2695669 Guardsman Thomas Charles TRISTAIN, Scots Guards & LRDG: Escaper & Evader

Moved from 3054349 Guardsman John EASTON, MiD, Scots Guards attached Long Range Desert Group: 12/02/1941 to create separate thread

Jim, Do you have photos of the LRDG Guards Patrol? My distant relation Guardsman Thomas Charles Tristain, 2nd Battn was in a group of LRDG guardsmen captured 25/11/42. He was imprisoned in Italy but escaped to Switzerlanf after the Italian surrender. I am told by his nephew that he was 6' 10" so would have stood out in any pics.

 

Hello Fairchild.

I'm away from home at present but on return will have to do some excavation of book boxes and search through same for LRDG related stuff.

If I discover any named or possible photos I will let you know soonest.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Thank you. One correction he was 6' 8" not 6' 10" but he would still have stood out even in a Guards regiment.
Fairchild

 

Dear Fairchild, apologies for such a delayed response but please note I have not been sitting on my hands in the effort to find a photograph of your relative, Thomas Charles Tristain, during his service with The Long Range Desert Group (said search will be the subject of another thread shortly). I've looked through around, and as near as damn it, 5000 photographs on the IWM website, as well as all the books and magazines here at home (which I hope goes some way in explaining my delayed response!)

I have, up to now, been unsuccessful unfortunately. On a positive note, and moving forward, I have not given up hope that a photograph of Thomas with The LRDG is out in the wide world somewhere, and I will continue with said search until such a time as I have exhausted all avenues that are available to me.

In the meantime, some additional questions and observations (this in the knowledge that back in May this year you have already, and quite rightly, asked via other avenues in your hunt for any said photo of Thomas)

Have you asked (as a relative) The Scots Guards Association (Archives – Scots Guards ) if they have a pre-war "passing out" squad/section photo of Thomas? Any photo you could post up here of Thomas (even a portrait/"head and shoulders" one) in his late teens and/or from his Scots Guards service would help in identifying him amongst any "unknowns" or "uncaptioned" chaps that I've found ( and yes, his height is a help but a photo of Thomas pre LRDG would assist greatly). As an example it will prevent me from making any mis-identification with chaps of a similar stature e.g. the dear late Stuart Michael "Lofty" Carr of Y Patrol.

Please don't give up your hunt Fairchild. I haven't, and I won't!

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Reference for Escaper and Evader report in post 1

Name: Charles Tristain . Rank: Guardsman , 2695669, Scots Guards attached to The Long... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 208/4273/46
Name: Charles Tristain.
Rank: Guardsman, 2695669, Scots Guards attached to The Long Range Desert Group.
Captured: Between Tripol and Zella, 26 November 1942.
Escaped or Liberated: PG 62 Bergamo, 11 September 1943.
Arrived in Switzerland: 13 September 1943.
Date: 1944 July 18

 

Many thanks Jim
I attach a pic of Charles obtained from his nephew via a DNA link. Sadly the quality is not good but it is a start. I will try the Scots Guards archive.
Regards
Fairchild

 

Thank you! Much appreciated, and at least something to be going on with.

Wishing you good fortune with the Scots Guards Association, hopefully they will come up trumps.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Hello Fairchild (and Jim)
May I ask if any progress has been made in finding a photo of Guardsman Tristain? I have been researching the LRDG a good number of years and am currently writing an article about the ambush of G1 at Hofra in November 1942. As you know, Thomas Tristain was one of the 12 captured there, and it would be nice to have a photo of the man if possible.
A number of the men were newly attached to the LRDG and there is strong suggestion that he was one of them. If you have his service record would you be able to check the date that he was posted please?
Thanks and best wishes
Ian Chard

 

Hello Ian.

I had no success with a photograph. Abject failure on my part.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

c'est la Guerre Jim!
If I turn anything up I'll post it.

Ian

 

I had hopes of finding a newspaper report or two Ian.

Nothing found from those channels either unfortunately.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Hello, interesting reading between the two of you, If I may add my two cents worth. I’m the principal Admin member for a couple of Facebook pages, Scots Guards Pictorial II and Caterham Barracks-Guards Depot, both my pages contain Albums with Scots Guards squad photos, I would particularly suggest my Guards Depot page as Charles Tristain would no doubt have conducted his initial training at Caterham. Hope this helps, regards, Ian.

 

Hello Ian.

I for one do not have a facebook "account" (log-in, registration, etc). As a result the only facebook content I can view is the open/public access stuff.

Thanks for your post though. The work that you are doing (though I can't see it) will be appreciated.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

No problem Jim, should you ever change your mind, between the two sites there are many thousands of photo’s to look through, at least you now know it’s available to you. Regards.

 

Hello Ian
I have only recently succumbed and do now have a FB account, so will take a look. Many thanks for the pointer.
I am currently writing a short piece about the Guards patrol of the LRDG and am looking for faces of those involved. Would any of your photos be annotated?
Thanks
Ian

 

Guards squad photos of years gone by usually had the names along the bottom of the print Ian.

Kind regards, good luck with the trawl, always,

Jim.

 

Thanks Jim. I'm now hopeful of obtaining a photo from the Swiss archives. I'll keep you informed.
Ian

 

Cracking stuff Ian.

The ICRC must have one, you would think?

Good luck to you with all, fingers crossed!

Kind regards, always,

Jim.