Trying to identify a soldier's unit with his diary (D+1 on Juno Beach, etc...)

Alfred appears to be in the RN Dec 44 according to this news artice 27 Dec 44 in the same Hull paper. Cpl. Myers father was a RNR man too.

 

I cannot find any family trees I'm afraid

I would assume that the Michael Nutbrown is still alive as I cannot find any death details (at least up to 2013).

Re-reading post 1 again the wording in the diary does intimate to me that he is a naval man rather than a soldier.
Others thoughts on that?
TD

 

Possibly another Alfred most likely unless we can link the address or he switched services (long shot I know!)

No A. Nutbrown on any Casualty List, so not injured at least.

Can we see a scan of the name Nina and an example of the diary handwriting? I've known of Mina as an abbreviation for Williamina, but not Wina, but I guess it's not impossible.

Edit: there was an Alfred born in Sculcoates area in 1915, mother Barratt and also one born with the middle initial E. in 1918 in Birkenhead, mothers maiden name Jones.

 

From the In Memoriam column 2nd Dec 1942 in the Daily paper, "in memory of our father Alfred died Dec 3rd 1941 united with his wife Jane Elizabeth died Mar 1935 - Jim, Rose, Hilda, grandchildren Alfred and Rosie"

 

I suspect the man we are looking for was in the RE port operating coy.
We need to find out which units were on the MT5 Samzona = S S Samzona a liberty ship.

He witnessed the sinking of MT12 "Sambut", hit by shore batteries in front of Pas-de-Calais.

In this account MT12 was SS Samvern.
The three ships carrying No. 102 R.A.F. Beach Flight sailed from the Thames estuary in a convoy of transport ships forming part of Force “L”, the Follow-Up force. Hector Buckland was a Royal Engineer in a Port Operating Company. He was aboard S.S. Samvern (M.T. 12), another ship in the same convoy. he wrote:
Account here
No. 102 R.A.F. Beach Flight

Once we have those units then we can back track to other places mentioned and connect with a man already mentioned.

 

I think that Trux is the one most likely to know which units were on which of the ETM 1 ships.

Roy

 

TD. Michael Nutbrown seems to have just disappeared. I was just casually googling Alfred Nutbrown Hull and this turned up

www.ancestry.ca/genealogy/records/alfred-nutbrown_46643857
This link does not take you to the information you have to google Alfred nutbrown hull then its the third one down.

Which seems to say that he did not have a son with Nina Coulson, but had a daughter with his second wife Adeline owen. Mystery abounds.

 

Alfred Nutbrow (no N) married Adeline Owen in Hull Q1 1980. If it is our Alfred, it was after Nina had died (1977), he would have been 60 years old. Possibly a misprint with his name as no other records for Nutbrow.

Hull Daily Mail, Tuesday, September 8, 1942
Nutbrown – On September 7th to Alfred and Nina (nee Coulson), at Townend M.H., God’s gift a son.

 

*
Purfleet was known as 'Embarkation Area Camp E6'.

'Force L' sailed from there on D-Day...

 

Additional information on H Kemp to add to the previous POW posts #7 & 8.

Casualty list 1419 dated 13 April 44
Italy, Missing believed Prisoner of War
9th Bn King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
6854983 Kemp Pte H, date of casualty 14/3/44

Casualty list 1447 dated 16 May 44
Previously reported missing believed Prisoner of War now reported Prisoner of War in German hands
9th Bn King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
6854983 Kemp Pte H, date of casualty 14/3/44

Casualty list 1814 dated 21 July 45
Previously reported Prisoner of War now not Prisoner of War
9th Bn King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
6854983 Kemp Pte H, Previous theatre CM Italy

Note. There is no Kemp at 28 Dingley Close in 1939, as mentioned inpost #7

 

I was very pleasantly surprise to find this thread. The point is I purchased Harold Major's photo album, which therefore now is located in Holland. It contains many photos of the liberation of Antwerp. Regarding this album I have made my own thread, which to quite some time and which I tried to look up but now somehow appears to have been removed!!! I need to find out how and why! I had attached a number of photos to this, because I would very much like to find out where exactly these were made. Regarding your query I have had a look at the album to see if I can find any clues. Unfortunately this is not the case. I will certainly get in touch with you later to see if we can swap any information regarding Harold Major!

 

8RB, THIS IS GREAT ! I was so sad to lose the auction and see this beautilful grouping broken... I thought some dealer would break apart the album to sell the photos individualy for profit... Glad you wrote ! We'll exchange information with great pleasure !

Here are photographs of Nina / Wina's name. Look how close the letter is to "Wallsend" on the right !



The RE port operating coy lead seems highly plausible, we should dig into this !

Looking forward to reading you, thanks again for the amazing work

Clément

 

I missed this when I posted the 1939 Register (#16) for Harold Major at 65 St Hilda Street, Kingston upon Hull but three doors down the road at No 59 is:

Coulson Arthur S, DOB 6/9/1889, married, Porter, Public Assistance Inst
Coulson Annie, DOB 14/9/1894, married, Porteress PA Inst
Coulson John H F, DOB 18/1/1922, single, App Marine metal turner

Arthur Sidney Coulson looks like he was in the Royal Navy No 236190, DOB 6 Sept 1889, Hull, engaged 6 Sept 1907 for 12 years. Invalided 10/4/13. Possible death Q1 1951 age 61.

At present I have been unable to get a connection with Nina but will research further. It does prove however that this Harold Major must have known these Coulsons.

I will try to check out if there is a connection with Nina.

 

I couldn't trouble you for a '39 look up please Tony?

 

Hello Clement,

The first letter of 'Nina' looks exactly like the first letter, last word, first paragraph, on 30 April, which says 'Wednesday'. So as suggested earlier, could this be 'Wina' and a shortened version of 'Edwina'?

Best,

Steve.

 

To me it looks like a W. So we are now looking for a Wina or Winifred,as Wina is an old English or Welsh shortened form of Winifred. Edwina is also a possibility.

We also know that this chap had more than one son. (Met her at Newcastle with the boys).
Unless he means he took some mates with him to meet her.

What date is his newborn son, Michael?
As he had been away from home for 18 mths +, it could not be in the early months of the dairy.

RMS Strathmore. Left Algiers Jan 30th 1944 part of Convoy MKF.28. Port Said to Liverpool. Arriving Liverpool Feb 7th 44.

Feb 8th to Sept 6th 44. = 210 days = 7 mths.
In Warwickshire 1942/43 89.3% of premature babies survived.

So now we need to look for a Michael born in Hull, whose mothers name was Wina, Winifred or Edwina.
Results Birth of Michael. Hull Jul/Aug/Sep = 389,186
Now to find away to shorten the list.

 

Comments on the diary. Yes I agree that the first letter of her names may look like the first letter of Wednesday or Wallsend.

24 – arrived 4.15 pm, met her at Newcastle with the boys all looking well & good to see them.
? As RGC states above, a possibility of more than one boy, how do we know Michael was only child?

25 – living at Cath Atkins, Cath still at her mothers.
30 – Cath & John leaving for Hull on Wednesday.
? Presumably Cath’s mother lives in Newcastle while Cath & John in Hull. Have not yet found them in 1939?

9 – left Wallsend this evening 10pm. Lots of tears shed as ?half population sees us off. Undoubtedly popular ??? Tish & George gave me ??? fags 3 ???

Clément, do the diaries contain other names or places or anything that could provide any more on the above?

 

These are the only names in the diary, besides some french inhabitants in Dieppe he took the addresses of. Nothing about Michael's birth, he just says on february 12th "coming home on leave by 1.30pm, waited for this for 18 months" and the next day "Had my first good look at Michael, hard to realise he is our baby"

 

So that would put Michael being born in 1942.

 

Gentlemen

I feel a little guilty not having been on this thread today but I am doing some work for a fellow member along similar lines.

As Arny said "I'll be back"

TD

Great research by the way - Michael born middle 1942 in Hull - quite a number I would guess