49th West Riding Division - Brigadier Ekins

Parallels with Claude Nicholson of 30 Brigade, "died" whilst a POW. Don't forget, that apart from reasons of delicacy and respect (or otherwise) that suicide was illegal in the UK until 1961.

 

Suicide is still illegal - or it was when I was a copper a few years ago. Bizarrely we were taught that it wasn't illegal to attempt it but it was illegal if you were successful.

I also thought of Nicholson when I first read this thread.

 

I've had a look in the 131 Bde war diary and it records the swap of Pepper in for Ekins out on 2 July 44 but gives no further information. 131 Bde had just come out of the line and was being given a period to rest and retrain - I wonder if Pepper had a reputation for understanding infantry-tank co-operation?

Cheers

Tom

 

Hi all,
Brigadier M.S. Ekins shot himself outside the Brigade OP room which was located in one of the buildings of the sugar factory in Stampersgat. He was first burried Veerkensweg in Oud Gastel with others of his brigade. The brigadier was not liked in the Brigade, a former officer of 2nd Essex once told me that "he was like a devil for his men". The exact reason for his suicidal behavior will be unknown for ever, but the same officer told he was very depressed in the last days before he shot himself.
I enclose a poor quality photo from him and his two children Jennifer and James

 

I suspected that, still a sad story. Poor man.

JvD, do you have a source for that information?

 

I know this for many years, it is rather common knowledge in that area and later also confirmed during a visit of Essex veterans in 1989. Some of the details I mentioned comes from a booklet published in 1947 called "De bevrijding van Oud Gastel en Stampersgat" (The liberation of Oud Gastel and Stampesgat).

 

Sorry for the delay. Not much in the Brigade War Diary

 

1 Nov 1000 - 'Corps Comd and Div Comd visited Bde HQ' - did Brig Ekins discover or think he was going to be sacked?

 

Thanks Andy. True, not much information, but it does provide further confirmation.

And a belated thanks to JvD for providing the information about Ekins' death.

Cheers,

Shaun