49th West Riding Division - Brigadier Ekins

Visited Bergen-op-Zoom cemetery in the Netherlands at the weekend and saw the grave of Brigadier Maurice Ekins (d. 4/11/44).

I had a quick look online and he was CO of 56th Brigade, 49th Div. Other than that I can't find anymore information.

Does anyone have a unit history? I'd like to know the circumstances of his death.

Thanks in advance,

Shaun

 

Shaun,

When he landed in Normandy in June 1944 he was CO of 131 Inf Bde, 7 Armd Div before, in July 1944 he swapped with the commander of 56 Inf Bde. I'm not sure exactly why, perhaps to move experienced commanders around? I think there is a bit more detail in the recent book about 56 Bde.

Cheers

Tom

 

From memory, it wasn't much more scientific than Pepper being considered to have a more dashing style, and therefore better suited to an infantry brigade in an armoured division. Ekins, as more of a 'plodder', was given the ordinary infantry brigade.

 

Just found an extract online from the 56th Brigade book. Says Ekins died of a gunshot wound fired at close range to the right side of the head. There was no enemy action that night and he was found seated in his car. Also, some men at brigade HQ were sworn to secrecy.

This no doubt explains why there is so little info about him online.

Is his death mentioned I Delaforce's book (Polar Bears), or any other unit history?

 

No mention in Polar Bears, the Glosters' Cap of Honour (which tends to be a bit thin) or the Essex history. The latter makes the point that the operation to cross the Mark was towards the end of a hard six-week period in the line.

 

Suicide?

 

I was thinking the same thing

 

I'm intrigued now...I'll look him up in the Brigade War Diary when I'm at Kew next

WO 171/650 56 Brigade HQ 1944 Mar-Dec

 

185 Fd Regt might also be worth a look if it took their CO away.

 

Tut, You could have posted the ref !

 

I'd be interested in whatever people find about Ekins. I certainly didn't discover much when I was digging into 50th Div, other than one or two negative comments about his ability. Pepper was highly regarded by everyone from Montgomery down, but 56th Bde had a tough time under him. The 56th made its best attack of the Normandy Campaign under Ekins, in BLUECOAT, so perhaps he should get some credit for that.

 

Any chance you took a photo of his headstone Shaun that you could post on this thread?

 

Photo Credit `Astrid`

 

Many thanks for the info guys. I'd be interested in what you dig up at the National Archives, Andy.

Seems like everything was hushed up - probably for the sake of unit morale and to preserve Ekins' honour (although I'm sure word quickly got around as to what happened). Even in later accounts posted above the "S" word is never mentioned and Ekins' death is brushed over. Makes you wonder if his family ever found out the true story (provided of course that what we all seem to think happened is the true story)?

There is also the question of why he would do such a thing? Was it for professional reasons i.e. had he made some tactical errors prior to his death? Perhaps someone out there who knows more about 49th Div than me can speculate?

 

Again, much easier to say than do: but the Royal Fusiliers may have had a journal which may have had an obituary?

 

This link http://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_E01.html#Ekins_MS says 'killed in action.'

 

Maybe that was the official line. The problem is that I (and no doubt most of you) have read lots of unit histories. Whenever a senior officer is KIA, there is nearly always a description of how he died. A brigade commander would especially warrant a write up, but there seems to be little about Ekins' cause of death, other than that he died.