9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, Italy

Discussion in 'Durham Light Infantry' started by russ tobin, Nov 11, 2019.

  1. russ tobin

    russ tobin Active Member

    Researching a man who was killed on the 26th June 1942 and is remembered at the Caserta War Cemetery in Italy.

    I can't seem to find much information about the 9th Bn around this date.

    Can anyone enlighten me please?
     
  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Is this the man?

    If so:
    Casualty
    Private CARR, WILFRED ERNEST
    Service Number 4458467
    Died 26/06/1942
    Aged 39
    9th Bn. Durham Light Infantry
    Son of Thomas and Mary Carr; husband of Phoebe Carr, of Stechford, Birmingham.
    Buried at CASERTA WAR CEMETERY
    Location: Italy
    Number of casualties: 756
    Cemetery/memorial reference: VII, A, 3.
    See cemetery plan

    Going by date, it'd appear he was POW. 9th Bn were in Tunisia & then Sicily wasn't it?
    His remains were buried in civilian cemetery and then re-buried 27/10/1944.
    Also see note on concentration report about confusion over surname
    doc3713470.JPG
     
  3. russ tobin

    russ tobin Active Member

    Thanks dbf thats the man. Didn't think the 9th entered Italy until 1943?
     
  4. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Why I thought he'd be POW, but can't find him listed...
    maybe someone else will have better luck, even on casualty lists?
     
  5. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    Missing 15th June 1942 believed wounded. North Africa, Died of wounds 26/06/1942 (Date of death originally given as the 27th June 1942 the CWGC have 24th June?)

    Kyle
     
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2019
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  6. russ tobin

    russ tobin Active Member

    Wow that's amazing information Kyle.

    If he was wounded North Africa why buried in Italy?

    CWGC have 26th June btw.
     
  7. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    As a POW he would've been evacuated across the Mediterranean to Italy. Fairly standard procedure at the time.
     
  8. russ tobin

    russ tobin Active Member

    So captured N Africa transferred to Italy where he dies?
     
  9. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Yes.
     
  10. russ tobin

    russ tobin Active Member

    Thanks very much everyone much appreciated.
     
  11. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad


    On their register they have 26th but look at the date of death on the concentration document posted by Diane :)

    He was `missing` in France in 1940 too ,but later found/rejoined

    Kyle
     
  12. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    He would have died in Caserta Hospital, where many POWs who had been taken prisoner in North Africa and shipped over to Italy ended upif they were sick or wounded. All the men on the Concentration Form above were initially buried in Caserta Civil Cemetery and presumably they too died in the hospital.

    The WO 392/21 Register of Imperial prisoners of war in Italy is dated August 1943, hence he can't be traced in that. He might be mentioned in the RedCross/Protecting Power Inspection report for Caserta Hospital - I will find the number on the NA website and edit this post.

    Vitellino

    Edited: note dates
    Reference: WO 224/158
    Description: Caserta Hospital
    Date: 1941 Nov. - 1943 Mar.
    Held by: The National Archives, Kew
    Legal status: Public Record(s)
    Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

    CWGC Records: Caserta War Cemetery - 756 casualties, of whom 711 Army. Of these, 254 died before the Sicily Landings in July 1943, hence prisoners of war.
     
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2019
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  13. russ tobin

    russ tobin Active Member

    Kyle can you please tell me where you found this information?

    I've some experience researching WW1 but not much for WW2.
     
  14. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    Hi Russ,
    Casualty lists?

    doc3713470.JPG GBM_WO417_014_0083.jpg GBM_WO417_017_0246.jpg GBM_WO417_046_0133.jpg GBM_WO417_049_0228.jpg GBM_WO417_064_0241.jpg GBM_WO417_068_0215.jpg

    Kyle
     
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