Remembering Today Casualty Details | CWGC BLAXALL, WALLACE HENRY Rank: Trooper Service No: 14408976 Date of Death: 10/09/1944 Age: 21 Regiment/Service: Royal Armoured Corps, Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cemetery: GEEL WAR CEMETERY Grave Reference: I.B.3. Location: Belgium Additional Information: Son of William A. and Margeret E. Blaxall, of North Kensington, London. Personal Inscription: IN LOVING MEMORY. HE NOBLY ANSWERED DUTY'S CALL HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR ONE AND ALL
The 'Sherwood Rangers' landed on Gold Beach on D-Day in support of the 231st Infantry Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division - 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, 1st Bn Dorsetshire Regt and 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt; and as a formation within the 8th Armoured Brigade. They found themselves working again with the 50th (Northumbrian) Division at the bloody Albert Canal assault crossing at Gheel; and would have been supporting either the 151st Infantry Brigade - 6th, 8th or 9th Bns Durham Light Infantry - or 69th Infantry Brigade - 5th Bn East Yorkshire Regt, and 6th & 7th Bns Green Howards. Fifty Div had a hard battle and were eventually relieved by the 15th (Scottish) Division. However, the latter entered Gheel and moved on to the next canal assault crossing without a fight - the job having already been sorted by Fifty Div and the 8th Armoured Brigade. RIP. Trooper W.H.Blaxall Best, Steve.
By the way, there is mention of Wally Blaxall here: http://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threads/trooper-riches-sherwood-rangers-rip.127854/ "The driver (Wally Blaxall) was killed by the HE as he always went into action with his hatch open for fear of being trapped in a burning tank if the gun fell across a closed hatch lid, as sometimes did the lap gunner Arthur (Raffles) Lake who died of wounds a few hours later." [SIZE=14.6667px]Wally Blaxall was also an ex-24th Lancer who was transferred to the SRY when the 24th Lancers were disbanded in Normandy at the end of July 1944. [/SIZE] [SIZE=14.6667px](So just the above bit: (post#3) "[/SIZE]The 'Sherwood Rangers' landed on Gold Beach on D-Day in support of the 231st Infantry Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division - 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, 1st Bn Dorsetshire Regt and 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt; and as a formation within the 8th Armoured Brigade." whilst true for the SRY was not Wally Blaxall's regiment around the time of D-day, since he was in the 24th Lancers then.) Nb. See also here: http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/24465-geel-stelen-cemetery-belgium/#entry343341
Re. Trooper Wally Blaxall There is a photo: (Trooper Wally Blaxall of Lt.Cowans crew... KIA 10 Sept 44) ...and some comments here: The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 1939-1945 "Remembering Today Trooper Wally Blaxall, Trooper John Greenan and Trooper Thomas Fothergill who lost their lives during the battle for Geel, Belgium on Sunday 10th September 1944. Tprs.Blaxall and Greenan lie in Geel War Cemetery while Tpr.Fothergill is buried in Stelen in St.Apolonias Churchyard. Edit: And BE02-Geel - Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Association