Hello folks, first thread on this forum. I would very much appreciate help with a family research project. I need to find out where the 5th Inniskilling Dragoons were operating between the 27th and 29th May 1940 and if possible War Diary entries covering those dates. Hope someone here can help. Thanks in anticipation.
Hi Clook and welcome. Drew 5233 is your man for BEF war diaries, sure he will see this soon. Good luck.
Brilliant Drew, thanks for that. Can you tell me if such a record exists as a 'Casualty Record'? I have discovered one before working on a WW1 research project but I think I may have just been lucky. Specifically can you tell me is there any way of identifying who was in TSM Crawley's troop from other records available? He is mentioned in Chapter VII, second paragraph in your post. Please excuse my ignorance as I have no idea of what documents are available for the 5th DG and what I can expect to find to assist in research. Thanks again.
Just looked through the whole of the diary and there is no nominal roll except for officers just before the unit deployed. No casualty reports either. Is it TSM Crawley you are researching?
Drew, Not exactly. My research centered on Trooper Alfred Inman LATTO who was also killed on that date, 28th May 1940. If I could link Trooper Latto to TSM Crawley's troop it could take me a little further in explaining what happened to him. A nominal roll for that period or something of that nature would be of great assistance. Regards
Looking at the burial locations of the casualties listed below and the page above from Evans I would say they were all killed resonably close to each other with some certainty apart from those listed on the Dunkirk Memorial. That said the possible nature of their deaths (dive bombing) is consistent with some men being remembered on the Memorial at Dunkirk rather than them having a headstone. 001 CARRINGTON L 321188 5TH ROYAL INNISKILLING DRAGOON GUARDS 28/05/1940 ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS 002 CHARMAN J 6711736 5TH ROYAL INNISKILLING DRAGOON GUARDS 28/05/1940 ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS 003 CRAWLEY J 3592846 5TH ROYAL INNISKILLING DRAGOON GUARDS 28/05/1940 ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS 004 LATTO A I 321455 5TH ROYAL INNISKILLING DRAGOON GUARDS 28/05/1940 ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS 005 ROGERS J E 409307 5TH ROYAL INNISKILLING DRAGOON GUARDS 28/05/1940 ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS 006 SIMPSON J E 3211035TH ROYAL INNISKILLING DRAGOON GUARDS 28/05/1940 ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS 007 SMITH E 321472 5TH ROYAL INNISKILLING DRAGOON GUARDS 28/05/1940 ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS
Thanks again Drew, Evans' account fills in the bigger picture and explains why smaller groups were on their own. Quite sensibly under the circumstances. I had noted the two grave sites before you filled in the detail for me. Latto and his colleagues are about three miles from TSM Crawley. I know this isn't an accurate way to assess things but I hadn't put them together in my mind before you posted the accounts. Three miles doesn't seem very long but may as well have been 300 on the day with the Luftwaffe chasing! Would be nice to be able to match the names with some sort of troop records. Will keep chipping away. Thanks again.
hi, am just researching my great uncle Alfred inman latto, and found this post. please can you give me any information you may have found out? thanks in advance.
Hello I haven't obtained anything else since I posted the info above in the way of research material and I just checked to see if there was a missing men file for this unit in 1940 and unfortunately there isn't. Regards Andy
Hi. Was hoping to get hold of clook? Who sounds like has done some research on my grandads brother. I got given alfred latto's wallet that by my grandad when he passed. any idea where I can find out about the action/engagement where alfred inman latto was killed. He signed up at the age of 16/17
I have the regiments war diary for 1939/40 so drop me a PM if you'd like to obtain a copy. Clook may get back to you if you send him a PM as well. Cheers Andy
I know this is an old post but E (Edwin) Smith is my grandads uncle, any more information would be great. New to searching up war records any help would be greatly appreciated