117959 Major John Alexander HAMILTON, MC, MiD, Loyal Regiment: 02/11/1945, Military Cross info??

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by Mark Potts, Jun 26, 2022.

  1. Mark Potts

    Mark Potts Well-Known Member

    Hi all, doing some research on the men on my local war memorial and have come across a Major John Alexander Hamilton of the Loyal Regiment, who died in Greece on November 2, 1945. On his CWGC certificate, it states he won the Military Cross, but I cannot find a mention of it, or what he was awarded it for. Any help will be most appreciated. Thanks for reading, Mark.

    Major John Alexander Hamilton | War Casualty Details 117959 | CWGC
    MAJOR JOHN ALEXANDER HAMILTON
    Service Number: 117959
    Regiment & Unit: The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)
    Date of Death: 02 November 1945
    Buried or commemorated at PHALERON WAR CEMETERY
    Grave Reference: 20. B. 5.
    Location: Greece
    Awards: Military Cross
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  3. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  4. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Here is the recommendation from Owen's link. The images are screenshots and the full pdf is attached for downloading:

    Hamilton MC 1.jpg Hamilton MC 2.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. Mark Potts

    Mark Potts Well-Known Member

    Hi all. This forum never fails to deliver!! Thank you so much for the replies/photo/info. Best wishes, Mark.
     
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  6. Mark Potts

    Mark Potts Well-Known Member

    Hi, regarding the above report, can anybody work out what the 2nd line states?? .....19/20 Feb SE of the ????????? fly bridge. The first two words look like 'CAMPO DI ???' Many thanks, Mark
     
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  7. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Think it's Campo Di Carne
     
  8. Mark Potts

    Mark Potts Well-Known Member

    Thank you 4jonboy. Mark
     
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  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    That action is depicted on pages 110&111 of "Great Battles of World War II" by John Macdonald.
     

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  10. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Re #6 This was the action around the flyover the typing mentions Campo di Carne. I will come back with a map of the area in a while unless Minden comes on I think he is over there at the moment though from his last postings. The Loyal's came close to being wiped out. Sorry but dinner's up! Back soon.
     
  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Here's a map showing where 1st Division was on the beach-head.
     

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  12. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Last edited: Jun 26, 2022
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  13. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    This was a period when my "Specialist Knowledge takes a dive as the 67th Field Regt was moved towards the sea to support the American 36th Combat Engineers and 56th Div.
    265 Bty normally supported The Loyals but this was probably taken over by 19th Field Regt who took a hammering as they took replacement officers from the 67th Capt Jupp MC and Lt France MC. on the 21stFeb.

    Photo 1 original map listed at the top 1.The Flyover 2 The Factory/Carroceto 3. Campoleone
    Photo 2 What was left of the Factory
    Photo 3 Carroceto
    Courtesy Shepherd Family Collection
     

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    Last edited: Jun 26, 2022
  14. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Now for my enquiry re Major Hamilton.
    I have notes regarding the Loyals supported by 265 Bty 67th Field Regt during the Tunisia Campaign.
    In April 1943 a patrol led by a Lt Hamilton was ambushed. The 265 Bty FOO party escaped but Lt Hamilton and the first section in the patrol were killed or captured.
    There is no record in CWGC records of his death in Tunisia 1943.
    Was he captured and freed at the fall of Tunis or escape from the ambush to return to his Regiment.
    Are we talking of the same person whose name is heading this thread in 1945.
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2022
  15. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    The casualty list initially has him as died but then amended to accidentally killed
     
  16. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    1st Loyals were in 1st Infantry Division who fought in Italy then went to Palestine in Jan 1945. He must have been in a different Battalion or with someone else to be buried in Greece. WW2 was over, this was the time of the Greek Civil War.
    Needs a bit of digging.
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2022
  17. Mark Potts

    Mark Potts Well-Known Member

    Brilliant extra info guys. Many thanks!!
     
  18. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    John and Jim Hamilton from an Ancestry family tree - seems a military family, their father died in 1921 India/Afghanistan area as Major in the RASC

    24716d1d-fcf1-47cb-bec1-1524cf202d44.jpg
     
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  19. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    I wonder if anyone on the forum might have a copy of the Loyal's War Diary 1943/44 with a list of Officers in the Field. There just might be two of them in the Battalion although I doubt it somehow.
    A number of officers in the 67th went home pretty sharpish from Palestine after VE day to stand as MP's in the General election. The Loyal's were Regulars so that is unlikely but he might have been due for leave so went home early to go back there as 1 Inf Div were in the ME for a few years. Died in transit maybe. Could have died on Crete or anywhere in the Balkans to be buried here.
     
  20. Mark Potts

    Mark Potts Well-Known Member

    Flabbergasted by the amount of information you guys come up with. Again many, many thanks. It's a fantastic forum. Mark
     
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