Hello, my name is Raffaele and I am Italian. My grandfather participated in the 1940/42 campaign at the North African Campaign, fighting against the British Army, alongside the Germans. He was an lieutenant of Regio Esercito. At home we have countless relics taken from the sands of desert. Among the many weapons there is a bracelet that the Commenwealth soldiers carried to the wrist. There is grade, serial number, name, address and department of membership: East Yorks Reg. Could someone gave me more specifics about it? Was it some English or not? From some research I've done, the address leads to Toronto. Was the East Yorks Reg. British or South African? PTE was a private, lowest military rank. Can you help me? Thanks
Yes, it's British. Private WF Johnson 4344298 ( edit; see below for correct number) East Yorkshire Regiment. Looked for that number on CWGC , he's not listed so wasn't killed in WW2. Number fits into block issued to East Yorkshire Regiment 4334001 - 4379000 Can't read the other side, can you post a clearer image please.
Think his number is 4344295. WF Johnson appears on 2 casualty lists: 5th Bn East Yorkshire Regt List No. 916 Dated 31 August 1942 Western Desert POW List No. 1502 Dated 19 July 1944 Previously reported POW in Italian hands, now not POW
The wording on the back looks something like: ??A. MARMADUKE.?? Could the first of the initial 3 letters be an S or 3 or 5 The second G or C
The East Yorkshires were a British Regiment. Yorkshire is in northern England. East Yorkshire Regiment - Wikipedia How is Toronto involved?
Perhaps in his searches he came across the former borough of East York, Toronto and thought there was a connection? East York - Wikipedia Regards...
It could be 56a (or 36a)Marmaduke Street his home address. There is one in Hull , East Yorkshire. 36a marmaduke st hull - Google Search
It is possible, although not this actual example England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 Name: Male Marmaduke Registration Year: 1852 Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar Registration district: Leicester Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District Inferred County: Leicestershire Volume: 7a Page: 137 TD
Can Tony56 look up in the 1939 Register to see if there are any A Johnsons with perhaps an address of Marmaduke ?? St, Rd, Av ?? TD
Good shot Owen, the 1939 Register has a 35a Marmaduke Street, Hull. Occupiers are by the name of Davies, there are some Johnsons around there, will investigate further.
1939 Register 19 Marmaduke St, Kingston upon Hull Johnson, Francis W /Male /dob 6 Apr 1906 /Married /Foreman sheet metal worker Johnson, Alice / Female / 8 Mar 1905 /Married / Shopkeeper (Own account) Johnson, Frank William / Male / 16 Aug 1930 /Single Also 7 Londesborough Terrace, Marmaduke St Johnson, James A / Male /7 Apr 1873 /Married / Ship tool smith Johnson, Ester A / Female / 19 Dec 1870 / Married
Some POSSIBILITIES Francis W Johnson married Alice Worrell Q4 1926 Hull Frank William would appear to be the only child. James Alfred Johnson married Ester Alice Carr Q3 1895 Caistor, Lincolnshire. According to the 1911 census they had 1 child. There was a Walter Johnson born Q4 1895 Caistor. Edit: According to the 1901 census the son of James and Ester was Harold, aged 3, so forget Walter.
Unfortunately I do not have the expertise or resources of you chaps or I would try myself. By my obscure lateral thinking is there a possibility that the address refers to Next of Kin? Is Mrs Davies in Hull his sister or otherwise related? Tim
Good point Tim. Unfortunately we don’t know his first names and Johnson (and Davies) are common surnames which makes it difficult to search. As a point of interest a death notice in the Hull Daily Mail of January 4th 1938 reports that a Selina Sorrenson (mother of Rose and George, mother in law of Mary) died at 35a Marmaduke Street, Hull. It looks like the Davies family had only been there a short time in 1939. Will investigate further but not easy. Can I ask Raffaele, the originator, if the query was just out of interest or with some thoughts of finding the family to return the bracelet?
Thank you all for the answers! You are great! Do you therefore confirm that the regiment operated in Africa (Egypt) in 1941 or 42, when was my grandfather also? From what Tony56 W.F says, W.F. Johnson was a british soldier POW in the hands of the Italians. On the back of the bracelet is written: 35 A. MARMADUKE. ST. I think it's the soldier's address ... from my search is a Toronto street. A Canadian enlisted with the British Army? Who knows ... I did not think if I would return the bracelet if I found the descendants of the legitimate owner. I do not know. Actually, I'm writing a book about my grandfather's adventure in Africa, against the British. Every detail is useful to me. Thank you all. (for example I have another British object coming from the sands of Egypt and to inquire if you want to help me).
Raffaele, I think that we are all certain that he is British and the address is Marmaduke Street, Hull in the UK. Trying a different direction, in addition to our WF Johnson there are 4 other 5th Bn East Yorks reported as POW on the same casualty list. I have found POW details for ALL except the one we are looking for, details are: Name: H Hillerby No: 4345283 Camp location: Bystrice, Czech Republic POW No: 251717 Record Office No: Name: L Rudkin No: 4347697 Camp location: Annaburg, Saxony-Anhalt POW No: 227946 Camp No: IV-D/Z Record Office No: 20 Name: P Stack No: 4345143 Camp location: Hartmannsdorf, Saxony POW No: 275458 Camp No: IV-F Record Office No: 20 Name: J T Stokoe No: 4344819 Camp location: Sankt Johann im Pongau, Austria POW No: 39124 Camp No: 317 Record Office No: 20 I appreciate that appearing on the same casualty list doesn't mean that the incident occurred in the same action, and may well have been on a different date but I am interested in why WF Johnson is not there? Perhaps he was not taken POW? Does anyone else have more POW records that could help? Edit: Raffaele, happy to help on other objects but PLEASE can you get some sharper pictures.
Tony, I have found a record of him in PG 53 Camp, Macerata, Italy. The Hull newspaper lists many East Yorks men as missing or pow throughout August and September 1942, but no W.F. Johnson. JOHNSON, East Yorkshire Regiment in Italian captivity (WO392/21) T. Johnson 85, E.D. Johnson 71, & Wm. A. Johnson 14 were also from Hull.