Wailly Communal Cemetery - officer

Discussion in 'War Cemeteries & War Memorial Research' started by chaz, May 5, 2019.

  1. chaz

    chaz Active Member

    just been around the cemeteries and graveyards taking a few photos.
    a couple of strange WW2 ones I thought I would ask about. The 3 concerned are the only ones in the village communial cemetery. the pair 1 &2 both have a Tank symbol
    1/. Trooper A Arthur 7887933 RTR died between 19th May and 22nd June 1940. Casualty
    2/. Serjeant H J K Reppen 7879503 RTR died 21 May 1940. Casualty
    3/. an Officer died 22 May 1940.

    as 1 and 2 were RTR Royal Armoured Corps and burried in the same double plot could it be assumed they were in the same vehicle?
    as 3 is within yards of the grave of 1 & 2 would he be commander?
    would it be possible to name the officer from any records available?
    as 2 & 3 are both within a day why is 1 a similar day but with a between date?
     
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  3. chaz

    chaz Active Member

    arthur , reppen.JPG this week no greenery
     
    Last edited: May 5, 2019
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  4. LondonNik

    LondonNik Senior Member

    Hi Chaz,

    Apologies for the long response time but just picked up on this one from Diane's excellent list of Tags and will post - hopefully you are still logging on and will see it...

    1/. Trooper A Arthur 7887933 RTR died between 19th May and 22nd June 1940. Casualty
    2/. Serjeant H J K Reppen 7879503 RTR died 21 May 1940. Casualty
    3/. an Officer died 22 May 1940.

    All three casualties - and the French casualty buried nearby - almost certainly died 21st May 1940 during 7 RTanks action (so-called Counter-attack) around Arras.

    There is no way of telling whether Trooper Arthur and Sgt Reppen served in the same tank. French sources indicate these two men had separate field graves some distance apart and there were several tank casualties in this heavily defended area. I'm told the graves were relocated to the Communal cemetery at some point during the war, so the reason for placing them in the same plot is unknown. My personal opinion is that they were not in the same crew but there is no documentary evidence to support or disprove this!

    The Officer was certainly killed 21st May but the problem with the date is most likely caused by him being unidentified - thus he could have been one of several officers posted as missing. There are a number of pieces of evidence leading to a tentative identification however nothing substantial enough for CWGC. That evidence places the officer's field grave some distance from Sgt Reppen and Tpr Arthur so I don't believe he was their tank commander.

    best, Nick
     
  5. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    hello Nick
    Chaz not seen since Aug 2019
    drop him a private message

    regards
    Clive
     
    Tricky Dicky likes this.
  6. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    7th RTR lost their CO on the 21st near Wailly. Its mentioned here with speculation on the unknown burial ?

    1940 – 1941

    LIEUTENANT COLONEL
    HECTOR MILES HEYLAND
    Service Number: 9297
    Regiment & Unit/Ship
    Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C.
    Cdg. 7th
    Date of Death Died 21 May 1940
    Buried or commemorated at-DUNKIRK MEMORIAL Column 3.

    Gerry Murland also mentions in Retreat and Rearguard Dunkirk 1940

    "Lieutenant Colonel Heyland is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial but could be the unidentified officer buried at Wailly Communal Cemetery"

    Kyle
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2021
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