2 Seaforth Highlanders at St Valery 1940

Discussion in '1940' started by Iankn, Nov 14, 2010.

  1. Iankn

    Iankn Junior Member

    Can anyone help me find my Grandfathers grave or any information about him? He was wounded and died 08 June 1940 on the way to St Valery. I have been in touch with Fort George they tried hard but never found him.
    We can’t find any photos of him although he was PTI at fort George and was a goalkeeper for his regiment; I have been told that there were photos of him on the wall at the old Seaforth club in Edinburg.
    He was Corporal George Ferguson (born in Edinburgh)
    2nd Battalion
    Number 722662
    Date died 08/06/1940 age 36
     
  2. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Ian, presumably this is him ?

    FERGUSON, GEORGE BARTLEMAN
    Initials: G B
    Nationality: United Kingdom
    Rank: Corporal
    Regiment/Service: Seaforth Highlanders
    Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
    Age: 36
    Date of Death: 08/06/1940
    Service No: 722662
    Awards: Mentioned in Despatches
    Additional information: Son of Archibald Bartleman Ferguson and Elizabeth Ferguson, of Edinburgh; husband of Violet May Ferguson, of Muirhouse, Edinburgh.
    Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
    Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 13. Row F. Grave 26.
    Cemetery: LONDON CEMETERY AND EXTENSION, LONGUEVAL

    It would seem that he didn't make it as far as St Valery. His MID should make it easier to find out a bit more about him.

    It would probably be a good idea to alter your thread title to include 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders and the date of his death (8/6/1940) as it will help with the correct war diary etc. look-ups.
     
  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I just checked online for the MiD and couldn't see it listed.

    As their are only two awards that were awarded posthumously during WW2 one being the VC and the other a MiD. I wonder if his death and the MiD are linked?

    Your grandfathers Service Records should be at the top of your list if you want to do some serious research.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  4. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    Strange that he has not got a Seaforth number.!! 2nd Seaforth were the Regular army battalion of 152nd Brigade, 51st Highland Division, from March 1940. Before that they were in 17th Infantry Brigade, of 5th Division. The two territorial battalions in 152 brigade were 4th Seaforth and 4th Camerons. 152 brigade were making a fighting withdrawal at the time of 8th June 1940.
     
  5. jainso31

    jainso31 jainso31

    Just checked-Service No starting 722 is Royal Munster Fusiliers Regt.number. So the plot thickens.

    jainso31
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I agree,
    Royal Munster Fusiliers 7211001 - 7245000 (Disbanded 1922)


    aged 36 in 1940 he'd have been 18 when it was disbanded.
     
  7. jainso31

    jainso31 jainso31

    His original service number given to him by the RMF would be retauned by him,no matter what regiment he served with subsequently.

    jainso31
     
  8. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    There is no real entry for June but this may shed some more light of proceedings but I can't find the file. Anyone?

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Lee,

    Can you have a look through your SE to see if anything turns up that resembles the above? The chap is Major G P Murray 2 Seaforths. I think there are a lot of these files hidden away somewhere at TNA that are not in WO 217.
     
  10. PsyWar.Org

    PsyWar.Org Archive monkey

    Sorry Andy, I drew a blank on this one. Not quite enough to go on.

    The problem is we don't know who created this "POW box 2" or when it happened. Was it in the field, by the War Office archives during or after the war, or when the diary was transferred to the National Archives?

    At any point along the way the box could have been re-catalogued, the personal diary returned to the owner or his next of kin, past to another archive like IWM or the Regimental Museum, or simply destroyed.

    If the diary had been extracted by the National Archives at time of transfer then they are usually good at keeping track of these things and would have quoted the new file reference on the inserted sheet of paper. Therefore I suspect the "POW box 2" was created much earlier by the War Office.


    Lee
     
  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Some of the WO 217 personal diaries are from the same box (They have POW Box 1, 2 etc written on them) so I'm resigned to think they were lost somewhere along the lines.
     
  12. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Here is another example from the 15/19 Royal Hussars war diary-it refers to a yellow note book.
    [​IMG]
     

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