On the Brookwood Memorial are the following losses from 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards on the 4th April 1944. Serjeant HARTLEY VICTOR 0 '5772493' Corporal PARK ARTHUR JACKSON 24 '7907384' Trooper PETTY ERNEST GRANVILLE 0 '7952162' Trooper KIRBY ALBERT VICTOR 0 '14301770' Corporal TOWNSON VICTOR NOEL 0 '320390' I'm wonder were they lost during an accident with a DD tank. Any ideas? Regards, Steve
Here is the account for 4th April 1944 from the regimental history, Brereton, J. M. A History of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and their Predecessors 1685-1980. Catterick: Published by the Regiment, 1982.
Thanks for that information and confirming their losses in a tragic training accident. Regards, Steve
Re. The 4th/7th officer Lt. Gould, who also died on that date, 4th April 1944 - Casualty Details | CWGC LIEUTENANT CHARLES ROBERT GOULD Service Number: 269616 Regiment & Unit/Ship Royal Armoured Corps 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards Date of Death : Died 04 April 1944 Age 20 years old Buried or commemorated at HIGHCLIFFE (ST. MARK) CHURCHYARD Sec. S. Grave 11. United Kingdom Country of Service United Kingdom Additional InfoSon of Sir Basil John Gould, C.M.G., C.I.E. and of Lady Gould (nee Kebbell), of Gangtok, Sikkim; nephew of Mary Gould, of Winchester. Personal InscriptionGREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS The War Diary of the Sherwood Rangers has this for 20th April 1944... "The Remainder of “B + C” Sqns (SRY) today left Bournemouth for their new location in the Farnley area. Q.M. and Major R.S. Melthorpe attended in the morning the funeral of an officer in the 4th/7th D.G’s who was accidentally killed – the service at the funeral was taken by our Padre." Padre Skinner was the SRY padre. 4th/7th ref. The Royal Dragoon Guards And... Charles Robert Gould 1920-1944 | Nat Gould Edit : and all but one of them are pictured here - Osmington History: Exercise Smash - 4 April 1944
There is a small 4/7RDG Memorial located at Fort Henry(?) at the south end of the beach. This was inaugurated by Cpl Parks widow a number of years ago.
