15th / 19th Hussars in Assche / Asse

Discussion in '1940' started by BrianM59, Apr 12, 2015.

  1. morrisc8

    morrisc8 Under the Bed

    Yes, printed on ww2 photo paper
     
  2. battleofassche

    battleofassche Well-Known Member

    A while ago I did a little research into these photos. The contact prints for these ebay photos come from the effects/photo album of a former PK member. The high res ones from ECPAD are from negatives acquired from the Germans. When Taghon was preparing his book Mai 40 he interviewed one of the PK guys who was in Assche and obtained some background regarding the photos. PM me if you are interested in more details.

    Cheers
     
  3. McKenzies

    McKenzies Member

    Hi, I've just signed up to say thank you for all of the information in this thread. My great-great uncle was George McKenzie mentioned on the earlier pages of this thread. The accounts have helped us understand what happened to George, now laid to rest in Diest, as none of us have ever known any of the details surrounding his death. Sad to report his last remaining brother passed away this year before I found this trail for him - he left me some of the little info they had including the telegram to his parents - but rest assured George has never been forgotten. Many thanks!
     
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  4. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Welcome to the forum. It's great when information is picked up by relatives. Sadly, Steve Pearce's father died earlier this year too.

    The fate of many BEF casualties remained unknown to their families, in many cases because all the witnesses were captured and not released until five years later by which time much else had happened and many contacts lost. Do you have a photograph of George in uniform ? It's always nice to be able to put a face to a name.

    If you're thinking of reserching a battlefield tour to follow in his footsteps then I'm sure that Drew will be able to help with diaries etc. Has the family applied for a copy of his service records ?
     
  5. McKenzies

    McKenzies Member

    Thank you for that Rich and very sorry to hear about Steve's father. George was in fact my great uncle rather than great great - must admit to getting carried away when I found the info on here yesterday as it was so unexpected, the level of detail about what happened. You can imagine its been tinged with sadness discussing it with relatives today. George was one of nine - six boys and three girls, so I've got some fishing to do with some of the extended family who may have requested things like the service record. I know at least one nephew of George's had an interest a few years ago. I do have a photo in uniform, alongside one of his brothers in the fife and Forfar yoemanry I think - George was a Forfar boy. I'll try and get it uploaded. I also have a picture of the original marker in Diest which was against one wall, a local newspaper cutting reporting him missing and some letters from the 40s, 50s and 60s about the grave with the graves commission, as well as the order of service from the memorial service for the 15th/19th. To see the actual tank they were in, steve's father in the group of prisoners etc has been amazing and I can't thank both Steve and the forum enough for capturing the story.
     
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  6. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Re-reading the forum, it has in some cases become a little confusing as theories and ideas were worked out and corrected and because some of the photo links have become damaged. . As you can probably imagine, there were some pretty excited e-mails behind the scenes as well..

    It's odd how moving some of these things can be even seventy-six years on. Dust in the eye and all that...it's also sad to think that at the time of the photographs the body of the unfortunate Joseph Blake was probably still inside.

    My Dad was the youngest of ten and had an older brother captured with KRRC at Calais in 1940 and the family did not find out until September that he was a prisoner; An anxious time for many if one considers that there were something like 40,000 prisoners and of course for 10,000 or so families, their worst fears were confirmed, sometimes over a period of years.

    It would be fascinating to see scans of anything that you're able to upload.
     
  7. McKenzies

    McKenzies Member

    Hi Rich - apologies if the pics aren't very good, George is the one standing in the middle at the back and I think the one kneeling in front of him is his brother Jim. No idea who the others are. Think the badges on the caps are Fife and Forfar but I've no idea really. There's also a pic of the marker they must have had to begin with in Diest.

    IMG_0247.JPG

    IMG_0248.JPG
     
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  8. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Thanks for posting those. I agree that cap badge and collar dogs indicate Fife & Forfar Yeomanry. George's service number suggests enlistment with the Royal Tank Corps / Royal Tank Regiment which included the F&FY who were an Armoured Car Regiment under the RTC from the 1920s onwards.

    I'm not completely clear (but armour is not really my thing) why he transferred from F&FY to 15/19H. but there were steps to integrate Territorial units with Regulars.
     
  9. McKenzies

    McKenzies Member

    Cheers Rich! Just showed the pic to someone else who reckons it's his brother Charles rather than Jim. Both served and survived but I don't know who with or where. That might be the next investigation for me. I did notice earlier in the thread mention of George as a tank commander in training so it might be this was an opportunity for him. There is a war diary for the F&FY at the kings college military archive for may 1940 in a collection of papers of Lt Col Prain including their disposition and operations. I was heading towards that before I found your forum because I couldn't work out why he was listed as 15th/19th either. Like you say, probably an integration thing.
     
  10. battleofassche

    battleofassche Well-Known Member

    Well... a most pleasant surprise to see this post and a picture of Sgt. McKenzie! I'm glad the information that has been posted has been helpful for you and your family. It's too bad my Dad has passed now, he would have been amazed at hearing this information of his old crew member. I am still continuing my research into the battle and have compiled quite a bit more than what is posted here. Locating and translating old German war diaries has help shed new insights into events and old German soldiers photos taken during and after the battle bring things back to life. PM or email me if you want to chat more of the details.

    Cheers Steve
     
  11. McKenzies

    McKenzies Member

    Have sent an email Steve and any info would be brilliant. I can't believe that if we'd found each other just a wee bit sooner we could have put your dad in touch with George's brother Ian who passed me the stuff I have before he passed away. Wouldn't that have been something! All ifs buts and maybes now though. Shame! Kind regards Mike
     
  12. Mark Salter

    Mark Salter New Member

    Gentlemen,
    I stumbled across this forum and this thread when looking for pictures of the Vickers tank. This came about after I discovered some photographs of my late father, Stanley Salter, as a boy of 17 seated upon a charger of the 15th/19th hussars in 1937 (he lied about his age). Regrettably, he died when I was very young, but my mother mentioned this battle, anecdotally of him being told by his commander to ''make his own way across the river'', and of another trooper who had lost his finger. It was my "Oh My God' moment, to see the vehicles in which he fought. He did make it across the river and was evacuated through Dunkirk. Later in the war he was downgraded to C3 and spent his time with the RASC. I still have his soldiers pay book. Thank you all for such detailed research
    Best regards to all
     
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  13. morrisc8

    morrisc8 Under the Bed

    I have this carrier photo that was in another post in my collection and with the info on the back of the photo. The number on the side might be 5341 ? or 5391?.
    Keith
    carrier photo 1.jpg carrier photo ww2.jpg carrier number.jpg carrier photo back.jpg

     
  14. Mark Salter

    Mark Salter New Member

    Trooper Stanley Salter
     

    Attached Files:

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  15. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    The 1922 pattern Service Dress and '08 Cavalry sword. Very smart !
     
  16. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

  17. morrisc8

    morrisc8 Under the Bed

    Thanks Rich, i could not make the german out.
     
  18. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    It's quite scribbled and sütterlin is difficult at the best of times.
     
  19. Mark Salter

    Mark Salter New Member

    Thank you for that information, Rich. There was a 1912 version of that sword, wasn't there?
    I wish I had known him, but this site has been so revealing.
    regards
     
  20. rewdco

    rewdco Senior Member

    It is actually "Zerstörter Belgischer Panzerwagen" Rik, but that is caption is obviously wrong...

    Jan
     
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