Missing & POW East Yorks Reg. 1942

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by amberdog45, Oct 26, 2014.

  1. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    This news article is mainly East York men missing in the Middle East (reported 1942)

    These all have photos
    Pte. Eric Pearson (26)
    L. Sgt. H. Baron (26) Coldstream Guards
    Pte. Jack Clark (25) Green Howards
    Pte. George Greenwood (27)
    Pte. James Edward Lison (23)
    Cpl. George Hall (32)
    Pte. Henry Martin (26)
    Pte. Charles Earles (23)
    Pte. Arthur Bell (25)
    Sgt. Fred W. Shillito (31)
    Pte. Stanley Robb (23) R.A.O.C.
    Pte. Simeon Hairsine (24)
    Pte. Thomas W. Greenley (25)
    Pte. George Mooney (25)
    Pte. Joseph Hirst (24)
    Pte. D. Gibson (23)
    Pte. Charles William Dick (25)
    pte. George Thomas Johnson (26)
    Pte. John Ellerby (23)
    Pte. Leonard Howe Ellenton (22)

    POW
    Sgt. John Minister (21) POW in Italy
    Pte. Arthur Jackson

    Reported Wounded (no picture)
    Pte. Bernard Cook - Green Howards in the Middle East

    Hopefully someday, somebody will search for these mens names and find their photo here.
     

    Attached Files:

    4jonboy likes this.
  2. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Yorkshire men missing in Libya 1942 (no photo's for the last 3 men)

    L. Cpl. George Mallory (26) East Yorks
    Pte. Ernest William Walgate (22) Green Howards
    Pte. Edgar Benson (22) Green Howards
    Pte. Charles Petty (22) East Yorks
    Pte. Charles Priestman (23)
    Pte. Ronald Key (25) East Yorks
    L. Cpl. H. Gilbert RASC
    C.Q.M.S. Arthur E. Turner (27) East Yorks
    Pte. Leonard Bratley (26) East Yorks
    Pte. F. Vickers (26) East Yorks
    Cpl. Eric Holliday (21) East Yorks
    Sgt. C. Stark East Yorks Service Number 4344722
    Pte. Jack Hulland (25)
    Cpl. Charles Perry (24) Green Howards
    Pte. John William Smith (31) Green Howards Medical Section
     

    Attached Files:

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  3. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Thanks for putting these up on the forum. I have stumbled upon men from my research in just this kind of way, so it is well worth doing. :)
     
  4. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    The first newspaper article was a few weeks after the Battle of Gazala and ensuing Gazala Gallop.

    The 150th Infantry Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division was overrun by the DAK on 1 June 1942 and those not killed, with few exceptions, became PoW. The 150th Infantry Brigade included 4th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment, and 4th and 5th Bns Green Howards.

    Their position (or 'Box') within the Gazala defences was at/near Rotunda Ualeb - situated between the Trigh El Abd and Trigh Capuzzo and they were very unfortunate to be there. They had previously been situated at Bir Hacheim and worked hard on that position's defences; something the Free French were to make good use of in the Battle of Gazala. However, they were moved north to Ualeb and took over the not so good defences vacated by the 201st Guards Brigade, who in turn went into reserve behind 50 Div at Knightsbridge.

    Why mention this... One of the 'missing' men mentionioned was a Coldstream Guardsman and the 201st Guards Brigade included the 3rd Bn Coldstrean Guards. I am assuming, therefore, that L. Sgt. H. Baron probably served with the 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards and was lost/missing in the ensuing battles around Knightsbride.

    The 69th Infantry Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division, was also invloved in these actions and therefore, some of the men could belong to the 5th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment, and 6th and 7th Bns Green Howards...

    I will research these 'missing' men some more over the next few days and see what I can find; it may be little or nothing though.

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  5. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    I found no trace of the soldiers mentioned at Messages # 1 & 2 on the CWGC (via Geoff's Search Engine) nor a mention of the East Yorkshire Regiment men in the Appendix of 'The Story Of The 5th Battalion The East Yorkshire Regiment TA' (Garwood).

    Search continues!
     
  6. Rowan Coupe

    Rowan Coupe New Member

    Cyril Stark was my great grandfather on my dad's mother's side.

    He achieved the DSO. But we never found out the full story. Some details from my dad was that he was a bit of a lad. And something about storming a machine gun nest.
    We know he was a pow in an Italian camp.
    Escaped with someone else.
    Was recaptured and sent to Germany. To one of the stalags for repeat escapees.

    If anyone has more info. Would love to hear it.
     
  7. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    German camp details

    UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945
    Name: C Stark
    Rank: Serjeant
    Army Number: 4344722
    Regiment: East Yorkshire Regiment
    POW Number: 131283
    Camp Type: Stalag
    Camp Number: VII-A
    Camp Location: Moosburg an der Isar, Bavaria
    Record Office: Infantry and Army Educational Corps Record Office, York
    Record Office Number: 20

    TD
     
  8. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Cyril Stark was held for a time at Camp 66, Capua. This information is from the POW listing WO392/21 POW's of the Italians as of August 1943. Hopefully, other forum members can tell you more about this camp:

    PICT0064 copy 2.jpg
     
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  9. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    Not a DSO but a Military Medal
    No. 4344722 Sergeant Cyril STARK, The East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York's Own) (Hull). London Gazette November 8th 1945.

    Missing 4th June 1942 Held Campo Pg 54 also ,pre Italian surrender listed as 4 Batt, East Yorks Regt
    Kyle
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2019
    timuk and Tricky Dicky like this.
  10. ArmyBoyandMan

    ArmyBoyandMan Active Member

    My Father John Grasby was also in the 4th Bn East York's Reg but was P.O.W. In Camp 53 Sforzacosta !942-1943 he Escaped in 1943
    bamboo43 very kindly found the P.O.W. info out for me I am deeply in his Debt thanks pal
     

    Attached Files:

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  11. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    An interesting story, a bit of which is missing from the citation, which says that John Grasby escaped in July 1943.
    It also states that he joined up with the partisans until 1945 when he report in to a South African unit in Turin.

    No-one to my knowledge successfully escaped from PG 53 in July 1943, two months before the Armistice of 8 September, and even if they had done it is unlikely that they would have made for the Turin region and then the Alps - the obvious route from Macerata would have been to go south.

    Three groups were sent to Germany from PG 53 on three consecutive days in July and at least one other group was sent to PG 146 Mortara, which was composed of working farms. One of these prisoners was New Zealander Laurence Read who ended up at Rosasco. Read and the other men from PG 146 escaped at the Armstice. He also joined the partisans for a time before escaping into Switzerland.

    Vitellino
     
  12. ArmyBoyandMan

    ArmyBoyandMan Active Member

    With the deepest Respect for your WW2 Knowledge I Know my late Farther was a Strict Leaned man who was totally Truthful he didn’t make things up in fact he didn’t talk a lot about his War years and what little he did talk about he didn’t brag about or Glorify I remember him telling me about his early days of escaping

    He told me about an occasion were an enemy Patrol was searching the Area were my Father was in hiding he said he hid behind these bushes expecting to be found by the patrol as he said the bushes hardly covered him so being a practicing Catholic he prayed and prayed that he wouldn’t be discovered and hale Mary the patrol passed him by, now with all my being that account truly happened, also when my Father was alive he kept in touch with one of his old Italian Partisans friends

    I kept a letter and family Phots of his family its written in Italian a language that my father spoke fluently after his time with the Partisans I passed the letter onto my Niece after my Divorce as I didn’t have children of my own to give it to and as soon as I can get her to find the letter and photos I will post them
     
  13. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Cpl. John Grasby’s army number is from the Lincolnshire Regiment block of numbers.
     
  14. ArmyBoyandMan

    ArmyBoyandMan Active Member

    My Father John Grasby was Born in 1911 in Lincolnshire and first Joined the T.A. in 1927 -1935 and in 1939 he joined the Regulars and was with the 4th Bn East Yorks, Prince of Wales Yorkshire Reg, Green Howards

    Michael
     

    Attached Files:

  15. ArmyBoyandMan

    ArmyBoyandMan Active Member

    Glanford Brigg Lincoinshire
     
  16. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Armyboyandman,

    I really am cracking up, thought the whole issue did ring a bell. We've been through all this before, in September 2018.

    My offer to translate the letters from the family is is still open,

    Vitellino
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2020
  17. ArmyBoyandMan

    ArmyBoyandMan Active Member

    I’m not trying to make excuses but I have tried again and again for my Niece to find the letter and Photos she kept says there some wear in her attic and she keeps insisting she will try and find them when she gets time in the end I got that pissed off with her I just gave up asking her

    I wish now that I had the sense to keep the dam letter in the first place but I had just gone through a messy Divorce and wasn’t thinking straight also the madding thing is that I posted the Letter and Photos and some other Army stuff years ago on an old sever I think the server was called blueyonnder.co.uk Virgin bought them out
     
  18. ArmyBoyandMan

    ArmyBoyandMan Active Member

    I’ve texted my Niece again asking to find the Letter she replied with an apology and added that she didn’t feel safe going into the attic and she would ask her daughter to go up their and look for them, I’m even more worried now because my Great Niece Excuse the Language is a lazy cow I don’t make a practice of insulting my Family but I make an exception for her she about 25 years old lives at home with her mum my Niece a single parent they both work full time but when my Great Niece gets home from work she does nothing and I mean nothing no cooking no washing up no house cleaning no washing or ironing her cloths and her bedrooms like a Tip she’s totally spoiled brats and what makes it worse is my Sister and Brother in law think the sun shines out of her ass
     
  19. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Do you live near to them? Would a visit help or make things worse?

    In the meantime, if you haven't done so you could send for your father's service records. They should list all the camps he was in.
    Get a copy of military service records - GOV.UK

    Vitellino
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2020
  20. ArmyBoyandMan

    ArmyBoyandMan Active Member

    I will need to get a copy from Military Services is it easy to get, a lot of my Fathers Military stuff must have been chucked out after he died in 1975 ,I was in the Army Stationed in Catterick at the time so I didn't get a chance to go though his stuff
     

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