The Unluckiest Dunkirk Evacuee?

The story has taken a kind of spooky turn. I scanned a tiny photograph of Cecil Belsey, apparently taken outside his home soon after he joined up and in the company of Gwen (his young lady). The doorway looked familiar - as it should, since it is just 5 doors along from me. I can't help feeling a kind of affinity with this man, since today I walk around the same orchards he worked in before the war, I look out on the same views he saw every day and I pass his family's former house regularly.

I intend to keep researching and find out more about him if I can - the local scout organiser intends to publish all the details I can come up with in a future booklet on the war memorial names (thanks to everyone who has helped so far).

Here is the photo, plus a picture I took this morning of his headstone.

 

Great stuff - If you're feeling a bit flush I'd apply for his service records and look into the death certificate. £30 for the records and £10 I think for a copy of the death cert.

Do you know if he has any surviving family in the area?

Regards
Andy

 

Thanks Andy. His family moved to Sandwich and I will see if any siblings survive. His girlfriend (Gwen) married another chap and still lives in the village today - she was in service when she met Belsey and then spent the war in the Land Army. I may well try for the records you mentioned, as there seems no other way of getting more details.

 

Drew, the Army ROH indicates that he enlisted post 3rd Sept 39

The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) 6278001 - 6334000

Hi Phil
I don't know if this helps but my fathers service no. was 6282701. He joined 1st btn Buffs in 1925 and demobbed on 7 12 32 then was Army reserve until 1 9 39. He then was 2nd Buffs leaving for France on 16 9 39 and returning on 29 5 1940.
Would he have carried his service number from his first stint, or would he have been given another service no. on being called up in 1939?
Tom

 

Same number Tom.

 

Same number Tom.

Thanks Andy. I have been searching for years about my dad. This forum is the best. So much knowledge here, and me thinking I was a ww2 expert. It dawns on me that I don't know much at all

 

This is a very sad story indeed, to read about Cecil's fate after seemingly reaching safety. Well done on the research 4/7, great work.

 

Thanks, Gerard.

I haven't been able to get much further with it, since it seems only a relative can obtain the official records - so I don't qualify.

I have been several times to Cecil's grave and it saddens me to find the entire graveyard has been used by junkies and lowlife, who have even knocked bits off the stone perimeter around the grave plot - the graveyard is not attached to the church and is a secluded spot for all that kind of activity.

Dave

 

Thanks, Gerard.

I haven't been able to get much further with it, since it seems only a relative can obtain the official records - so I don't qualify.

I have been several times to Cecil's grave and it saddens me to find the entire graveyard has been used by junkies and lowlife, who have even knocked bits off the stone perimeter around the grave plot - the graveyard is not attached to the church and is a secluded spot for all that kind of activity.

Dave

Dave,

As he died over 25 years ago anyone can apply for his service records.

Regards
Andy

 

I live on the South Coast and we have two huge military cemeteries in the local grave yard. Many of these men died while they were being treated for their wounds in local hospitals and failed to make it. There soldiers buried there from all over the world and from both World Wars and plans are afoot honour them this year

 

Funny how somethings never seem to leave your memory. I was just reading about the 2/5 Leicesters in France and remembered this thread.

Personal recollections by then Private Dick Cobley, 2/5th Bn The Leicestershire Regiment.

Travelling by lorry, mostly at night, we eventually reached the outskirts of Dunkirk. I had never heard of the place previously. I know we passed through Poperinghe and Armentieres-all heavily bombed. Large oil tanks at Dunkirk were ablaze, planes were bombing and there were fires all around. The lorries were put out of action and we went into the town, picking our way through the rubble with telephone wires dangling everywhere. We managed to get into a cellar where we stayed throughout the day. At night we were told to get down to the 'Mole' where we might get a ship. I remember passing a NAAFI store where we were told to help ourselves to cigarettes-everyone smoked in those days and I brought 400 Gold Flake back with me! We managed to get on a ship called Mona's Isle-an Isle of Man ferry. We crowded on and it was standing room only and no life-jackets! I remember a sailor giving me some fried tomatoes which tasted loverly and we set sail from Dunkirk just before dawn.

The ship went along the coast towards Calais which, unbeknown to the Captain, was already in German hands. Suddenly shells from shore began to hit the ship and quite a lot found their target. Luckily we were down below-don't know if we could have got out. Then the planes came. They straffed the ship with canon shells. Twenty two men were killed and dozens wounded. There was nowhere to dodge to as it was so crowded, and when we eventually reached Dover it had taken over ten hours to cross as the shells had damaged the steering. We saw that the ship's funnel was riddled with canon shell holes-a good job they didn't have any bombs!....

We, the lucky ones were put on a train to a tented camp at Tweseldown, near Ascot, where we were sorted out. It was hard to believe we were home, where only a few miles away our friends were still striving to get off the beaches.


Tigers at Dunkirk by Matthew Richardson