A soldier from the Glider Pilot Regiment is named on our local Memorial in Halstead North Essex. H King Glider Pilot Regiment. Is he mentioned anywhere ? Earls Colne airfield is just 5 miles east of Halstead Wonder if local boy left from there never to return.. Will remember him on the 24th.
Not showing a WW2 casualty as H King There has been a lot of research on the Halstead War Memorial by a local councillor who truned up additional WW1 Names, so perhaps worth contacting him? https://www.halsteadgazette.co.uk/n...mes_of_fallen_WW1_heroes_is_finally_unveiled/ However, a quick trawl using "Halstead" as a Search parameter on the CWGC site produces 160 Names with links to Halstead or immediate surrounding villages, giving Halstead as their address. Many more WW1 casualties have no Additional Information, so it could be a major task to update the recent work. As a guide I attach an Excel worksheet extracting Halstead WW1 Names and one for the 42 Halstead Essex related WW2 casualties. As for WW2 H Kings, only 2 have Date of Death being 24th (Sgt Harold Christopher RAFVR 24/10/41) and Signalman Harold Lewis Charles, RN 24/05/41 and neither appear to have any connection with Halstead or Glider Pilot Regiment.
Sorry, CLI ,Kevin Battle 24th March Rhine Crossing memorial service at Earls Colne Not his date of death which is not given. I apologise for not being more precise Was not aiming to do in depth research ,just a passing interest.
There is no King listed in the GPRS Roll of Honour https://www.gliderpilotregiment.org.uk/roll-of-honour Can you photo the Memorial and Name?
I have apologised for being imprecise , I now apologise for being a complete PRATT and wasting your time. I somehow took the wrong name from my phone. It should have been H J Iron
UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 Name: Hedley Iron Given Initials: H J Rank: Serjeant Death Date: 9 Jul 1943 Number: 5954103 Birth Place: Essex Residence: Essex Branch at Enlistment: Army Air Corps Theatre of War: Sicily Regiment at Death: Glider Pilot Regt Branch at Death: Army Air Corps Casualty Serjeant IRON, HEDLEY JAMES Service Number 5954103 Died 09/07/1943 Aged 26 1st The Glider Pilot Regiment, A.A.C. Son of James and Minnie Iron; husband of May Caroline Emma Iron, of Sible Hedingham, Essex. TD
LOL, You're forgiven - this once! We're all human, I think... 1939 Register shows the link to Halstead Name: Hedley J Iron. Marital Status: Single. Birth Date: 21 Jul 1916 Address: 8, Bois Field Terrace, Halstead, Essex, England Occupation: Assistant Planning Dept Joinery Works His sister Barbara (later McCord) was also there. Marriage registered 1st Qtr 1942 to Mary Caroiine Emma Cansell. With Date of Death being 9 July and No Known Grave, presumably his was one of the 65 gliders cast off too early by novice American tug pilots, too far from the Sicily landing zones, drowning over 250 men.
Not only the Gliders that were lost/cast off early Invasion of Sicily and Italy's Surrender For example, when Allied C-47 transports carrying airborne troops flew across the invasion fleet, the naval gunners nervously fired their anti-aircraft weapons at the friendly planes in total panic. "Hundreds of men were lost, entire sticks of paratroopers jumping early when their pilots in all the confusion hit the green light, and the heavily laden men came down in the ocean and disappeared." TD 100s Killed In Tragic 'Friendly Fire' Incidents During The Airborne Assault on Sicily in 1943
Operation Ladbroke. Waco Chalk 124 carrying men of B Company, Border Regiment. Statements from survivor said that the glider crashed into a cliff. There were only three survivors
Good find! Tomlinson, Collins and Caldwell are on the Cassino Memorial so although 10 bodies (out of 11 casualties on the glider) it seems they weren't able to be identified. Is there a possibility of "Known Unto God" burials of these 10 (or 11) men? They weren't lost at sea, as I'd assumed, but must have been buried "somewhere".... maybe the CWGC might trace KUG burials, perhaps even if "A soldier of the Border Reg't" and whilst they may not be able to ascertain who is where, at least a cross reference to horspassenger List would help future enquiries by relatives.
The names of all those listed as 'missing’ appear on the Cassino Memorial. It appears that the glider crashed head on into the cliff and then later fell back into the sea with the bodies of the dead still trapped inside. From the statement made by Sgt Gorbell they waited for over 13 hours before any help arrived and he said that he had personally inspected those on board three times during the daylight period and certified that those killed had almost certainly died on impact or were beyond help.
I have checked and the Iron family no longer live in or around Halstead. Oldsters remember him and family but have no recollection of his service or how he was killed in action. I am writing up an article for the local paper to coincide with the Commemorative Service for the Glider Pilot Regiment and Operation Varsity at Marks Hall ,Earls Colne from where Gliders on the Operation took off.. This service is on 24 March 2019 The Patrons of Marks Hall Abortorium provide coffee and a snack before and after parade.