Casualty Service and Paybook Collection

***The original post on this thread had photobucket links but as these no longer work I reposted with embedded images, so best to start at post 130 on page 7***



I've Been collecting service and Paybooks for over 20 years now (started with my Dads National Service one and now have over 1100) and thought I'd post some scans up of those who died in action or as a result of their time with the colours. I have added the details I have about the circumstances of their deaths and scans of related bits - if anyone can add anything it would be very welcome, what their unit was doing at the time, War Diary entries etc - also photos of their names on graves/memorials.

These books are amongst my most prized possesions, in most cases they would have been with the men when they died and would have been amongst the few personnel items returned to their family.

Alistair

 

1886002, Lennox Tod Anderson, born 22/3/19, enlisted 16/10/39, kia 25/9/44, age 25
Number 2 detachment 261 Airborne field park company RE, attatched 1 Para Squadron RE- Landed 18/9/44 his detachment failed to make contact with 1 Para Squadron, they then joined with 9th Field Company in area of Sonneberg house where they remained until evacuation. Sapper Anderson was killed by a mortar bomb during the evacuation, his body was recovered from the Rhine at Amerongen in October 1944 (details from unit war diary & roll of honour)
CWGC :: Casualty Details

edit: Following on from conversations and information from "Horsapassenger", its opened the distinct possibility that Sapper Anderson actually died in April 1945 as an escapee/evader - there is a considerable amount of paperwork relating to this which goes against his War Diary which stated he was killed by a mortar bomb on 25th September - I'll updated this post as and when more information comes out

Also below is the letter to Sapper Andersons parents about his grave and a letter sorting his finances which also notes the return of his service book






Edit: grave photo added - supplied by Horsapassenger

 

22207444 Alfred Ernest Crawford, born 1/12/11 (1910 on roll of honour), enlisted 27/4/48 died 16/7/52
Royal Artillery, Had served as 781644 having enlisted 17/5/28
http://www.forcesmemorial.org.uk/roll-of-honour/roll-of-honour-profile.asp?profile=61684

edit: during WW2 he was a POW (from Ancestry - which gives his rank as "General" - a little mistake I imagine)

Edit: I've just got hold of his POW questionnaire and he was captured at St Valery on 12/6/40, he escaped 19/4/45


grave photo via find a grave

I've now got a death certificate which has him as with 15 Medium Regiment RA in Germany with the BAOR, he was at Holton park Military Hospital when he died of a Cerebral Tumour.

 

219025, Lieutenant Robert Mitchael Drake, 6th Grenadier Guards, born 16/7/21, enlisted 20/2/41, kia 10/9/43
Killed by an MG bullet to the head leading his platoon in an attack on the Tobacco factory on the Montecorvino to Battipaglia road
Details from “Esprit De Corps"

CWGC :: Casualty Details

edit: "Esprit De Corps" by W.A.Elliott of the Scots Guards

From the stevenageatwar.com website " Through the day and night No.3 Company fought it's way forward, eventually reaching a network of lanes north of Verdesca where a hail of bullets and hand-grenades brought the advance to an abrupt halt. At dawn the company again attempted to advance and became involved with a group of German tanks and infantry in half-tracks. It was at this point, whilst at the head of his platoon, that Robert Drake was killed outright."

edit: to add rank & CWGC link

 

6013402 Leonard John Futter, born 11/1/22, enlisted 19/1/39, died 6/6/44, age 22
1st Hampshires, killed on D-Day
CWGC :: Casualty Details

 

317992, Andrew Taylor Gibson, Pioneer Corps, born 15/11/15, enlisted 17/4/36, died 28/7/46
Served initially with 156 (Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment RA, possibly wounded in Malaya, transferred to Pioneer Corps, Discharged 11/4/44, died 28/7/46
CWGC :: Casualty Details

29/02/12
After chatting with Campbell Thomson of the Lanarkshire Yeomanry group Lanarkshire Yeomanry Group he has confirmed Sgt Gibson was repatriated to the UK 15 January 1942 on the hospital ship Talamba, he believes ill rather than wounded

I did some further research on the Scotlandspeople website and got his death registration and the cause of death was a bit of a shock "top of skull blown off and brains blown out by shot from double barrel shotgun"




Sgt Gibsons Grave at Lochmaben

 

552572(NCO) 190278 (officer), Edwin Glendinning, born 25/3/12,enlisted 2/6/32, kIA 6/3/42, age 29
Commisioned 19/4/41, Sjt Glendinning won the MM with the 7th Hussars, he was commissioned and rejoined the 7th Hussars

“During this engagement Lieutenant Glendinning's troop was sent forward to investigate some lorries reported on the road between Waw and Payagyi. On his way he passed close to the tank battle just described and he himself was fatally wounded by an unlucky shot from an enemy tank gun. Glendinning had been twelve years in the regiment. He had been outstanding as a tank commander in the desert and had obtained a commission soon after the Wavell campaign. After a few months as a subaltern in the 3rd Hussars he came back to the 7th shortly before they sailed from Egypt and proved himself a splendid troop leader"

the text from his MM citation
"On July 4th 1940 he advanced to within 400 yds of the enemys defences to see if they were manned. He came under very heavy fire from field and anti-tank guns but did not withdraw until he had inflicted heavy damage on enemy infantry. Agan on July 12th 1940 he showed dash and determination in engaging a lorry convoy at 400yds range. He has carried out consistently good work on patrol".

Added 25/02/12
CWGC - Casualty Details

 

5346790 David Quinn, born 12/5/20, enlisted 28/6/40, died 13/4/45, age 24
6th Royal West Kents (78th Div), killed by a mortar bomb while sheltering in a farmhouse after the successful attack on Conselice, info from letter from his officer to his foster parents
CWGC :: Casualty Details

edit: the letter to Private Quinn's Foster Parents

 

37547 Stanley Kenneth Maurice, born 31/10/18, enlisted 3/10/40, died 8/1/44 age 25
27th NZ MG battalion,

“When several men from 2 Company were selected to go to Bari on leave, Captain Aislabie took them in his truck back to B Echelon at Castelfrentano for their pay and changes of clothing. Happy party going; back to my quarters for their tea, he wrote. Got about 600x down road when shell landed beside us. Ran 50x to house for medical aid & got 20x when second shell came in beside truck. Of 5 men for leave one left.Privates Mackintosh (the driver) and Maurice were killed, Shand mortally wounded, and Farnell and Corporal Dryden wounded."



Phot from New Zealand Wargraves Project |

 

1948619 (OR) 271168 (officer) Edward Hugh LeWarne, born 28/10/21, enlisted 3/6/41, died 18/09/44 age 22
Served as an officer with 622 Field Squadron RE
“On 18th September the whole Squadron moved forward and as usual quickly dug slit trenches but this did not prevent casualties from shelling. Sapper Bear had a leg injury and Hugh Le Warne was killed. Together with the O.C. and a few others he went to his burial and in the absence of the Padre read out the burial service"

War Diary entries, the first is his death, the second his burial

 

14692349 Stanley Gerald Lane, born 26/8/24, enlisted 16/12/43, died 5/10/44, age 20
Served with the 1st Dorsets, killed in the area of Brunsen
CWGC :: Casualty Details

Edit: Private Lane's grave



From Delaforces book "Montys Northern Legions" 231 Brigade were tasked with straightening the Line of Haalderen and Baal - the Hampshires Part in this attack is covered in Geoffrey Picots book "Accidental Warrior" over 4/5th October - 1st Dorsetshires lost 19 men killed on the 4th and only Pte Lane on the 5th, so it looks like the Battalion also played a part in the attack to consolidate the line.

25/02/12
I've now got hold of the book "Three Assault Landings" about the Battalion which describes their attack on the 4th against the village of Heuval, it mentions the Battalion being heavily shelled while consolidating on the 5th - this is possibly when Private Lane was killed

 

Albert in WW1 as a member of the KOYLI
4338483 Albert Hudston, born 24/4/0, enlisted 10/7/39, died 20/4/44, age 43, (42 cwgc)
88th HAA regt RA
CWGC :: Casualty Details

The war diary entry showing an air attack on the units wagon lines which ties in with his death, the later entry about the atack is also interesting saying captured British planes were used

 

4389349 Richard Hudson, born 28/5/18, enlisted 11/2/37, died 6/4/43, age 24 (26 cwgc)
7th Green Howards, killed during the attack on Wadi Akrit
CWGC :: Casualty Details

 

7890403 Ian Grant, born 7/1/15, enlisted 18/1/39, died 13/5/40 age 25
No 1 troop 1st Lothian and Borders horse " after dropping off ammunition to forward battalions two tanks attempted to attack the Germans and both were knocked out Sgt Grant commanded the second tank- described in Sacrifice of a Division & briefly in None Bolder & Montys Highlanders, also in report in unit war diary, possibly units first casualty
CWGC :: Casualty Details

An image of Sgt Grant, kindly provided by the webmaster at 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry which includes an account of the action in which Sgt Grant was killed.


edit: from the above website its possible to view the War Diary 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry which gives a full description of the incident

25/02/12
The panel on the Dunkirk Memorial with L/Sgt Grant included

 

6289640 John Oliver Gosling born 20/10/17, enlisted 16/1/40, died 23/3/44, age 26
5th Buffs (Royal East Kents) (78th Div)
CWGC :: Casualty Details

edit: The 23rd Marked the end of the 3rd Battle of Cassino, 78th Division moved in to replace the exhaused NZ Division in the area of Cassino station

 

6913630 Henry Brown born 8/12/17, enlisted 22/5/36 , died 26/12/40, age 24 2nd Rifle Brigade, support group 7th Armoured Division
Rifleman Brown was wounded by fire from enemy Bombers being hit several times in the back, he was wounded 22/12/40 and died of his wounds 26/12/40 (original graves show 25/12/40), he had previously been wounded in July 1940. He was initially buried in Sidi Barani cemetery before being moved to Halfaya Sollum
CWGC :: Casualty Details

Edit - adding official letter giving grave detail and also the original letter home to Rifleman Browns Mother







edit: Rifleman Browns grave from findagrave.com

 

2739914 Idrys Woodwall Thomas born 16/7/11, enlisted 13/7/44 (from his number he seems to have served earlier in the Welsh Guards), died 15/2/45, age 33
5th Wiltshires (43rd Div)
CWGC :: Casualty Details

Edit: At this time the Battalion was involved in Operation Veritable

25/02/12

 

T/14854002 Harvey Denison Nicholas born 26/11/25,enlisted 28/9/44, died 31/10/46 age 20, RASC
CWGC :: Casualty Details

His death certificate has him as being with 935 Company RASC based on the Isle of Wight - his death is recorded "on Public Highway Worcester Road Summerfield Kidderminster" and cause of death "fracture of the skull caused when he collided with a motor vehicle on a public highway whikst riding a motorcycle (accidental death)" - I'm not sure what he was doing near Kiddermister is he was based on the Isle of Wight and lived in Rhyll.

 

14184806 Clifford Wood born 11/11/27, enlisted 8/6/44, died 6/4/48
12th Anti Tank regiment RA,

edit: The ciscumstances of the attack in which he was killed are covered below from
Zionist Terrorism and Crimes in Palestine 1948 (Issa Nakhleh)

"6 APRIL 1948
The most violent activity on the part of the Irgun Z'vai Leumi during the period underreview, has been their attack upon 12 A Tk Regiment RA at Camp 80, Karkur. At approximately 0700hours, 6 April, at least one White Scout car bearing military markings, a police GMC and one or two
other military vehicles drew up to the entrance of Camp 80 at Karkur. The occupants of the vehicleswere dressed in battle dress with RA and RASC titles and included one person dressed as a CaptainReme. They killed the sentry, entered the guard room, killed the guard and destroyed the wireless sets.They then proceeded to the armoury, held up the staff and cleared it. While this was in progress, otherthugs dispersed through the camp and shot at sight any soldiers coming out of the buildings; anotherparty of thugs seized a half track vehicle and covered the gates. The C.O. was shot dead coming out of the orderly room. After about 30 minutes, some troops on the vehicle park started up MlOs, advancedtowards the armoury and inflicted casualties on the thugs who then withdrew under covering fire fromoutside the perimeter, and further covered their retreat with road blocks and mines. British casualtieswere the CO and 6 British soldiers killed and 3 wounded. 4 armed Jews were arrested, but it is notconfirmed that they were involved in the attack. 62 rifles, 58 stens, 18 LMGs, 4 Piats, a large quantity of ammunition and a White Scout car were stolen.WO 261/574"

The Scotsman of 7 April 1948 describes 4 of the soldiers being lined up and shot in the back

 

14451654 John Leslie Whittingham, born 6/12/26, enlisted 14/8/44, died 4/5/45 age 18
507 field company RE
CWGC :: Casualty Details

edit: 507 Field Company was part of 47 Division



From his death certificate, cause of death "General shock due to multiple injuries to the head & chest accidentally caused by being struck on the head and being pinned to the side of an army truck by the centre canopy bar which broke off when it struck an electric standard"