Lt. Albert Edward Park, Intelligence Corps, killed Italy 26 12 44

Discussion in 'Top Secret' started by vitellino, Jul 3, 2017.

  1. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Hello everybody,

    Does anyone know anything about 348267 Lt. Park, of the Intelligence Corps, B E M ? Any information gratefully received.

    I'm not a family member and am not intending to send for his service record at this stage,

    Regards,

    Vitellino
     
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
    Name: Albert Park
    Given Initials: A E BEM
    Rank: Lieutenant
    Death Date: Dec 1944
    Number: 348267
    Birth Place: Lancashire
    Residence: Yorkshire
    Branch at Enlistment: Other Corps
    Theatre of War: Europe
    Regiment at Death: Intelligence Corps
    Branch at Death: Other Corps

    From a family tree:
    Albert Edward Park
    1913–1944
    BIRTH 1913 • Lancashire, England
    DEATH DEC 1944 • Italy

    England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
    Name: Albert Park
    Mother's Maiden Name: Brant
    Registration Year: 1913
    Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
    Registration district: Oldham
    Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
    Inferred County: Lancashire
    Volume: 8d
    Page: 1172

    England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
    Name: Albert E Park
    Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1940
    Registration district: Richmond
    Inferred County: Surrey, Yorkshire North Riding
    Spouse: Constance E Gray
    Volume Number: 9d
    Page Number: 2010

    Note: It looks as though Constance remarried in 1946


    TD

    edited to add:

    BEM relates to the medal (British Empire Medal)
     
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  3. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

    Given that neither his commission nor his BEM are in the London Gazette, it may be that he was either SOE or SIS at the time of death.

    Jedburgh22 might have some insight into the first possibility.
     
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  4. Pat Atkins

    Pat Atkins Well-Known Member

    I wondered about that, in my ignorance - "Other Corps" looks interesting, but perhaps it is not significant? Dunno. Intelligence and SOE (or the like) appears a plausible enough connection, and there was certainly plenty of cloak-and-dagger going on in Italy at that time. I see he's commemorated on the Cassino memorial, so presumably has no known grave.

    Pat.
     
  5. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    348267 Park Lt AE, Intelligence Corps is mentioned on 2 casualty lists:

    Casualty List No. 1775 Dated 6 June 1945
    Central Mediterranean, wounded and missing believed POW, 24.12.44

    Casualty List No. 1975 Dated 1 February 1946
    Previously reported wounded and missing believed POW now presumed killed in action, on or shortly after 26.12.44
     
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  6. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    A BEM would mean that he started in the ranks before being commissioned so there must be quite a lot of information on him held somewhere.

    FdeP
     
  7. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Vitellino - from an intelligent source

    348267 Lieutenant Albert Edward PARK, BEM. Intelligence Corps
    Born at Morecombe, Lancashire on 21 December 1917.
    It is noted he could spoke German and Serbo-Croat.
    He apparently enlisted in the Royal Signals in April 1940, where qualified as a Wireless & Line Operator in January 1941 he was posted to 11th Armoured Division. Promoted to acting corporal in June 1941 and acting sergeant the following August1941. In February 1942 he was posted to 7th Armoured Division, Egypt. He was then posted to 1st Armoured Division in July 1943 where he qualified as a parachutist with 4th Para Brigade Signal Squadron.
    In September 1943 he was selected by Inter-Services Liaison Department (MI6), in the rank of unpaid, acting sergeant, there is little doubt that he had been selected as a special duties wireless operator. His service record contains a report, which commented…
    ”CQMS Park served for nine months in the field under extremely difficult conditions and showed intelligence, courage and initiative in the execution of his duties.”
    For this mission, he was awarded the British Empire Medal in recognition of his gallant and distinguished service in Italy, the award was Gazetted on 21 December 1944. It can be deduced that Park was despatched to Italy for nine months on an ISLD (SIS) mission, and quite probably in the role of wireless operator.
    On 7 August 1944, Park was sent to an area of Slovenia as part of an MI6 mission tasked with infiltrating the Austrian border to organise local resistance. This mission relied heavily on the cooperation of the Yugoslav Partisans so it was essential for him to hold a commissioned rank he therefore went into the field wearing the uniform of a Lt.
    Lt Park and the other members of the team based themselves along with the men of the SOE and OSS mission at 4th Partisan Headquarters awaiting the move across the Austrian frontier; the operation was eventually rendered impossible due to the Partisans’ reluctance to assist. On 4 December 1944 a strong German offensive against the Partisans in the area commenced. The Partisans and the British teams evacuated their headquarters on 6th December 1944 and moved constantly over the following days, eventually establishing a base in a hut in the Menina Mountains.
    On 23 December German units launched a surprise attack on the hut and a Partisan battalion nearby. Some members of the British group were taken prisoner and shot almost immediately. Lt Park, with a Major Mathews of A-Force were reported as missing. On 12 January 1945 one of the surviving members of the group, still evading the Germans with the remnants of the Partisans, radioed to the SOE HQ in Italy that Parks and Mathews had been wounded and captured by the Germans. Later the Partisans discovered that both Lt Park and Major Mathews had been taken as prisoners to a hospital at Ljubljana .
    Lt Park was officially listed as wounded and missing, believed prisoner, from 23 December 1944 . No trace was ever found of him thereafter and it was assumed that he had been shot after capture or had died in hospital. On 2 April 1945, on which date he was still believed to be in captivity, and in order to regularise his position with regard to rank, it was requested that his rank of 2nd Lt, acting Lt, Intelligence Corps, be officially confirmed. The date of his commission was backdated to 7 August 1944, and there should be no Gazette entry for reasons of security.
    Lt Park was eventually listed as presumed killed in action on or after 23 December 1944.


    TD
     
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  8. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Tricky Dicky,

    Thank you very much. I can now rule him out as having gone missing in the Appenines,

    Vitelliino

    Edited to ask:

    Do you have anything on Lt. Hubert Mayr, General List, missing presumed killed Italy 01 01 45?

    I suspect he was working for Special Ops. too.
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2017
  9. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Casualty List No. 1855 (Officers) dated 11 September 1945
    Home and stations abroad
    Missing
    General list
    329039 Mayr W/Lt H date not recorded


    Casualty List No. 2083 (Officers) dated 27 May 1947
    Expeditionary Force
    Central Mediterranean
    Italy
    Previously reported missing, date not reported, now presumed killed in action
    329039 Mayr W/Lt H On or shortly after 1.1.45
     
  10. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

  11. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

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