Pte Shelton Attley 14685855 4th Wilts casualty

Discussion in 'War Cemeteries & War Memorial Research' started by Owen, Aug 28, 2010.

  1. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Using Geoff's Search Engine I ahd a quick look to see if any Wilts lads were in Hermanville Cem.
    One is but it has to have the wrong date , either that or he was posted to another unit.
    4th Wilts were in Rye UK on this day.
    First men of Bn arrived in France 19th June.
    I'm looking at war diary now.

    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    Name:ATTLEY, SHELTON
    Initials:S
    Nationality:United Kingdom
    Rank:Private
    Regiment/Service:Wiltshire Regiment
    Unit Text:4th Bn.
    Age:18
    Date of Death:11/06/1944
    Service No:14685855
    Additional information:Son of Thomas Attley, and of Dorothy Attley, of Stepney, London.
    Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead
    Grave/Memorial Reference:2. M. 11.
    Cemetery:HERMANVILLE WAR CEMETERY
     
  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Member of an advance party perhaps?
     
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Maybe as vehicle party left 13th, marching troops 18th to be met by advance party who left earlier, so says Geoff Young in his book 'Private Young's War'.

    Anyone have the Bn history, 'The Maroon Square' & could check ?
     
  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    He may have been with another unit. One thing I have noticed of late on some field returns is the wide variety of cap badges serving with other units. Like RTR chaps attached to a RE formation as a driver.

    I have come to the conclusion this week that without service records even safe bets could be just speculation as to what they were doing. Look at that LCpl Webber chap as an example me and Idler speculated for some time why a KRRC chap was at Dunkirk and we wasn't even close.
     
    ritsonvaljos likes this.
  5. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Can't rule out a scanning error, although the other reasons above seem quite possible. I don't have SDWW2 - are dates given in this?
     
  6. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Owen, here is his Army ROH entry

    Name: Sheldon Attley
    Given Initials: S
    Rank: Private
    Death Date: 11 Jul 1944
    Number: 14685855
    Birth Place: Glamorgan
    Residence: Brighton
    Branch at Enlistment: Infantry
    Theatre of War: Western Europe Campaign, 1944/45
    Regiment at Death: Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's)
    Branch at Death: Infantry
     
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Death Date: 11 Jul 1944

    Now that does make sense.
    Fighting in Hill 112 action.

    Have emailed CWGC.
    Cheers Phil

    I've also contacted The Wardrobe , hjopefully they'll have something official to prove point to CWGC so they can change it.
     
  8. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Intrestingly his birth name was Ilffrey....

    Name: Ilffrey S Attley
    Mother's Maiden Surname: Cooper
    Date of Registration: Jul Aug Sep 1925
    Registration district: Bridgend
    Registration county: Wales

    Parents Thomas Attley and Dorothy Cooper, married 1917
     
  9. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Have emailed CWGC.
    Cheers Phil


    Probably a scanning error, seen quite a few. Their paper record should sort it out.
     
  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Not heard back from CWGC yet.
    I've asked Marianna for a photo of the grave, she had a thread saying she had all the Hermanville headstone pics.
    The Wardrobe have asked for his Service Records.
    Reply from their guestbook.
    https://www.thewardrobe.org.uk/guestbook.php

    Thank you for that information. I have contacted the CWGC and they require factual evidence. That we can only get by calling up the Service Records of the soldier concerned. Thay I have just done via Glasgow. The service records may show that he was in fact on detached duties with another unit and that he did die on 11 June 1944. Alternatively there could have been a transcription error when they made the headstone.
    Once we have the Service records we may be able to resolve the matter.
    However in the meantime our thanks to you and the others who have alerted us to this matter.
     
  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I forgot this thread , never heard anymore about him & getting date changed.
    Got photo of headstone back in October 2010 , forgot to post it here.
    Just saw another member viewing it.

    War Diary entry for correct date 11/7/44.

    War Diaries - The Wardrobe

    Bn moved to its original def posn in woods East of R ODON prior to op 'JUPITER' and had completed move by 0600 hrs. The Adjt, Capt. P.M. Coombs, was wounded by an air-burst shell at approx 0830 hrs. Bn moved to area West of GOURNAY to assume counter attack role on areas CHATEAU DE FONTAINE and Hill 112. Recce carried out with tks for these counter attacks. Shelling of bn conc area.

    As he all the way back in Hermanville I suspect he was wounded before that & died of wounds in a field hospital.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I really ought to chase this up again.
    I have a copy of the Maroon Square & he is indeed listed at being killed on 11.7.44
    He was in D company.

    Where can I get a copy of his death certificate from & how much will it cost?
    Havent ordered one since 1980s & am not sure how to get one now.
     
  13. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    dbf and Owen like this.
  14. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Owen

    The only info I can find about his death on Ancestry is as above from the UK Army Roll of Honour. I would be interested to know where death certs are kept (registered) for those that died on active service for future reference. Would they be kept in the Army records or does the local registry hold them - if the latter is the case then would that be Bridgend, Galmorgan (place of birth) or Brighton (place of last residence)

    TD
     
  15. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    O
    Have you got in contact with CWGC again?
    No sense in going down the D. Cert route if they can sort it without.
     
    Owen likes this.
  16. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Emailed them earlier today- yes I know they wont see it until office hours.
    Just asked about death cert in case they wanted to see it.
     
  17. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    They will probably be snowed under now...I've never always had a response from the on-line form, BTW.

    Our written standards
    We will
    let you know we have received your
    letter, email or fax within two working
    days;
    send you a full response within 20
    working days, or contact you to explain
    the reason for any delay and let you
    know when you can expect a full
    response;
    give you the contact details of the person
    who will be dealing with your enquiry;
    reply to you in plain English;
    and
    respect your privacy. Your personal data
    will not be disclosed to a third party
    without your permission unless we are
    legally obliged to do so.


    http://www.cwgc.org/media/52299/at_your_service.pdf
     
  18. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Remembering Sheldon Attley aged 18 who died 70 years ago today . :poppy:
     
    Buteman likes this.
  20. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Got a standard reply letter from CWGC today, as it the Centenary of WW1 they're snowed under.
     

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