P R J Tilley was a soldier with the 2/Welsh Guards in 1940 and took part in Operation Harpoon force to rescue the Dutch Royal Family. He described his escapades in an article published in the BBC People's War site. He wrote the article under the name of Captain Tilley so presuming he was commissioned from the ranks I searched the London Gazette to find the enclosed mention: My question is which battalion was this man in and what were his forenames?
Could this be him? many Guardsmen didn’t even know what their destination was. Just like Percival Tilley. He met Sergeant Obie Walker who asked Tilley: “Do you like tulips?” Tilley answered that they were not his favorite flowers after which Walker told him: “You better learn to love them quickly, we are leaving for Holland tonight.” http://www.go2war2.nl/artikel/2533/British-troops-in-the-Netherlands-in-May-1940.htm?page=3
Yes I think you are right -Percival accounts for the P in PRJ. Now all that remains is which battalion of RWF was he commissioned into. Thanks Jerry
I dont know about that but more on his ww2 activities here http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/percival-tilley-dies-war-wounds-1797765
Think the info below provides his full forenames http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/37944/supplements/1944/page.pdf 2nd Lt. (War Subs. Lt.) Percival Ronald James TILLEY (289936) from Emerg. Commn. to be Lt, ist Oct 1946, with seniority, 28th Feb 1944- http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/36228/supplements/4806/page.pdf R.W. Fus. 2735242 Percival Ronald James TILLEY (289936) London Gazette http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/38626/supplements/2734/page.pdf R.W. Fus. Short Serv. Commn. Lt. P. R. J. TILLEY (289936) to take rank and precedence in his Corps and in the Army as if his appt. as Lt. bore date 28th Feb. 1945. Interesting as he is noted here as a 'Lt' I assume this is the article http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/21/a4678121.shtml This BBC article shows he was in 2nd Battalion, but how precise that is????
Extra to above from another thread http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/4837-army-number-block-allocations/?hl=+army%20+numbers Welsh Guards 2730001 - 2744000 - matches his number above ie 2735242 but then his other number 289936 is for ??????? TD
It would appear that the BBC article is accurate as it fits into other 'official' accounts . I'm trying to piece together the Harpoon Force story for a new book on the 1940 rearguard actions. Thanks very much for your help it's much appreciated. Jerry
I used to have all the Harpoon file at the National Archives until my computer accident. Have you tried a search on here for them ? I think the person I copied them for transcribed all the good detailed ones and posted them on here. A
