Beginner needing help

Must have been around Hanover when he was injured.

29 British General Hospital
Quassassin (Egypt) 7/42 to 8/42 then to Bayishia (Iraq); Bayishia (P.A.I.) 8/42 to 11/42 then to Tehran; Bettros-y-Coed 1/44 to 19/7/44 then overseas; Goodwood 10/11/44 to 1/45 then overseas; Eccloo (Belgium) 1/45 to 6/45 then to Belsen; Belsen Camp 6/45 to 7/45; Hanover 7/45 and remained open as British Military Hospital Hanover till 20/7/50.

 

Hi,

You appear to have all the forms I've received when making next of kin applications.

The papers regarding his injury - Medical & probable Court of Enquiry - will still be held by MOD and are not usually released.

Steve Y

 

By December 1945 the War in Europe (and elsewhere) was over, so he would have sustained injuries rather than wounds in battle.
Most likely would be road or rail traffic accident, or from booby trap (unlikely) or mishap in handling weapons.

Does anyone in your family recall him having scars, memory of injuries?

 

I was never told of any injuries he suffered in the war but he never really spoke much about things , he once mentioned seeing someone hopping through a mine field holding his leg , but as a kid I just assumed he was joking but as his role as a stretcher bearer maybe he did witness a lot of terrible sights . The family always spoke about a motor cycle accident which nearly killed him but this would have been at least 12 yrs after the war so im rather clueless what happened to him to end up in that hospital .

 

Marty,
2nd Document confirms DLI enlistment March 1940

Kyle

 

Marty This interview with Frederick Linaker should interest you.

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80011493


British private served with 307th Infantry Training Centre in Northern Ireland, 1940; served with Holding Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1940.

REEL 1 Background in Lancashire and Cheshire, 1919-1940: family and memories of childhood; education; civilian work; marriage; registration for call-up including medical; reactions of family to call-up; arrival at Fulwood Barracks in Preston; first meal; items in possession on arrival; route of journey to Belfast; size of draft. Aspects of period as private with 307th Infantry Training Centre in Northern Ireland, 1/1940-3/1940: knowledge of selection for Durham Light Infantry ; arrival at Holywood Barracks; uniform issued; details of unit; cap badge worn

 

Thanks for the information RCG , i'll look forward to listening through it all , I also noticed he was sent to maiden newton too , I tried to look into what was going on down there at the time but I can only seem to find information about reenactment groups etc but I assume some kind of training ws going on down there so maybe it will explain that on the recording too so many thanks again .

 

Hi,

Have you noticed that there is a mention of an attachment to Royal Artillery @ Porton (Down?) in July 1942 with mention of exposure to a C(hemical) W(warfare) agent which you may be able to research further.

Steve Y

 

I just presumed the CN agent was gas mask training or something all the soldiers had .

 

Slowly going through the records.

11th June 1940. Posted to Hereford Regiment. At Holywood Belfast.

He remained there until 14th April 42 when he was sent to Maiden Newton, Dorchester, Devon, to attend a stretcher bearer course, returning on the 18th April 42.

Then, W.E.F. With effect from, the 5th July 42 he was attached to R.A. Royal Artillery Detachment at Porton (( Porton Down) During the Second World War, research concentrated on chemical weapons such as nitrogen mustard, plus biological weapons, including anthrax and botulinum toxin)) . for Rations and Accomodation. Waiting to go through gas Mask training etc.

11th July 42. He was exposed to C.W. (Chemical Warfare) agent, according to kings regulation,1940 para 1718 (xxi). and C.T.B.A. ceased to be attached to R.A. Det, at Porton.

Can’t make out the place he was at from 11th July 42.
4th to 9th Oct 42. Could be, Temporally attached in execution of War exercises to 114th Infantry Brigade.

 

Thanks so much RCG its amazing how you can read that writing . One thing i'm confused with is was he just enlisted or did he volunteer for the T.A'S and was 2 years a usual amount of time to spend in Holywood training .

 

If i'm reading the documents right , I was thinking he enlisted on the 13.3.40 and the day after he was posted to holywood for training , then on the 11th of june he was posted to the Hereford regt but was this while he stayed at holywood or would he have actually gone to Hereford ? .

 

Hi Owen , it does state he was posted to the 2nd battalion Herefords and i read the information on thier site . I guess if he was down in weston-super-mare it wouldnt have been much of a trip to maiden newton from there . I just wondered on the documents after recieiving stretcher bearer training etc it states a return date , where would he return to ? is this a return back home or a return back to weston-super-mare .

 

<One thing i'm confused with is was he just enlisted or did he volunteer for the T.A'S and was 2 years a usual amount of time to spend in Holywood training.>

I would say enlisted as he was 24 at the time.

Primarily the Holywood barracks/camp (Est 1886) served as the home base for British army battalions. So a battalion/Regiment would have had a two year posting there. So it was not all training, but basically guarding the backdoor.


Records: the first one to study is this one, as the service and casualty form and statement of services
May have been written at later dates.



We know that James enlisted on 13th March 1940 and went to Holywood.

Red Box. This shows James’s Main Base was Holywood till 5th July 42.

Then on 11th July 42 his Main Base changed to (GreenBox) somewhere (undefinable) could be something like, little choubf. This was his main base until 24th June 44, when he moved to another base in the UK.
Somewhere near the south coast as it was a pre-embarkment base.

little choubf,or whatever it is, could well be near Porton or Weston super mere.

 

Thanks so much for all your help RCG , sorry I ask so many questions , ive ordered a book on the wilts from the wardrobe so i'm hoping I can find out something from that , what i'd like to do and here comes another question , i'd like to put together a photo of him in a frame with a cloth insignia of the wilts and possibly a set of minature medals he recieved if there is such a thing , so just wondred if anyone knows where these could be obtained from , either genuine or replica ? , ive looked on many sites but the shoulder title of the wilts seems as rare as hens teeth for some reason . Im also unsure what the medals are , is the 1939-1945 star the same medal as the france & germany defence medal or are they two or three different medals with the war medal . He also recieved a good conduct badge ? would this have been a medal or a badge as on researching it I could only find a reference to a medal and not a badge .

 

Think ive found out what the ( little ) place is , there is a village in Dorset called Litton Cheney so maybe they went there on coastal duties .

 

Hi Marty

Medal info can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/medals-campaigns-descriptions-and-eligibility

TD

 

Cheers TD thats great , thanks for your help .