My great uncle: John 'Jack' Rogerson

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Emmajanewatts, Jan 16, 2014.

  1. Emmajanewatts

    Emmajanewatts Member

    Hi, my great uncle died on 7th of June 1944 in Lebisay village, he was last seen dead at the side of the road with his legs shot off. No one knows what happened to his body, there is no grave.
    He is on the cenotaph in Harrogate were I live but that's all.
    In 1962 the commonwealth war graves commission wrote to my great grandma and told her she was wasting her time and money searching for any information on his remains whereabouts. My great grandparents spent a lot of time in France.
    Unfortunately we are no further on and guess we never will be until we meet him in heaven.
    Reading his letters are heart breaking, he fully thought he would be coming home and getting married to his sweetheart, I often wondered what happened to her too.
    He was called John Rogerson but was known as Jack.
    I just wanted to mention him and say how proud I am to be his great niece, and next time I go to town I will be taking him flowers as I do or I sit and have a ciggie with him.
    God bless you uncle and I love you xxx
     
    NannaPink and Peter Clare like this.
  2. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Post deleted. It now appears he was in the Royal Navy
     
    dbf likes this.
  3. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Emma Jane,

    I read your post and thought I would search the CWGC website for your Great Uncle Jack. There is a man by the same name, with the same date recorded for death and who was also an Ordinary Telegraphist listed on the site.

    Here are the details:http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2496283/ROGERSON,%20JOHN

    This man was also from Harrogate, could he be your Great Uncle?

    I sincerely hope this might help in your search for more information.

    Steve
     
    4jonboy likes this.
  4. Emmajanewatts

    Emmajanewatts Member

    Thankyou so much for the reply, I have all his info, it's on the letters from the war graves place. I will, my great grandparents I remember so well. Every Sunday they gave me 10p for the sweet shop. My great grandma looked very similar to the queen lol and always wore a blue and white checked house coat when cooking Sunday dinner.
    They had a black and white picture in the hallway of my uncle in his Royal Navy uniform, if I close my eyes I can be back there.
    Thanks again

    Emma xxx
     
  5. Emmajanewatts

    Emmajanewatts Member

    Hi Steve, yep that's my great uncle, that is so sweet of you, I'm going to spend time looking into it all, can I ask, what did a ordinary telegraphist do pl xxx
     
  6. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

  7. Emmajanewatts

    Emmajanewatts Member

    We have letters saying conflicting things all from the war graves commission, they first thought he was buried at sea and after inquires what I've said. I have all the letters infront of me. They also have witness to his body being left. The last letter is dated 2nd October 1962. I also have a confirmation telegram dated 14th July 1944 of his MIA, I can't bear to think what my family went throu, along with millions of others. I have read mein kampf and other books and watched documentaries and I still don't get any of it xxx
     
  8. Emmajanewatts

    Emmajanewatts Member

    I can only go by my letters, that's what they say xxx
     
  9. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Which letters are you talking about-the ones from the CGWC?
     
  10. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  11. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    I was looking for details of where HMS Victory IV was on 7/6/44 and couldn't find anything but came across this site with his name
    http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1944-06JUN1.htm

    RN Bombardment Unit 1A
    ROGERSON, John, Ordinary Telegraphist, P/JX 282400, DOW
    (Died of wounds)

    Can anyone tell me about RN Bombardment Unit 1A? Was this part of Operation Overlord?
     
  12. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Found this reply on another Forum which explains a Little.

    Many Small Ships, Submarines and small inland establishments, I.E, Wireless Stations, were attached to either Mother Ships and or an RN Barracks, The ships name would have a roman numeral in brackets after the name I.E. H.M.S. Victory (IV).

    http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?p=68275

    Regards
    Tom
     
  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I'm 99.9% sure it's a parent unit, shore establishment. Using Geoffs SE there's over 30 casualties listed to HMS Victory IV including several women. Women, as far as I know didn't go to see during the war.
     
  14. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Well found Tom !
     
  15. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Just a thought, but John could have been a RN Radio Operator reporting falls of the Naval Bombardment in the area.

    It sounds like he landed on "D" Day.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  16. Emmajanewatts

    Emmajanewatts Member

    Hi, yes they say 2nd battalion warkwickshire which he was attached, there words. Im not sure how it works but he was sword beach then to lebisay village xxx
     
  17. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Emma,

    It looks like John was attached to the Army Unit you mentioned and was Radio Liason for the Battleships and cruisers etc bombarding the target area.

    The advance on Caen bogged down around Lebisay village, where John was reported killed.

    This was due to the heavy German reinforcements sent to the area including 21st Panzer Div and the 12th SS Panzer Division.

    You mentioned John being seen having lost both legs, which possibly indicates an explosion caused by artillery or Tank High Explosive Rounds.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  18. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    It looks as if he was involved in directing fire for naval bombardments.
    I can't see a village named Lebisay or similar near the D Day beach heads, he'd only have been ashore since the day before at most, so not likely to have penetrated that far inland. His wounds sound similar to having trodden on a landmine.

    He would have been buried near where he fell, Died of Wounds sounds as if someone was trying to treat him.
    Often dog tags were taken to allow for the records to be completed by sat the First Aid Post.
    Then when being buried the remaining set may have been removed so that whenever he was exhumed for a cemetery burial he no longer could be identified and is therefore a "Known Unto God" burial somewhere in the D Day cemeteries.

    It's always possible that a French family or priest took him for burial in their local church and may still be tending his grave, even if he has no named headstone.

    EDIT: Beaten to it - does anyone Have this Lebisay village location?

    2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire sustained 29 casualties that day, most on Bayeux Memorial although some are in Ranville and La Delivrande.
    Their War Diary may have some further information.
     
  19. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Get a copy of his service records from the MoD. All will be revealed. :)
     
  20. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

Share This Page