Killed in Action D-Day, buried in Dover?

Hi everyone,
I am researching George Henry ASKEW and as you can see from the Historical Context below, he was not of the Royal Engineers but from the Army Catering Corps, so I apologise if I am on the wrong Forum, but my question is about where he was buried. I thought that on D-Day, all men were buried, more or less where they fell, can anyone explain if this was a regular thing, bringng them back to Britain to bury them?

GEORGE HENRY ASKEW

SERVICE NO. 207182
Army: Private
Army Catering Corps
Attached to Royal Engineers
DIED: 06 June 1944
AGE: 31

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

At the time of his death, he was serving with the Army Catering Corps and attached to a unit of the Royal Engineers. As the Corps were responsible for feeding the soldiers personnel would serve with the unit they were attached to. The unit of the Royal Engineers that he served with in the Battle of Normandy is not known so the exact circumstances of his death are unknown.

MEMORIAL LOCATION: Column 3

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Private
GEORGE HENRY ASKEW
Service Number: 207182
Regiment & Unit/Ship - Army Catering Corps
Date of Death - Died 06 June 1944
Age 31 years old

Buried or commemorated at DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 1.

United Kingdom

Commonwealth War Graves Commission - Headstone Placeholder

Secondary Unit, Regiment attd. Royal Engineers
Country of Service - United Kingdom
Additional Info - Son of George and Eleanor Elizabeth Askew, of Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.
Personal Inscription -
GONE FROM US BUT NOT FORGOTTEN NEVER WILL THY MEMORY FADE SWEETEST THOUGHTS

Any help would be appreciated, Regards, Mavis Williams

 

Mavis,

Private Askew was buried at Dover memorial as I expect he died on the first day in Normandy, with no graves available on the beach head and so was returned to the UK. There are six other buried at Dover who died the same day. It is possible he was the cook for one of the named RE formations: 65 Field Company or 1018 Port Operation Company. See: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/f...ails/2825549/george-henry-askew/#&gid=1&pid=2

I will see if either company have a thread here.

D-Day is not my focus here, so others may add more and better.

It appear he landed on Juno Beach, alongside the Canadians and Post 292 refers some of their vehicles being aboard Serial 1561 is LST(2) 413. From: JUNO BEACH.

Post 114 refer to 1018 Ports, though more about other units. See: JUNO BEACH.

I searched online with: "65 Field Company" website:ww2talk.com site:ww2talk.com thsi found a small number of threads.

A search with "1018 Port Operating Company" site:ww2talk.com found more threads.

A month ago I added a post on 1018 Ports Operating Coy (another search Mavis!) in particular about a War Diary for 1018 Ports: The Company War Diary (WD) would detail their journey to the end of the war; very few are available online and they would be in the National Archives. Have you had a look at the Royal Engineers Museum, who might have a similar document based on their WD. There is a RE Historical Society on Facebook; their site is down now, but they have something on the company on Juno Beach that day.

 

He could have been wounded & died on the way back to UK.

 

I wonder if he was aboard the Liberty ship Sambut, which was sunk in the Channel around noon on D-Day by long-range German guns? Many members of my father's regiment, 92nd LAA, were on the ship and several were killed. One is buried in Dover - 2343775 Corporal George Challinor, aged 28 (Royal Corps of Signals attached RHQ). Died June 6, 1944. Son of Arthur and Emma Barlow Challinor, of Nantwich, Cheshire. Dover (St James’s) Cemetery, Kent

 

I think Tmac might have the answer many perished on that ship on D-Day . He definitely wouldn`t be brought back if he was `killed in action ` in Normandy and the casualty lists record him as such rather than `Died of Wounds` There`s a file Reference: WO 361/597 at the National Archives detailing the casualties on the ship. There`s 15 casualties at Dover from 6th June 1944 a lot of them RE.

ALAN DIGNAN
Sapper
Service Number: 848849
1018 Port Operating Coy.
Royal Engineers
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 6.

WILLIAM MARRIOTT
Driver
Service Number: T/99652
Royal Army Service Corps
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 11.

GEORGE HENRY ASKEW
Private
Service Number: 207182
Army Catering Corps
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
31 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 1.

HARRY BOYCE
Sapper
Service Number: 1927802
1018 Port Operating Coy.
Royal Engineers
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
44 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 3.

RICHARD THOMAS (DICK) BROWN
Captain
Service Number: 136580
Royal Engineers
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
45 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 14.

FREDERICK WILLIAM CHASE
Seaman
S.S. Sambut (London)
Merchant Navy
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
52 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row F. Joint grave 34.

GEORGE CHALLINOR
Corporal
Service Number: 2343775
3rd Div. Sigs.
Royal Corps of Signals
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
28 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 4.

GEORGE COOK
Lance Corporal
Service Number: 7014447
1018 Port Operating Coy.
Royal Engineers
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
26 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 5.

THOMAS GALBRAITH
Sapper
Service Number: 988154
1018 Port Operating Coy.
Royal Engineers
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
30 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 7.

JOSEPH HENRY GIBBS
Lance Serjeant
Service Number: 7909632
22nd Dragoons
Royal Armoured Corps
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
28 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 8.

GEORGE ARTHUR HAYTO
Sapper
Service Number: 14354003
1018 Port Operating Coy.
Royal Engineers
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 9.

WILLIAM GRAHAM KENNEDY
Corporal
Service Number: 3193310
1st Bn.
King's Own Scottish Borderers
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
24 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 10.

GEORGE EDWARD RIGG
Lance Corporal
Service Number: 2141743
19 Field Coy.
Royal Engineers
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
30 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 12.

WILFRED FRANK SURMAN
Sapper
Service Number: 1922032
65 Field Coy.
Royal Engineers
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
27 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 13.

ALFRED AMBROSE BOND
Sapper
Service Number: 2000244
65 Field Coy.
Royal Engineers
United Kingdom
Died 06 June 1944
27 years old
DOVER (ST. JAMES'S) CEMETERY
Row K. Grave 2.


Kyle

 

This an extract from True Loyals, my regimental history of 92nd LAA. You can see the full history at www.trueloyals.com

CHAPTER EIGHT

DISASTER ON THE SAMBUT

Tuesday, June 6, 1944

‘As we climbed over the side, we could see where the shell had landed in the middle of them. The worst part, I remember to this day, was the terrible screaming.’

THE Sambut had sailed from Southend in convoy early on D-Day, with D and E Troops of 318 and RHQ – 120 officers and men – aboard. In all, the liberty ship was carrying 562 troops from 28 different units as well as 63 crew, plus vehicles, weapons and large quantities of ammunition and high explosives.

Just after midday on June 6, disaster struck. Three miles off Dover, the ship was hit by two 16-inch shells fired from German gun batteries in Calais, some 20 miles away. Fierce fires broke out and could not be tackled because the pumping gear was put out of action.

After about 45 minutes, the master had to order abandon ship. ‘The troops went over the side in a very orderly manner,’ wrote Captain Bill Almond of 92nd LAA. ‘The wounded were also taken off the ship and by 1400 hours she had been completely abandoned and the survivors had been picked up by a variety of small craft.

‘One officer and 73 other ranks swam to a corvette and were not disembarked in the UK until three days later, after enjoying a ringside view of the landing beaches, whither the corvette was steaming at the time.’

In his book Liberty – The Ships That Won The War, author Peter Elphick gives fuller details of the Sambut disaster, pointing out that she was the first liberty ship lost during the Normandy campaign.

The Sambut, launched in August 1943 in Portland, Orgeon, as the C S Jones, was under the command of Captain Mark Willis. The first shell which struck her landed just behind the engine room, the second just forward of the bridge.

Inflammable equipment on deck, including lorries loaded with explosives and cases of petrol and diesel, immediately caught fire. The petrol cases had been covered with sandbags, but that did not prevent them igniting. Unfortunately, the first shell damaged much of the firefighting equipment and within ten minutes the blaze had really taken hold.

A few minutes later, a consignment of gelignite in a lorry stowed on No2 hatch exploded, completely wrecking the bridge and the port side lifeboats. Captain Willis later reported: ‘As the fire was spreading rapidly, I rang the emergency alarm bell and ordered abandon ship. All my crew were clear of the ship in the two remaining starboard lifeboats by 12.30. The ship carried some 30 rafts for the troops. These were released and I told the soldiers to jump overboard to them.

‘At first some were rather diffident at the thought of jumping, but they quickly jumped on being told that the ship was likely to blow up at any moment. Everyone should have been wearing lifebelts and I had given specific instructions to the officer commanding troops at 0600 that morning that lifebelts were to be worn from that time onwards.

‘The pilot, chief officer and I were last to leave the ship at approximately 12.40. We jumped over the side and swam to a raft. A number of dead bodies were floating in the water, many with lifebelts on. It is possible that many of the missing troops were drowned, but some were undoubtedly killed as they were having dinner in the troop deck, which was in the vicinity of the explosion.

‘Four Naval motor launches from Dover appeared very quickly, but I thought were extremely slow in picking up survivors. Motor launches are totally unsuitable for rescue work, sides too high and inexperienced crews. I would like to point out that the convoy did not use a smokescreen. After my vessel was struck, I started my own smoke apparatus and other ships in the convoy followed my example.’

Bill Wills, a young 92nd LAA driver-op, was among the survivors – but only after a narrow brush with death. Along with some comrades, the 20-year-old Londoner had been posted to keep a watch on the Sambut’s aft gun during the voyage to Normandy. He recalled that as the liberty ship left Southend, it was a fine day, with some men relaxing by lying on the deck.

‘Then, just as we passed Dover, there was an enormous explosion just before the bridge and a lot of people thought we had been torpedoed. We saw a fire near the bridge. The ship had large fire extinguishers on wheels, but they apparently didn’t work. There were quite a lot of further explosions, with lots of nasty bit and pieces flying about. We were told to put our ammunition over the side to stop any further explosions.’

Bill and his comrades were standing inside the steel housing of the aft gun, which provided some shelter from the blasts. ‘Suddenly, just in front of me a chap called Billy Oakes dropped to the floor and said he couldn’t walk. He had been hit by shrapnel which had come through the steel housing and gone into his back.

‘It was fortunate for me, because the shrapnel would have hit me. We got him out on to the deck and laid him down and put some of our leather jerkins over him to keep him warm. Then the order came to abandon ship.

‘There was an immediate rush to the rail and it upset me because they were going to leave him. I said to the others, “Come on, we’ve got to get him over.” They came back and we got him under the arms and lowered him over the sides. But there was so much blood about that I didn’t know if we were going to help him at all.’

Bill and his comrades found themselves floating in the water below the burning Sambut. ‘I tried to get on one of the Naval vessels that had been escorting us, but we were so weak. They tried to get us to climb up netting at the side of the boat, but my fingers just would not grip. Then they said, “We’re sorry, but we’ve got to keep up in convoy” – and they just sailed on.

‘I found that I was floating away from the Sambut, because I could see it completely. I started to think, “Well, this is it.” It was very, very peaceful. I could have gone then. It was only a little while later that I thought it would upset everyone. So I started looking around and waving my arms about.

‘Then a rowing boat came alongside and a man said, “Hang on a minute and I’ll pull you in.” A tugboat had come out, lowered its rowing boat and was picking up people. And the funny thing was that the next fellow they picked up after me was the driver of my wireless truck, Ginger Vaughan.

‘He’d always said to me, “We’ve got to stick together.” I’d last seen him sitting on the rudder and he told me afterwards that when the ship got hit he’d climbed up the mast, because that was the last bit that would sink! Anyway, he and I got taken on to this tugboat, wrapped up in blankets and they took us into Dover, where we had to climb up those damned iron railings with no shoes on.

‘We were taken to a Naval first aid station and they just sort of laid us out there, looked at us, and said, “There’s nothing wrong with you – get up”. We were still wrapped up in our blankets and they took us over to Dover Castle. As you go in, there’s a huge gateway and the rest of the regiment were there and everyone who walked through was cheered, which was quite something.’

Tom Cribb, a 92nd LAA bombardier, was manning his Bofors Gun with a comrade in the fore part of the Sambut while the rest of their unit went astern to get some food. He recalled: ‘Suddenly I heard this terrific noise which sounded like an express train coming. I jumped off the gun and looked over the side and immediately there was a large geyser of seawater coming up where a shell had gone in.

‘There were two more explosions as two more shells landed on the ship, one amidships and one on the stern where all the rest of the men were having something to eat. Immediately the petrol and stuff and jerricans exploded and everything caught fire, including the gun, which started sending shells up into the breech because of the heat from it. The Medical Officer’s truck, which was next to us, caught fire, which was unfortunate because we probably needed the stuff off it.’

The 25-year-old Cornishman and his comrade grabbed some of the jerricans and ran to the side and pitched them over. ‘But in the end it was hopeless, because they were getting hot. There was a fire hydrant there, so we ran this out, but it wasn’t working. I found out later in a report that it had been damaged by one of the shells.

‘So there really wasn’t much else to do except get back to the stern and find out what was happening. But flames had now spread right across the ship and the only way to get back would be to go hand over hand over the rail, which we did.

‘Coming up to the stern as we climbed over the side, we could see where the shell had landed in the middle of them. The worst part, I remember to this day, was the terrible screaming and seeing this poor chap with a long white bone sticking out of his leg. He was screaming and screaming.

‘We tried to put out some of the fires, but without the hydrants working, it was pretty hopeless. While they were sorting out the wounded and giving them first aid, we should have ... they wanted to rig some of the Carley floats (small lightweight liferafts which could be thrown overboard).

‘But someone had cut them adrift without tying the ropes, so they had drifted hundreds of yards already away from the ship. It wouldn’t be much use trying to get to them, so in the end we were told to abandon ship. I decided to go down by one of the ropes, because it was quite a long drop from the side of the ship down.

‘Some of the men had done that and what they had forgotten was that with your steel helmet on and the strap coming up under your chin, if you hit the water with any force, it could come up and break your neck. There were already one or two bodies floating around. So we threw our helmets away.

‘I went down this rope and there was a chap below me screaming and shouting that he couldn’t swim. But we had all inflated our Mae Wests (lifejackets). Another thing was, you had to make sure you kept them well up to your chest, because if they were too low when you hit the water, they could turn the wrong way up and you would be feet up and head down. We had all been trained on these and all been to different rivers and ponds testing them out.

‘So I went down the rope and the chap below wouldn’t move – he was frozen on the rope, I suppose. So I stood on his head – there was already somebody standing on mine, telling me to get a move on. So I just jumped and cleared him and landed in the sea and just swam away from the ship.

‘You didn’t quite know ... there were explosions taking place and the ship was turning all the time. There were no engines going, it was just drifting now, I suppose. I wondered afterwards if perhaps I should have stayed and tried to give a hand. But you don’t really think about it at the time, you just swim away.

‘I suppose I was swimming around for about 20 minutes. I knew I could never swim to the shore, because it was too far off. But there was a motor torpedo boat creeping around picking up survivors. I knew if I swam off ahead of him in a certain direction, he would eventually pick me up, which he did, of course.

‘They grabbed me and yanked me out and said, “Get below, we’re going back to Dover”. The first thing I saw when I went below was that it was crammed tightly, you just couldn’t move. So we turned round and shot off towards Dover. Quite a few of the chaps were being sick unfortunately, I suppose because of the salt water they’d swallowed.

‘We got to Dover and got picked up by a lorry and taken up to Dover Castle. It’s quite a primitive castle, that one, at least the first part is. I think they were stables or something where they used to keep horses and it was all cobbles. They swung open these two big iron gates and said, “Youcan sleep there for the night – we’ll find you somestraw”, which they did eventually, for us to sleep on.’

Another 92nd LAA driver-op, 19-year-old David (Dai) Jones, was lining up in the meal queue on the Sambut when the first shell struck. ‘A couple of fellows standing two or three places behind me were hit by shrapnel,’ he recalled. ‘We all scattered then – many of us went down to the hold on the other side of the ship, where I had a bunk.

‘Then there was one hell of a bang and some explosions in the middle of the ship. This blew somedecking out and set fire to the stepladders that wentup to the deck. But we went up the ladders anyway. That’s where we stood and waited and wonderedwhat to do. Some men were already jumping overboard. I should have followed, but I didn’t fancy that!’

Dai then found Major Peter Crane of 92nd LAA standing next to him. The officer was working heroically to save lives. ‘He said to me, “Are you going to jump?” As I looked over, there was a rope alongside the ship, a little way down and parallel with the deck. I said, “No, I’m going to get hold of that rope and work my way along to a ladder” – which is what I did.

‘Then I got to a rope with two or three people hanging on the end of it in the water, and that’s where we were for a while. One of our own lifeboats came along – it was half-full of our chaps – and I swam across to that and got into it.

‘Then a Naval craft came along and a ladder dropped down from it. A lot of those in our boat made a move towards the side where the ladder was and I realised what might happen next, so I jumped back into the water.’

As Dai feared, the lifeboat capsized. He tried to swim back towards the upturned hull, but a fortuitous wave washed him directly up the side of the Naval craft. ‘I was able to get an arm into a stanchion on the deck. A sailor was standing there and I remember saying, “Excuse me, can you give me a hand?” He pulled me up and I was taken below, given a blanket and stripped off.

‘I’ll never forget when we got to Dover, walking up the slipway, there was a Church Army canteen at the top, offering us a cup of tea and a few cigarettes. I remember reaching out with both hands, one for the tea and one for the cigarettes, and my blanket fell off and I was standing naked on Dover quay. As I looked round, a car pulled up – I don’t know whose it was – and it had a Wren driver! But I wasn’t bothered at all – I made sure I got the tea and cigarettes!’

The survivors stayed overnight in the castle, at one stage sheltering in its tunnels from German shelling, and were issued with bundles of clothing, one bundle between two men. Then they were taken to Cowley, Oxford, to re-equip and then on to Aldershot, prior to being sent back over to Normandy at the end of the month.

Author Peter Elphick gives the death toll on the Sambut as 136 – 130 soldiers, plus six of the Sambut crew. Of the 92nd contingent, three men were killed, four were missing presumed dead, one died of wounds and 14 were wounded. All the regiment’s equipment and records on board the ship were lost.

Among the wounded was Regimental Sergeant Major Len Nott, who was hit by a shell splinter and spent several hours in the water before he was rescued. Among other 92nd LAA men who survived the disaster was Lieutenant Cowper Pratt.

The burning hulk of the Sambut, rocked by explosions, was finally sunk by a Royal Navy torpedo at location 51 08 N, 01 33 E because its wreckage was a hazard to the rest of the invasion fleet.

One question that remains after more than 60 years is whether the ship was deliberately targeted by the German long-range guns, which somehow got a bearing on it, or whether it was struck by a salvo of lucky shots.

Bill Wills recalls how, just as they were off Dover, a Naval escorting vessel came alongside and an officer using a megaphone ordered the master to lower the Sambut’s barrage balloon. ‘I don’t know if the master had time to comply, as shortly afterwards the shells struck. It is very likely the Germans used the balloon to lay their guns.’

Tom Cribb recalled that the balloon was ordered to be lowered because ‘it was obviously too high because the Germans could see it against the cliffs’.

Whatever the reasons for the Sambut disaster, it was a tragedy of terrible proportions. But there were to be two happier sequels.

Four months later, Major Crane was awarded the Military Cross for the outstanding courage and leadership he had shown on board.

His citation read: ‘He set a magnificent example of fortitude and initiative, organising chains of men to remove ammunition from the burning fore part of the ship, himself standing exposed to exploding ammunition from neighbouring blazing vehicles. He was then blown the length of the promenade deck by the explosion of 1,200lb of gelignite, which rendered the fore parts of the ship untenable.

‘He then searched all cabins and troops’ accommodation, moving wounded men aft, and at the last superintended to final abandoning of the ship, helping the wounded and cheering and encouraging all ranks. Throughout he set a magnificent example of leadership with complete disregard for his own safety, refusing to leave the ship until all ranks were off. By his conduct he quite definitely prevented a greater loss of life than actually occurred.’

And, after the war, Bill Wills was waiting for a bus home from work one evening in Deptford, South East London, when he was amazed to see a familiar face – Billy Oakes, the wounded comrade he had helped rescue from the Sambut and whom he feared may not have survived. ‘He told me he was now all right, but I couldn’t question him further as my bus came along and we had to part. Perhaps his wound was not as bad as it appeared at the time.’

 

From what I know, during D-Day, many soldiers were indeed buried where they fell, but some were later moved to different locations. It looks like George Henry Askew was originally buried somewhere in Normandy and then reburied in Dover. It was common practice for bodies to be moved back to the UK or other specific cemeteries later.

 

Villy,

Normally the CWGC database will have a 'Concentration' report when that happens, for Private Askew that is absent.

The other puzzle after reading tmac's post(s) is that would the men be separate from their equipment? As indicated by some of their kit being on a LST on 6/6/1944. As a non-expert of D-Day my puzzlement is an observation.

 

CWGC dead. The policy was that the dead were interred in the area where they died.

This was a policy from the First World War has continued to the present day apart from recent conflicts where for the upkeep/destruction of graves in foreign territories has been deemed to be impractical

Some who had been seriously wounded abroad were repatriated to UK military hospitals for further treatment. On dying they lie in CWGC plots. This would occur where this was possible and the Allies had the advantage such as the invasion of Western Europe.

However I am aware of a case where soldier was badly injured in North Africa, taken to South Africa for treatment and on to the UK where he died in a military hospital. He is buried in a civil cemetery in his home town in Nottinghamshire.

Most likely the Dover casualties are from a event at sea as related by tmac in post #6

 

Not sure about your assertion that UK D Day casualties buried in Normandy were disinterred for reburial in UK.

Can you provide any supporting evidence?

 

How do you know he was involved in overlord ? Lots of people died on June 6th, not necessarily in overlord, Spend £3 on a digital death certificate

 

Askew didn`t die he was officially listed as `Killed in Action` 6th June 1944 as per the casualty listing for North West Europe but its unlikely he ever made the mainland of Europe .

No it wasn`t , from the CWGC :-
"Commonwealth war casualties from World War II were not repatriated to their home countries , they are buried in the country where they died. This policy ensures that those who died together are buried together, regardless of their wealth, influence, or when they were buried. It was only since the 1980s that families have had the option to have their loved ones' bodies repatriated to the UK for burial or cremation"


Kyle

 

Digressing.......In the beginning.

This is a good insight to the work of the Imperial War Graves Commission which was founded in May 1917 by Major General Fabian Ware and the forerunner of the CWGC.

What was the Imperial War Graves Commission doing in 1918? | CWGC

Before the Imperial War Graves Commission as the new structured organisation there was no clear directive on the burial of war dead. Some NOK, provided that they had the financial means and connections could arrange for their dead kin to be repatriated back to the "UK", while others were buried in in the area where they died. would include Germany as a burial location for POWs who died in captivity.

A good reference for First World War cemeteries in France and Flanders is Silent Cities by Sidney C Hurst who worked for the IWGC and published his work in 1929.The preface is by Major General Fabian Ware who adds comprehensive detail of the work carried out before the foundation of the organisation.

Of particular interest is a note by him, "During the War, as Director General of Graves Registration and Enquires ,I was able with the help of funds generously and sympathetically provided by the Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St John, to furnish the next of kin of a soldier who had fallen, with a photograph of his grave. On the card in which this photograph was placed were given certain particulars, including the best available indication as to the situation of the grave and, when it was in a cemetery, directions as to the nearest railway station, which might be useful for those wishing to visit the country after the War. This branch of our work had, however, had to be abandoned as an official undertaking soon after the conclusion of hostilities and when the military organisation was finally merged into the Imperial War Graves Commission".

 

Found on a RE Historical Society FB page https://www.facebook.com/groups/415846245454101/search/?q=1018

D-Day RE Casualties

19 Fd Coy
A section of the Coy landed just after H-Hour on D-Day on Juno Beach under command of 262 Field Company, RE. The rest of the company landed on 7 June 1944. They were deployed to clear mines and beach obstacles.

Some casualties were suffered while transferring from ship to landing craft and others were incurred when one of the landing craft hit a mine.

KIA; Spr John Copland 18, John, a Londoner from Lewisham was the youngest Sapper to die in Normandy on D Day; Cpl Charles Hatful 32, Spr Harold Pratt 20; LCpl George Rigg 30.

65 Fd Coy
65 Field Company landed at intervals from 09:00 on Juno Beach.
KIA; Spr Alfred Bond 27; Spr Wilfred Surman 27.

1018 Port Operating Coy
An advance party of 1018 Port Operating Company landed on Juno Beach on the afternoon of D-Day tasked with unloading vehicles from the landing craft onto the beaches.

KIA; Spr Harry Boyce 44 – Harry was the oldest Sapper to die on D-Day; LCpl George Cook 26; Spr Alan Dignan 28; Spr Thomas Galbraith 30; Spr George Hayto 21; Spr Frederick Knagg 30; Spr Charles Lockheart 25; Spr Horace Palmer 30; Spr Alfred Squires 29.

From "A Royal Engineer at War 1940-1945: From Crossing the Desert to Crossing the Rhine"

Sappers Bond and Surman died (probably drowned) when the ship they were travelling on was hit by German Coastal Battery 05/06/44. Survivors and 2 casualties recovered by destroyer. Bodies buried at St James's Church Dover

Hope this helps

Gus

 

Mavis, Gus and others,

Would a soldier, like Private Askew, attached to a different corps be reported separately in a unit War Diary (if at all) and in his attached Corps history, i.e. The Royal Engineers?

Mavis,

The ACC has become part of the Royal Logistics Corps, their museum @ Kings Worthy, near Winchester is an option to pursue: The RLC Museum - The Royal Logistic Corps and perhaps the RLC Association who run the fore-mentioned website.

 

Hi Mavis

As he was part of a small unit (ie not infantry) when he died, there is a good chance of getting a mention in the units war diary.

You could try and get hold of all three of the units WDs for June 1944 and keep your fingers crossed he gets a mention.

The war establishment for a RE Field Company is below, it has a number of ACC on its staff.

FIELD COMPANY OR SQUADRON
War Establishment II/194/2

Note: there are only 3 minor amendments during the campaign.
- One lorry 3ton 4 X 4 GS (which was for use as an office) is replaced by 3ton 4 X 4 Office.
- 2 X 15cwt 4 X 2 GS are replaced by 15cwt 4 X 4 GS
- One cook ACC is promoted to corporal

Personnel
Major
Captain
5 X Subaltern

Squadron serjeant major
squadron quartermaster serjeant
transport serjeant
4 X serjeant

6 X lance serjeant sapper class
lance serjeant driver class
11 X corporal sapper class
3 X corporal driver class
15 X lance corporal sapper class
5 X lance corporal driver class
145 X sapper
47 X driver
Total 247

plus
officers mess cook ACC
corporal cook ACC
7 X cook ACC

Tradesmen
7 X blacksmith
13 X bricklayer
32 X carpenter and joiner
5 X clerk
4 X concretor
draughtsman architectural
draughtsman, mechanical
5 X driver mechanic, driver class
10 X driver operator
4 X electrician, maintenance
11X engine fitter, IC and pumps
6 X engine hand IC
6 X masons
3 X miners
7 X painter and decorator
58 X general dutyman
6 X motorcyclist
4 X plumbers and pipe fitters
surveyor, engineering
3 X sheet metal worker
2 X vehicle mechanic, driver class
3 X water dutyman
Total 194

Non tradesmen
2 X batman
5 X batman driver
26 X driver of vehicle
sanitary dutyman
4 X transport NCO
water dutyman
Total 39

Transport
16 X motorcycle
3 X jeep
2 X light recce car
7 X truck 15cwt GS
3 X 15cwt compressor
1 X 15cwt water
7 X 15cwt personnel 4 X 4
13 X 3ton 4 X 4 GS
1 X 3ton 4 X 4 winch
1 X 3ton 4 X 4 office


HEADQUARTERS
Major
Captain
2 X Subaltern

Squadron Serjeant Major
squadron quartermaster serjeant
transport serjeant
serjeant

lance serjeant driver class
2 X corporal sapper class
3 X lance corporal sapper class
2 X lance corporal driver class
13 X sapper
17 X driver
Total 46

plus
officers mess cook ACC
2 X Cook ACC

blacksmith
bricklayer
2 X carpenter and joiner
2 X clerk
concretor
draughtsman architectural
2 X driver mechanic, driver class
4 X driver operator
electrician, maintenance
2 X engine fitter, IC and pumps
painter and decorator
general dutyman
3 X motorcyclist
plumbers and pipe fitters
surveyor, engineering
2 X vehicle mechanic, driver class
Total 26

Drivers IC for duty as
2 X batman
2 X batman driver
5 X driver of vehicle
sanitary dutyman
transport NCO
water dutyman
Total 12

Transport
7 X motorcycle
2 X light recce car
1 X truck 15cwt GS
1 X 15cwt water
1 X 15cwt personnel 4 X 4
5 X 3ton 4 X 4 GS
1 X 3ton 4 X 4 winch

15cwt 4 X 4 will be fitted with a wireless set.
1 X 3ton 4 X 4 will be for use as an office.

4 X Bren gun
2 X PIAT
1 X 20mm AA

Each company carried the following
2,400 primers
672 slabs of TNT
1200 lb of plastic explosive 808
900lb of ammonal
72 X 10lb Beehive charges
3 X camouflet sets
detonators and fuses
6 X mine detector
72 X No 75 grenades (mines)

Each company also had one RASC 3ton lorry in the divisional troops company to carry an identical load

Platoon.
There were three platoons to a company.
A platoon consisted of a headquarters and four sections.

Personnel
Subaltern
serjeant

2 X lance serjeant sapper class
3 X corporal sapper class
4 X lance corporal sapper class
lance corporal driver class
44 X sapper
10 X driver
Total 67

plus
2 cooks ACC

Tradesmen included
2 X blacksmith
4 X bricklayer
10 X carpenter and joiner
clerk
concretor
driver mechanic, driver class
2 X driver operator, driver class
electrician, maintenance
3 X engine fitter, IC and pumps
2 X engine hand
2 X painter and decorator
19 X general dutyman
motorcyclist
plumber and pipe fitter
sheet metal worker
stoker
waterman
Total 26

Drivers IC for duty as
batman driver
transport NCO
7 X Driver of vehicle
Total 9


Organisation
All transport was at platoon headquarters
Motorcycle 1
serjeant
Motorcycle 2
transport corporal
Motorcycle 3
motorcyclist

Car 5cwt 4 X 4 (jeep)
Subaltern, batman driver

Truck 15cwt GS 1
driver IC
Truck 15cwt GS 2
driver IC

15cwt machinery compressor
driver IC
15cwt personnel 4 X 4 1
lance corporal driver operator, driver operator
Carries Wireless set No19
15cwt personnel 4 X 4 2
driver IC

3ton 4 X 4 GS 1
driver IC
3ton 4 X 4 GS 2
driver IC
3ton 4 X 4 GS 3
driver IC
3ton 4 X 4 winch
driver mechanic

The above transport also carried
1 X clerk
2 X cook
4 X other unidentified personnel

2 PIAT

800 primers
224 slabs of TNT in 4.5” slabs or gun cotton in 6” slabs.
400lb of explosive 808 (plastic explosive) in 1.37” X 3.5” rolls
300lb of ammonal in 25 lb blocks (9” cubes)
24 X 10lb Beehive cutting charges
1 X camouflet set for making holes for charges
Detonators and fuse.
4 X mine detector

There were four sections each of 12 men.
Each section had a corporal or lance serjeant as leader.
It is not recorded which craftsmen were in which section. This was probably arranged at company or platoon level.
Each section had
Bren gun
Sten gun
10 X rifle.


Troop
In an armoured division the platoon was called a troop. There were some differences in personnel and vehicles from the platoon in an infantry division.
There were three troops to a squadron.
A troop consisted of a headquarters and four sections.

Personnel
Subaltern
serjeant

2 X lance serjeant sapper class
3 X corporal sapper class
4 X lance corporal sapper class
lance corporal driver class
44 X sapper
13 X driver
Total 67

plus
2 cooks ACC

Tradesmen included
2 X blacksmith
4 X bricklayer
10 X carpenter and joiner
clerk
concretor
driver mechanic, driver class
2 X driver operator, driver class
electrician, maintenance
3 X engine fitter, IC and pumps
2 X engine hand
2 X painter and decorator
19 X general dutyman
motorcyclist
plumbers and pipe fitters
sheet metal worker
stoker
waterman
Total 26

Drivers IC for duty as
batman driver
transport NCO
10 X Driver of vehicle
Total 9


Organisation
All transport was at troop headquarters
Motorcycle 1
serjeant
Motorcycle 2
transport corporal
Motorcycle 3
motorcyclist

Car 5cwt 4 X 4 (jeep)
Subaltern, batman driver

Light Reconnaissance Car
driver IC
For the use of the Subaltern for reconnaissance and liaison

Truck 15cwt GS 1
driver IC
Truck 15cwt GS 2
driver IC
15cwt machinery compressor
driver IC
15cwt personnel 4 X 4 1
lance corporal driver operator, driver operator
Carries Wireless set No19
15cwt personnel 4 X 4 2
driver IC
15cwt personnel 4 X 4 3
driver IC
15cwt personnel 4 X 4 4
driver IC

3ton 4 X 4 GS 1
driver IC
3ton 4 X 4 GS 2
driver IC
3ton 4 X 4 GS 3
driver IC
3ton 4 X 4 winch
driver mechanic

The above transport also carried
1 X clerk
2 X cook
4 X other unidentified personnel

2 PIAT

800 primers
224 slabs of TNT in 4.5” slabs or gun cotton in 6” slabs.
400lb of explosive 808 (plastic explosive) in 1.37” X 3.5” rolls
300lb of ammonal in 25 lb blocks (9” cubes)
24 X 10lb Beehive cutting charges
1 X camouflet set for making holes for charges
Detonators and fuse.
4 X mine detector

There were four sections each of 12 men.
Each section had a corporal or lance serjeant as leader.
It is not recorded which craftsmen were in which section. This was probably arranged at company or platoon level.
Each section had
Bren gun
Sten gun
10 X rifle.

As does a Port Operating Company.

PORT OPERATING COMPANY
War Establishment IV/210/1. December 1943
This applied to 999, 1028, 1034 and 1043 Companies in Normandy
Major
2 X Captain
5 X Subaltern
Warrant Officer Class I, Technical
4 X Warrant Officer Class II, Technical
Company Serjeant Major, Technical
company quartermaster serjeant
19 X serjeant
8 X lance serjeant
18 X corporal
34 X lance corporal
248 X sapper
23 X driver

officers mess cook
8 X cook including serjeant and corporal

Trades
4 X carpenter and joiner
32 X checker (railways or docks)
4 X clerk
11 X clerk, railway
20 X driver, crane
8 X driver, transportation plant
4 X carpenters mate
motorcyclist
4 X wagon labeller
3 X batman
6 X driver
2 X medical orderly
8 X orderly
4 X sanitary dutyman

4 X bicycle
4 X motorcycle
2 X car 2 seater
2 X 5cwt car 4 X 4, amphibious
2 X 3ton 4 X 4 GS
1 X water trailer

3 X Bren lmg
1 X PIAT


Headquarters
Major
2 X Captain
Subaltern
Warrant Officer Class I, Technical
Company Serjeant Major, Technical

company quartermaster serjeant
3 X serjeant
2 X corporal
2 X lance corporal
8 X sapper
11 X driver

officers mess cook
8 X cook including serjeant and corporal

Trades
4 X clerk including one lance serjeant
3 X clerk, railway, including one corporal and two lance corporal
motorcyclist
3 X batman
6 X driver
2 X medical orderly


4 X Section each
Subaltern
Warrant Officer Class II, Technical
4 X serjeant
2 X lance serjeant
4 X corporal
8 X lance corporal
60 X sapper
3 X driver

Trades
carpenter
8 X checker
2 X clerk, railway
5 X driver, crane
2 X driver, transportation plant
carpenters mate
55 X stevedore
2 X orderly
sanitary dutyman

Attached Fire Fighting Sub Section.

I would wait see what is forthcoming in the coming days.

Hope this helps

Gus

 

Hi Everyone, I am amazed, as usual by your replies, also I did not get notification that there were replies, as I usually do, so apologies for the late acknoweldgement of all your contributions.
Looking at the Graves Registration Report Form, some of the names that Kyle has added are on that Report Form, so would it be likely that he was either with the 65th Fld Coy. R.E or the 1018 Port Op. Coy. R.E.?
Many, many thanks again, Mavis

 

Thank you for the information about the Sambut. I area of interest is the 22nd Dragoons.

I had the following names as "In Action at sea"

Sgt Joseph Gibbs
Tpr Thomas Healey
LCpl Fred Johnson

All were from the HQ Sqn technical stores.