2/7 Middlesex Regiment Anzio

This is getting quite depressing: J.R. ASLING, the diaries say it all & (Its not cricket!) More headstones required. Click on images if needed?








Killed by a direct shell hit in the chest.




No appendix's in this month. Quite old chaps when you think about it.. More to follow.

Stu.

 

Just before i carry on, can any one provide a decent photo of Lt.- Col. De Chimay of the 2/7 Middlesex Regiment? I did once get a decent copy, but I did not save it. The image below shows some of the Officers & (how come the Imperial War Museum photo NA 16590 has not named all the officers?) I may be missing something here? Its good to see Major-General W.R.C. Penney, commander of the British First Infantry Division. 03.07.44.

Stu.

 

More diaries of the 2/7 MX "C" SP GP. You would of thought that Major E.F. Rich, O.C. would have clocked that his Adjutant had typed (7 Gordons instead of 6!) I've had another look at the book that I have, & come to the conclusion in my eyes that Major Charles Glanville, is second to the left of No 6 in the image that i posted in my post #15. Also, i can say the same of Lieutenant (later Captain) Paul, Kenneth, Slocombe. He's to the right of Glanville, has one looks at the image. Capt.C.Glanville, is No 8 in my post #17 above.

7 Gordons ? Underlined in black. Feb 2: 15.30 hrs. No 8 PL mortared in quarry M.R. ( Map Reading?) 882378, two carriers set on fire, Lt. P. Slocombe, burnt on hands & face. 6 OR'S burnt and wounded.. He was Mentioned in Despatches for this, & was out of action until some time in August. See image below on page 436.



Lt - Stanley. David. James. Grimsdale gets a mention below (underlined in red!)


The above Appendices - 41,42 & 43 are rather full of detail, & nicely typed up. The Map No. 4 -- The Reduction of the Salient 2--4 Feb 44 shows the positions of 3 Brigade & others.

The image below speaks for its self.







Grimsdale gets another mention above.


I'm thinking about which battalion to show in my next post! Probably 1 DWR of 3 Brigade.

Regards,
Stu.

 

This may be at my end, but why is taking a age to Upload quite a few Files that are important to this thread? Can any of the Mods please look into it? I'm seeing a square box in places instead of the relevant war diaries & photos.

I don't have a problem when it comes to other forums or websites! May be a case of the new router at my end, or the hard-drive on my lap-top? I do hope that a answer can be found.

Thanks,
Stu.

 

Owen, could you please have a look into my post # 19 above? I've got a war diary to show as to what happened to Lt Grimsdale on the 4th March 44. It gives a answer to what Skip asked in his # 6! He was wounded in the left hand by a mortar bomb: Time of 17.45 hrs.

According to page 406 of Kemp's book-- he died on the 2.1.45. APPENDIX V ROLL OF HONOUR.

A lucky chap to come out of the Anzio campaign-- but looks like he paid the price on the 2.1.45. I would need to check the diaries.

Here is a quote from Peter Verney's book: ANZIO 1944: AN UNEXPECTED FURY Chapter 11 ( The Final Attack) page 206.

On 1 March von Mackensen had reported that he was unable to break the Allies with the troops he then had. At 18.40 hrs that day, Kesselring accepted the truth of his army commander's report and [ordered all large-scale] offensive action to cease. The Allies had won, the beachhead ( was safe!).

Regards,
Stu.

 

I can see all the images on this page (the ones from July) perfectly.

Are you getting a square box with a red X in it?

I know this is obvious, but have you checked that each file is 2mb or smaller?
I got a batch rejected several times before I realised that my files were all too large.

 

Charley,

no i was getting a small green box. This will come across has most strange, but I'm now seeing all images.

Been busy resizing another bunch of files & that has never been a problem (even though its a pain.) I do remember when each file was much larger than 2mb.

A thanks goes to yourself & Owen.

Regards
Stu.

 

Last year whilst i was walking around the Anzio War Cemetery i came across a headstone of a (Corporal from the Middlesex Regiment of which will be) shown later in this post with no name on it. I'm pleased to say that in my opinion, i think we have nailed it? Well, 99.9% sure. Before i carry on, I must pay thanks to some forum members for helping me out on this endeavour. Frank de Planta, Gary Tankard & most importantly: Janet Kinrade Dethick, aka vitellino. Janet, thank-you so much. I think i may well have been up the whats its creak without a paddle, or Below is the Submission to the CWGC & all the ITEMS of evidence.






ITEM 1

ITEM 2. Email sent by Janet. A copy.

16 September 2019 at 13.13 CWGC Support Team <enquiries@cwgc.org>:

Hi Janet,

The unknown Cpl of the Middlesex Regt; is grave II.U.4. He was found along side Sjt. P. Dunne, 1 Irish Guards and Pte. A.F. Chapman, 1 Duke of Wellington's Regt, at Tufello Farm House ( map reference 869368.)

Regards,

Records Data Manager.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Maidenhead, Berkshire, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 1628 507200. Fax +44 1628 771208. Website: www.cwgc.org


This is not item 5. A period aerial photo of Campoleone Station. I've had a look on Google Earth & not much has changed.

If you type in Campoleone, Province of Latina you can follow the road down from the roundabout in the top right hand corner of the aerial photo. I'm hoping that in time to come- Frank will do a stand on one of his Garigliano & Anzio Studies?






Missing men file & all War diaries from that chap called Andy, (aka Drew 5233.)

Gary, thanks for the above & the one below.




Janet, resized ITEM 11a & 11b has chatted about.

Its at this point that i must thank the the author of the above book by John McLoughlin- In The Company of Diehards: `B' Company, 2/7 Middlesex (also called "No. 3 Company, `B' Support Group") 1943- 1945. At around about 340 pages of A4 size, its a lifetimes work. Hats off to this chap. John, thank-you for the other information that you have provided. Differences aside.

The one below is the only picture that i have of Corporal John Alfred Owens for the time being ( see thumbnail) at the end of post. In time to come, I'm hoping that Tracy, the Granddaughter of Cpl Owens will provide some more of them. She is in contact with Janet & I. Has mentioned at the start of this post, if this is not accepted by the CWGC then i will eat my boots. They do have to go through a lengthy process. Some more info may be needed to convince them. If that is the case, then it will be provided? Below are the pages from The History of The Duke of Wellington's Regiment. More of a detailed account than the diaries. Click on images.





Regards,
Stu. Edit: Name removed ITEM 2, Copy of email.

 

The submission for Cpl. Owens has been allocated a number:

Part of an email from CWGC:

Thank you for your email and submission. I am writing to confirm receipt, and to provide you with the relevant reference number:

Corporal John Alfred Owens – ID Case Number 641

If you wish to submit further evidence for this case, or have any queries, please quote the reference number above.

We shall now review the evidence you have submitted and consider it alongside records held within our casualty archive. If the case is considered to have strong merit and foundations which indicate that an accurate change is believed possible, we will progress the case to the relevant service authorities for investigation and adjudication. We will of course keep you informed on the progress of the case in due course.

During the course of the centenary of the First World War we have received a considerable increase in the number of cases submitted to us. There is therefore a significant backlog. However, we now have additional staff investigating these cases and we appreciate your continued patience.

Thank you for your shared commitment to ensuring correct and fitting commemoration of those who served.

Another email from CWGC regards a reply to my query about Cpl. Ling being commemorated on the Cassino Memorial:

My email:

I have found some information that suggests that 799217 Cpl. Ling, 2/7 Middlesex Regiment, died on a hospital ship when being returned to the UK. If this is the case, and he was buried at sea, would he have been remembered on the Cassino Memorial? He last fought at Anzio on 29 February when he was seriously wounded.

Edited to cut out actual words in the reply as I was not supposed to pass on its contents. The gist is that an appropirate place for commemoration in that case would be on the Brookwood Memorial.

Vitellino

PS Regarding the long wait, I was informed buy CWGC yesterday that a submission I made IN JULY 2017 for a soldier buried in Bolsena War Cemetery has just been accepted and sent on to the 'relevant service authorities'. Patience is a virtue, they tell me!

 

Live from Kew, WO177/1414:

 

What a excellent idea! Bingo. Looks has if i will be smashing my piggy bank next year for another study.

Happy days.

Cheers Gary.

Stu.

 

Stu.

Forgive me for not following this close enough.

Are we now saying that the Cpl is Cpl Owens because Gary has traced Cpl Ling to being buried at sea?

Regards

Frank

 

Frank.

Not like you at all. I forgive you. Its the last piece of the jigsaw that we need. The stone masons will have to be busy in time-to-come.
Both of the Corporals will have to be taken off panel 9 on the Cassino Memorial to start with. Its a shame that the CWGC & the MOD do seem to take a age when it comes to looking into any submission & coming back with a answer! Frank, has you know well, the
CWGC are not short of money. They do need a kick-up the backside & that's putting it politely. What do these people do all day?

6199045 Corporal John Alfred Owens should be on the headstone in the the Anzio War Cemetery & 799217 Corporal Thomas Joseph Ling should be on the Brookwood Memorial. At the moment, I'm struggling to make contact with any relatives of Cpl Ling.
Regards
Stu.

 

I should have put this Full Image below in my post 24. Only just got around to completing it. Has i have mentioned, not much has changed in the Tufello area.


Regards

Stu.

 

We had to eliminate all the other corporals who were missing at Anzio to substantiate our claim for Cpl. Owens.

He is now the only 2/7 Middlesex corporal unaccounted for. All the others listed as missing had in fact been taken prisoner and can be found in one of the Stalags in WO 392/1.

I will now send this to the CWGC and will do a submission for Cpl. Ling.

Vitellino

 

Panel 9 The Middlesex Regiment. Cassino Memorial, Cassino Cemetery. After many attempts with different cameras on three different visits, this is the best one that I've managed to capture. Trying to stitch the nine different photos that i have of the panel is near on impossible & its not for trying. Click on image. Both Cpls are second row from the left. Now for the long wait.

Regards,
Stu.

 

I think things could be fairly speedy where Cpl. Ling is concerned.

 

My main concern for the moment is with the family of Corporal Owens. Its not everyday that they get a email out of the blue regarding the information that we have sent them. Has time goes by etc.

The last thing I'm going to try & do is to make contact with the Ling family ( of which one has tried!) I think i may have to try Ancestry? Not something that i have done before. I would not like to add up all the emails that have been exchanged between Vitellino & myself.

Patience is a virtue. You have had plenty of it.

Regards,
Stu.

 

Hi All,

Stu pointed me in the direction of this post and having read it in its entirety I wanted to praise everyone concerned for such a magnificent effort and an incredible result for all those efforts .

Regards

Derrick