1883598 Staff Sergeant John DEBLING, Royal Engineers

Sorry for the long pause between postings. Things to sort out with all the recent events.... anyway...

I notice in April 1945 that Steve mentions about a motorcycle accident. Here's the culprit !! My Dad on the bike in both pictures.



Dad and another Sergeant used to ride escort for the "old man" when they were travelling in convoy. On one occasion the chain on one of the motorbikes broke and threw the other rider off and he broke his neck. Tragic end with all that man-made death and destruction going on.

An airfield construction somewhere...




A finished high bridge construction


Having a break while gathering raw materials

On parade. I suspect my Dad is yelling "Right you 'orrible lot !!" as his body language looks like he is really letting rip... lol


Inspecting the guard who looks uncannily like Colm Meaney from Star Trek TNG. Perhaps they did discover time travel !!


The next three photos I found hidden away. They were together with his field pocket note book. Before the war Dad worked for an engineering firm but he had passed all his office exams too including Pitman Shorthand. Most of the notes in his book are in shorthand so I cannot decipher them. Makes it intriguing but it could be just his laundry list for all I know
Maybe they were taken after the war ?




@ Andy :

I've got next week off from work and I'm thinking of maybe going to the National Archives one day. Can you please give me some pointers and any etiquette, written and un-written, I should know about like bribing the clerk with a packet of HobNobs ?

 

Dear Sean,
.
i could not believe it today when I was researching the 689 coy Royal Engineers. I thought I know that name. My dad used to talk about someone called Debling. Then I noticed on one of the photo’s you had my dad on it with John Debling. I have the same photo. Your John and my father Gilbert Hames (Gil) were very close. I have quite a few pictures of them as they moved across Europe. I also have a pair of blue clogs given to my father from a family in Uden. My dad was billeted there for while. The family there used to do the laundry for our forces.
I even have a telegram from John to say he could not make it to my fathers wedding. Sent from Burton Bradstock in Dorset on the 14 sept 1946. My father also knew Albert. I think at the time they lived at 31 Foxley Rosd, Thornton Heath, Surrey. I believe they kept in touch for quite a while after the war

I want to get my fathers military record. Where is the best place to apply for it.

i am so pleased I I found you forum entry. I have many, many photo’s of the 689 coy as they travelled. I will send you copies if you wish.

best regards
John Hames
Southport

 

Hello John,

I'm so pleased you found your father's mate.

Here's where you need to send to for his service records:

Get a copy of military service records - GOV.UK

Best wishes,

Vitellino

 

I think this was in Tilley-sur-Suelles.

There is a short film of 16th Airfield construction group at Tilly here. The caption says preparing an airfield but the war diary suggests they were actually called in to build a relief road as Tilly was not easily passable.
A VILLAGE WRECKED BY THE FIGHTING IS DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR AN AIRFIELD (PART 1) [Allocated Title] | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk)

One of the officers killed early on was Lt Col McDowell. An ammunition truck caught fire as a result of the shelling and mortar fire. The Lt Col ordered the men to get chains so it could be dragged off the road. Some of the men had been in North Africa and new of the dangers, as the Lt Col approached the truck exploded and he was killed. I have visited his grave it is in the Bayeux cemetery.

I also have a photo of Flensburg.

 

Sorry I can’t zoom in, is the grave Hancock? My Grandfather was in the 16th Airfield construction group who worked with 689 coy and I had the same story from him. I visited Lt Col Hancock grave with my late grandmother. 689 coy lost a number of men at Tilly sur seulles according to the 16th war diary.

The grave of one of the commanding officers.
I think I'm right in saying that they lost a couple very early after D-Day. One officer was scouting ahead in an armoured car and decided he had gone too far ahead of the main party. His driver attempted to turn the vehicle around and backed it into a farm driveway but it had been mined by the Germans. Not sure if this is the officer involved.

 

I was at the cemetery yesterday, I noticed buried next to McDowell who was killed when an ammunition truck exploded was a RE driver Kirk. I did wonder if it was the same event.