe the Canadian war diaries are now online??? I'm sure one of the Candian specialists will be able to say where they are. Here's his CWGC details: Casualty Details It looks like he died with three others from his regiment on the same day and they were re-buried in Dec 1945
Hi David and welcome, If you are looking for his Canadian service record there is information about doing a search here: Second World War: 1939-1945 - Library and Archives Canada If you are interested in photos of his paper file, I think I could request it and take photos when I am there next (late August). Truthfully I haven't done this before so I have no idea if it would yield additional information. I visited the 48th Highlanders' museum here in Toronto earlier this year. They sell a good DVD about the experiences of the 48th in WW2, full of veteran interviews, called "That Dileas Spirit". I don't know if they would send you one in the mail, but it seems possible. Chris
G'day David, welcome to the forum. An excellent offer from Chris, and I think you should take him up on the offer. There are some images of George's records available on Ancestry, here: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=ACG344&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&gss=angs-c&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&MS_AdvCB=1&gsfn=George Reginald&gsfn_x=NIC&gsln=Armstrong&gsln_x=1&cpxt=1&cp=3&MSAV=2&uidh=el4&pcat=39&h=57887&recoff=5 6 7 45&dbid=9145&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1, if you aren't a member of Ancestry, PM me, if you are change the .com to the country version you are using, e.g. .com to .co.uk or .ca, AND definitely take up Chris's offer. Mark
Hi Lads, Many thanks for the replies I really appreciate them, Just to answer a few questions, I'm on Ancestry and have a fair bit of information on George, we have his Canada, WWII Service Files of War Dead, 1939-1947 and the information as to where he is buried etc, George was one of 5 brothers and sisters and as he was the oldest volunteered for of the BICA Boys process, he moved to Montreal Canada when he was just 15 to work as a farm hand. He returned back to Tyneside for 6 months when he was 17 but returned back to Canada. He joined the army on the 2nd June 1942 initially joining the 3Bn The Queens Own Rifles of Canada . I also have photo's of Him in uniform, his original grave in Wilp and his gravestone as of today in Holten. I also have personnel written letters from Lieut A E Brock, C Coy 48th Highlanders of Canada CAO who explains exactly how George meet his fate and a letter from Alex Papson Capt. Padre explaining how his service was and how well the locals in Wilp looked after his grave etc. I would be interested to read the war diaries for this unit, that's next. Once again thanks for the welcome and I'm looking forward to reading through the forum.
Hi! Welcome to the forum. You have head start with his service file being available online via LAC. For anyone interested to learn more about the BICA acronym here is a link. Showing my ignorance of the scheme my initial thoughts was that BICA was a predicted text spelling error of Byker in Newcastle! BICA Boys Steve Y
Yeah Sorry, Bica boys, The British Immigration and Colonization Association. Its worth looking into very interesting. To be fair George volunteered and must have been placed with a decent family / farmer as after a brief return home to Tyneside he went back.
Corporal George Reginald Armstrong (KIA 15th april 1945) More information: https://cs-cz.facebook.com/groups/6142195853/permalink/10155813205730854/ George Reginald Armstrong - The Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Veterans Affairs Canada Corporal George R. Armstrong | War Casualty Details 2226827 | CWGC 48th Highlanders of Canada, Canadian Active Service Force https://www.geldersarchief.nl/bronn...icols=1&micode=0509&mizk_alle=Kaart apeldoorn