Recently while transcribing WO417 files into a database I came across an entry which looked like it may be be two brothers who enlisted at the same time, given the consecutive service numbers: The interesting part is that they were both wounded on 10th September 1943 at Salerno with the 7 Oxs an Bucks LI, south of Battipaglia:
However, a bit more research shows they weren't brothers (maybe cousins?) or just coincidence? Probably needs a bit more research into the family tree. Benjamin Ernest G Seager born 10th June 1913, in Milton Kent (mothers maiden name Rogers) John A Seager born 3Q 1914 in Thanet, Kent (mothers maiden name Harty)
Looks like John Alfred 5386943 died on 29th September 1944 and is commemorated on Panel 8 of the Cassino Memorial Casualty Lesley
Benjamin turns up again the records when he is reported missing in action on 11th November 1943 in the abortive attack on Pt 819 on Monte Camino:
John next turns up when recorded as wounded on 29th September 1944 while fighting on the Gothic Line. Looking at the WD this looks a bit odd as they are not in action...
UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: B E Seager Rank: Private Army Number: 5386942 Regiment: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry POW Number: 266470 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: VIII-B Camp Location: Cieszyn, Poland Record Office: Infantry Record Office, Warwick Record Office Number: 21 TD
However, the previous pages give the clues - most ORs were transferred to the Queen's battalions on 24th September:
Unfortunately, only 2/7 Queens WD has a list of personnel transferred from 7 Oxs and Bucks LI (2/6 Queens Battalion orders annoying stop on 16th September) and John Seager is not on that list so ended up with either 2/5 or 2/6 Queens. It is only in December 1944 he is reported as wounded and missing: Finally in July 1945 is he posted as Died of Wounds while a Prisoner of War: I do have all the WO361 files for the Queens (and 2/5 Queens certainly does make a distinction between those missing personnel attached from 1 WELSH and 7 OXS & BUCKS) but haven't had time to have a proper look.
Finally, as already mentioned John Seager is still missing and is on the Cassino Memorial. I believe he married in 1939. Benjamin returned from the PoW camp, married Vera in 1958 and passed away in 1975.
Indeed he did - and Ida Foster 1939 England and Wales Register Name: John A Seager [T Seager] Gender: Male Marital Status: Married Birth Date: 21 May 1914 Residence Year: 1939 Address: 93 Residence Place: Dartford, Kent, England Occupation: (Shak Assembler) Munition Worker Schedule Number: 206 Sub Schedule Number: 2 Enumeration District: DJDH Registration district: 43/2 Household Members: Name Ida G M Seager John A Seager Name: Ida G M Seager [Ida G M Foster] Gender: Female Marital Status: Married Birth Date: 28 Jul 1917 Residence Year: 1939 Address: 93 Residence Place: Dartford, Kent, England Occupation: Ladies Hairdresser TD
Interestingly enough she remarried in 1949 and to a man with the same surname as her maiden name - England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 Name: Ida G M Seager Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1949 Registration district: Dartford Inferred County: Kent Spouse: George Foster Volume Number: 5b Page Number: 1225 Or perhaps the above was her third marriage as the details of her marriage cert show her 'maiden' name as Curtis, not Foster as per the 39 Register England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 Name: John A Seager Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1939 Registration district: Dartford Inferred County: Kent Spouse: Ida G M Crisp Volume Number: 2a Page Number: 4074 TD
A little more digging I found John Seager was sent to 2/6 Queen's, seemingly D Coy. However, Pte. Bee may have been mistaken about seeing Pte. Seager on 20th September as there does not appear to have be any transfers from 7 OBLI until 24th September.
These are the WD entries for end of September 1944. On reading these I thought Seager may have been a member of B Coy which gets cut off and quite a number of men captured. However, there is quite a lot of documentation in the WO361 file about these men and the subsequent attempts to find out what happened to them and Seager is not mentioned once; therefore I think he was a member of D Coy as mentioned by Pte. Bee. Seager is initially posted as wounded which suggest this must have somehow been reported; quite how he goes missing remains a mystery. Apart from the above (and several replies from men who were unable to give any information) there is nothing else on John Seager.
Castelvecchio doesn't appear as a separate village on Google Maps as it seems to have been subsumed into Savignano. However, it is clear on the contemporary maps as a distinct locality.
