Seeking info on two RE veterans - Capt Astles and L/Sgt Bloodworth of 13 Fd Sqn RE

Just trawling around and found these LG items which you may or may not already have:

RG Astles LG 1939:
View attachment data (1).pdf

LG 1945
View attachment data (2).pdf

LG 1946
View attachment data (3).pdf


Reference: WO 373/54/721
Description:
Name Astles, Robert Geoffrey
Rank: Captain
Service No: 95028
Regiment: Corps of Royal Engineers
Theatre of Combat or Operation: North West Europe 1944-45
Award: Military Cross
Date of announcement in London Gazette: 12 July 1945
Folio: 1352-1353
Date: 1945
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record

TD

 

Hi Pete

Think I have found Lysbeths second marriage

Name: Lysbeth W King
Spouse Surname: Frank
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1950
Registration district: Claro
Inferred County: Yorkshire West Riding
Volume Number: 2c
Page Number: 235


Name: Gordon B Frank
Spouse Surname: King Or Astles
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1950
Registration district: Claro
Inferred County: Yorkshire West Riding
Volume Number: 2c
Page Number: 235

TD

edited to add:


Gordon B Frank
Birth 1923 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England
Death Jan 1987 in Pontefract, Yorkshire, England

also I note the marriage is recorded twice ??? once above and second time below


Name: Lysbeth W Astles
Spouse Surname: Frank
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1950
Registration district: Claro
Inferred County: Yorkshire West Riding
Volume Number: 2c
Page Number: 235

 

That's great stuff TD, I had all the Gazette stuff but hadn't saved the actual PDF's now that you've posted them here I have saved them;-)

The stuff about Lisbeth's second marriage is interesting and I do wonder why they divorced?

His MC citation is very interesting in that he suffered serious wounding when taking personal charge of a Bailey bridge build between 6 - 8th April at Stolzenau. They were actually attacked by JU88's, and Stukas at one stage. Capt (Temp Major) Astles was badly wounded in the back; Captain Robins (2iC) was killed; Lt. Venn was wounded and 32 OR's became casualties. Coupled with the loss of an officer and some other men a few days earlier (April 3rd) to airbursts from an 88MM, 13 Fd Sqn lost a heck of a lot of men in 5 days! It's a wonder they continued to function, especially as could not know for sure that the war would be over in less than a month. Not with Jerry fighting back as tenaciously as he was at that stage!

 

Re. Frank William Wadsworth, MC

He was also a former 24th Lancer and landed in Normandy 7d6m1944 in command of his tank "Armageddon"...

See... 24th Lancers - Roll of Honour



I haven't (yet) seen a good picture of him, but wondered (recently) if he might perhaps have attended one (or more) of the 24th Lancers Old Comrades reunions. There are any number of possibilities - given how little can be made of the grainy picture obtained on the IWM pic. However... this is one of the possible maybes...



One often sees pictures however of individuals receiving their military crosses, so perhaps there is a good picture somewhere of Lt.Wadsworth receiving his 3RTR one?

IWM -

THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR: OPERATION OVERLORD (THE NORMANDY LANDINGS), JUNE 1944
IWM A23942
DESCRIPTION
Object description
Tanks and equipment being unloaded on the invasion beaches in Normandy. In the foreground, a soldier is giving directions to a tank, LCT 503 and LCT 7096 can be seen beached in the middle distance. Note on the leading tank the waterproof wading equipment with which a high proportion of British and American tanks are fitted. Large numbers of DUKWs or "ducks" can be seen on the beach along with various trucks and barrage balloons hanging above.

 

If you want more information on this action on the Weser at Stolzenau, I cover this in some detail in my book Theirs the Strife. Best. John

 

Thanks for this Ramiles, very interesting to see a pic of Lt Wadsworth. The description here is his citation for the MC and if you compare it to Bill Close's description of events (in his book 'A View from the Turret') you'll see that Close completely distorts events to the extent of completely writing the Engineers out of the story and having Wadsworth dismount his tank and cut the demolition wires himself. Given that it was most likely Bill Close who wrote up Wadsworth citation (he was his CO afterall) I find this most odd. Close's description also contradicts 3RTR's own War Diaries.

Hi JDKR, I've got your book John and have read it, very informative it was too, I've also done a lot of reading around this bridging op and have another thread here on WW2talk entitled 'a day in the life of 13 Fd Coy RE' (or words to that effect) which transcribes many of the various accounts of those events of 6 - 7th April 1945.

 

Oooh, must check it out. However, I live in fear and trembling of discovering new info that should have had a place in TTS!

PS. Have always loved your avatar and accompanying name and description. Top drawer stuff! Happy Christmas!

 

I'm pretty sure you'll have read most of this already. My interest is in the RE officer and his Sgt, who did strip these charges from the bridge that day. The Officer was killed later the same day when Jerry shelled the town and the vehicle he was sitting in took a direct hit. I've been researching this chaps life for a number of years now.

Thanks John for that PS, FWIW my full description is "Gin-Soaked, Harmless, Coddiwompling Curmudgeon and Vituperative Old Git, well past his sell-by date; and self-confessed Bailey bridge nut". I have been assured, by those closest to me, that it describes me to a T

 

Hi
I'm trying to find out about a John Bloodworth, awarded the MM. He lived in Brigg and attended Brigg Grammar school between 1930 and 1935. The school magazine of December 1939 records him as serving with the Royal Engineers, and at the end of 1945 mentions that he received the MM, but without any details. Is he your man?

 

As far as I can make out my Bloodworth living in Middlesex when he died. His wife seems to have donated his medals to the RE Museum and then she too passed away a few years later. I couldn't find any descendants for my Bloodworth so things kind of hit a wall, also this research project is on temporary hold whilst I complete my main research area.

However, if TD's discovery for John Bloodworth is correct...

All England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007

Name: John Richard Bloodworth
Birth Date: 19 Sep 1919
Date of Registration: Dec 1984
Age at Death: 65
Registration district: Hendon
Inferred County: Middlesex
Volume: 13
Page: 698

Then that would make him about 11 in 1930 which I suppose ties in with going up to Grammar School in 1930, aged 11 if indeed the transfer to Grammar school, in 1930, did take place at aged11? It pre-dates the Tripartite System/11 Plus but presume the transfer age existed before the system of streaming existed? It could be my chap, do you know any more about him? Location of Birth, siblings etc?

 

Hi Old Git - My grandfather was part of 13th at points I believe, along with 147, 10th briding troop etc. He was at Stolzenau. There's a photo attached of him with a few other sgts in 1945. I know SGT Lewis Parker was part of 147. There is a guy called labelled as 'Jacky' who we're presumably all sgts from within the 612, 13th, 147 and 10th bridging. Could he be your man? My grandad was actually called John but everyone called him Jack. I think it was a thing so perhaps this Jacky might be the other John? Do you have anyway of finding out the names of the other Sgts somehow and potentially knowing what troop they were part of? These would of all been bridging boys i'd imagine. Lewis Parker is left, John (Jack) Crane second left.