Hi, I'm researching my local war memorial (Brompton-on-Swale, near Richmond, Yorkshire) and we have ALBERT F. CLEAVER, Corporal 4469886, 2/5 Leicestershire Regiment, 16th Jan 1944 commemorated. I see he fell at Monte Cassino on 16th Jan 1944. This was the day before the first main assault and a 2 more days before 46th Division assaulted as far as I know. I'd be grateful for any information surrounding the 16th Jan - especially any war diary photos. Thanks in advance everyone. Much appreciated as always. Pete
Hodgson64 Not quite correct as 46Div never assaulted Cassino - they were part of X corps attached to the US 5th Army and fought early in January to cross the Rapido and open up the Liri Valley- this assault failed but many of the dead were buried at Cassino later - the US 5th Army then puled back and left the 2nd and 3rd battles to the Kiwi's and 4th Indians - the 4th battle was by most of 8th Army who finally cleared th Liri Valley and opened the door to liberate Rome, on June 4th - '44 cheers
He is listed in the 2/5 Leicesters 'Missing Personnel' File - Italy (Ref: WO 361-853) mostly noting him as K.I.A. However, there is one handwritten statement in it concerning his fate. I will post a jpg of the statement when i get a chance but in the meantime here is a basic transcription 4469886 - Cpl Cleaver A.F. This Cpl was last seen at approx 0100 hrs on 16 Jan 44, near VANDRA at 898118. Sheet 160 I Cassino He was leading his section in an assault on his Pl objective. His party was fired on by two or three M.G. 34's and he was seen to fall with four others including his Pl Comd. No.4462979 L/Cpl Carr, at present in Hospital, was with the party and saw him fall. It is considered that Cpl Cleaver is wounded and P.O.W. , as his body was not recovered with those of the other four next day. Field 17 Feb 44 ?Name Unclear ? for? OC B Coy 2/5 Leics The bit in blue seems to have been amended to the statement after initial drafting. The bit in red added by a another person at a later date. The CWGC & Royal Leicestershire Regiment database http://www.royalleicestershireregiment.org.uk/entity/80783-cleaver-albert-frederick have his home address & place of birth noted as Nottinghamshire, so would be interesting to find out how he ended up on a memorial in Yorkshire.
I am not sure how accurate the Grid Reference on the statement is, but if it is entered as 'rg898118' in this co-ordinate translator http://www.echodelta.net/mbs/eng-translator.php it gives a location as about 6km south of Cassino near a place called Marsella Latitude : 41° 24' 32'' N Longitude : 13° 52' 41'' E or Latitude : 41.40895° Longitude : 13.87795° Afaik without checking, this seems to fit with the general area of the 46th Division around that time. I can't find any reference to VANDRA though but this could easily just be a British code name for an objective like river crossing or ridge or a small village.
Scan of the original statement from WO 361-853 Missing Personnel File Also in the files' index it is noted next to his name 'KIA 16.1.44 Cat B GOT 201' Usually Missing Cases given the classification of 'Category B' were 'Those where there is evidence which though not fully conclusive can be held to justify acceptance of death in view of the lapse of time' so i am slightly perplexed as to why (or in what scenario) someone who was given a burial would ever have been given a KIA 'Cat B' classification
I haven't got the War Diary for the 2/5 Leics for this period, but i've just re-checked my poor quality reprint edition of the 'The Story of 46 Division 1939-1945' and found reference to 'VANDRA' (Not sure why i missed it first time around). It appears to be a village (or location) slightly to the west of the grid ref given in the original statement, over looking the junction of the Garigliano & Rapido Rivers. Have attached the relevant pages from the book and also added the map showing the Vandra location (circled in red) Regards
Clanky Pencil So I was correct in my thinking that 46th Div et al NEVER did assault Cassino in January but failed in their attempt to clear the Rapido before being withdrawn making the US Commander of their 36th Div mad at ALL the British….thank you for the diary's entry cheers
Nothing of note recorded in the regimental history on this day. Can anyone identify the Platoon Commander that was killed? There's no mention in the history and Cleaver appears to be the only man in the Cassino War Cemetery from the Leicestershire Regiment which is odd.
There are 5 men with 16 January 1944 as the date of death for the Leicester Regiment in Cassino. This chap seems to be the most senior in rank killed on that date http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2607982/AMOS,%20HARRY%20CHARLES
So the other four men killed along side him appear to be:- Pte King, Alfred - 4867097 http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2410424/KING,%20ALFRED Pte Walker, Robert Henry - 14566856 http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2613288/WALKER,%20ROBERT%20HENRY Pte Mallinson, Philip - 14508579 http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2609344/MALLINSON,%20PHILIP along with the previously mentioned likely Platoon Commander Serjeant Amos, Harry Charles 4445131 http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2607982/AMOS,%20HARRY%20CHARLES I still find it slightly puzzling that based on the CWGC docs all these men were concentrated from their original place of burial, and reburied at Cassino on 16/05/45. Yet Albert Cleaver is buried on the row before theirs and doesn't have a concentration report, where as all the adjacent graves to his appear to have been concentrated as well (i.e. the two men next to him were concentrated there in 1946)
clancky not too surprising that they were reburied at Cassino as hundreds were brought in from even Sicily - Anzio etc to fill up the new cemetery - not all there were killed at Cassino - similar to many other cemeteries... cheers
