4539363 L/Sgt William Henry FLETCHER, 1st Bn Green Howards: 02/01/1945, Italy

Good afternoon gentlemen!
I have been reading (passively) your very interesting and knowledeable comments on the Italian campaign. I am trying desperately to understand my uncles's possible involvement in these battles. He was with the Green howards, and was eventually killed in / around salerno in Jan. '45. Can anyone throw light on the Green howards involvement (or not) in "Baytown"?
Granville Gregg (New member).


https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/208219/william-henry-fletcher/
LANCE SERJEANT WILLIAM HENRY FLETCHER
Service Number: 4539363
Regiment & Unit: 1st Bn. Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment)
Date of Death: 02 January 1945
Age 24 years old
Buried or commemorated at SALERNO WAR CEMETERY
Grave Reference: VI. F. 24.
Location: Italy
Additional Info: Son of Richard and Alice Fletcher; husband of Peggy Fletcher, of Thurnscoe East, Yorkshire.

 

Gregg
Welcome on board
Please post more details on your uncle and his name so the members have more info to work on

 

Thank you for being so prompt! I'll list what I can.
His name was William (Bill) Henry Fletcher. His postings record shows "BNAF X61/43 X(iv) transferred to Green Howards. Auth. G.H.Q. 2nd Ech. BNAF X list Pt.2 order dated 8-10-43. The very bottom of the sheet says "Killed in road accident 2-1-'45. Now reported On duty - not to blame."
His "Promotions" card also has an entry "1st Bn 17-8-'43 promoted u.p.sgt." and also "Xii c.m.f. 2-5-'44" and "X(iv) 13-5-'44.
He is buried in Salerno GWG cemetery.
He was awarded the Africa Star with 1st army clasp, and the Italy Star (and the others).
Basically his records don't actually say whether he was at Reggio with the 8th army, but he can't surely have stayed in North africa! I would dearly like to know where he was between August '43 and May '44.
Any ideas chaps?
Granville.
P.S.
I really don't have much more information about his whereabouts after his posting to the 1/5 Green Howards.

 

Hello Ggregg

My Great Uncle W.O CSM Martin Durkin was in the 1st battalion Green Howards and was killed in Sicily in 1943.
war books, ww2 books, ww2 book, world war two book

Before your uncle joined them in 1940 they were in Norway, then in 1942 they sailed to India and went by land right through Persia, Iraq etc then sailed from Egypt to Sicily. After that they went right up through Italy and took heavy losses. They withdrew and had a bit of a rest in Palestine, then as the other poster mentions they then sailed to Marseille and went from there right into the heart of Germany, and were still fighting in the last couple of days of the war. There was some amazing people in the 1st battalion, real bravery. Amongst them was Wilf Mannion England Footballer (I found this out after the book had been finished, but will mention him in any update) and also Hedley Verity who was an England cricketer that Aussie Don Bradman considered his greatest threat! Wilf was there when Captain Verity was shot, he died a few days later.

The regiment has a wonderful regimental museum in Richmond, North Yorks and has a medal room that is quite something. They might be able to give you further info;
The Green Howards

 

Nick, and Owen.
Thanks for your thoughts! You might also need a few more bits of his history. It might explain a few things (to you- not to me!).
1) After he joined up in '39, he was sent to ICELAND in May '40 (presumably as re-inforcements to the original invasion), and stayed there until Nov. 41. He then spent the next year in the U.K. (Apr. '42 - Apr.'43), Then he had 10 days leave before being sent to North Africa. By this time he was presumably detached from the Green Howards, so did not go to India etc. I haven't a clue which regt. he was attached to in North Africa, his record doesn't say. I am assuming he was too late for El Alamein etc.
Could he have been part of the build up (as reserves) for the "Italian Job"? =- Sorry couldn't resist that one!
Granville.

 

Sounds like it. The troopships took ages to get there, weeks because they had to sail down round South Africa then all the way up the East Coast of Africa, until later arrived via the Suez Canal. (Later on they could go via the Med, not sure when though)

So looking at your date of April 1943 sounds like he would of gone ready to set off for Sicilly. The invasion took place on the 9th July 1943.

Here is the 5th Division that set off.

• British 5th Infantry Division[2]
  Commanded by Major-General Horatio Pettus Mackintosh Berney-Ficklin (succeeded by Gerard Bucknall on 3 August[3]).
  13th Infantry Brigade
  
• 2nd Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
• 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
• 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment

[*]15th Infantry Brigade

• 1st Battalion Green Howards
• 1st Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
• 1st Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment

[*]17th Infantry Brigade

• 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers
• 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment
• 6th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders

[*]91st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
[*]92nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
[*]156th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
[*]52nd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
[*]18th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
[*]5th Reconnaissance Regiment
[*]7th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment (Machine Gun battalion)
[*]38th, 245th and 252nd Field Companies, Royal Engineers
[*]245th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

 

ggreg - Going on memory here - but the 5th Div ( Globe Trotters) landed in Sicily around Syracuse then onto Augusta by the 12th June '43 then again on the left flank of 50th Div around Catania to hand over to 51st Div at above Acireale - then prepared to land in Italy which they did alongside the 1st Canadians who went up the right flank with 5th Div going toward Salerno on the left flank handingover to the US 6th corps around Potenza....in the early December they were involved in between the Kiwi's and 8th Indians in crossing the Moro River - they then transfered to X corps at the Garigliano and finally Anzio....finshing up in the NWE...

Their Diaries will give you verse and chapter though ...
Cheers

 

Welcome to the forum

Cheers
Paul

 

Thank you very much Gents.
I was told that the note on his records thats says "2nd Ech. BNAF X list 8-10-'43" means that he was part of the second echelon of troops transferred to the North African Force, reserves in October 1943".
Would you confirm this?
If this is true, and the invasion of Italy (Baytown) started in early Sept. '43, I wonder where he (and the rest of his unit of the Green Howards) was between April and October '43?
Could they have been at sea trying to get there?
Would I have to go to Richmond to find out which unit he was with and where they were?
Now you know why I'm confused!!
thanks Granville.

 

Hi again guys,
One story about my uncle \bill that MAY be relevant, is that he was supposed to have ben blown up in a tank, and injured then sent to hospital in Salerno. He was knocked over by an amblance and killed, becuase he was deafened during the tank episode!
It explains why he was at buried at Salerno, but not where he was, or why he was in / near a tank. Shows how much I know about infantry tactics or fighting! Anyway, it might not be anywhere near actuality.
Thanks for the composition of 5th div. - brilliant for me!
Thanks also for the gen about long sea journeys. I didn't know about that!
It's looking suspiciously as if he was sent into Italy later than the start, possibly as re-inforcements. Would you agree?
Granville.

 

ggregg-
You appear to be taking on board a whole bunch of gossip and you are - or appear to be ignoring very sensible advice - such as the records will show what and where he was and sometimes what he was actually doing - this latest one of your referring what were they doing between April and October - you have already been told by Owen and myself that they - IF he was in 5th Div. - were in Syria training until the end of june when they boarded a ship and landed in Sicily- the 5th DIV were NEVER in the 1st Army and thus your relative must have been a reinforcement from - I suspect Bone depot in North Africa to join the Green Howards AND-5th Div - who were - at about that time way past Naples - Naples fell on October 1st - 1943 to the 11th Hussars and KDG's from 7th Armoured Division before they went back to the Uk for the D Day thingi.....so lets have the records and the guessing will go away.
Cheers

 

I'll see what I can manage, never having tried to upload anything before. It may take a little while, until I find out how to do it.
G.

 

I hope that I have uploaded the 3 documents properly. If not I'm sure that someone will soon tell me. They should be there as attachments.
G.

 

These records show he served with the 1/5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment until August 1943 when he transferred to the 1st Green Howards.

 

ggregg
....and as Paul implies - that's about all the records show as I have never seen such a bad account of a man's service to the crown ....and someone in Glasgow should be hanging their head in shame for allowing this to be sent out !

My first action would be to call Glasgow - get hold of the manager - and ask very politely for a COMPLETE record.....if nothing transpires then I would turn a bit hostile and DEMAND a full account as this is rubbish for five years service....for example - how did he get to North Africa with no embarcation code - or leave - same again for Italy - was he beamed over ?...and what happeened to 1944 - I do know that happened ....he appeared to be on the sick list a lot - ? he was a paid - war substantive Corporal - relingushed the unpaid L/Sgt - then cancelled - then finshed up L/Sgt...granted 21days leave to UK - from where ? this is very sloppy work and there has to be more than they have given you so call them and make your views known to them ----one thing though - you have learned to insert stuff onto your posting - something I have to look at ....
Cheers