"Another of life's unsolved mysteries"

Tom

You know me...... I always like to get you going

Earlier in this thread Adam suggested that a different thread title might attract more response.

It ocurred to me that a new title could be "Another of life's unsolved mysteries" !

Here's another one for you.

The year was 1946.

I had been overseas since April 1943 and it was therefore getting near the time for me to be sent home to England under the Python scheme. This was a system whereby, if one had served three years and nine months abroad, you qualified for home posting.
As my time got nearer I got more on edge and lived in fear of being involved in a situation that might postpone my home posting. One such possible event occurred because of my position as Tech Corporal in charge of Squadron Technical Stores. The stores themselves were in the barracks but immediately outside the store I kept various large items that were too big to be kept indoors. Among these items were two huge Staghound Armoured Car tyres. These, I hasten to say, were worth at least £100 to anyone who could supply them to the Yugoslav forces. One morning, immediately before roll call, the young lad who was my assistant and who I was training to take over from me came to me in a state of panic. The two tyres had been stolen.
I reported the matter to Busty Thomas and within minutes all the camp was sealed off. The short story is that the tyres were never recovered but all the evidence pointed to one Trooper X. The matter was never proven, however, and for about two weeks I sweated on being kept back in Italy as a potential court-martial witness. By a sheer coincidence, when I eventually returned to England the same Trooper X was on the same draft. For my own peace of mind I asked him to tell me, in all confidence, how he’d organised this massive theft, but he merely laughed and said, 'It wasn’t me mate !'

Come on Trooper X..... reveal yourself and tell me how you did it !!!!

Ron

 

Ron -
that sounds like a fair title for this thread - here's another one ...

In the midst of a battle one day our driver came on the inter-com to announce that if we did not want to come to a rolling halt under the infamous 88mm A/t gun which in all probability would be attached to those new Koenig Tigers which were known to be in our area - we had best fill up with some more petrol.....

The Tank commander thought that there was great wisdom in this announcement and so he very quickly called on the Squadron leader for permission to leave the battlefield - which was very reluctantly given with orders to "be sharp and get back toot sweet"

The upshot was that we lost the Tank which went careerring down the side of a mountain - flattening a jeep and burying itself in thefar ditch of the roadway below - after a discussion with the Brigadier - who was lamenting the loss - we cooked a meal whereupon a family of parents and four young children appeared.

So we fed them and attended to a few cuts on their legs etc. and the Commader thought that we should keep them handy as it was not safe to wander the roads - the rest of the crew disagreed and we sent them on their way southwards.

It was just as well as a troop of 4.5 Mediums dug in around us and proceeded to set up a barrage which lasted most of the night - with the enemy response being equally active - we were able to sit in the dead Tank and there would have been little room for an extra six passengers...so we have to wonder how that family made out.....

 

The crossing of the Escaut canal was to be a fearsome operation, and many men would lose their lives. It took place at one in the morning on a pitch black night.
It promised to be a real horror, and it turned to be just that. While waiting in a ditch under heavy fire, a trusted mate of mine succumbed to battle exhaustion.

He broke down sobbing, wile I sat alongside him trying to comfort him. but he was gone completely. Not surprising he had taken part in some quite horrible actions including the "Bloodiest Square Mile in Normandy" That was hand to and stuff.

I ever knew what happened to "HG" I tried to find him after the war. Never did. So if you are out there HG I would love to meet you again
You should remember me, I damn near shot you with my Sten. So get in touch.
It was a near suicidal mission at night.
Sapper

 

One of the perils of writing many (I can hear someone saying "too bloody many") pieces about WW2 is the inevitable repeat of a story previously told, so, if I've told it before, apologies.

The mystery in this little story lies in the tail so you are going to have to read it through to the end

The time again was 1946.

My current position was that of Tech Corporal for A Squadron, 4th Queen’s Own Hussars. As such, I was responsible for all the ‘Technical’ stores in the Squadron which included, Tanks, Armoured Cars, Motor Vehicles of all description and the spares included thereof.

I knew that I was shortly due to be released from the Army under the current Python scheme that enabled men who had served more than 3 years 9 months abroad to be sent home and released from the forces. Understandably, I was concerned that nothing should hinder my release and ‘nothing’ included any shortfalls in the equipment that I had previously signed for.

For some time now I had been training a young Lance Corporal to take over my place and I’d given him the task of checking the quantities of all the spares held on our Store Truck against the inventory for the same holdings.

One day he reported to me that we were one verey light pistol short of the six that we were supposed to be holding according to the manifest. The verey light pistols were held as part of a tank’s small arms store and were used, in emergencies, to either send a pre-arranged message or identify the tank’s position to other squadron members. I had even used one myself in front line action some months earlier.
The short story is that I was one pistol short and I had to do something about it.

Amongst my ‘un-official’ spares was a German very light pistol, very much the same size as it’s British counterpart but un-mistakeably different to the eye. Some hard and quick thinking was called for.

I solved the problem by covering all the pistols in axle grease then wrapping them up with strips of oilskin so that only the registration number was visible. The German pistol soon had it’s own number erased and replaced by the ‘correct’ British number and the six pistols were left hanging up on adjacent hooks.

Not long after this event we had an un-scheduled inspection by a top-brass Brigadier who inspected all of the Regimental stores, including my own stores truck.

He clambered up the wooden stairs of the truck and with his aide-de-camp sniffed around the stores that were on display. His eyes caught the very light pistols and he demanded to know what these mystery parcels were.

I explained that experience had taught me that the pistols were soon affected by corrosion and so I had covered them in heavy grease but left the numbers visible for quick inspection.

"Bloody good idea Corporal !" he said and telling his sidekick to "make a note of that will you" he soon, to my great relief, clambered back down the stairs.

Almost sixty years after the event I still wonder whatever happened when the pistols were eventually un-wrapped and the cuckoo in the nest was revealed !

I also wonder if the rest of the units in the Division ever had to wrap all their Verey light pistols in grease !!

 

I wonder to what extent my fellow vets suffer the same compulsion as myself when it comes to trying to get all one's memories into print while still compos mentis?

If this is my defence for the amount of WW2 trivia I have inflicted on fellow members of this forum then, so be it, but another memory has just surfaced and I need to get it down.

In 1988, when my family compiled their book "And then there were eleven" I wrote the following item:

Termoli

By October, our division, the 78th or Battle-Axe Div., was involved in the battle for Termoli, and here I had a rather bizarre experience relating to the evacuation of the town by the local civilians.
By now my Italian was pretty fluent, if not lOO per cent accurate, and therefore if any discussion with the locals was required I would find myself in demand. At this point in time Termoli had just been taken by our troops and one of the officers had decided that it would be a good idea for a foray into the empty town to see if there was any furniture "going" that would be suitable for the officers' mess.
I, another gunner and the mess corporal entered this large block of flats and went into the first room that was not locked. It turned out to be a fairly luxurious flat and there on the dining room table was the remnant of the meal that had been so rudely interrupted when we had shelled the town prior to its capture. The mess corporal quickly chose a leather settee as being just what the mess was short of and we picked it up and carried it to the door.
To our embarrassment, the former occupant of the flat chose that particular moment to return to his home and we promptly put the settee down and prepared to argue the toss. To our utter amusement the owner then said to me, and I promptly translated for the benefit of the others: "Please don't take my furniture, I will gladly help you carry out my neighbour's, as he will not be coming back!"
Just for the record, shortly after this event the Germans counterattacked and we were temporarily driven out of the town.


What I didn't write then, for whatever reaon, was the fact that before the owner of the flat appeared on the scene my co-helper, who's name I fortunately can no longer remember, produced a jacknife from his pockets and proceeded to cut a painting out of its frame.

When he saw me looking at him with obvious distaste he said "I send them home to my wife marked as a gift" so he had obviously done this before.

In some respects by helping to provide the officer's mess with a piece of furniture I was equally guilty of, dare I say the word, looting but I can still remember the bad taste left in my mouth when my fellow gunner cut the picture out of its frame.

There you go........

Another memory into print

p.s.
Strictly speaking I have, as is my norm, strayed off thread, because the title of the thread is actually "Another of life's unsolved mysteries".

To stay within the rules can I therefore finish by wondering if Gunner X managed to survive the war and was thereafter able to live on his ill gotten gains

 

Ward one in Shaftesbury military hospital was a "Privileged ward" for the severely wounded.

Some pretty bad cases all round. A few days before I had an operation to save amputation ....we had a "Spectacle" At the ward door appeared two Military Police men,they came into the ward and stood each side of the door (For effect?) Then after a short while they motioned someone in the passage to enter.

There appeared a small figure clad in battle dress. Too big anyway! This small figure was fully made up with lipstick powder Etc. Then they recaps proceeded to slowly make this little soul walk slowly around all the beds of these battle hardened veterans. First it took us all by surprise.


But then, this was continued day after day,There is no doubt in my mind that this little souls was more female than male. Though the army could never accept that.

This person looked like a young girl, had the carriage of a girl, Everything was female. After a while, the men took pity on "HER" and gave the red caps a rough time. The men in that ward cared little for authority. After a while "She! stopped coming round.

That was late winter. 1945. Now here is a real case of I wonder how "She " got on what happened to her? did she have a happy life? I really hope so. Now if "SHE is still alive she would be about 80...I wonder? I wonder?
Sapper

 

One chap I always wonder about was Dave Gear of 3rd Troop - 145th Regt RAC....

only met him for a few minutes twice but he did make me wonder...both our Troops had been detailed to support both "A" and "C" company's of the Seaforths of Canada in another attack on San Martino on the Coriano Ridge. We had been fighting for about 15 minutes when we learned that our Troop leader was dead and that his crew were withdrawing.

Then all hell broke loose as we were hit and bailed out ... only to fall flat under a barrage of nebelwerfers..whereupon I was joined by a chap I had never seen before so we both lay there for a few minutes and I asked him who he was - he replied "Dave Gear - I joined the Regiment yesterday " what an introduction ! he claimed he was unhurt

We moved apart and I became busy then in looking after my Gunner who was badly wounded and I forgot all about Dave Gear..until a few days later in the CCS at Ancona when he turned up at my bedside and we chatted for a few minutes - he was sporting the biggest and blackest eye I have ever seen and said that he must have banged his head on the gun when they were hit. The nurse then came to change my dressings and he left and I have never seen him again...

 

One chap I always wonder about was Dave Gear of 3rd Troop - 145th Regt RAC....

only met him for a few minutes twice but he did make me wonder...both our Troops had been detailed to support both "A" and "C" company's of the Seaforths of Canada in another attack on San Martino on the Coriano Ridge. We had been fighting for about 15 minutes when we learned that our Troop leader was dead and that his crew were withdrawing.

Then all hell broke loose as we were hit and bailed out ... only to fall flat under a barrage of nebelwerfers..whereupon I was joined by a chap I had never seen before so we both lay there for a few minutes and I asked him who he was - he replied "Dave Gear - I joined the Regiment yesterday " what an introduction ! he claimed he was unhurt

We moved apart and I became busy then in looking after my Gunner who was badly wounded and I forgot all about Dave Gear..until a few days later in the CCS at Ancona when he turned up at my bedside and we chatted for a few minutes - he was sporting the biggest and blackest eye I have ever seen and said that he must have banged his head on the gun when they were hit. The nurse then came to change my dressings and he left and I have never seen him again...

Tom, out of interest I just did a search of the 2008 electoral register and there are three David Gears listed that are aged over 65-years-old living in the UK. One in Chelmsford, one in Lyme Regis and the other in East London.

If you're interested I can pass on their contact details in a PM? One of them might just be your man.

I'd be happy to check up on the names of any other old buddies you, Ron or Sapper would really like to try to contact again.

Lee

 

Hi Lee

While waiting for Tom to come back to you, can I thank you for your kind offer of helping us to trace old friends.

I went back to a previous posting that I had made on this site that I suppose fits in nicely under the present thread title of "Unsolved Mysteries".
I reproduce it here in full to save you having to leave the thread.

You might be interested to learn that when, as in my case, one reaches what is sometimes referred to as "advanced years" there is a compulsion to dot the "i"s on one's memoirs.

Through the good offices of various internet sites I have been able in the past to bring to completion at least two WW2 "mysteries", namely Maria of Trieste & Father Fiocca of Carovilli.
See http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/veteran...ence-like.html
and
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/italy/9...tmas-hell.html


One "mystery" still remains unsolved and I invite my American fellow members to see if they can assist.

Does anyone live in Philadelphia ?
Is 3830 North Carmac Street still there ?


The day in question was my 21st Birthday Celebration and I spent it in in Alexandria in Egypt.

My Diary entry for the day reads:

Wednesday 16th. August 1944

My 21st Birthday.
To and from camp in the morning collecting mail for advance party. Trouble with jeep. At 7.30 pm drove Major Mouland & Mr.Bark to Alexandria. Drove back at 10pm.

The background to the day was:

My Division, the 78th British Infantry Div, had been pulled out of the line in Italy and sent to Egypt for a month's rest & re-equipment. My unit, the 49th Light Ack Ack, was the advance party and we were under canvas at Ikingi.

The wireless net had been closed down and I was appointed temporary Jeep driver to the CO.
As part of my duties, I had just dropped him and Lt.Bark off in Alexandria and was killing time before picking them up for the trip back to camp.

My diary reminded me it was my 21st Birthday and I was determined to have at least one drink to mark the occasion so, after parking the Jeep in a safe compound, I found a bar and celebrated by having a drink or two with a friendly American seaman.

The seaman at the bar, John Merry of 383O North Carmac St Philadelphia, USA, was a cook and crew member of a Liberty ship called the SS Homer Lee, then anchored in the harbour awaiting instructions.

By one of those remarkable coincidences that used to occur in wartime when, at the end of our stay in Egypt, we boarded ship for our return to Italy the ship turned out to be, yes, you've guessed it, the afore-mentioned Homer Lee and as a result I had the pleasure of access to the crews' quarters and my immediate friends and I enjoyed some smashing food !.

I would love to know whether or not the "Philly" address still survives and what became of John Merry.

Over to you !


I already have been promised help from a couple of US based members but I suppose another try wouldn't go amiss.

Many thanks

Ron<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
__________________
During the period October 1942 to January 1947 my wartime "Cook's Tour" took me to the following places:
North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Austria, Egypt & Germany.
My units were the: 49th Light Ack Ack Rgt.RA and
The 4th Queen's Own Hussars.

 

Ron, the address is easy, here's a satellite picture of it:



Link to the address in Google Maps here:
3830 N CAMAC St, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States - Google Maps

I'll now check out whitepages to see who's presently living there - if they are in the phone book.

All my missing person searches have been done in the UK so not quite sure how to do it in the US but will have a little investigation.

 

Not surprisingly John Merry no longer lives at that address. The present occupant is a Mr. Lewis.

OK now I need to find the US equivalent of the electoral roll.

 

Lee -
that wouild be fantastic to renew our very short acquaintence - details might help as I had the impression that he was Londoner -must be least 82-84 by now... he was in Lt .Reynolds' 3rd troop - "A' squadron 145th Regt which was in 21st Tank bde supporting the 2nd bde of the Canadian 1st Division - Coriano Ridge - 17th September '44 - Lt Reynolds' brother was C.O. of "C" squadron - don't know what happened to him but he was replaced by Major Christopher Newton-Thompson who played Rugby for South Africa ....Dave and I met again at the CCS in Ancona and I was shipped to Bari in the next few days.
Cheers

 

Tom, PM sent with the contact details. Good luck with the hunt!

Ron, this is a slime chance but I found this web page which refers to a John Merry of Philly: New Page 1

Scroll to near the end of the page and you're see a copy of an email that has this sentence:

An awful lot occurred in the year 1915. I suspect that is when Daniel died and the family split apart. John Merry married Esther (Cis) Cobb and they moved to Philadelphia.

The date is a little early but perhaps this could be John Merry Snr.?

I'm not having luck finding an online voters' register for the US. Next I'll do a search of local newspapers in Philadelphia but this might have to wait until I make a visit to the local library as they have access to region newspapers.

 

Lee

Thanks & I'd mark you 100 out of 100 for effort !

Please take your time on this query........ I've waited 63 years before trying to solve it, another year won't matter much

Ron

 

Lee

Thanks & I'd mark you 100 out of 100 for effort !

Please take your time on this query........ I've waited 63 years before trying to solve it, another year won't matter much

Ron

Ron, what I have found are two addresses and phone numbers for a John W Merry. I believe both addresses are for the same man but don't know which one is current. But both are about fifteen miles north of Philly. I couldn't find any other John Merry's living in the state of PA.

 

Owen – here’s another one ---
Training at Barnard Castle had come to fruition and so we were waiting to go overseas and suffering endless lectures on how paints dries etc when upon the scene comes a real life hero complete with M.C. for some action of derring do – somewhere !
His name had an ominous ring to it viz – Major John Pine-Coffin who lectured us on an important operation for which he needed a few Wireless operators, without actually spelling out what this operation was. Nevertheless faced with some more paint drying lectures – four of us volunteered and soon we were on our way to Oxford University, where we were “looked at” by many “boffins” trying to estimate our fitness for this task.
We were quizzed – tested – jumped off a twelve foot high wall – finally a parachute drop – they finally admitted – after we had signed the Official Secrets Act – that the operation entailed six jumps at Ringway in Manchester – flying out to Cairo for yet another jump and a final jump into a secret location in Yugoslavia to join Brigadier Fitzroy Mcleans operation.
Happily – I and another failed these various tests and we were RTU’d only to be on the next draft for North Africa….. some many months passed and on a short leave to Rome – I bumped into one of our chaps who had passed and gone with the Brigadier…his name was / and hopefully still is - Bob Cross and he was dressed in Blues and minus a leg.
We had a chat and I asked him how it was over there and he said he was one of the lucky ones – he only lost a leg – “Couldn’t find it anywhere” he said !

 

psywar.org
Out of ther three "Dave Gears" which I sent letters on receiving their addresses from your good self - I have just had a reply from one - by e-mail whose addressd is noted "heather" disclaiming all knowldege of the "Dave Gear" I am looking for but at he served in Korea - understands my concern in finding the real one - so two to go !
Cheers

 

psywar.org
Out of ther three "Dave Gears" which I sent letters on receiving their addresses from your good self - I have just had a reply from one - by e-mail whose addressd is noted "heather" disclaiming all knowldege of the "Dave Gear" I am looking for but at he served in Korea - understands my concern in finding the real one - so two to go !
Cheers


Tom, sorry I've only just spotted your reply. One down, two to go. Did you have any luck with them?

I've heard back from my German parachutist. He wasn't the same man my grandfather chatted with. He ended up in an American hospital and quite some distance from my grandfathers. But it was worth a try and interesting to correspond with a German veteran.

Lee