Tracing grandad Joe

hello

I'm trying to find any information about my great grand father.
His name was Joseph Tonks.
Army number 320423.
He was killed on the 3rd of September 1944 and is buried at gradara war cemetery in Italy

Any help with information would be much appreciated and any pointers on where to look gladly received

 

Hi Joe. This thread might help give you some more information about 2RTR 2 RTR

 

apply for service records is a good start Get a copy of military service records

SerjeantTONKS, JOSEPH
Service Number 320423

Died 03/09/1944

Aged 24

2nd
Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C.

Son of John and Florence Tonks, of Oldbury, Birmingham; husband of Mary Ann Tonks, of Oldbury.


INSCRIPTION
THE LORD BLESS THEE AND KEEP THEE
Casualty

 

L/Cpl Joseph Tonks Wounded 27th May 1940 BEF France 10th (PWO) Royal Hussars

Sgt Joseph Tonks Killed in Action Italy 3rd September 1944 2nd RTR.

2nd listing with 4 Casualties from 2nd RTR
3321746 W F Jowers Tpr
558330 W A Snelson Cpl
320423 J Tonks Sgt
7942210 H S Williams Tpr

Kyle

 

First of all thank you

I had no idea he had been wounded previously.

Do you know what the hand written numbers are after his name in the third document ?

 

see this What do these numbers mean?

Handwritten Codes on Casualty Records

 

My grandad is buried next to those other rtr men in rank order. I'm assuming they could have been crew members as I belive 2rtr were equipped with shermans at that time.

 

Joe,
Have you seen the answers to your question regarding the original burial site posted on another thread? Problems of posting on multiple threads. I think you should ask a Mod to move these posts to this thread so all the info is in one place.
Tim

 

Joe.

On 3 Sep 44, 2 RTR were moving from II (PO) Corps to 7 Armd Bde to fill in for 6 RTR who were sent to support the advance of 4 Indian Division on the very left of the V (BR) Corps line. That made me doubt that he was killed on that day. I suspect that he, and his crew, were badly injured whilst supporting the advance of II (PO) Corps in late Aug 44.

The WD may tell us something.

Regards

Frank

 

So would there have been a notification of injury then death as I beliee there is only a letter saying he was KIA

 

Joe.

His mother may well have received a letter of condolence from Sgt Tonks's Squadron Leader.

Either way, the most reliable way to find out because it is more likely to have been recorded there, are the War Diaries. To lose a whole crew outside the main set piece battleship is more unusual and so may well have been noted in the WDs.

Does anybody out there happen to have the 2 RTR WDs for end of Aug/start of Sep 44?

Regards

Frank

 

frank

I've just spoken to a family member who said that he was killed not in direct battle but was having a meeting when they were shelled in some woods. I belive one of his comrades told this to my great grand mother and the story passed down.

 

Joe.

That is much more likely although I suspect that the shelling did not take place on 3 Sep 44 because 2 RTR was quite a long way behind the line doing its move over to 7 Armd Bde.

Regards

Frank

 

This is related but not directly involving Sgt Tonks . In the casualty list I posted under
2nd listing with 4 Casualties from 2nd RTR ?
3321746 W F Jowers Tpr
558330 W A Snelson Cpl
320423 J Tonks Sgt
7942210 H S Williams Tpr
The CWGC have Snelson listed as a Captain but the concentration still states Cpl ?
Casualty
There were also three other 2 RTR casualties for this day.
7907092 Cpl M W H Allen (amended from DoW to KiA)
7882907 Tpr F A Newton. (amended from DoW to KiA)
7927218 Tpr R G Parker (Previously wounded in N,Africa 1942)

Kyle

 

I've been reading through the war diaries and it states on the 3/9/44 that 2 ORs ( I assume ordinary ranks ) were killed and 1 officer and 5 OR swerve wounded by heavy mortar and artillery fire from tavaleto but there are no names mentions .

 

Perhaps the officer was Snelson ,if the CWGC details are correct then he was a Captain not a Corporal ? I wonder what rank his grave stone records?

Kyle

 

UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
Name: William Snelson
Given Initials: W A
Rank: Corporal
Death Date: 3 Sep 1944
Number: 558330
Birth Place: Manchester
Residence: Manchester
Regiment at Enlistment: 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Own) RAC
Branch at Enlistment: Royal Armoured Corps
Theatre of War: Italy
Regiment at Death: Royal Tank Regiment RAC
Branch at Death: Royal Armoured Corps

TD

 

Headstone documentation attached to William Snelson entry on CWGC also indicates rank of Corporal. I'll contact CWGC.

Tim

 

TD

 

Deleted

Tim