2612016 L/Sgt Thomas Louis HILSON, 2 Grenadier Guards: 01/06/1940

I'm looking for information regarding this Guardsman. Service No. 2612016; died 1st June 1940. It would be interesting to know the circumstances or whereabouts he was fighting at the time.

Thanks for any information.

 

He was 2nd Bn.
Lance Serjeant Thomas Louis Hilson | War Casualty Details 2280123 | CWGC
LANCE SERJEANT THOMAS LOUIS HILSON
Service Number: 2612016
Regiment & Unit: 2nd Bn. Grenadier Guards
Date of Death: 01 June 1940
Age 31 years old
Buried or commemorated at MARQUISE COMMUNAL CEMETERY
Grave Reference: Plot 1. Row C. Grave 9.
Location: France
Additional Info: Son of Thomas and Rose Margaret Hilson; husband of Edna May Hilson, of Brentwood, Essex.
Personal Inscription: TIME PASSES MEMORIES REMAIN, BELOVED, TILL WE MEET AGAIN


Online history here
#9 - The Grenadier Guards in the war of 1939-1945 / by ... v.1. - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library
war diary
War Diary: 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards, BEF - Sep 1939 to Jun 1940 | WW2Talk

 

Many thanks for that interesting information.

 

Hi Stan,
He was my grandfather and my understanding, based on information from my father, that whilst fighting in Dunkirk was in a bren gun carrier that broke down and was subsequently killed.
I have visited his grave in Marquis on numerous occasions when travelling through France.

 

Steve,

Thanks for the update. Stan50 was last logged in few days ago, he has posted on many threads, he may not have "flagged" this tread, so I will send him a Private Message (PM) to alert him to the update.

PM explanation

If you hover over the name of the member in their avatar it will show a new text box and within is the date of their last logged visit. Some members "flag" their interest in a thread, which means they get a system alert. Once you have posted five times - a measure to stop spam - you can send a private message (PM) to members using 'Start a private conversation' accessed via your avatar. Such messages depend on their email given at registration is still valid. You can receive and reply to a PM already.

 

Hi Steve, good to see your reply here. Thomas Hilson was related to my mothers side of the family - the Bramleys. In June 2014 on the return journey to the Normandy beaches my wife and I diverted to visit his resting place and took photos to show my mother. I remember the visit well as I'd not long been there taking my photos when suddenly a lot of people arrived as a funeral commenced near by. I obviously stopped what I was doing and waited until they'd finished then went back.

We must have been talking about him again last year when I submitted this thread and in doing so Owen on here kindly posted part of the units war diary which was most interesting.

My mother is quite elderly now but years ago she was interested in her family history and speaking to her yesterday I'm hoping she will be able to retrieve all of her notes and files.

(Mum lived in London during WW2 -Bethnal Green and Hackney - and survived several narrow escapes. One house she lived in was bombed resulting in her being buried amongst the rubble and debris. Another house they lived in had a near miss which blew out all of the windows and cut her fathers face to shreds. And before that on the first night of the Blitz my mothers aunt wanted the family to go into air raid shelter which took a direct hit with much loss of life including the aunt. Columbia Market shelter 7th Sept 1940 - the bomb entered a ventilation shaft. Grace Bramley was her aunt who is now mentioned on a memorial plaque with the others that died close to that location).

 

Thank you David for brining Steve's post to my attention. Appreciated.