7917459 Serjeant Ronald William ESSEX, 50th Royal Tank Regiment, RAC: 02/11/1942

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by CL1, Nov 2, 2017.

  1. CL1

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

    Remembering Today

    Casualty Details | CWGC
    Serjeant ESSEX, RONALD WILLIAM

    Service Number 7917459
    Died 02/11/1942
    Aged 30
    50th Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C.
    Buried or commemorated at ALAMEIN MEMORIAL
    Memorial Reference: Column 21.
    Location: Egypt
    Additional Info: Son of George E. and Louisa May Essex, of Dorchester, Dorsetshire; husband of Mary Frances Essex, of Dorchester. B.A.
     
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
    Name: Ronald Essex
    Given Initials: R W
    Rank: Serjeant
    Death Date: 2 Nov 1942
    Number: 7917459
    Birth Place: Devonshire
    Residence: Dorset
    Branch at Enlistment: Royal Armoured Corps
    Theatre of War: Middle East
    Regiment at Death: Royal Tank Regiment RAC
    Branch at Death: Royal Armoured Corps

    Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current
    Name: Serjeant Ronald William Essex
    Death Date: 2 Nov 1942
    Cemetery: Alamein Memorial
    Burial or Cremation Place: El Alamein, Matruh, Egypt
    Has Bio?: N
    URL: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-...

    Ronald William Essex
    Birth: January 1912 (Jan 1912) - Devon, England
    Death: 2 November 1942 (2 Nov 1942) - Egypt
    Marriage: Sep 1938 - Dorchester, Dorset
    Spouse: Mary Frances O'Dwyer
    F: George Edmund Essex
    M: Louisa May Barnfield



    TD
     
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  3. harkness

    harkness Well-Known Member

    Essex01.jpg

    Essex02.jpg
     
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  4. harkness

    harkness Well-Known Member

    Essex03.jpg

    1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION
    Essex Household (2 People)
    3 Ashley Villas, Ashley Road, Dorchester M.B., Dorset

    FIRST LAST DOB OCCUPATION
    Ronald W Essex 25 Jan 1912 School Teacher
    Mary Mayo (Essex) 23 Jun 1907 Unpaid Domestic Duties
     
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  5. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Hi

    Sgt Essex was a tank commander on B Squadron.

    On 2nd November 1942, B Squadron were providing infantry support to 5th Battalion Cameron Highlanders (152nd Highland Brigade) on Operation Supercharge.

    He was killed when his tank was hit by an enemy anti tank gun.

    Refs: "50 RTR Official History" by Stephen D Hamilton and "The Valentine in N Africa" by Bryan Perrett.

    Gus
     
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  6. AG HART

    AG HART Member

    There is a memorial bench to Sgt Essex in a wood just outside of Moreton in Dorset. It has been neglected in recent years and had got into a very poor and dirty state. The bench has now been cleaned up by the Bournemouth, Poole & District Branch, Royal Tank Regiment Association. It is still not perfect but the aim is to get it to as near pristine condition as we can for the 80th anniversary of his death in November 2022. It is planned to hold a small remembrance service at the bench on the day of the anniversary.
     

    Attached Files:

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  7. AG HART

    AG HART Member

    essex mar22:2.jpeg March 2022, and I think we are nearly there! There is though an unknown individual who uses this bench as a Dog grooming salon, and every time I check on the bench it has muddy paw prints all over the seat and dog hair all around it.
     
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  8. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    This is looking very good now. You should all be very proud .

    My Dad served in Greece with 23rd Armoured Brigade REME workshops in 1944/45.

    The whole Brigade, except A Sqn 46 RTR, were dismounted and used as infantry during its liberation in October 44and the very messy counter insurgency operations in December 44 and January 45.

    Most of the tankies who were killed or wounded were veterans of El Alamein.

    Gus
     
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  9. AG HART

    AG HART Member

    I have been in contact with his daughter.
    Born 25/01/1912, family living in Exminster, Devon at the time.
    Educated at Dorchester Grammer School
    Exeter University- English Degree
    St Johns College, York, One-year Physical Education course
    Teacher at Dorchester Grammer School 1934-39
    Oh, and there is a photo!

    I suspect he then went into the Army, but with this background why was he not commissioned?
    essex photo.jpeg
     
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  10. AG HART

    AG HART Member

    On Wednesday 2nd November 2022 a memorial service took place in a peaceful wooded glade near the village of Moreton, Dorset. The service was to remember Sgt Ronald William Essex, 50th Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) who was killed in action 80 years previously on 2nd November 1942 during World War II.

    Born on 25th January 1912 at Exminster Devon, Ronald’s family moved to Dorset and Ronald was educated at Dorchester Grammar School. He gained an English degree at Exeter University before spending 12 months at York attending a Physical Training course. In 1934 he returned to Dorset and became a teacher at his old school, Dorchester Grammar. In 1938 he married Mary. And a year later he became a father to a daughter Hilary.

    In 1940 he joined the army who due to his background offered him a place at an Officer training School. He declined this and joined as a private soldier although he did quickly gain promotion to Sergeant. Shortly before dawn on 2/11/1942, 50 RTR advancing in support of 5th Camerons during the battle of El Alamein came under fire from a line of enemy Anti-Tank Guns, Ronald Essex’s Valentine tank was hit, and he was killed instantly. He was buried close to where he died but the location was either not recorded or the information was lost, and his final resting place remains unknown.

    For this reason, in 1947 his family placed a memorial bench in his memory in one of his favourite places, close to the village of Moreton. In 2003 Ronald’s wife Mary passed away and her name was subsequently added to the bench. It is believed this was last occasion the memorial was cleaned prior to 2021. In 2021 the poor condition of the bench was brought to the attention of the Bournemouth, Poole & District Branch, Royal Tank Regiment Association (RTRA) Noticing that it was only 14 months to the 80th anniversary, it was decided to try to bring the bench back to life and present it in an acceptable condition in time for that event.

    With a lot of work and many calories burnt the condition of the bench improved, so much so that the idea of a formal remembrance service in November 2022 was born. Preparation began slowly but the pace picked up closer to the date in question. Contact was established with Sgt Essex’s grandson and subsequently with Hilary, Ronald’s now 83-year-old daughter. Cleaning of the bench continued and closer to the anniversary all the pieces came together, and then a week before the event just as we were beginning to relax, potential disaster loomed. The access road to the bench is a quiet country lane out in the sticks, the sort of highway that is resurfaced about once every 75 years, so what do you think the odds were on Dorset Highways planning resurfacing work on the day we needed to use it? Fortunately, they were co-operative and understanding and suspended work on the day we needed access. This allowed us to carry out the final task, which was clearing the ground near the bench of brambles and other potential hazards.

    Come the day, Ronald’s daughter and grandson attended the memorial service, also in attendance were serving and retired RTR officers, representatives from the Tank Museum at Bovington, local people and the Bournemouth & Poole Branch members. BBC TV (South Today) and British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) Radio were also present to cover the story.

    The service was supported by a bugler provided by Poole Sea Cadets, and the bench was flanked by two Royal Tank Regiment Association Standards. A floral tribute from the family was followed by a wreath laid by the Bournemouth, Poole & District Branch RTRA.

    Following the service, a reception was held at the nearby Frampton Arms Hotel.

    BFBS radio asked the Bournemouth & Poole branch secretary why did your branch organise this service? His reply was, Ronald Essex was one of us, he served in the Royal Tank Regiment, we are the Royal Tank Regiment Association, and all this today? this is who we are, this is what we do!
     

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