1st Armoured Battalion Coldstream Guards, 1944-45

Discussion in 'The Brigade of Guards' started by jjrc1991, Aug 21, 2013.

  1. jjrc1991

    jjrc1991 Junior Member

    Dear All,

    I'm trying to find out what happened to Ronald Moore, a Coldstream Guard serving with the 1st battalion who was killed in action on the 1st May 1945. I have been told that he was in a tank (and have subsequently found out that the 1st Bn. was at this time an armoured unit). Can anyone help?

    Regards

    jjrc1991
     
  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hi
    Of course the following is only relevant if he was KIA, and not DOW.

    This is from The Coldstream Guards 1920-1946, Howard & Sparrow, page 373:
    Excerpt starts on 29 April

    "With Bremen secured, interest now turned to the progress of VIII Corps around Hamburg. Armoured units crossed the Elbe on the 29th and drove rapidly towards the Baltic coast. At the same time the Household Cavalry were exploring the western bank of the Elbe estuary, and finding very little resistance. Therefore on the 29th the Division once again turned east, and began its final task - that of clearnign the left bank of the Elbe to its mouth at Cuxhaven. A twenty-mile drive brought the Coldstream Group to Hallenbuerg, twenty miles west of Hamburg; and next morning, after a comfortable night in billets, the battalions began to advance northwards, through Harsfeld, towards the town of Stade. German capitulation could now only be a matter of days, perhaps hours; but still the guardsmen were warned to expect resistance, to advance carefully, to take no undue risks. Troop commanders tune in their wireless sets in the hope of hearing the cease-fire; instead there came more Intelligence reports, more operational orders: the enemy was withdrawing troops over the estuary towards Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark; resistance was expected along the line of the Oste canal. So the advance continued. Blown bridges made progress slow, and every demolition was dangerous; a tank from 2 Squadron, sent to protect an R.E. working party, touched off a sea-mine and disintegrated completely. However, by 11 o'clock on May-day morning Stade had surrendered to the Household Cavalry, and that afternoon a detachment from the Coldstream Group wen to take over the town."
     
  3. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    To add to the circumstantial background, a crew for Sherman was usually five men.


    5 men, one Lance -Sergeant and 4 Guardsmen, from the 1st Bn (incl Ronald Moore) are listed as fatalities for that day, 2 of whom have no grave and are commemorated on a Memorial.

    http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2199558/
    MOORE, RONALD GILBERT
    Rank: Guardsman
    Service No: 14225385
    Date of Death: 01/05/1945
    Age: 21
    Regiment/Service: Coldstream Guards, 1st Bn.
    Grave Reference: 3. H. 8.
    Cemetery: BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY
    Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Moore, of Witney, Oxfordshire.


    http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2198916/

    GREEN, JOHN THOMAS
    Rank: Lance Serjeant
    Service No: 2660425
    Date of Death: 01/05/1945
    Age: 25
    Regiment/Service: Coldstream Guards, 1st Bn.
    Grave Reference: 3. H. 7.
    Cemetery: BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY
    Additional Information: -

    http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2659284/

    LOCK, FRANK
    Rank: Guardsman
    Service No: 2665134
    Date of Death: 01/05/1945
    Age: 27
    Regiment/Service: Coldstream Guards, 1st Bn.
    Panel Reference: Panel 3.
    Memorial: GROESBEEK MEMORIAL
    Additional Information: Husband of Veronica Lock, of Airedale, Castleford, Yorkshire.



    http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2659606/

    SOMERSET, STANLEY
    Rank: Guardsman
    Service No: 2666893
    Date of Death: 01/05/1945
    Age: 19
    Regiment/Service: Coldstream Guards, 1st Bn.
    Panel Reference: Panel 3.
    Memorial: GROESBEEK MEMORIAL
    Additional Information: Son of Sam and Jessie Somerset, of Firth Park, Sheffield.


    http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2390049/
    TAYLOR-HURST, ANTHONY GRANVILLE FRANK WALTER
    Rank: Guardsman
    Service No: 2666407
    Date of Death: 01/05/1945
    Age: 19
    Regiment/Service:
    Coldstream Guards, 1st Bn.
    Grave Reference: 3. H. 9.
    Cemetery: BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY
    Additional Information: Son of Harry Hurst Taylor and Rose Taylor, of Mansfield-Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire.
     
  4. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

  5. jjrc1991

    jjrc1991 Junior Member

    Dear All,

    I really appreciate the extra information.

    Does anyone know if records exist regarding tank crew lists, squadrons etc. (I have these for another local man who served with the tank regiment)?

    Thanks very much

    Jeff
     
  6. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Jeff, Not that I am aware of, likely they're as rare as hen's teeth.

    For instance there is a good 'pre-embarkation' list for 2nd Armd Bn Irish Guards in their May 44 War Diary, matching men to vehicles for the crossing, but I haven't seen any others. Even that has to be treated as a starting point only, as crews were changed around and were reinforced once casualties came into play.

    You might want to get the war diary for your other chap and have a look, or even find out if there is a published official WW2 History.

    Start up another thread anyway and see if the forum can help out.
     
  7. Hi, Jeff with reference to the tank crew above. John Thomas Green was my grandfather. He was killed when my father was around 2 years of age. He was from Gateshead and joined the Coldstream Guards in 1939. The family always thought he was killed in Belgium, and the event was quite traumatic so no further enquiries were really made. The tank did drive over a sea mine on the way to Cuxhaven. I understand from reading diary from Robert Boscawen, that the German parachute regiment were holed up at the airport. I think the Coldstream Guards were sent up there to try to get a surrender.

    My enquiries also reveal tha Anthony Taylor-Hurst seems to have been born in Hamburg. I speculate that he spoke German and he was with this crew because he spoke German.

    The graves are all at Becklingen cemetery outside Hamburg.
     
  8. JOHN LAMB

    JOHN LAMB Member

    hi to all ,I came across the piece by Chris about his granddad JT Green (sgt) and the crew that were killed on the 1st May 1945 near
    Cuxhaven ,My uncle Frank Lock was a member of the crew that died Frank I believe was the oldest being 27 years old he was the
    gunner, I have some photos of him wearing the leather blast smock and at least two of the sgts mentioned in R Boscawen,s book also
    pretty sure R Boscawen in same photo Frank Lock and Stanley Somerset have no graves just a reference on panel 3 at Groesbeek memorial, I believe that sgt Green,s crew could have been last armoured guardsmen to die on active service in war time with the war
    ending a couple of days later. Going back to R Boscawen,s (boy) they shifted some champaign !
     
  9. JOHN LAMB

    JOHN LAMB Member

    Hello Chris

    My name is John Lamb I put in the last entry after yours in the ww2talk I do have a photo
    of my uncle Franks pass-out parade with your grandfather on it is also possible that I have
    some photos of a sergeant from Pirbright Guards Armoured Training Wing that could be him
    but there is no name to the photos , could I ask if you have any photos relating to the crew that
    died on the 1-5-45
    Best Regards
    John
     
  10. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi John,

    I have sent Chris a message to alert him to your post but as he hasn’t been on the forum since 2015 I can’t guarantee he will respond.

    Good Luck

    Steve
     
  11. All,

    Apologies for late reply. I was away from this topic for a while. I have this photo from when my grandfather joined, He volunteered in 1939. I will see if I can get some more photos, my father still has a couple. There is one of them I remember as new recruits but likewise no one put names on the photo. I have watched a few Youtube videos to see if there are is any video of these guys and there were a few of the crews in the region of Kleve, but its not possible for me to recognize anyone and in the videos there are not many Sherman tanks. I can give links to those videos. My theory is that the 2 older guys had probably been together from the start, so Frank and Jackie (he was never know as John), and then as the war progressed their crew was updated, (looking at the service numbers). To my knowledge my grandfather never saw any action until the D-Day + landings so the prevailing family thinking was that as a professional soldier the unit was kept back in case of invasion.

    There were still many casualties after this date. I visited Becklingen Cemetery, its a drive out of Hamburg, originally the graves were located across the area in temporary burials, before they were all pulled across to this cemetery. it also holds a lot of RAF personnel. I read the book by Boscawen and recommend it. Apart from that I don't have much else.... I guess my Father and I inherited some trait for technical things and machines as we are both Engineers now. Hamburg is a great city too, I really recommend a visit, maybe after covid ends....


    Grandad.jpg
     
    Debbie B., 4jonboy and dbf like this.
  12. Hi, sorry I for delay. I would like to see what photos you have, and I will try to get some more that I have. Chris
     
  13. JOHN LAMB

    JOHN LAMB Member

    Hi Chris
    No apologies needed thanks for getting back to me I do not know how many photos I can send in one go so I will start with the pass
    out photo of my Uncle Frank Lock with your grandfather being the SGT J.T.Green and enlargement of SGT Green I do have other
    photos that I have spent hours scrolling through different sites of history.I manage to send a wreath and two crosses to Groesbeek
    War Cemetery and a lovely Dutch lady called Alice Van Bekkum who is the President of Faces to Graves Foundation she kindly
    laid them on behalf of our family.The two crosses are dedicated to Guardsman Frank Lock and Guardsman Stanley Somerset the
    wreath was dedicated to B Squadron / 2Troop 1st Armoured Battalion Coldstream Guards for the crew that died on 1/5/45 I was
    going to go myself but Covid put the mockers on my plans.I am informed the Commemorations have been planned for next year
    2021 under the heading of 75+1 hopefully I can visit Becklingen War Cemetery and also the bridge where it all happened.
    Extra photo is Guardsman Frank Lock my uncle.
    Regards John

    File1133.jpg
    Sergeant R SAUL’s Squad, Coldstream Guards

    Back Row: Guardsman K VINEY, Guardsman P KILLEEN, Sergeant GREEN, Guardsman A HALL, Guardsman RA JANNAWAY
    Middle Row: Guardsman L SULLIVAN, Guardsman F HOLLAND, Guardsman G APPLEBY, Guardsman A FAULKNER, Guardsman L CHEADLE, Guardsman A HIRST, Guardsman L RADBAND, Guardsman F WINFIELD, Guardsman E GRANT
    Front Row: Guardsman L MEADOWS, Guardsman W ORAM, Guardsman L WATERS, Sergeant R SAUL (Squad Instructor) Trained Soldier N BARDSLEY, Guardsman T DEAVILLE, Guardsman F LOCK, Guardsman H REDHEAD
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 27, 2020
    4jonboy and dbf like this.

  14. John, Thanks for the picture. I just completed a search (CWG) on all the names in the photo and it appears they all get through the war apart from 2. Jackie and Frank. Unfortunately there is an, A Hall of Coldstream Guards who dies aged 20 in 1947, maybe from injuries??. So this could be one of the other men in the photos This is the photo of my Grandfather's passing out, polished boots in 1939/40. I will see if I can find more photos. 2nd row from top far right is my grandfather as a Guardsman.

    I also include a link to the electronic version of the book mentioned previously:
    The Coldstream Guards, 1920-1946, by Michael Howard and John Sparrow.
    JT Green Passing Out.jpg
    . JT Green Passing Out.jpg
    If its possible, I would like to know more about 75+1 in case there is an opportunity to participate.

    Thanks Chris
     
    Debbie B., 4jonboy and dbf like this.
  15. JOHN LAMB

    JOHN LAMB Member

    Hi Chris
    You will agree that Jack really does look the part in the photos I sent you and accordingly was quoted in R.Boscawens book on page
    209 Dermot Musker wrote (sadly deficient of many of the best NCOs Shipley Green Taswell Lyon and Caulfield all dead) and also
    on page 215 of same book.I did read another report of the destruction of the tank and crew that later in the day the gun from the
    turret was found 150 yards away buried 5ft in the ground.As you will see from the photos I am sending I use photo comparisons
    when I can No.1 photo the caption reads No2 Squadron 1st Armoured Coldstream Guards taken in a farmyard in Germany.The tanks
    were being serviced prior to the attack on Uelzen on the 17th April 1945 I am sure that this is Jack Green with some of his crew
    and the man stood on edge of shot to the left is Frank Lock the man stood second from right I believe is Guardsman L.Meadows
    who is on the pass out photo of Frank Lock and also on fig.20 of Boscawens book photo 2 is a comparison of a Sgt.from Pirbright
    Training Wing and the photo(3) is a comparison photo of Frank Lock at the back of turret there is no doubt that this is Frank so the tank
    will be Jack Greens machine and the man stood on the right in turret looks very much like R.Boscawen himself its the way he wears
    his beret my brother Mike found this photo.The 75+1 commemorations I quoted are for Groesbeek War Cemetery perhaps Becklingen
    will do the same thing also the Guards Museum sight are running a piece about V.E.Day 2020 which mentions the tragic events
    of the 1.5.45.Hope the photos and info.is of help with your family history.The radio operator of R.Boscawens tank killed on 1.4.45
    Guardsman Les.Hanson was from my home town of Pontefract.Please keep in touch.

    Regards John
     

    Attached Files:

    Debbie B. and 4jonboy like this.
  16. JOHN LAMB

    JOHN LAMB Member

    Thanks Steve for alerting Chris to my post I am not the most patient person in the world but this time it was worth it !
    Could you please advise me if there is any way to trace serial numbers of British Tanks of WW2 and what happened to them.
    Regards John
     
  17. JOHN LAMB

    JOHN LAMB Member

    Hi Chris
    One more photo for you it is the full photo of the tank and crew with Frank Lock at the back of turret as you see there is
    the driver and the 52 number for the Coldstream Guards on the axle it is possible that the figure to the right of turret could
    also be Sgt JT Green making up the full 5 man crew !
    Regards John
     

    Attached Files:

    Debbie B. likes this.
  18. Debbie B.

    Debbie B. Member

    Hello to all of you...
    My name is Debbie and I am from Germany. I am interested in local history. I think you all are being interessted to know that I know where the tank exploded and the 5 men got killed. The died on the 1.5.1945 near a small village called Kutenholz. It is close to Stade. They where on the way to Cuxhaven if I know it right. They passed a small bridge near Kutenholz and a remote-ignited Seamine exploded. The german soldiers where watching them. They let the first tanks pass and then ignite the mine. The 3 of them who are now burried in Becklingen got burried before in Harsefeld. I feel very sad for all your families that they lost their loved ones. I was in Becklingen at their graves. I know that all because we searched in our area for Victims of the Nazis. We plan to put up memorials on the cementaries in our area. We also plan to put up memorials for the british soldiers too. One day before at the 30.04.45 there where also 3 soldiers killed. It was the same way. They got killed not far away from the bridge where the 5 Soldiers died the next day. There was a british Lazarett in Kutenholz too. Till now we know 14 british soldiers that got killed in the Kutenholz area or where burried in Kutenholz. I guess that was infact of the Lazarett. We put 2 memorials up for the 14 men. We want to remind them and give them their names an their history back. We found a nice man who donates the memorials. Next month we are going to put them up.
    A few years ago they found some metalpieces from the tank on a field near the bridge. A friend of mine found the names of your loved ones and helped me with the search.
    I really would like to know more about your relatives that died in the tank. Is is possible to get connected? Maybe you can tell me their story's and share pictures with me? It would be nice if you can sent me a mail debbie.buelau@t-online.de
    The picture shows the piece from the tank they found years ago.
    Greetings from Germany
    Debbie
     

    Attached Files:

    Chrisgreen2905, dbf and Dave55 like this.
  19. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Welcome to the forum and thanks for the information.
     
  20. Debbie B.

    Debbie B. Member

    Your welcome...this forum helped us a lot
     

Share This Page