14350165 Pte George MARTIN, 2nd Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment: 7/4/1944

Hi all

Looking for info on this chap, trying to pin him to the Martin Family - Aberdeenshire. The Army unit is unusual for somebody in the area. His Brothers (4 off) were spread across Gordon Highlanders, R.E)

Gartly War Memorial WW1 WW2

GEORGE MARTIN
( Little Shanquhar on WM, believed correct, b Aberdeenshire )

Private
14350165
2nd Bn., North Staffordshire Regiment

who died on
Friday 7 April 1944. Age 19.

Additional Information: No next of kin listed with CWGC.

Cemetery: CASSINO MEMORIAL , Cassino Italy
Grave or Reference Panel Number: Panel 10.

Anybody know any more info?

Regards

Alan

 

9 May 1944:


George was first reported missing on casualty list dated 24 April 1944. List dated 16 March 1945, presumed KIA.

 

Thanks George

I saw that article in the Press and Journal.

It would suggest he has no grave, only a memorial.

I was trying to find a war diary of the 2nd Bn North Staffs

 

Hi Alan,

it may be wise to try & obtain (the missing men) file of the 2 North Staffs that i don't have!

Forum member Gary Tankard, may have it? If he does not, then he may be able to copy it for you when he his next at Kew? I would strongly advise that you get in contact with him. The following war diaries was provided by him! He found the missing months of Jan-June 44. Hes rather cheap to boot as well.


08.04.44. above. Below is the two pages of Appendix 18. It mentions `B' Sp Gr of which would of been the 2/7 Middlesex Regiment.
Its not. Its `C' Support Group. I would of thought that would be correct until i checked the diaries.


Not had the chance to resize the diaries of `C' Sp Gp. One learns something new the more you read. Below is the relevant map that First British Infantry used in the Anzio Campaign. See the box in the top right-hand corner for the grid references that is outlined in brown.


The map below is taken from the HISTORY OF THE FIRST DIVISION ANZIO CAMPAIGN JAN-JUNE 44.

The photo below was taken in 2016 whilst on a battlefield study. Its the start of the Dead End Road taken heading south towards the Flyover. The traffic lights was on red & one had the chance to take a pic! See map above.

Hope this is of use? Please do come back if you get the missing men file? Edit.. click on images if needed?

Regards,
Stu.

 

Alan,

See below for report into the action in which George Martin went missing/was killed:

 

This statement is pretty difficult to read but it does give the grid reference of the gulley - 886282. There is also a mention of getting a Pte. Merriman's statement but this is not in the file, if indeed it was ever done.

 

Alan.

I would need to check his Regimental Number but it could well be that Pte Martin was sent to 2 N STAFFS as a replacement after their mauling on the night of 7/8 Feb 44 on Buonriposo Ridge.

His Service Record would show his training and operational units prior to his death.

Regards

Frank

 

Frank / Gary / Stuart

Many thanks for this info. Very useful and detailed.

I will look to get his training record. unsure why a person from NE Scotland ended up in the 2nd N Staffs. Unless with 5 brothers, didn't want them all in same army?

Alan

 

As I've said hundreds of times before on here the British Army sent men to where they were needed.
It matters not where they came from.
His Army number shows he enlisted into the General Service Corps.
Once he'd done his intial training the Army decided where to send him.

 

Hi Gary

Interesting Pte Hewitt who was with Martin doesn't appear to have been killed, Winters (11th April) and L/C Cummins (7th April) were.

Any idea who Lieutenant C. Howson is (Charles?)

The maps above, any idea where the 2nd N. Staffs were and where Martin was likely killed?

Thanks for the heads up Owen, I'm a bit new to all this so apologies for asking.


regards

Alan

 

Alan,

If you can bare me some time, i will show you the locations when i re do the second map i posted. I'm away from my laptop.Edit.. if you would like to have a bash yourself, then click-on my first map & follow the instructions that are in the box in the top right-hand corner. The brown box.

Regards
Stu.

 

Hi Stu

Is it here?

 

ah just saw the other note, saying 886282

So areas is south end of Stork Wood on Right Battalion?

 

Roughly here,bear in mind that all map references are estimations:

Google Maps

 

Thanks Tony.

 

Pte. Hewitt was evidently captured as he appears in a later list of North Staffs PoWs. As there are no further investigations into Pte. Martin's disappearance it can be assumed that the authorities had had his death confirmed by this time - potentially by the Germans if they recovered his body or if he too was wounded and subsequently died of wounds in their hands.

 

Twelve houses on the Dead End Road. See the Divisional map. Not sure if they are numbered in the 2/7 MX C Support Group diaries

2 North Staffs have asked them to be fired-on. It would be interesting to find out which German division was attacking 2 inf Brigade at this time?

Tony,
thanks.

Stu.

 

Lieutenant Clive Howson was a North Staffordshire Regiment officer who arrived at the battalion on 18th February 1944. He was initially a platoon commander with A Company and won the Military Cross on 30th May during the breakout from Anzio. He took command of the carrier platoon the following day and continued to command them throughout the N. Staffords time in Italy (the commander of the platoon took over B Company as it's commander was killed on 30th May).

 

And finally a 1:25000 map showing the area in more detail. The map co-ordinates match exactly into the area with the streams/gullies.

 

Gary,

nice-one. How the hell did you come across the coloured version of that? I want all eight maps of them. That would be ace if you could provide them? Stuff the price. I was happy with the black & white ones that I've got.

Sorry Alan, i had to ask? Blimey.... I thought I'd seen them all. That's ace.

That's another pint & a bottle of claret i owe you.

Cheers,

Stu.