2082150 Private H Campbell 5th Dorsets

Thanks for that - you mention they would also contain maps and one is mentioned on the second page showing its positions - is that the one you posted earlier?

More questions!

I assume at some stage in a lull (if there was one) a burial party from the battalion (?) would bury any men killed. How would they record the location etc as the war diary just records O.R's killed. Would identity tags etc be taken off the body and any other personal effects? What happened to them? Presumably there was some sort of cross or marker that the GRU would be looking for rather than relying on personal memories of comrades or the civilian population

This question is prompted by the first grave concentration report which says unknown soldier and then crossed out with his name and rank etc and date of death 24th September (rather than the 25th recorded on the headstone) - or is it likely that would that have come from some sort of identification found on the body when it was exhumed a year later?

 

Received the holding letter from Glasgow so hopefully his war records will arrive in the next few weeks.

 

Service records arrived today.

He actually enrolled in Feb 39 at 18 years old in the RE TA regiment, was transferred to S/L Regt RA (mustered as a Gnr) and then posted to 350/38 Bty. Would a gunner be part of a searchlight battery? After being in a searchlight battery from Sep 39 he was transferred to W Company 19 ITC on 2 March 1944.

According to CWGC he was in 5th battalion Dorsets - however his service record shows 25th August posted from W Company ITC to 41 RHU & TOS (X) (iv) then on 6 September transferred to 4th Bn Dorsets. The next entry says 4 Dorset Killed in Action NWE 25. 9 44. So in one month he was sent to Holland, (apparently his wife received his last letter from him when he was in Nijmegan) and ended up KIA at Driel. There is no indication how he would travel to wherever the Dorsets where on 6th September ?

So what do I do now - check why CWGC have him as 5th Battalion? - or could it be he was transferred from 4th to 5th battalion in the field and his service record was not updated ? Would his original muster as a Gunner been actually his role in the battle?

 

Around 0130 25 September, some 300-350 men of 4 Dorsetshire crossed the Rhine River to broaden the bridgehead. In the evening the evacuation of 1 British Airborne started.

 

Glad to see the service records have arrived...See what I mean about waiting for them before researching

So here's the war diary entries for the 4 Dorsets covering the day he died. Interestingly it mentions an orchard.

 

Here's the battalions situation report for the end of September 1944 - 28 casualties

 

Andy

Thanks so much for all that information. BTW I have been contacted by Harold's daughter born 1943 (who I didn't know of) - her son found my posting - and I will be forwarding all the info

Great help from everyone - so thanks again

 

Attempting to cross the Rhine River probably caused the 28 casualties. The 300-350 men crossed around 0130 after waiting for hours because boats had not arrived on time.

 

I picked this up from another post :

Whenever a burial takes place, the C.F. or Officer conducting the burial must render A.F. W 3314 or 3314A. (Multiple Burial Return) as directed on the forms. On receipt of these forms, Army issue the necessary instructions to the G.R.U.

Are these records available? - as this could throw light on the query of date of death 24th or 25th September and 4th or 5th battalion Dorsets

 

Is there any way of finding out how he got from uk (6th september approx) to Dreil where he died on the 24th September. Was Antwerp port in use by the 6th or would he have gone across to Dunkerque or somewhere else? Apparently his last letter home was sent from Njmegan

 

From the battalion diary

6th Sept - Heubecourt

11th Sep - Heading to Brussels in two stages. Bn staged at Lesquin near Lille. 1st stage via Beauvais, Arras and Vimy Ridge.

12th Sep - Crossed Frontier in to Belgium and ended up near Brussels at Assche

14th Sep - Heading to Diest via Brussels and Louvaine. Settled in Ensberg

17th Sep - Orders to move to Hechtel

21st Sep - FUP Nijmegen

23rd Sep - Bn advance. Oosterhout, Slijk Ewjik, Valburg and Driel

 

Thanks Andy. Time to start looking at the maps

 

An update. CWGC have accepted his army records that I provided showing he was transferred to the 4th Dorsets and changing his Christian name spelling to Harold

76 years ago today RIP Harold Campbell KIA 24/25th September 1944.

 

On that night the 4th Dorsets made the abortive crossing of the Lower Rhine at Driel, near Oosterbeek, with the objective of gaining a foothold on the high ground of the Westerbouwing on the far bank. This was on the night prior to the evacuation of the Airborne Forces from Oosterbeek.

Martin Middlebrook, "Arnhem 1944, the Airborne Battle", dedicates a chapter to the crossing, entitled "The sacrifice of the Dorsets". See thumbnails attached.