Missing Men Ox and Bucks

Hi there

Could you see if my grandfather William George Beechey (or Beachey) is on the missing men list. He was captured May 29th 1940 at Watou.

Many thanks

 

Pte W G Beechey 5377995 of OBLI is shown as a POW on the March 1945 POW list. His POW number is11722 and at that time he was shown as in Lamsdorf

John

 

John do you know if he completed a Liberation Report?

 

Drew

No I've not looked for him amongst those (he would be in WO 344/23/1) - simply looked his name up on the POW list. If he was a "missing" man the next port of call would be WO 361

John

 

I have that file but not checked it yet. I have a couple of accounts of what happened at Watou but will do the missing men file first when I get time.

 

Many thanks both of you - this is so exciting.

 

Hi there

Could you see if my grandfather William George Beechey (or Beachey) is on the missing men list. He was captured May 29th 1940 at Watou.

Many thanks


Hi,
I`m not familiar with these `missing men files` but by the name are they primarily those commemorated on the various memorials eg Dunkirk? If so as William was a PoW was he actually a missing man ?


Kyle

 

Kyle,

They are WO 361 files at the National Archives. Bit hard to explain really but anyone who was missing from the unit was researched so they could be listed as dead. Amongst the paperwork can be little gems like what Company a man was with from when he last drew pay, eye witness accounts of when a man was last seen alive by other soldiers in his Company, how he was killed, how he was captured, PoW details. That said they are very hit and miss (mainly miss) and I only collect the 1940 ones but there are 1,000's of similiar files at TNA covering loads of different units and campaigns.

 

Kyle,

They are WO 361 files at the National Archives. Bit hard to explain really but anyone who was missing from the unit was researched so they could be listed as dead. Amongst the paperwork can be little gems like what Company a man was with from when he last drew pay, eye witness accounts of when a man was last seen alive by other soldiers in his Company, how he was killed, how he was captured, PoW details. That said they are very hit and miss (mainly miss) and I only collect the 1940 ones but there are 1,000's of similiar files at TNA covering loads of different units and campaigns.

Hi Drew,
Thanks I`ve learnt something new tonight.

Kyle

 

See post 49

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/research-material/29605-national-archives-catalogue-excel-2.html

 

I had a look last night through the missing men file and couldn't see him listed. Do you know what battalion he was with prior to capture?

 

Hi there

All I have is the information from ancestry and the IRC:

ancestry says Oxfordshire and Buckinhamshire Light Infantry

IRC says Ist Ox and Bucks

His army number is obviously the same for each 5377995. Ancestry has his surname as Beechey but the IRC has it as Beachey

The ancestry site says the record office is Warwick County Record Office - why would that be?


Many thanks

 

1st Ox Bucks always causes a potential problem as there was two battalions with similiar names in France during 1940 and just to add to the confusion I'm sure 4 Ox Bucks (what was left of them) were rounded up at Watou after breaking out of Cassel.

I may check the missing men file again but even better I'm at Kew this Saturday and I'll check to see if he completed a PoW Liberation report for you seeing as John posted the ref for me.

Check back in on Sunday - Fingers crossed I may have his report for you

 

Hi there

The ancestry site says the record office is Warwick County Record Office - why would that be?



I think that you'll find that this is an error as Ancestry are more used to dealing with genealogical matters rather than military. The records for the Ox and Bucks were kept at the Infantry Records Office, Warwick

John

 

Dear Drew5253 - many, many thanks I will be sitting here with bated breath!!

Hi John so does that mean they have been moved from Warwick now?

Thanks

 

Hi Drew

If you do get to Kew tomorrow - esp as it is sooo cold at the moment - and you get to check the liberation reports for William could you possibly also check to make sure they haven't mistaken his surname as Peechey or Peachey as well as Beechey and Beachey. William is just so elusive at times!

Many, many thanks

 

Sorry- No William George Beechey completed a PoW Liberation Report. Not sure when I'll get time to check others as each one takes around an hour to order and check. I'll see what I can do if I get more time.

 

Many thanks for looking. Think of me if you ever come across his name!

 

Apart from Kew is there any other place where his liberation report may have ended up?

Thanks

 

No and it's not even definate he completed one, less than half of PoWs completed them according to others on here. Your best bet at this stage of confirming his battalion would probably be to apply for a copy of his service records.