321280 Lance Corporal THOMAS KELLY HUGHES, 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars: 18/05/1940

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by battleofassche, Dec 16, 2017.

  1. battleofassche

    battleofassche Well-Known Member

    L/Cpl. Hughes was a member of 15/19 KRH and died on May 18, 1940. His name appears on the Dunkirk Memorial so it appears his body was not recovered and he does not have a grave. Courages History of 15/19 KRH 1939-45 lists him as a Trooper who was KIA 18 May 1940, Belgium.

    Service Number 321280
    Died 18/05/1940
    Aged 26
    15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
    Royal Armoured Corps
    Son of George and Mary Catharine Hughes, of Glasgow.

    No mention of him in the 15/19 WDs.

    I suspect he was KIA in one of the many engagements near Assche but most likely not in Assche or his body would have been recovered with the others KIAs in Assche..

    I'm wondering if anyone has come across anything on this chap that might help narrow down the location of his death?

    Thanks in advance for any replies.
     
  2. harkness

    harkness Well-Known Member

    Hughes.jpg

    No other 15th/19th men listed that day.
     
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  3. battleofassche

    battleofassche Well-Known Member

    Thanks. Most interesting........... 15/19 was not in France on 18/5/40 but east of the Dendre. However if his death was reported in France then I see why he ended up on the Dunkirk Memorial.
     
  4. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Dunkirk Memorial
    "It commemorates those of the British Expeditionary Force who died or were captured there and have no known grave".

    So as regards the Dunkirk Memorial, it doesn't matter where he went missing. What matters is the stage of the war or the Force with which he last served, e.g. BEF POWs who died after capture and who have no known grave are also featured on this Memorial.

    (Men who fell in Norway during the 1940 campaign and have no known grave are featured on the Brookwood Memorial. Bayeux and Grosbeek Memorials also cover different stages of the war later in NW Europe, not necessarily relating to the location of the serviceman's death. So you can have war graves in one country and memorial commemorations in another, when actually the men were killed in the same action.)

    Hope that helps explain it.
     
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  5. battleofassche

    battleofassche Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the further clarification on the Dunkirk Memorial.

    Seems I will have to further narrow down possible locations east of the Dendre where he might have been KIA.
     
  6. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    ScotlandsPeople

    You'll get his full date of birth in 1913, Blythswood Glasgow at the above website. His service returns is there also, but might not reveal much more than recorded with CWGC. No Will recorded.

    Try applying for his service record.
     
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  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Steve

    Don't let the France question what you know, I suspect it's a generic term for the whole campaign. Like the Dunkirk Memorial thing has already been explained by Diane. There are around 200 names on the memorial that died in 1944 and 1945 in Germany whilst POWs. The link for these was they were captured fighting in the France and Flanders Campaign.

    As for Hughes I can offer no help, for some reason there are no 1940 Cavalry Missing Men files at the National Archives that cover the France and Belgium campaign-I suspect there may be clues in that file where ever it is.
     
  8. battleofassche

    battleofassche Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the help Andy. I will eventually come across something that will link him to one of the many engagements that occurred near Assche on May 18. Or at least narrow it down through a process of elimination.
     
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  9. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    L/Cpl. T. K. Hughes, R. Armoured Corps (Yeo) is in the list of missing/killed published 17 Jul '40 in the Birmingham Daily Post.

    One entry on the Casualty List findmypast.co.uk
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2017
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  10. battleofassche

    battleofassche Well-Known Member

    Thanks very much for your time in providing this additional piece of information.
     
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