War diaries/any info: 1st Battalion The Hampshire Regiment, Sicily September 1943

Researching my great-uncle: Private 6031602, Percy Lamb, 1st Battalion The Hampshire Regiment. KIA: 9/9/1943 in Sicily, buried in Catania War Cemetery. I’d specifically like to know more about the events of this day. Also might sound odd but there was no known photograph in existence of Percy before he enlisted. Would there be a photo of him anywhere? Any help or info much appreciated.

 

According to the casualty returns two men from this battalion were killed in action on the 9th September with another dying of wounds.

 

Also a quick look at the concentration report shows all three were initially buried at the same location although the location is not clear. A Royal Navy Able Seaman also appears on the same form albeit he died four days before. The casualty return also mentions they were killed in Italy - so it would appears at the time of reinternment Catania was the nearest established cemetery?

Casualty Details | CWGC

 

Many thanks for this. It does certainly seem Percy’s injuries were sustained in Italy. My Grandma (his sister) always said that she believed Percy died in Sicily, so I’m wondering if he was the 3rd casualty. I was aware there were 3 casualties because of the information given on the war graves records.

 

So here are the casualties for 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment on 9th September 1943. There was obviously some kind of engagement with the Germans given the number of casualties.

The top three are buried at Catania. The other three are buried at Salerno.

If we ever get out of lockdown I will get the War Diary for the unit from the archives in Kew.

 

Oh wow! Thank you so much for doing this. I’ve requested Percy’s military records but I don’t know how long that takes or what they will tell me when I receive them. Can I ask if you know why, considering they were in battle in the same place, they were not all buried in the same cemetery?

 

Hello. Im new to this site - hoping to be shown how I can locate any photographs of 1st bn Hampshire reg. This was my dad's. I have all his army records now but no photos. He never had any himself. So I'm wondering how I can go about trying to find 'anything at all' about his regiment and maybe, who knows, a photo might turn up with him on it? Many thanks. Helen

 

Also, are there any maps that plot where the battalion were during the war?