Finding Paratrooper

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by MBeker, May 14, 2014.

  1. MBeker

    MBeker Member

    Hi guys

    My name is Maarten a student from holland. Who is hoping that someone can help me find more information about two award which were given to my great-grantfathe after WW2.

    A couple of years ago (after the dead of my grandmother) my parents found two old documents in the attic which were awarded to my great-grandfather for his role during world war 2. These award were signed by F.D.Roosevelt and another one by the chief of the imperial general staff of the united Kingdom. Unfortunately my great-grandfather who died in 1972 has never spoken about these awards or what happend during that time. Myself and of course my parents would like to know more about these awards and why my great-grandfather were given these awards. But even after a long search in Holland we havent found any trace. We have asked a lot of historians and most of them had never seen such awards before.

    The only thing we know at this moment is this: A couple af years after the war a paratrooper from the United kingdom visited my fathers uncle his wife and my great-grandfather. There still is a picture of them which we found a view years ago. On the back of this picture was written: Jack Newbury

    We are now trying to find more information by contacting American en British organizations. I hope you can help us find out what happend or bring us in contact whit other organizations which might know more about these awards.

    I would also like to know the following things:
    - Jack Newbury (probably a very common name, but he or his family might know more of what happend)
    -awards which were given to Dutch citizins during or after world war 2.
    -If there is any database whit war-reports which might contain more information of what happend.

    Here some information about my great-grandfather:
    - His name: Maurtis Beker
    - Born: 1898
    - He was a farmer during world war 2
    - He lived in Brummen which is a small town in the province of Gelderland
    - My grandfather took over this farm around 1970 and currently my uncle and his sun run this farm. Which was build late 1800

    If you like we can send a copy of these awards

    Sorry for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. Still trying to improve my english writing.

    Thank you in advance
     
  2. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hello Maarten and welcome,

    After a quick search I ran across two Newburys in the 1st Airborne Division. The first is L/Cpl John H. Newbury who was taken POW at Arnhem, escaped and then recaptured in November of 1944. (Liberation Report # 921). There's a unit photo on ParaData showing a L/Cpl Newbury and an account of an incident which involved him on September 17th.

    http://www.paradata.org.uk/media/4326?mediaSection=Group+photos&mediaItem=20808

    http://www.paradata.org.uk/people/thomas-e-graham

    The other Para is a Capt. Edwin Newbury who was interviewed by author Cornelius Ryan. See listing of Folders 5 and 6 at the Ryan Archives (Ohio State):

    A Bridge Too Far: British Forces - Cornelius Ryan Collection

    The Arnhem chaps will hopefully correct me if I'm not on the right track. If you still have the picture check to see if it accords with the man shown in the 8 Platoon, C Coy photo above. I have no knowledge at this time of the type of awards given to Dutch citizens in WW2. Any scans you have may help to identify them.

    Regards ...
     
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  3. MBeker

    MBeker Member

    Thanks for your quick answers to my question. I don't have the picture and awards whit me at this time. But i will upload them later this week.

    Many thanks!!
     
  4. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Maarten,

    Occasionally the name 'Jack' is used in place of 'John'. This is the best I can do for a picture of L/Cpl Newbury. It's a bit of long shot, but check to see if there is a resemblance.

    L.Cpl Newbury-3 Para.JPG

    Regards ...
     
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  5. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Maarten

    Cee is quite correct - The soldier was almost certainly John Herbert Newbury from 3 Para who I have hiding in Kortenoever, Brummen in October 1944. He was one of those that joined the unsuccessful escape attempt codenamed Pegasus 2 on 18/19th November 1944. Jack is a commonly used alternative name for John

    I also have the name M G W Bekker living at Brummen C 64 who is listed as a helper and received a level 5 award which would correspond with the Certificate signed by Air Marshall Tedder that you mention. The fact that you have a certificate signed by Roosevelt makes me believe that he would also have received the American Medal of Freedom (for helping US evaders in addition to British) - in this case there could be a "Helpers file" at NARA in the USA

    There were a number of Airborne soldiers in hiding in and around Brummen in September/October 1944 most of whom were able to join the successful Pegasus 1 escape on 23rd October. A couple of years ago I visited a farm on the outskirts of Brummen and was shown the remains of the hideout where a number of evaders had been hidden. The farmer living there now was a young boy of 4 at the time.

    There is a very good book about wartime events in and around Brummen "Oorlog in een drop san de IJssel" by Piet Wimmemsens. He lives in Brummen

    If you PM me your email address I'll gladly send you copies of the in formation that I have and advise you how to approach NARA to enquire if they have a Helpers File.


    John
     
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  6. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    John,

    That's just great, thanks so much once again ... :)

    Regards ...
     
  7. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Cee

    No problem - glad to help as it fits like a piece of jigsaw into my Pegasus research. Newbury was captured and escaped three times before finally being captured on Pegasus 2. On his last escape he had overpowered his guards and shot them with their own gun - obviously his later captors didn't realise this.

    John
     
  8. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    John,

    Good gawd, quite the chap! Maarten I'm sure will be delighted to learn how his great-grandfather's involvement fits into the events of this period.

    Later ...
     
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Interesting reading chaps.
    Positive rep awarded.
     
  10. MBeker

    MBeker Member

    Wauw guys! When I started my search for my great-grandfathers story i could not believe I would find it sow fast on the internet! (and im from the internet generation!!) I will inform my family tomorrow but for now many thanks to you all for helping me find this story in less than 12 hours!
    I will let you know how my family responded. But I know that especially for my dad and his brothers this is a dream coming true. After my grandmother passes away (2004) and they found these documents they tried to find out what happend but only whit the help of dutch sources. Now we finally have big part of the puzzle.

    I hope it is not to much to ask. But might there be away to contact any relatives. Maybe they have more information about John Herbert newbury?

    For now many thanks!!

    P.S currently im in Groningen when I get back to my parents this weekend I will upload the documents and the picture we have of John
     
  11. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Maarten

    If someone can provide details of your man, re name, date of birth, wifes name (if married), parents name(s) etc then I can do a search on Ancestry.co.uk to find more details about him and if there are any living relatives.
    You can, if you wish, PM me the details.

    TD
     
  12. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hi TD,

    Jack Newbury has eluded me on general searches to acquire a few base facts. I was hoping someone connected with the Arnhem Airborne community or a PRA would have a memory of his post war life. Not the best pic, but it looks like he is squatting extreme left, front row in the C Coy photo.

    http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/Photos2/Pic_3rdBattCCoy.htm

    Regards ...
     
  13. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Cee & Maarten

    Are we talking here perhaps of 'John Herbert Bryant Newbury'

    Just trying to tie down our man.

    TD
     
  14. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    TD,

    It's a possibility If you mean the J. H. B. Newbury buried at Horncastle, he certainly falls in the correct age range being born in 1918. It would be a matter of discovering if he had a Para connection in WW2. What would the 's/w' mean in that context?

    I'll add the crop of the Para in the C Coy photo that looks like L/Cpl Newbury.

    Regards ..
     

    Attached Files:

  15. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Cee

    England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007 about John Herbert B Newbury
    Name: John Herbert B Newbury
    Birth Date: 28 Aug 1917
    Date of Registration: Jul 1987
    Age at Death: 69
    Registration district: Horncastle
    Inferred County: Lincolnshire
    Volume: 7
    Page: 1458


    England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007 about John Herbert Bryant-newbury
    Name: John Herbert Bryant-newbury
    Birth Date: 28 Aug 1917
    Date of Registration: Jul 1987
    Age at Death: 69
    Registration district: Horncastle
    Inferred County: Lincolnshire
    Volume: 7
    Page: 1458

    Ancestry shows the 2 above which is actually the same person but the names are 'different', both these tie up with the birth date that Maarten gave, but I have asked him to confirm the information regarding his dob. Its interesting that this person died in Lincs which would I assume is close to where he trained as a para as per the photograph, and yet just after the war Maarten has given the details:


    peace time profession: Butcher
    Private adres: ''The gables'' street road Glastonbury, Somerset

    So trying to tie up this info together is going to be bit of a headache me thinks, but we will try.

    TD
     
  16. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    TD,

    The Bryant name is curious when you take into account the name of the woman associated with him, which I assume is his wife? Let's see if the contributor's email is still alive in my above link. Otherwise I don't want to speculate too much at this point.

    Later ...
     
  17. MBeker

    MBeker Member

    Hi guys,

    Im still impressed about how fast you all found this information and it's good to know that there are a lot of you who are keeping history alive!

    John, send me an email yesterday containing an interview of a military report whit the personal story of John Herbert Newbury from september 19th 1945.
    It contained a lot of information about him. Including his date of birth and his current address at that time. The date of his birth is the same as TD posted sow I believe I found my man.

    @John my I share the document you send me yesterday in this topic?

    The name 'Bryant' might this be the surname of his wife?

    When I look at the website Cee gave. It looks like his wife died in 1997:

    Bryant, Edith Lilian Louisa, d. 11 Apr 1997. Age 88 yrs, Nickname. Pete, s/w John Herbert Bryant Newbury

    Newbury, John Herbert Bryant, d. 8 Jul 1987, age 69 yrs, s/w Edith Lilian Louisa Bryant

    I will try to find the date they married.


    Thanks again for all your help guys!

    regards!
     
  18. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Maarten

    By all means post the report.

    Although his death is not recent it might be worth obtaining a copy of the death certificate to see who registered it. This is normally a close relative, often son or daughter. I recently traced the son of another veteran in this way.

    John
     
  19. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hi,

    I sent the lady on Internment.net an email, but it looks like TD found it, well done mate. That's just a lovely spot he came to rest in as you can see from the included photos. Here's the link in full for anyone who missed it:

    http://www.interment.net/data/eng/lincoln/st_benedict/
     
  20. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916-2005 about John H Newbury
    Name: John H Newbury
    Spouse Surname: Bryant
    Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1951
    Registration district: Harrow
    Inferred County: Middlesex
    Volume Number: 5f
    Page Number: 666
    Find Spouse: Find Spouse


    England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916-2005 about Edith L L Bryant
    Name: Edith L L Bryant
    Spouse Surname: Newbury
    Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1951
    Registration district: Harrow
    Inferred County: Middlesex
    Volume Number: 5f
    Page Number: 666
    Find Spouse: Find Spouse

    Before we go off into realms of delight - we need to make sure these connections are the right ones. otherwise we are on completely the wrong track

    TD
     

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