5952764 Private Thomas Robert Sibley 1/7 Bn The Queens died 18.6.44

krrc60 · Nov 28, 2019

Hi,
Could anyone help with any information regarding the regiments position, and how this man was killed on the 18.6.44?

Many thanks

Dave

bamboo43 · Nov 28, 2019

From his CWGC details, there is a concentration report that shows he was originally buried at Livry, complete with a map reference. This might be significant:

krrc60 · Nov 28, 2019

bamboo43 said: ↑

From his CWGC details, there is a concentration report that shows he was originally buried at Livry, complete with a map reference. This might be significant:

View attachment 255045
Click to expand...

Great have now downloaded the sheets, thanks

BFBSM · Nov 28, 2019

For general information have a look at these posts:

Post 6: 1/5 Queens Royal West Surrey's Stretcher Bearers note book from Villers Bocage to 26 July

Post 7: 1/5 Queens Royal West Surrey's Stretcher Bearers note book from Villers Bocage to 26 July

Post 8: 1/5 Queens Royal West Surrey's Stretcher Bearers note book from Villers Bocage to 26 July

I am working on a transcript of the relevant pages of the Regimental History.

Tom OBrien · Nov 28, 2019

This might be of use, although no direct evidence for you: (WO171/1368 - 1/7 Queen's War Diary)

17 June 1944
2300 1 RB took over our posns and 1/7 Queen’s moved to new posns which were dug and occupied by first light.
B Coy relieved C Coy of 1/5 Queen’s in their posn area – 738608.
A Coy took up posns in LIVRY.
C Coy round X rds LA PAUMERIE.
D Coy LIGNEROLLES.

18 June 1944
1000 “B” Coy Comd report accurate shelling of his fwd pls. Some casualties in wounded and shell shock.
1400 Lt. Clews killed by shell. During day Mortar Pl laid heavy concentration on enemy posns.
1420 Major Bosanquet posted to Bn, assumed command of “C” Coy in place of Capt. Rich, who was evacuated with an old leg wound.
1730 C.O. visited “B” Coy and arranged for their relief by “D” Coy. Throughout the day there was frequent shelling and mortaring of the Bn area. Personnel were by now well dug in and there were no casualties. In view of the danger of shells striking trees and bursting over the top of slit trenches, overhead cover was quickly improvised. 3 R.H.A. put down heavy concentrations on enemy posns.

BFBSM · Nov 28, 2019

From the Queen's Regiment History, pp. 358-361

The new line occupied by the 131 st Brigade covered the general line of the villages of Briquessard, Livry and Le Pont Mulot. It had already been occupied by the 1/6th Queen's, who with Brigade Headquarters had on the 13th made their way slowly over the congested roads, and in the evening had dug in for all-round defence west of Amaye, in the gap between the rest of the 7th Armoured Division and the Americans. When the other battalions withdrew from the box, the 1/6th also fell back, to a line covering Briquessard, where they were in a pronounced salient. West of them were the Americans at Caumont, while on their left the British line ran north-east and even north for several miles.

The1/5th were m the centre east of Livry, covering 2,500 yards in very enclosed country. The close country and width of front made it necessary for all four com-panies and even every· platoon to be in the front line. Carrier patrols covered the position about 500 yards ahead.

After another considerable gap came the 1/7th south of the villages of Parfouru L'Eclin and Le Pont Mulot. The whole brigade front was bocage at its worst and the men were very tired, having been fighting for several days and nights without any rest.

The 15th June. was quiet on the fronts of the 1/5th and 1/7th and spent in resting and improving their positions. Patrols made no contact with the enemy. The1/6th, however, in the afternoon found many enemy in the villages to their front, and in the late evening about fifty enemy infantry with a tank engaged "B" Company. Lieutenant H. J. S. Young was wounded. All companies stood to and defensive fire was brought down. A little later infantry and tanks were also reported on the "C" and "D" Company fronts, and there was considerable mortaring, but no attacks actually took place and the rest of the night was quiet.

A great loss was that of Captain E. T. R. Jenyns, a Regular Queen's officer shot when returning from a forward position with a tank officer, who was also killed.

After stand-down on the morning of the 16th there were again threatened move-ments on the 1/6th front. A Tiger tank with infantry was seen moving up the road from Le Quesnay on the "B" Company front and a section of 10 Platoon were overrun. Le Quesnay appeared an assembly area for considerable forces of the enemy, and Lieut.-Colonel Forrester called for several artillery concentrations on it. The Tiger tank mentioned above, which had been slowly working forward, was knocked out by a 17-pounder that had been brought up.

About 0930 hrs. the attack appeared to have switched on to "A" Company and later on to "D." The enemy was undoubtedly sounding the front to discover a weak spot. From the statement of a garrulous prisoner it was the whole 2nd Battalion of 304 Pamer Grenadier Regiment.

About noon the attack moved farther west to "C" Company sector, but then died away. No weak spot had been discovered. Meanwhile on the front of the 1/5th Queen's patrols had met considerable enemy forces, but it was not till evening that these attacked. Then at 1600 hrs. strong enemy patrols with tanks approached "A" and "D" Company areas and heavily mortared our positions. The enemy patrols worked their way methodically across the battalion front, trying to find a weak spot. Lieut.-Colonel Wood had to fill the gap between "C" Company and the I/6th with the Carrier Platoon. As this was his only reserve, a squadron of tanks was sent up and put under his orders. About 1900 hrs. the enemy moved off to the Battalion's flanks without discovering the thinness of the defence and the1/5th area became quiet. Casualties had been fairly heavy, Major A. C. J. Borrett, O.C. "C" Company, and four other ranks had been killed and Lieutenants F. Howell, R. McEwan and F. Whitehouse and eleven other ranks wounded. Major Borrett had been with the Battalion since Alamein.

The enemy patroIs which moved off from the 1/5th had little success. They ran into the right company of the 1/7th but were beaten off. The 1/7th otherwise, except for patrol skirmishes, had a. quiet day.

Another party again disturbed the 1/6th front and caused the Battalion once more to stand to, but there was no attack.

After another fairly quiet night, there was once more threatening activity on the1/6th sector. Another Tiger tank moved up behind the one knocked out the day before and all the front was shelled and mortared.

About 1830 hrs. there was a considerable attack against "A" and "D" Companies. All communications were cut, so Battalion Headquarters moved up and joined “D” Company. About 2000 hrs. the enemy broke through the front of 9 Platoon, but were pinned down by the fire of the machine guns of the Northumber-land Fusiliers and the tanks of the 8th Hussars, who had been very active throughout the day. A determined and well-organized infantry counter-attack was then put in and the lost ground completely recovered. Lieutenant P. Toolan was killed gallantly leading his platoon beyond their objective, and Lieutenant J. Craib, a Canadian officer, was wounded.

It had already been decided that the position of the1/6th was too exposed, and orders issued for its withdrawal. This took place after dark, without interference, and new positions were taken up in rear of the village of Briquessard.

The 1/5th, having now a squadron of tanks to assist them, had been in a stronger position during the day. Battalion Headquarters had had a trying time, being shelled out of two positions before it found one in a dip near a chapel where it was remarkably immune.

The1/7th had another fairly undisturbed day. "B" Company had been concentrated as a brigade reserve at La Paumerie, ready, if necessary, to fill the gap between the 1/5th and l/6th, but had not been called on. After dark the Battalion was relieved by the 1st Rifle Brigade and moved to the area in and behind Livry between the 1/5th and 1/6th. Here Lieut.-Colonel Gordon received the news that he had been appointed to the command of the 151st Brigade (in succession, by a surprising coincidence, to Brigadier R.H. Senior, whom he had succeeded in command of the 1/7th and who had been wounded). Lieut.-Colonel Gordon had been a most successful and popular Commanding Officer ever since he had taken over on the Mareth Line, and everyone was sorry to lose him. Major W. D. Griffiths assumed command and Major E. G. Sandys became Second-in-Command.

The Queen's Brigade was now reorganized along the reverse slope of the ridge, with the Rifle Brigade on their left and beyond them a gap of 5,000 yards, patrolled only by the 8th Hussars, to the right of the 50th Division. The tanks of both sides were withdrawn into resen:e. Here the battalions remained with little change until the end of June. The fighting reduced in intensity as both sides were making every effort to build up their forces before resuming the offensive and were carrying out only local small-scale operations. Nevertheless it was a trying period, living in slit trenches mostly in the rain in the very close and woody bocage country. The enemy held a series of outposts, frequently altering his positions, and there was constant patrolling by both sides.

Regulur shelling, mortaring and sniping brought a trickle of casualties. On the 18th Lieutenant D. Clews of the 1/7th was killed, and on the 26th Lieut-Colonel Forrester of the 1/6th was wounded by a shell on Battalion Headquarters. Major J. H. Mason, a member of the Battalion since 1939, was appointed Commanding Officer, with MaJor T. J. Kilshaw as Second-in-Command.

Lieut-Colonel M. F. P. Lloyd of the Royal Fusiliers had taken over command of the 1/7th. The trees and tall hedges caused many airbursts against which the slit trenches were ineffective and three inches of head cover had to be provided. Major R. Elliott, commander of "A" Company, 1/5th, was killed in this way by a shell which burst in the trees above his slit trench. Like so many of the casualties at this time, he was one of the veterans.

During this time the build-up on the beach-head was steadily taking place, considerably delayed by the weather. From the 18th to 22nd June occurred the worst north-east gales for the time of year in living memory. A great deal of damage was done and, though the Bntlsh prefabricated port at Arromanches survived, the American one became a complete wreck. Nevertheless the Americans got ten divisions ashore and at the end of the month captured great port of Cherbourg. Against the British front no fewer than seven German Panzer Divisions had assembled. Progress could only be made by very hard fighting butt in the last week in June VIII Corps forced a bridgehead over the River Odon, west of Caen.

On 30th June the 7th Armoured Division was relieved by the 2nd American Armoured Division and retired gratefully to area round Jerusalem to rest and refit. Although casualties had not been numerous, the strain of the last fortnight had been considerable.
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The section does not mention Sibley by name. I would suggest obtaining copies of the Battalion War Diary from the National Archives. Contacting Drew5233 might help, as he may already have the relevant copies.

Mark

krrc60 · Nov 28, 2019

That's very kind of you, thank you.
So much info contained in the posts

krrc60 · Nov 28, 2019

BFBSM said: ↑

From the Queen's Regiment History, pp. 358-361

The section does not mention Sibley by name. I would suggest obtaining copies of the Battalion War Diary from the National Archives. Contacting Drew5233 might help, as he may already have the relevant copies.

Mark
Click to expand...

Thanks Mark,
I will contact Drew5233 and see if he can help
Dave

krrc60 · Nov 29, 2019

Hello,
One last question 'is their a photograph of the grave of private Sibley available' I hope this is the right place to request a photograph.

Just a bit of background to this thread, My uncle (he drives an OAP minibus on days out) was chatting with Private Sibley's niece (they were at the RAF museum, Hendon, yesterday) and she said that "any information about him (Private Sibley) would be wonderful"

Again many thanks all of you for your help

Dave

CL1 · Nov 29, 2019

From my photo collection
Harefield War Memorial,Middlesex

There are 3 Sibleys on the war memorial

His Brother
Walter Edward Sibley also died in service

Private SIBLEY, THOMAS ROBERT
Service Number 5952764

Died 18/06/1944

Aged 25

1/7th Bn.
The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)

Son of William Albert and Mary Beatrice Sibley, of Harefield, Middlesex.

INSCRIPTION
HIS PRESENCE WAS OUR GREATEST PLEASURE: HIS MEMORY NOW OUR DEAREST TREASURE
:
Buried at TILLY-SUR-SEULLES WAR CEMETERY

Location: Calvados, France
Number of casualties: 1143

Cemetery/memorial reference: I. A. 6.

Buteman · Nov 29, 2019

Headstone photo for Thomas Sibley.

Buteman · Nov 29, 2019

From my 2011 trip.

krrc60 · Nov 30, 2019

Good morning Ramacal,
Thank you very much for all of your help and photographs. This really helps to tell the Sibley story

Dave

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5952764 Private Thomas Robert Sibley 1/7 Bn The Queens died 18.6.44

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5952764 Private Thomas Robert Sibley 1/7 Bn The Queens died 18.6.44

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CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

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