If you can add more info it would be appreciated Thank You EAKIN, ROBERT ANTHONY Rank: Captain Service No: 87749 Date of Death: 15/04/1945 Age: 27 Regiment/Service: King's Shropshire Light Infantry 4th Bn. Awards: O B E Grave Reference 1. G. 7. Cemetery BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Robert Willoughby Eakin and Kathleen Frances Ireny Eakin. of Leintwardine, Herefordshire. Regards Clive
Try & get hold of a copy of this book. Should be in there. http://www.shropshireregimentalmuseum.co.uk/shop/view/1_Books/138_4th_KSLI_%28Part_3_of_Trilogy%29_after_Antwerp_ He is listed in Roll of Honour in Taurus Pursuant place of death listed as Ebsdorf.
Dear Clive Some background information about Robert. Robert Was a pupil at Bedford School and I have been looking into him. He entered the School on the 14th January 1926 and left in December 1935. His father was Robert Willoughby Eakin Esq and he worked for Barclays Bank in Peterborough and he died in March 1956. His mother was Kathleen Eakin. They had a house at 8 St Michael’s Road, Bedford as well as one in Peterborough. The Grange, Cutterstock, Peterborough Robert was a Senior Option (not quite a Monitor!) a member of the 3rd XI cricket (from the School magazine, The Ousel – ‘The fielding and throwing-in have been excellent, with Eakin outstanding, and Wright-Nooth kept wicket well.’ ) and took part in the House boxing competitions for his House, St Peter’s, as well as Athletics (Pole Vault) . He was also a member of the OTC (Officer Training Corps) and took part in the School Debating Society. Robert must have been quite a small boy as he is listed in the boxing in 1935 as being in the Light Weight division (under 9st 9lbs!). I hope this helps fill out some background. Robert's name is listed on the panels in the School's Memorial Hall. If you have a photograph of Robert we would love to have a copy for our WW2 Memorial files All best Georgina
Hello Georgina I dont have a photo thank you for the additional information it might be worth you contacting Leintwardine History Society to see if they can assit re a photo regards Clive
Clive Are you still interested in the book mentioned in post #2? I have a copy in my 'archive' aka 'a box somewhere in the attic' and could look it up if required. Same comment re 'Taurus Pursuant'! Steve
Clive - did you get 'After Antwerp' from the Shropshire Regimental Museum? If not, on p116 it describes the death of Capt Eakin during a low-level attack by two Messerschmidts. Let me know if you didn't and I will type up the short para. Regards John
No problem... 'At this stage 3 RTR , with 4 KSLi, took over the leadership on the left route. It was decided to push on northward and try to reach Wietzendorf, 8 miles ahead, by nightfall, leaving C Company behind to hold Bergen. The going was open heathland, and, to scare away the usual bazooka parties, the tanks decided to set alight and suspicious grass verges with incendiary bullets. This certainly kept the enemy away, but the blaze attracted the attention of two Messerschmidts. Davey [Joe Davey was a Pte in A Coy] continues: "I can't remember where it was, but I recall the Battalion driving through a line of trees in our TCVs when two Messerschmidts flying very low approached from our front. Knowing that they had spotted us the column came to a halt. The road was straight and narrow, and with trees on either side there was nowhere for the TCVs to go, so we just bailed out and lay among the trees. Sure enough the planes both came back on a strafing and bombing run. A few hundred yards further up the column I saw one bomb drop near a jeep, killing its occupants, a captain and his driver." The dead men were Captain Eakin and his driver , Pte Watkins. Eakin was one of the original Territorial officers embodied with the battalion in 1939, but had only recently rejoined it after service elsewhere. In addition a jeep and wireless truck were destroyed and a Comet damaged, the battery commander and sergeant being badly wounded'. There is another, moving, description written by the Bn 2IC, Maj Nicol: 'I remember the drive on across open heathland, and how vulnerable I felt in my jeep, and then the straight road through a wooded area where we were attacked by Messerschmidts. There was a call on the wireless for the MO and I went back to see what was the trouble. I found Eakin dead beside the road. I stretched him out, folded his arms and closed his eyes. In the same incident our battery commander, Smith-Osborne RHA, was badly wounded and lost an arm.' I hope this is of use to you. Best wishes John PS Let me know if you want me to have a stab at identifying the Messerschmidt's unit.
Hi everybody, I have crossed this discussion while looking for some information about 3 RTR and 4KSL as my father was an italian POW in Wietzendorf and was set free by those units. I will visit Wietzendorf this summer and pray on the graves of Captain Eakin and Pte Watkins now that I know their histories. Do you know where I can get more information about those 2 units ? Thank you Domenico
The Forum member JDKR (real name John Russell) wrote a book called No Triumphant Procession which described those last battles of the War in some detail - that includes references to 3RTR and 4KSLI. Copies of Johns book appear regularly on eBay for quite reasonable sums. I'm not sure what he says about Wietzendorf but it's a very good book anyway! John visits the Forum regularly so hopefully he will spot this thread. He has made a number of posts about those battles on the Forum.
I have found a few bits and pieces that may help fill in some of the gaps. From the London Gazette 34627: From the Army List, April-June 1945, 1217a – Territorial Army, KSLI – 2nd Lieutenant Not sure what the date 24/8/39 signifies. The absence of any reference to Robert’s OBE may indicate that it was confirmed posthumously – I haven’t been able to find the details. Robert also appears on the memorials at St Andrew’s, Bedford and the Bedford School Chapel. The Shropshire Archives have photos Georgina.
