Hi Chris. I had never thought about it from that point of view, I think you are correct regarding the confusion. I would probably think it has initially come from my mums (Edwin was her eldest brother , she was the youngest child) it could have been explained to her as Cassino as it was welkl known and easy to pinpoint. Thanks again for your help,information and time. Richard
Morning Vitelino Thank you so much for all your time,effort and knowledge you have provided me I am eternally grateful. The cross section makes perfect sense now and coupled with Frank's information (and me reading it correctly) the card makes perfect sense...I completely missed the relevence of the Missano map with the red lines tied to the grid ref....sorry !!! It hadn't crossed my mind to ask specifically about the Grandara mystery but I do have an aquaintence at CWGC ( a lady I used to go to school with whose an area co ordinator in the Yorkshire region) who I will message today.... Thank you again Richard
Good Morning/afternoon Frank Thank you for your help,time,knowledge you have provided to me in regards to Edwin.Sorry if my inexperience in understanding the information has caused any issue but I am eternally grateful. Would the circumstances of Edwins death be as follows or am I misunderstanding. 1. Along with his regt he assembled at the jumping off point where they were shelled and he along with others was gravely wounded 2. He was taken by stretcher bearers to the RAP to reduce the trauma 3 Once he was in a position to be moved he was sent to the CCS, where he potentially died or died en route. 4. He was then temporary intered at Misano 5 Reburied in 1945 at Gradara. Was Misano a CCS/ADS or just a temporary burial site. As I said to Vitelino I will speak to CWGC to see if any light can be shed upon the Gradara mystery. Apologies again if I havent understood information or appear to be going over it, I just want to clarify it in my head and make sure I have understood it correctly. Thank you again Richard
Just a quick message to thank everyone for your kindness in supply your knowledge,information and understanding of the actions around Coriano and the circumstances that lead to Edwin's death. My family never spoke about Edwin and I never really knew anything about him till i was in my mid 20s (im 50 now) when I came home from working away and found a small blue leather diary on the fireplace. This turned out upon reading to be Edwin's personal diary which didnt really provide any infromation I could understand, now you have all supplied the complete details I will go back and re read it and try tie it with your information. Thank you all so much I am and always will be eternally grateful Richard
Richard. It is likely, because Misano is so far from the point of injury at the Battalion’s Forming Up Point, that he was evacuated by ambulance. My belief is that he died en route to or at the CCS/ADS. The convention was to bury them just outside such places because it convenient. Regards Frank
Hi Frank I will get his diary out and have a look through to see. I will see if I can upload images of anything I find. i am away from home tomorrow but back and have free time on Wednesday, so I can sort it then if you could bear with me. Richard
Hi Frank I couldn't resist, so found the diary and started having a look... Yes he was at Cassino ..see attached image. Looking through the diary now (after a break of nearly a year) its easier to understand. One thing that has struck me is the entry for the days upto him being killed (which I have also attached) it looks as though he was killed (if the entry is correct)on the 13th which if i remember is the night of the heavy shelling. There are multiple other names mentioned prior and after Cassino along with brief descriptions of daily life.... For some reason I have been under the impression he started out in the Argylls and then went into the 6th BW but theres a note at the front of the diary he was in the 4th BW prior to 6th. Theres also a brief mention of Canadian tanks and the RWK....I will have a further study of it over the next few days to see if theres anything that maybe of interest. I would be more than happy to look at any specific dates if anyone wants. Regards Richard
Out of interest, Richard, what are your plans for this diary in the future? Who knows of its existence in the family, other than you? How important is it to them and what value - personal, historical and financial - would they place on it? Will it end up in someone's attic or worse? At the moment I seem to be having quite a few conversations with people who have inherited something from WW2 and are undecided about what to do with it in the future. They aren't always aware of the options available either - pass it down to a family member, auction it, will it to a museum..... Vitellino
Richard. At Cassino, 12 Infantry Brigade were supported by the Sherman tanks of A Squadron 2 Lothians. Here is another perspective. Regards Frank
Hi Vitelino At present there is myself and a cousin (her father was Edwins brother slightly younger and served in RASC in WW2) who know about the diary . But out of the 2 of us it's me who is intent(if thats the best word) on finding out about Edwin.. While my cousin is intrigued about the diary she has never seen it, she wants to see it but nothing futher. I have thought whether to leave it to the Black Watch museum in Perth Scotland but havent made any real decision. I have a good friend who has in the last few days proposed the idea of wwriting Edwins story down possibly as an ongoing blog, this appeals to me but while im excellent at knocking nails into wood im useless at writing and telling a story which is a problem!! Richard Vitelino
Richard, May i suggest that you make contact with Vitellino about writing the book. I've bought a couple of Janet's books that this lovely lady has written over the years. Not taken me long to read them. Much detail, thoroughly researched & dam cheap. Janet, hope you don't mind my suggestion? You are probably in the middle of doing another one in your spare time. Your books are worth plugging in my eyes. Regards, Stu.
Hi Stu Thanks for the recommendation.i didnt know that janet (if I may call you such) had written any. !! It looks like I need to speak to Janet about the feasibility and if its really a viable option. Thanks for the info and for being the nucleus who got us all to this point. Richard