Sgt John Weston Sampson 4391075 7th Bn Green Howards

The other mystery of course is how my father in law, captured on 28th June 1942, got hold of a handwritten citation, which was written 5 days later, when he was in an Italian/German hospital camp having his legs mended, then spending another 3 years in POW camps.
Through the mist of time it's uncertain.
Either the Officer ended up in the same POW camp with him and handed it over, or when he was mistakenly listed as killed (which is why he was on Bridlington War Memorial when still very much alive) his papers and citation were sent to his fiance later his wife, or he possibly did his own search post war.
The latter I very much doubt as he was a very humble man.
If it came from an official source then surely a record would have existed or exists, which then begs the question as to why no action was taken over the award.

 

Wow you guys are quick.
Thanks Owen.

 

If he became a PoW I would see if there's a POW Questionnaire that he completed. They are at the National Archives. Lee (Psyc-war.org) copies them quite cheaply.

 

I've seen the same citation used for more than one man before with just the names changed when I've been looking at BEF awards. It's not common but it did happen.

Thinking out of the box a little-did Sgt Usher get captured? I'm wondering if the CO or Company Commander could have thought Sampson was killed so gave the medal to Usher instead?

 

I now have citation for Sgt Usher.
The similarity is disturbing. Uncanny.

1st sentence exactly the same, word for word, except for name.
Sgt Usher also "organised the column" and also got the column through "Divisional Gap"
He also "led his section into the attack with the greatest courage and determination"
after encountering "an enemy force in the Mrassus area".

Johns is hand writtan at Bde HQ El Alamein on 2nd July
Sgt Ushers is typed up, on a W3121 form,dated 6th July with Cooke - Collis, Brigadier, and Auchinleck cross signing.

No B.Davis though.Was he an adjutant to Lt Colonel Gibbon?

A final sentence has been crossed out. "Sgt Ushers devotion to duty over a long period has been an inspiration to his men".
A date seeming to indicate date of action? as 14 Jun 1942 has been altered to *4 Jun 1942, yet the account clearly states 15th June.

Fuddled our brains are.

 

Andy - you just leap frogged us with the thinking, but out of respect for Sgt Usher didn't want to post.
I just said to my wife that, given the almost rout of our North Africa forces, loss of Tobruk, a less than pleased Mr Churchill, a war going down the plughole nearly everywhere, then the need to pin a gong on the maximum number of "heroes", especially those non posthumous or missing in action, for publication in the press as a morale booster, may have led to the medal going to the next available man.

Mind you if Sgt Usher was there in amongst that flying lead, then I have nothing but respect for him too. They should probably all have had medals.

Interested in the POW form. Not heard of that before.

 

I have just found 2/Lt Geoffrey Frederick Usher.MM
Sadly he is in a War Cemetery at Catania, Italy. KIA 14/7/1943
RIP

I have always said to my lady wife that had her Dad not been made POW in 1942, no doubt he would have done something heroic later and ended up dead.

 

Presume it to be the same GF Usher, as service number seems to have changed.

 

OR's service numbers change if they get a commision. The fact he has a MM (Only given to OR's) and not a MC would suggest to me its the same chap.

 

I have the diary if anyone is interested ?

 

Is it normal to give a commision posthumously?

Wife just said if a commission can be given postumously, then why can't a MM be awarded after being taken POW??

Oh and she says a big thankyou too.

 

London Gazette was behind what was happening in real time. He was an officer before he was killed.

 

Looks like he was killed (indirectly) by his own battalion.

 

Very very sad.

I suppose the next step is to find out if John filled out a POW Questionnaire.
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf, later 344.
He was pretty crook in Italy, hospitals, operations etc, so this may have been deferred until some form of recovery had taken place.
We have letters he wrote home from Lamsdorf. With wry humour he later named his house the same. " Lamsdorf", and apparently addressed the household end of day at bed time with "lights out" - in German!!
We are reflecting quite soberly on his post war existence - without a medal, versus that of Geoffrey Usher's family, without their son.
John went on to be a hugely well respected teacher in Bridlington, still well thought of all these years after his passing by ex-pupils we meet. Of course the love of my life would never have existed had roles been reversed.