I am wondering whether anyone has any photos of the Coldstream Guards (5th Battalion) around the late 1944/early 1945 time? One of my ancestors (Leonard Page) was in the Coldstream Guards, have found where he is buried and even a journal from the national archives about how he died. We know that he was in a battalion with a lance sergeant Samuel Viney but that's as much as we know about his unit. If anyone's got any photos or had relatives who served in that unit then any help would be much appreciated, our whole family have been curious about it for years but only now have we started to find out the full story. Cheers, Daniel Casualty Guardsman PAGE, LEONARD Service Number 2667086 Died 19/04/1945 Aged 18 5th Bn. Coldstream Guards Son of Ellen Page, of Sholing, Southampton. INSCRIPTION: IN MEMORY OF MY DEAR SON, REUNITED WITH HIS DAD. NEVER FORGOTTEN BY HIS LOVING MUM Buried at BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY Location: Niedersachsen, Germany Number of casualties: 2303 Cemetery/memorial reference: 4. D. 6. See cemetery plan
War Diary: 5th Battalion COLDSTREAM GUARDS, Jan - Oct 1945 Engagement was against Marine-Grenadierregiment 5, 2.Marine Infanterie Division, Kapitän zur See Hermann Jordan Burgstraße - Visselhövede
Hi, Welcome to the forum. Here is a link to the downloadable official Regimental History - The Coldstream Guards, 1920-1946, by Michael Howard and John Sparrow. If you search Imperial War Museum site for 5th Coldstream Guards you may find some photographs. I don’t think an 18 year old would’ve been on active service very long (I always thought 19 was the minimum age). You may want to apply to MOD for his service record via this link - Requests for personal data and service records: a detailed guide Steve EDIT TO ADD Hopefully a member will attach a copy of the official casualty list from FMP which may clarify the circumstances of his death - whether KIA or died of wounds.
Thank you very much both of you for your help! It's quite a sad one as he joined the war very late on and very close to the end, from what we understand he was there for a couple of months at most. I saw a journal entry that said they were clearing the roads and then came under fire, I'm guessing that's the counter attack referenced in the diary. Imperial war museum has been hard to find stuff, a lot of it isn't online and I don't think going down there in person is covered under the Coronavirus Lockdown!
We found a few photos of the 5th battalion from February/March 1945, no names so waiting on a family member to confirm if he's in it. We also lost an able seaman (Archibald Harrington) in 1942 on the HMS Belmont so we had some bad luck in the war!
Is there any way of finding out when he actually joined? He died in Germany in April 1945, I'm guessing by his age just a few months but I'd be interested to find out how he got to visselhovede. Not sure where I'd need to search for that though?
1. Is there any way of finding out when he actually joined? Apply to MOD as per earlier advice 2. He died in Germany in April 1945, I'm guessing by his age just a few months but I'd be interested to find out how he got to visselhovede. Apply to MOD per above advice. Once you know when he went overseas and joined 5th CG you can follow his journey via the War Diary. Steve
Thanks Steve, I've just applied and hopefully will be able to find something. Travers, I've taken a look but unfortunately a limited amount available online; at least around the 1944/45 time and they're closed until further notice so can't visit