Hello everyone! I'm new here and looking for information about my uncle. He was in the 2nd battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was killed in action. I'm trying to put together his story. He was a regular before the war and reached the rank of Corporal. I can find nothing so far as to the details of his death. I'm hoping it was not in the massacre. He is buried in the municipal cemetery not in WGC cemetery. Any leads would be greatly appreciated!
Welcome to the forum, can we have some more info please so we can help. Is this him? Cpl Thomas Aubrey Hill Casualty
UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 Name: Thomas Hill Given Initials: T A Rank: Corporal Death Date: May 1940 Number: 5109777 Birth Place: Staffordshire Residence: Staffordshire Regiment at Enlistment: Royal Warwickshire Regiment Branch at Enlistment: Infantry Theatre of War: France and Belgium Campaign, 1939/40 Regiment at Death: Royal Warwickshire Regiment Branch at Death: Infantry The Regimental history does not include his name as a specific reference, but looking at the CWGC concentration report and the regiments associated as all died on the same day, the Regimental History does say: "But a batch of men 80-90 (made up of the 2nd Battalion, the 4th Cheshires, and some artillerymen from a passing convoy)" TD
Thank you all for the welcome! Yes you have the right person. I'm assuming that as he has no specific mention he was not part of the massacre? I know very little of my namesake. I have visited his grave and been to the massacre site a couple of years back. My family told me very little of his service. How can I find out about his service? Hope to hear soon
Apply to the MoD for his records. Requests for personal data and service records: a detailed guide - GOV.UK
His service can only be obtained from - Request records of deceased service personnel - GOV.UK I would suggest that he was in fact part of the massacre, the 80 -90men quote refers directly to those massacred, and hence the associated details of the other regiments. Most times only officers would be mentioned in Regimental histories or in War Diaries unless they had done some exceptional deed, or something happened in unusual circumstances TD edit Check out the Grave registration report above and see the regiments of all those that died on 28 May 1940 - the date of the massacre at Wormhout
Whilst it is known as the Wormhoudt Massacre, the Massacre didn't actually take place in Wormhoudt. The men were murdered in the next village called Esquelbecq which is where they are buried. The men buried in Wormhoudt cemetery with a date of death of the 28th May were killed during the fighting that took place earlier that day in Wormhoudt or were murdered in Wormhoudt once they had surrendered. The massacre that took place in the barn gets all the attention but some of the SS soldiers were witnessed to be randomly shooting prisoners in the town before a large bulk of POWs were marched to the barn at Esquelbec. In short your relative was either killed during the fighting around Wormhoudt or was possibly murdered in the town before the massacre at the Barn.
Owen, Tricky, and Drew. Thank you for your replies. It would fit that he was killed in either of these two events. His death is marked as 28 May 1940. Either way the story that I was told as I grew and asked questions seems like a way of hiding the true horror in which he died. Either my family didn't know the true facts or they were trying to protect me from it. Thank you all for your help do far please keep me in formed if you discover more. I will be searching for his war record and going again to the museums.
Aubrey Just to be clear - you don't need to search for his service record - you just apply for it. TD
Hi, I think this is the link to the topic Andy mentions - he’s probably too shy to provide the link himself Steve Wormhout Massacre/Battle Related Research Questions
Thank again all of you for the info! I red some where that sometimes soldiers were buried in places of significance! For example if they had been in an action appreciated by the locals or in respect of a place they were killed. I ask this as my uncle is not in the large WGC burial plots but in the municipal grave yard along with several others of the BEF. Any thoughts on this?
There are 117 casualties buried in the cwgc plot of that cemetery your family member is buried alongside other casualties of war and not on his own Look at the cemetery details below his name on the cwgc website Dont read anything into the name communal ,all cemeteries have different names . Also when you are on the cwgc website look at the frequently asked questions it will give you more clarity Regards Clive
There's a lot of soldiers buried in Wormhoudt as there was a Casualty Clearing Station there before the battle and those that died of wounds would have been buried there before the battle started. I'm pretty confident that those that died on the 28th May and are buried in Wormhoudt died whilst fighting or died of wounds at the Regimental Aid Post - The building used by the Regimental Aid Post is still there in the north of the town, not too far from the cemetery.
