Reading the file ADM1/19438 one thing keep nagging me. On 13th December 1945 a Royal Marine Sergeant serving on HMS Norfolk was killed Vice Admiral Patterson write. But I cannot find him on cwgc As he was killed in the NEI it will mean a lot to me if someone can bring some light on this Or help with suggestions on were to search for answers
Cant find anything yet - closest is UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 Name: William Robert Phillips Event: Death Birth Date: 16 Jan 1922 Birth Place: Swansea, Glam. Death Date: 24 Dec 1945 Death Age: 23 Are you sure about the date of his death - maybe he died on that date from injuries?, what details do you have that tell you he was a Sergeant?? The only other so far is a Marine killed in Portsmouth due to a road traffic accident TD UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947 Name: Marine William Robert Phillips Gender: Male Age: 23 Birth Date: abt 1922 Death Date: 24 Dec 1945 Cemetery: Colombo (Liveramentu) Cemetery, The Memorial Tablets In Colombo Burial Country: Ceylon Regimental Number: RME/13532 Region or Memorial: Ceylon Father: William H Phillips Mother: Kate Phillips
Doesnt answer the question but shows British and Indian troops still fighting in Sourabaya, Java during early Dec 1945 - Reuters Archive Licensing TD ROYAL NAVY IN ACTION AT SURABAYA. 16 NOVEMBER 1945, SURABAYA. HM SHIPS CAESAR, CAVALIER, AND CARRON, THREE DESTROYERS OF THE 6TH FLOTILLA, HAVE BEEN OPERATING OFF SURABAYA, JAVA, SINCE 1 NOVEMBER. AT FIRST THEY TOOK PART IN THE EVACUATION OF INTERNEES FROM THE TOWN, AND LATER BOMBARDED THE COAST IN SUPPORT OF THE ARMY.
There is a file on FMP - GRO Marine deaths indices 1903 - 1965- using all the combinations of HMS Norfolk I can think of (HMS Norfolk, H.M.S. Norfolk etc etc) as a keyword plus year 1945 produces zero results. Opening the date range to 1945 +/- 1 year produces the following hits: BICKFORD Norman E 16/5/1946 Casualty SHEARER Thomas 9/10/1944 Casualty WEST Henry Christopher 2/1/1944 Casualty Interestingly the remainder are not to be found in the CWGC, these are: GLEN Robert W 1948 (this came up as date is transcribed as 1946-50. HARRIS John C 1944 KIDDLE Douglas W 1944 MICHEL John S 1944 NIGHTINGALE Phillip R 1944 SQUIRE Leslie 1944 TOZER Harold WH 1944 If I do find anything else will come back.
Sorry for confusion, deaths occurred in 1943 but registered in 1944: HARRIS John C 1944 Casualty KIDDLE Douglas W 1944 Casualty MICHEL John S 1944 Casualty NIGHTINGALE Phillip R 1944 Casualty SQUIRE Leslie 1944 Casualty TOZER Harold WH 1944 Casualty Can't find GLen but presumably death in 1948 was too late.
The details I gave are those I got. They are the words of an Admiral (Patterson Cdr 5 Cruiser Sqn RN) for what they are worth. A detachment of Marines and Sailors were ashore in Semarang on this day attached to 2 Kumaon. And the positions were attacked but no one other than Patterson mention a RM casualty. I am especially interested to find out about this for two reasons. I consider my database on British/Indian casualties for better than the CWGC. And Mid-Java is my main interest so cannot have a casualty I do not know about
The Globe and Laurel - The journal of the Royal Marines https://theroyalmarinescharity.org.uk/library/static/media/g-l-feb46.pdf This journal, dated February 1946, contains an account of the 2 Bn Kumaon Regt from HMS Norfolk in December 1945, and mentions a patrol of D company who "were caught by heavy automatic fire and pinned to the ground, with a seriously wounded man who later died". See page 44 Don't get too excited as there is no name but perhaps may get you closer? At the end of the document is a Roll of Honour, in this edition they are from HMS Exeter but perhaps other editions may have the name you are after?
As I understand it the old RM Museum has closed and the new one is not yet open. Further the staff at the National Museum of the Royal Navy are having to move the RM collections and are not currently available to answer enquiries. Make An Enquiry So far I have not found any trace of this elusive RM Sergeant. Tim
My guess is the Admiral misunderstood something. I do plan to ask the Museum in the near future. Thanks for the effort.
What a great article if for nothing else I plan to forward it to a Dutch friend who plana reunion for Dutch veterans who relieved them in 1946.Also I think the Admiral had misunderstood something. Since I feel confident the writer would had ended the article telling about a fatal casualty to honor the person.
The article does talk about a marine being wounded and dying of wounds later but has no date, wonder if there is something in the Regimental diary that could provide details?? I guess that might be one for the Museum when its up & working again THE ROYAL NAVY'S TASK IN JAVA. 14 AND 15 DECEMBER 1945, SEMARANG, JAVA. THOUSANDS OF RAPWI (REPATRIATED PRISONERS OF WAR AND INTERNEES) BEING LIBERATED FROM CAMPS AROUND SEMARANG AND EVACUATED TO SAFER AREAS. THE HARBOUR AT SEMARANG BUILT FOR LIGHT COASTAL CRAFT HAD NOT BEEN DREDGED FOR 4 YEARS SO ROYAL NAVY LANDING CRAFT WERE USED TO FERRY THE RAPWI PERSONNEL TO MERCHANT VESSELS LYING AT ANCHOR OUTSIDE THE HARBOUR. TD
Okay I need to read it closer. And you are right it need to be researched through especially since he might not be on the CWGC. By the way if it is not too much trouble will it be possible for you to get me copies of this magazin from AUG'45 - APR'46? I am interested to see if there might be other articles about the NEI.
But it does say they arrived on 7 December and 'a very interesting 10 days passed by', they then returned to ship. That would cover 13th?
Yes but they were not the only RN/RM detachment serving ashore. NEI was a trouble spot from Sourabaya to Semarang, Padang and Palembang. At least I know Cumberland, Suffolk, Loch Gorm, Taff, Ness, Caprice, Punjab, Bihar, Awe and Kale were in NEI waters too at one time or another.
It did Tony56 but as I am researching the period in the NEI too I am always open for new stories to put light on it. And the one you delivered was such one. Thak you.