Second World War veteran on hunt for friend KIA

If they were advancing into Germany then it would be highly unlikely to be the last day of the war

It could have been anytime from January to May. It might be useful to trace out the route of the Cameronian Scottish Rifles and put dates against that route. This could be done with the War Diaries, might not be easy but its possible

TD

 

If I wished to leave no stone unturned then I think that I would investigate the casualty found by Tricky Dicky further and apply for his service records. Could he have been recently transferred or has there been a simple administrative mistake. His name and origin fit. At this late stage of the war, desperate measures were being taken to keep units up to strength.

 

Smithy
if you want to solve it

1 His name is not on CWGC as a casualty on the dates suggested we have all searched.Contact CWGC with your query Contact Us. TD found similair name but earlier in the year
2 If you want the 1945 diary im sure drew will copy it for you from Kew for a small fee.

3Contact The Cameronian Museum - Low Parks - Hamilton Lanarkshire they might be able to help

Let us know when you have done that and the results

Regards
Clive

 

It seems the 9th Battalion were in NW Europe (I could be totally wrong) so perhaps read some info - 9th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in the Second World War 1939-1945 - The Wartime Memories Project - - theres also a list of those killed in the battalion (not a total list I guess)

TD

 

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This is the closest match I have been able to find:

 

Look, he may have been a best mate in 1945, but we can't find a death for a J Smalley in 9th Bn Cameronians.
I've checked all the deaths from 1st April 1945 to 31 May 1945 and he's not there as a Joseph or a Smalley.

Has he tried the Regimental Association?
If Joe had survived, perhaps he's been trying and contacted them?
Or the name/date/regiment is wrong.......

What can he remember about this?
Where were they, why does he think it was just at War's end, where were they when Germany surrendered?
How long had they been together, does he know where "Joe Smalley" came from, town, age, anything?

There is this chap which could be misheard/misremembered as "Smalley"
Rifleman MACAULEY, THOMAS Service Number 14729395. Died 17/04/1945. Aged 19
9th Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Son of Thomas and Bridget Macauley, of Liverpool.
Groesbeek Memorial. Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 4.

Is that what he's struggling to recall and just got the name sound slightly wrong?

 

Evening all, I appreciate the efforts and thank you for all the replies. I'm not due home for a couple of weeks but when I do I shall make sure I take the Unit Diaries above to Ron to see if it jogs further memories.

He has always believed that it was in the final days of the Second World War and that Joseph was from the North West. He has contacted Regimental museum in the past.

I shall report back on what else Ron has to say.

 

I dont have access to a lot of research for ww 2 but has anyone checked alternative spellings of Smillie Smylie or Smilie or Smilley or Smiley? Or indeed, Smayley or Smaylie?

I wondered if it was an accent problem?

I know that there are spellings like that in a spouse of a Guinness family member and I came across the name or variation in a number of books I have read. One might have been linked to a newspaper man? I believe the name came from Scotland and an original area of Glasgow and also linked to the Glasgow name of Smellie which came up in a QI episode and was an early variation of the name that basically meant Small - I think originally Smallig or Smellig?

So they do pop up in the north of England but quite a bit in Ireland - presumably from the protestant settlers from Scotland

Only an offer in the hope of getting an answer for the gentleman

 

Have carried out some FMP searches on the ‘British National Armed Forces Deaths 1939 – 1948’, results attached for 1945 search.

1 All Josephs with surname beginning Sm.
2 All Smalley, including variants that returns Smellie, Smillie.
3 Copy of actual register for ‘Smalley’

Afraid nothing found.

 

I guess if it was Josiah not Joseph it would show up Or if he was actually a Giusseppe and because it was Italian, he changed it to Joe? As then he would have a different initial

Can anyone check if Joseph was a middle name and have a blank first name?

AND could Smalley be Shalley or Shraily or Snalley or Snailly or Shralley... I'm trying to imagine if someone was quickly signing off a name, what letters might morph into other letters, to a casual observer glancing at it, if the signer was lazy with letter formation and sometimes it then becomes typed officially in 1 record and then develops a life of its own

I know I have had trouble with a mother of a service man who has an unusual middle name, that in some records starts with an L and in other records an S and having seen handwritten records and signatures, I am not sure, tho if asked, you wouldnt think an S could be very similar to an L - but its all in the cursive writing style and it has pervaded ALL her official records

The other possibility...

Maybe Joe was his name but he was nicknamed Joe the Small because short or tall and it morphed to Small and then to Small ( ee) as an affectionate diminutive? Then newer arrivals just assumed it was his last name, as he answered to it?

I guess then it would be a matter of looking for Joes and finding photos of them and seeing if any look like his mate but Joe could still be a middle name that is used as a preference

How many Joe/Josephs are in the possibilities?

I know I am stretching things but I am desperately looking for possibilities

 

Hi Drew,

Do you have any details about the 7th Battalion Cameronians at all?