George VI pall bearers - Grenadier guards

Hi.

Am trying to track down the names of the soldiers who carried George VI's coffin on the day of his state funeral. Can anyone advise? I believe they were 8 Grenadier guards.

 

One Claire_Anne; the late John Schofield.

https://alumni.burygrammar.com/news/in-memoriam/203/203-BGS-Pallbearer-at-Funeral-of-King-George-VI

Good luck with your search.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Ah yes, I've just been reading about Mr Schofield. Thank you. I think my grandad Thomas Heal was another, but am wanting to confirm.

 

I can’t provide a definitive answer Claire but hopefully these clues will help.

The Royal Navy ratings that pulled the gun carriage that carried the King’s coffin were awarded the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver) and I expect that the pallbearers would also have done so. These were awarded 18 March 1952 but are not gazetted as far as I can see. However, if you look at the gazette for that date you will see that these three Grenadier Guard officers received the Royal Victorian Order.

Member 4th Class (now Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO))

Major Anthony Garnett HEYWOOD, M.C.
Lieutenant Alick David Yorke NAYLOR-LEYLAND.​

Member 5th Class (now Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO))

Lieutenant William Mitchell MILLER.​

 

The Pall Bearers to the Queen in 2022 also received the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver).
Pallbearers of late Queen's coffin recognised in special honours list

The grandson of Brigadier Anthony Garnett "Tony" Heywood, Lt Alec Heywood was in charge of the bearer party at Prince Phillips funeral in 2021, and many newspaper articles of that time mention that Tony Heywood was Captain of Kings Company 1st Grenadier Guards at the funeral of King George VI.

 

The pallbearers should be here:



Miscellaneous images from Piece 106 - not citations | The National Archives

 

Eureka Richelieu! Excellent work!

You have there the list of the twenty-one Grenedier Guards comprising the pall bearer and escort party. Well found you!

By some way of confirmation of same I came upon this story of an "escort party" member earlier today while trying to find the pall bearers.

My moving role walking beside King’s coffin as it made its way to London

Again, superb work on your part Richelieu, and travers1940 too. Top job both.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

The Grenadier's Colonel was made Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in Her Majesty’s birthday honours.

Page 3012 | Supplement 39555, 30 May 1952 | London ...

The Gazette also published:

CEREMONIALS OBSERVED AT THE ARRIVAL OF THE REMAINS
OF HIS LATE MAJESTY KING GEORGE THE SIXTH, OF BLESSED
MEMORY, FOR THE LYING IN STATE AT WESTMINSTER HALL:
AND AT HIS LATE MAJESTY'S FUNERAL.
Page 3345 | Supplement 39575, 17 June 1952 | London...​

 

Thanks all. As I can see no mention of Thomas Heal as a pallbearer, I am starting to wonder. Its odd how at least three family members have mentioned his involvement respectively. The guard to the rear of the coffin on the photo below, looks like Tom.

 

Hi,

The answer will be in his service records.

You did not mention in your original topic that he had post war peacetime service.

http://ww2talk.com/index.php?posts/1057119/

From his DOB he fits the profile for a mid/late 1930’s regular army recruit who enlisted for 12 years service and served through the war. He would’ve ordinarily been discharged to the reserve post war and would’ve ended his 12 year regular army commitment before 1952.

Steve

 

Hi,

Apologies I should have clarified that, still new to this. Learning a lot. The MOD no longer hold his records and I have been referred to the National Archives and have submitted a request for his records today.

 

With much of the Household Division on duty it is likely that Thomas would have had a role, perhaps lining the route, which has ‘evolved’ over time in its retelling between the generations.

 

And/or at the more "private" part of the ceremony back at Windsor/St George's, as per this chap: Veteran recalls King George VI’s final journey on the 70th anniversary of his death

No RVM so I can but guess that only the party (escort and bearer) at the more public London end of the ceremony were awarded same.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Steve, you are an absolute gem.

And Claire_Anne, it shows the importance of obtaining full service records (and I appreciate that you've started the ball rolling on that).

On the back of Steve's post #10, and courtesy of The National Archives (via commercial partner FMP) the only reference I have so far found to Thomas is this (note, first image from the partially bamboozling cataloguing of the FMP entry, followed by the details of the record it's been trawled from at The National Archives)





Guards Depot Chapel, Caterham, Surrey | The National Archives

So, Guardsman 2614000 Thomas HEAL was certainly a Grenadier on 29th April 1934.

Which leads to; have we been (so to speak) barking up the wrong King?

I've not started to look yet Claire_Anne, and hopefully Steve, Richelieu, and travers1940 will pitch in, but maybe we need to be looking at the funeral of King George V in 1936?

A spanner in the works I know but it is a possibility.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

[

Thanks Jim, Steve. I really appreciate your guidance here. You are being so patient with me.

 

Thank you Richelieu also.

 

I am pretty confident that these were the officers commanding the party at King George V’s funeral, but I have had no luck in finding the roll for the Royal Victorian Medal. Page 811 | Issue 34253, 7 February 1936 | London Ga...

Member 4th Class (now Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO))

Major Frederick Alexander Magnay.
Lieutenant Arthur Charles Huntington.​

Member 5th Class (now Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO))

Lieutenant Christopher John Darell Jeffreys.
Second Lieutenant Mervyn Sydney Bobus Vernon.​

 

Where might this roll be?

 

If anywhere it is likely to be in The National Archives at Kew Claire_Anne, but heaven knows within where.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Hi,

If you are in a hurry and don’t want to wait for the service record you could consider contacting The Guards Museum in London and asking them if they have a record of your grandfather having been one of the Pallbearers/Honour Party at the January 1936 funeral of George V.

The Guards Museum Home Page - The Guards Museum

If they respond positively you will likely have to pay for the information.

Similarly contact with the Hon Sec GG Association with a request for a check of their 1936 or 37 annual magazine for names of the Pallbearers/Honour Party may answer the question.

The Regimental Association - Grenadier Guards

Steve