I'm trying to find information about Sydney Robert TREMLETT, 7611935, with 7th Armoured Division, Ordnance Field Park, Royal Army Ordnance Corp. He was a POW who died on July 21st 1944 and is buried in Prague War Cemetery, Czech Republic along with 6 other POWs who all died the same day. I have found records which show he was in Stalag IVB. I understand that Stalag IVC, or at least the area close by, was bombed on July 21st and that 6 POWs were killed. I'm assuming that Sydney was in IVC at this time as I can't find any record of IVB being bombed on the same day? Can anyone shed any light on him please? Also where he was captured? The names of the other POWs are: WARD, GOSLETT, TODD, BROWN, UMPLEBY and FRANCIS. Thanks.
Do you have his service records also the war diaries might help Private Sydney Robert Tremlett (1918-1944) - Find...
UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 Name: Sydney Tremlett Given Initials: S R Rank: Private Death Date: 21 Jul 1944 Number: 7611935 Birth Place: Newport Residence: London NW Branch at Enlistment: Other Corps Theatre of War: Balkans and Greece Campaign, 1944/45 Regiment at Death: Royal Army Ordnance Corps Branch at Death: Other Corps TD I see from the CWGC details that he and the other 6 have note Buried Near this spot Special Item C It might be worth trying to find out from CWGC what 'special item c' actually says Casualty
You might also need to contact the Red Cross to see if they hold anything on the records for him and where he was. There are threads and links around to that service but it only happens every so often and is full very quickly so you will need patience TD
Thanks both for the image and details. I don't have his service record unfortunately nor the war diary. The info I found online relates to Camp 53 in Italy (Sforzacosta, Macerata) and this info from a Czech site. (North Bohemian Aviation Archive Most) Pte Sydney Robert TREMLETT (kgf.n. 226744 Stalag IVB) b. October 25, 1918 Harrow, Middlesex, 7611935, 7th Armd. Wonder. Ordnance Field Park R.A.O., Holzer - Woodcutter. He died on 21 July 1944, buried on 25 July 1944, the cause of Bombentod - bombing.
I read that to be 'Special Mem. 'C' It shows on the top of his headstone 'Buried near this spot'. None of the others have that on their headstones.
I still think it would be worth contacting them and see what other info they hold on him - might be something, might be nothing TD They might have some details of where he was initially buried - a map ref or something which might help you
Special memorial suggests original grave has been lost or not practical to maintain Also have checked a few local memorials for Kenton and he does not show on any so far May I ask your interest in this casualty Regards Clive
Hi Clive He is named on a headstone in our local cemetery, Danygraig Risca, along with his parents. Both his parents deaths were registered in Harrow, father 1957 and mother 1980. Not really sure why they came back here though assuming they are buried here. I just found someone from my village who is researching the family so will try and contact them to see if they can shed any light on it.
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 Name: Sidney Robert Tremlett Death Date: 21 Jul 1944 Death Place: Middlesex, England Probate Date: 8 Nov 1944 Probate Registry: Llandudno A bit more family history that may help - William James [his father] looks to have died prior to 1944 otherwise not sure why his probate would be paid to his mother and having added she is wife of .............. thats how I would read that - but you say his father died 1957, but then the headstones says he died in 1957 - thats confused me a little TD
I think it's fairly safe to say that he was a victim of the bombing but you can check this out from the newsletter: WIKIPEDIA : This plant was designed to process oil from coal, and as part of the Allied campaign to attack German oil production it was bombed several times between July 1944 and April 1945. In the second raid on 21 July 1944 six British POWs were killed and 21 were injured.[3]"Spring 2002 Newsletter". The National Ex-Prisoner of War Association. 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011. Vitellino
There were a number of Welsh folk who came to London in the thirties when the mines started to close in sth Wales assume his parents were part of that.A number of them went into labouring helping build the new London suburbs Regards Clive
In 1939 Sidney and his parents William and Ellen were living in Berkeley Rd, Wembley and William was a labourer. Sidney was an ophthalmic lens polisher. By 1946 Sidney's parents were living in Cowbridge Road, Harrow. From 1959 and onwards until at least 1964 she is then on her own in the same house in Harrow, so confirms her husband died in 1957, which is backed up by a registered death in Harrow district between Apr - Jun 1957 of William Tremlett aged 66. Ellen died 13 Nov 1980 in Harrow. They had another son William Henry who also lived in the Harrow area dying in 1996 so I'm not sure why there is a headstone back in Risca for them, because as far as I know they never lived here. They lived a few miles up the road in llanhilleth and Abercarn but people from there don't normally get buried in Risca. Unfortunately our council charges £25 a lookup for burial information.
Thanks As you say it's pretty certain that he was a casualty of the bombing, I'd just like to be able to prove it. I managed to find a copy of the newsletter using the Wayback Machine as the National Ex POW Association website is no longer working. Spring 2002 Newsletter The plant at Brux which was bombed by both American and British aircraft was the Sudentenlandische Treibstoff Werke (Hermann Goring Works), a coal hydrogenation plant involved in the processing of oil from coal. It was protected by 266 anti-aircraft guns. There were three chimneys in the centre of the target, nicknamed Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin. The first raid took place on 12th July 1944 and during the second on 21st July 6 British POWs were killed and 21 were injured. At least a dozen raids took place until the last raid in April 1945 by RAF Lancasters put an end to the plants production. The holding stalag for the British slave labourers was Stalag 4C Wistritz.
Another way to find out would be to check out this Camp Inspection Report held at The National Archives: Reference: WO 208/3274 Description: Stalag IV B Muhlberg Date: 1941-1945 Vitellino
National Archives files that may interest Brux: Search results: brux | The National Archives Stalag IV B Muhlberg: Search results: Stalag IV B Muhlberg | The National Archives TD