Looking for information about 14630016 Private William George LOCK, RAMC: 24/03/1945

Discussion in 'RAMC' started by Patte62, Jul 27, 2021.

  1. Patte62

    Patte62 Member

    Hi everyone,

    Casualty Details | CWGC

    We're looking for more information about Private William George Lock, Regimental Number 14630016, served with the Royal Army Medical Corps (176th Field Ambulance) and died March 24th 1945, age 21, in the Netherlands of his wounds during Operation Plunder. William George Lock was the son of William and Florence May Lock, of Bordesley Green, Birmingham. He is buried @ Venray War Cemetery in the Netherlands. Any information is welcome about William George like War Diaries, Personal Information, Photos or Relatives whome may be contacted. This research is in purpose of making a commemoration book with all kind of information about the Soldiers who are buried in Venray War Cemetery later on.

    Many thanks in advance

    Patrick
     

    Attached Files:

  2. David Woods

    David Woods Active Member

    14630016 Pte. William George Lock
    176th (Highland) Field Ambulance
    154th Infantry Brigade
    51st (Highland) Infantry Division

    Enlisted G.S.C. 17.06.1943
    W.I.A. 23.03.1945
    D.O.W. 24.03.1945

    In late March the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division took part in Operation Turnscrew within the framework of Operation Plunder, the crossing of the River Rhine, near the town of Rees

    176th (Highland) Field Ambulance accompanied the Division throughout North
    Africa from 1942, including the Battle of El Alamein that year, the invasion of Sicily in
    1943 and after returning to UK, North West Europe from June 1944 until the end of
    the War. 176th (Highland) Field Ambulance was then disbanded.

    14630016 Pte. William George Lock may have also served in Normandy and the Ardennes. Would be interesting to know on which side of the River Rhine he was wounded?
    Did he make it into Germany?
     
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  3. Patte62

    Patte62 Member

    Hi David, with the little information that we have for the moment it's indicated that he died of wounds, but not mentionned that he did or didn't make the cross, so thats one of the aspects that we're trying to solve into our search
     
  4. ruurik

    ruurik Member

    Hi Patrick

    My grandad was in the 176th Field Ambulance and was wounded on the exact same day as William.

    My grandad always told us a story that his best friend died that day. I wonder if William was my grandad's friend? I mean how many others were wounded from the 176th Field Ambulance on that exact day? My grandad told us that he was walking through a field with his best friend and his best friend (William?) stood on a land mine. The land mine fatally wounded William and took my grandad's leg off. He said he was devastated by the loss of his friend (but never showed it of course, as was the way). My grandad was from Coventry and William was from Birmingham. Maybe a Midlands connection was part of their friendship?

    All I've got for his location on his service records is North West European Front. A war diary shows that they had been clearing the towns of Gennep and Goch in the Netherlands not far from the Rhine. There are a lot of fields in that area and a mention of mines too.

    I don't think they began to cross the Rhine for another 10 days (around 24 March 1945?) and the rehearsal for the crossing was conducted on the River Maas a day after my grandad and friend were wounded (14 March 1945).

    What do you think?

    Richard
     
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  5. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    Lock002.jpg He is reported wounded 23/3/45 and died of wounds 24/3/45
     
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  6. ruurik

    ruurik Member

    Thanks 51Highland. So it seems William was my grandad's best mate? Looks that way! Wow.
     
  7. Patte62

    Patte62 Member

    Thanks 51Highland and Ruurik, it seems to be that your granddad and William were best mates during the War, great breaktrough into the research of William's trace and confirmation that he didn't cross the Rhine. Is it possible to obtain the War Diaries of those Corps, by any chance, they may have important information about other soldiers who are buried in Venray or in the nearby, to complete their story and to trace their whereabouts also. Many thanks for those complementary information. Ruurik, if you want to know more about the whereabouts of William please contact me by mail.
     
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  8. ruurik

    ruurik Member

  9. Patte62

    Patte62 Member

    Thanks Ruurik
     
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  10. ruurik

    ruurik Member

    I found out lots of information tonight. The 51st Highlanders actually went across the Rhine earlier than I'd thought. They were the first across the lower Rhine and actually went across on 23 March 1945 at 9 pm! (Five hours earlier than the main attack). So that means they were there on the day William and my grandad were wounded. I also read that a bren carrier ran over a mine once they were across and the vehicle blew up. It could be that this was the mine which killed William and injured my grandad? Who knows, but it's certainly a possibility. I'll share the webpages I've been reading:

    RHINE CROSSING 1945: The Rees bridgehead (30 Corps in operation 'Turnscrew')

    There is even sound from a war correspondent at the time of the crossing:



    Ah, the pipes!
     
  11. Keith Lawler

    Keith Lawler Member

    If I may add some comments from my own research into my mum's husband who is also buried in Venray. I now live in the Netherlands and visit Venray and the Rhine regularly. Just to clarify I think you will find that whilst Gennep and Goch are only 20km part, Gennep is in the Netherlands, Goch in Germany. My mum's husband was wounded in Bislich Germany on 24/03/1945 and died a week later most likely in the St Elisabeth Ziekenhuis (hospital) in Venray. Sadly many records were lost so that is impossible to confirm. To have crossed the Rhine at 9pm on 23/03/1945 I think William would already have had to be in the marshalling area on the west bank sometime during the day preparing for the crossing. If he was wounded before 9pm and it sounds like his wounds were serious, he could very well have been moved back to a civilian hospital in the Netherlands, Venray being the one used quite a lot. That scenario means William would not have been involved in the crossing. The cemetery is a short walk from the hospital. If wounded after 9pm then he could very well have crossed. Casualties were returned to the west bank by the empty DUKWs which had dropped off the advancing forces. In the case of my mum's husband crossing, the ADSs and the CCPs took D+6-8 hours to become operational which suggests anyone wounded early would have been returned to the west bank with limited treatment available on the east bank. In that scenario it is still possible to have reached a civilian hospital, Venray being 80kms away, on 24th when sadly William died. Of course I cannot comment for William, but I felt that I wanted to share my personal research from around that date in the context of crossing the Rhine and Venray.
     
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  12. ruurik

    ruurik Member

    Thanks for the info Keith.

    My grandfather said they were taken to a farmhouse as soon as they were wounded. There is a farmhouse very close to where the troops first went across the lower Rhine. It's called Mahnenburg Farm and still exists today. There are lots of farms in this area so I'll never really know for sure.
     
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  13. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Hi Patte62/Ruurik - I do apologize for not having noticed your posts on Ww2Talk earlier. Have you looked for the War Diary of the 176th Field Ambulance? This document might contain more information. Unfortunately, I don't have it, but could check the 154 Bde Diary to see what info it has on the 176th Field Ambulance.

    As you already stated, 51st Highland Division was the first to cross during the Rhine Crossing, and 154 Bde was one of the leading brigades. But it were the Brigade's assault elements that crossed first with the service units (Field Ambulances) following after a bridgehead had been secured.

    Note that the 176 Field Ambulance had set up a CEP on the east bank of the Rhine in the morning of March 24th,45. Near the Buffalo ferry site. It is mentioned over here: RHINE CROSSING 1945: The Rees bridgehead (30 Corps in operation 'Turnscrew')
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2021
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  14. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    This is what I've found thusfar:

    1. Unit?
    Both men probably were in "B" Coy, 176th Field Ambulance, since this was the unit that went across with 154 Brigade (see document under 2.2 below).

    2. Official Documents:

    2.1 154 Bde Operation Order No.9 of 21 March 1945 (Sheet 10):
    176 Field Ambulance 1.jpg

    2.2 Appendix "B" to 154 Bde Operation Order, 154 Bde Group Vehicle Serial List, Sheet 9 (18 March 1945):

    176 Field Ambulance 2.jpg
    NB. On 21 March Serial 127 was amended by adding one extra vehicle (not specified which kind of vehicle).

    2.3 154 INF BDE Administrative Instruction No. 2 of 21 March 1945:

    176 Field Ambulance 3.jpg

    3. Were they across the Rhine on the 23rd?
    Most likely they were. According to the War Diary of the 154 Bde the operation went smoothly and the forward battalions (7th Black Watch and 7th Argylls) had requested for their "F" vehicles before 23:00 hrs on the 23rd. Fragment from the War Diary. So "F.1" (Jeeps) and "F.2" (Ambulances) were in the process of moving across the river. "F.1" probably first.

    176 Field Ambulance 4.jpg
    176 Field Ambulance 5.jpg

    The vehicles had already been stowed on to the Buffaloes in the morning of the 23rd.

    176 Field Ambulance 8.jpg
    In the morning of the 23rd LVTs (amphibious Buffaloes) of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry in a loading area (courtesy: © IWM (BU 2182)).

    4. Location of the CEPs (Casualty Evacuation Posts)
    These were near the LVT ferry unloading points of the forward battalions (white circles):

    176 Field Ambulance 6.jpg

    The CEP at the LVT unloading site of the 7th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders was located along the summer dyke, only 30 yards from where General Rennie was hit by mortar bombs. There is no farm building nearby. On the other hand the Pottdeckel and Mahnenburg farms are located near the LVT unloading point of the 7th Black Watch. So, following Ruurik's story of his wounded grandfather being taken to a farm building, the incident most likely occurred in that area. There were still mines around especially that early in the battle.

    Before first light CCP's were to be established at the Pottdeckel Farm and in the vicinity of the crossroads at 043528 ( X-roads south of Moshovel). Officer recce parties for the CCP areas crossed the Rhine together with Tac HQ of 154 Bde. The latter at first was established at the Pottdeckel farm, where a Bde Tac HQ advance party had assembled by 22:00 hrs (WD 7th Black Watch). First vehicles started to arrive at Bde Tac HQ at 02:20 hrs. Pottdeckel was also the site of the 7th Black Watch RAP. Before daybreak, at 05:30 hrs, the Bde commander landed on the east bank and went straight for the Rathshof (HQ of the 7th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders). Shortly after, Bde Tac HQ moved to a cellar of the farm building of the Rathshof.

    Pottdeckel farm has been broken down after the war:
    176 Field Ambulance 7.jpg

    Mahnenburg farm still exists: RHINE CROSSING 1945: The Rees bridgehead (30 Corps in operation 'Turnscrew')

    176 Field Ambulance 10.jpg
    Mines were an ever present danger, especially close to the river. The bank was covered by a generous sprinkle of anti-personnel mines. The Buffaloes dropped the assault infantry in most cases somewhat further inland (near the summer dike) exploding the anti-personnel mines harmlessly under their tracks. The mines on the other hand caused a lot of casualties to the personnel that had to work close by the river bank , e.g. Engineers and Medics (courtesy: Minefield).

    176 Field Ambulance 9.jpg
    Sappers clearing mines on the river bank of the Rhine (courtesy: Sappers at Work)

    5. Evacuation
    The wounded were transported back by the Buffaloes: RHINE CROSSING 1945: The Rees bridgehead (30 Corps in operation 'Turnscrew')

    Hope this is of help.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2021
  15. Keith Lawler

    Keith Lawler Member

    Hi Ruurik
    Looking at the lie of the land, Mahnenburg Farm would have been the obvious place to take casualties for protection in the last hours of 23rd. It may even have acted as the RAP or CCP, I don't know. I do know that many casualties were inflicted by the deadly Shumines which were scattered along the east bank, indeed those in 6RSF south in Bislich, where my my mum's husband was wounded, suffered from these mines. From my own research with locals in Venray and in Germany it sounds like many of those who were KIA or died of wounds in Germany were initially buried near to where they fell and later reburied in the Reichswald. However, for the seriously wounded I believe many were moved to the hospital in Venray. My sense, only my sense, is that with William being buried in Venray and not being killed outright on 23rd that he was possibly moved back to the west bank by Buffalo and evacuated to Venray by road where he died of his wounds on 24th.
    Regards
    Keith
     
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  16. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    I agree with stolpi.
    Men of 176th Field Ambulance were across on the 23rd in the first hours of the assault - in small numbers attached to the attacking combat units. Below you'll find what the official history of the Army Medical Services has to say about it.
    The Army Medical Services

    Crew The Army Medical Services p. 444.png

    Crew p. 449.png

    Crew p. 454.png
    Crew p. 454_2.png
    Crew p. 455.png
     
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  17. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    Apparently, Private Lock was one of the first few RAMC men to cross the Rhine - and one of the first casualties on the 23rd.
    Once the casualties had been taken back across the Rhine they were taken to the A.D.S. (8 Field Ambulance of 3rd Inf Div) at Boetzelar which is near Appeldorn on the west bank. Quite a few who were too severely wounded and died were buried there. Those who were fit for transport would be taken to Bedburg near Cleves to the C.C.S. which was set up in the large hospital (formerly a mental asylum). Usually, any surgery was administered at a C.C.S. - however, much depended on whether the casualty was deemed fit for transport.
    The fact that Private Lock was taken to a British General Hospital (B.G.H.) at Venray (which is quite a long drive) meant:
    a) after initial treatment he was considered fit for further transport or
    b) his injuries were of a nature that had to treated by specialists in a British General Hospital
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2021
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  18. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    Crew Admin 463 (002).png
     
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  19. ruurik

    ruurik Member

    Thanks stolpi, alberk and Keith for all the useful information. Really informative, thanks ever so much.

    My grandad (who lost a leg when his friend William Lock stood on a mine) said that his friend died almost instantly. As his death was recorded the following day, it could be that my grandad knew William wasn't going to make it by how badly wounded he looked. I mean, they were used to seeing wounds of this nature as they'd been treating soldiers since D-Day the previous year. This made me think that they were wounded closer to midnight the day before and then it would not be long until midnight had passed and therefore the death of William was written as the next day. Or perhaps he was faintly holding on to life as he was transferred.

    My grandad saying his friend was killed almost instantly could have just been hindsight (many years later) knowing his friend passed away quickly.

    I think I read in one of stolpi's posts a while back that a bren gun carrier had driven over a mine during the quick takeover of the German side of the Rhine and it had killed or injured the driver/passengers. This slowed down the taking farms, etc. as far as I can remember from reading the post a while back. I wondered if my grandad and friend had been walking near the vehicle when it exploded.

    I remember my grandad talking about the smell of gangrene coming from his leg at some point in his medical treatment.

    As a kid, I remember my grandad's false leg. We would put our fingers through the hole in one side of it and poke them out the other. He encouraged us to be silly like that. I also remember how he had lots of green and blue flecks of shrapnel all over his body which were too small and too numerous to remove. He was a pretty tough bloke and I don't write that because he was a relative. He also used to call everybody "brother" including me as his grandson. My mum says it was because he was a union man and that's how they all greeted each other in the factory. None of this is relevant, but just wanted to share a little info.

    When my grandad was on the way home from the war on the train, his mate saw him and upon noticing his missing leg, his friend burst into tears. My grandad said "What you are you crying for? I'm the one missing a leg". That's the way he was, the way he spoke. He got a job in a factory building Massey Ferguson tractors after the war. He was great with car motors until microchips/computers came in. His dad (my great grandfather) was in the first World War in the Coldstream Guards and an even tougher man than him. Some of these men were put through the mill, if you know what I mean.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2021
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  20. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    Hello ruurik,
    thank you for sharing those memories!

    I understand that Private Lock was buried in Venray - so he was alive when he was taken to Venray. Or died on the way there - or shortly afterwards. We won't be able to tell, I suppose. The RAMC would not take a dead soldier further to the rear just to bury him.
     
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