Private George Leahy 1/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters. Enlisted in Derby on 17th February 1939 Service Number: 4976325 Prisoner of War Number: 10219 Stalag Camp XXA /Gepruft 24/Gepruft 26 I was at a family gathering at the weekend and my cousin told me that he had been to watch the recently released film, Dunkirk. I replied it would be of interest as our Grandad, was captured there. He was not aware this was the case, nor was his Mum,( Denise, daughter of George,) I felt it was important to get some more information for my Aunt and also for my own children. I have a few photos and a couple of letters that were sent to George. He said very little to about his experience. I remember being told he was captured near St. Valery, the march to imprisonment was very tough and anyone who fell risked being shot. He said the Red Cross parcels were a life saver and that he did farm work. My grandmother, Muriel Leahy, worked as a porter on the railway and also in a Munitions factory. She ended up putting the two youngest children (Terry, my father and Denise in a Children's home(near Beeston, I think) and the oldest, Peter, was sent to live with an 'Aunt' Marsh at Smalley until he too ended up in the home. My father hated the home. His favourite meal throughout his lifetime was toast, as the staff at the home had it. He loved the smell of it wafting over. However, the children did not get such luxuries. He had to be treated for a very bad stutter after the war had finished. When George returned they were put to live at a Camp near Osmaston. Grandad said he'd come out of one POW camp and had ended up in another one at home. I'm not sure how true that is, but my Dad loved the freedom and the space after being in the home. I have recently read 'Dunkirk, The men they left behind.' by Sean Longden, (Constable, London 2008) I have found the forums on here really helpful and now know a lot more about the march in June 1940 and the large fort complex at 'Thorn.' George told us that he and a couple of others managed to escape but were recaptured. They had lit a fire in the woods and the smoke from it gave them away. The Officer in charge ordered them to be shot. However, the guard took them outside, gave them a cigarette and told them to get back to their hut. George said there were some decent Germans. In terms of the farm work, it meant he could manage to get extra food. The farmers told him "George, when we win the war we will take you to South Africa to farm the land we will be given over there." My main puzzle is that some of the family think he was captured near Dunkirk and I have only just realised there was another attempted evacuation at St. Valery - en - Caux some days later. I do not know the date of his capture. I have also read that a company from 1/5th battalion was decimated by friendly fire at the battle of Incheville. Also, I would like to establish whether he had to march from the Stalag westwards as the Russians were advancing in early 1945. That sounded even more punishing and dangerous than the march into captivity. One of the few stories he told, was that on the March ( I don't know which one) he was stumbling badly and was on the verge of collapse. He felt two people support him on either side and he said it was his parents. I was also told he travelled home by boat as he didn't want to fly.
Hi, I confirm that the 1/5 Sherwood Foresters fought in Incheville in June 1940, which sticks with a captivity in about St Valery en Caux. best regards
Hi Lorraine Welcome Re the 'Long March' in 1945 - if you use the search option you can search the forum for threads that have that phrase in their title etc which will allow you to read stories etc - http://ww2talk.com/index.php?search/479138/&q=long+march&o=relevance&c[title_only]=1 should work UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: G Leahy Rank: Private Army Number: 4976325 Regiment: Sherwood Foresters POW Number: 10219 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: XX-A Camp Location: Torun, Poland Record Office: Infantry and Army Educational Corps Record Office, York Record Office Number: 20 TD
Thank you for the advice and information. TD - Is it possible to access the information held at York and how do I go about it, please? Drew - The War Diary is a valuable resource, thank you for sharing it. Sounds as if the battalion got split up at some point as some Missing soldiers had headed for Fecamp.
That information is now held by the MOD in Glasgow, all service records were moved there - Request records of deceased service personnel - GOV.UK There may still be some information but that would be in the Sherwood Foresters Museum (wherever that is) as they would I think continue to hold the Regimental Rolls TD
I am researching 2Lt. Percival Cripps who was killed on 8th June and would appreciate a scan of the previous page in the war diary. I have researched all the fallen on six of our local war memorials for our website billericayhistory.org.uk and this information will complete the Little Burstead Memorial.
I can confirm he was with the battalion as he's mentioned in numerous field returns but his death not mentioned in the diary on the 8th June. He doesn't get a mention in the regimental history by Barclay either.
Percival Edey Cripps 1916–1940 BIRTH 4 DEC 1916 • Essex DEATH 8 JUNE 1940 • France and Belgian Campaign Percival Edey Cripps Birth: 4 Dec 1916 Death: 8 June 1940 (8 Jun 1940) - France F: Percy Richard Cripps M: Beatrice (Bea) Emma Harriot Edey England, Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976 Death 8 June 1940 • France and Belgian Campaign KILLED IN ACTION, previously reported missing. 1/5th BATTALION, SHERWOOD FORESTERS (WO304/14) TD
That's a shame. He obviously somewhere outside Le Havre when he was killed. Do you have the location of the battalion on the 8th, that would probably locate where he was killed. It is course possible that he was wounded prior to the 8th and died on the 8th. Thanks for looking.
Looks like CWGC has made a mistake. He's in the 1/5 Officer Field Returns and 2/5 Bn left France at the beginning of June via Dunkirk.
His burial location is interesting though, not one I'd associate with units attached to 51st Highland Division. LAPUGNOY Military Cemetery.
Ignore me, its another officer called Cripps in the same regiment...That's what happens when I try and do research and get ready for a 3am alarm call to drive to Kew. I'll try and come back to this later with a clearer head.
Both brothers were from Little Burstead, just south of Billericay, Essex. Percival Cripps, killed 8th June. was in 1/5 Bn. and his brother George was in 2/5 Bn.
UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 Name: George Cripps Given Initials: G A Rank: Second Lieutenant Death Date: 20 May 1940 Number: 105586 Birth Place: Essex Residence: Essex Regiment at Enlistment: Artists Rifles Branch at Enlistment: Infantry Theatre of War: France and Belgium Campaign, 1939/40 Regiment at Death: Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) Branch at Death: Infantry Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current Name: 2nd Lt George Anthony Cripps Death Date: 20 May 1940 Cemetery: Lapugnoy Military Cemetery Burial or Cremation Place: Lapugnoy, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France Has Bio?: N URL: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-... George Anthony (Tony) Cripps 1907–1940 BIRTH ABT 1907 • Loughton, Essex DEATH 20 MAY 1940 • France and Belgian Campaign 20 May 1940 France and Belgian Campaign Died of Wounds TD
