Grave Robert Wright

Grave Robert Wright

  
Robert Wright (Service Number 11052155) was killed in action on 14 October 1944. He was aged 23 and a Private in the 1st Battalion of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. He was buried temporarily in the premises of the Widow Goemans near Overloon and re-interred on 27 May 1947 in grave IV. B. 2. in the Overloon Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery. The inscription on his grave reads “Time may pass and fade away but memories of you will always stay R.I.P.”

No photo of Robert has yet been found. Should anyone reading this have a photo of him or further information regarding him – or if they are aware of any errors in his biography below can they please contact the Foundation.

Family background

Robert was the son of William and Annie Wright, of South Moor, Stanley, Co. Durham.

William Wright married Annie Williams in 1904 in the Lanchester district of County Durham. William Wright was born on 2 March 1884 at Howden le Wear in Co Durham and Annie Williams on 9 August 1884 at Lamerton, near Tavistock in Devon.

In 1911 William and Annie were living at 66 Maple Street, South Moor, Stanley, Co Durham. William was working as a Coal Miner Stoneman. With them were children as follows: Elizabeth Jane 1904, Robert 1905, William 23 October 1906 and Stephanie 12 March 1909.  Elizabeth was born at South Moor, Stanley, Robert and William at Annfield Plain and Stephanie at West Stanley. However, young Robert died in 1916 in the Lanchester District aged just 10.
 
By June 1921 they were living at 81, Poplar Street, Stanley, Co. Durham. William was working as a Miner Pumpman for the South Moor Colliery Company. Lizzie Jane, William and Stephanie were still at home, but two more children had been born: Thomas in 1914 and Annie in 1917 in the same area. The second child named Robert Wright was born on 16 September 1921.
 
By September 1939 Annie and William were living at 17 William Street, Stanley, Co Durham. Only William and Robert were still with them. William (Snr) was not working as he was permanently sick. William (Jnr) was unemployed. Robert was working as a Bank Hand at a Colliery.

Military career

Robert Wright enlisted on 17 April 1941. He gave his address as 17 William Street, South Moor, Stanley, Durham. His father, William Wright, was given as his next of kin at the same address as Robert. Robert stated that he had been employed as a general labourer and his religion was Church of England. He was described as being 5 ft 6 ¼ in tall, weighed 120lbs, had grey eyes and light brown hair.
 
He was placed in the 236 Search Light Training Regiment of the Royal Artillery and was immediately posted as a Gunner to the 565 Search Light Battery Royal Artillery. The primary role of a Search Light Battery in the UK was to illuminate enemy aircraft for Anti Aircraft guns or night fighters to engage, although providing directional beacons for friendly aircraft was a valuable secondary role. The 565 Search Light Battery is thought to have been part of  53 Search Light Regiment.
 
On 2 March 1944 he was transferred from 53 Search Light Regiment to No 10 Infantry Training Centre of the Royal Scots Regiment as a Private. He was “put away” to the 10 Bn Cameronians on 13 June 1944. This means it was a temporary assignment, with the Royal Scots remaining as his home Regiment. He was posted to the X (iv) list of the 21stArmy Group on 11 August 1944 and from there to No 32 Reinforcement Holding Unit / 101 Reinforcement Group on 18 August. These postings mean that he was being held as a reinforcement, ready to be sent to a fighting unit when required.
 
He was finally sent to North West Europe on 18 August 1944. On 23 August 1944 he was transferred to the 1st Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers.
 
The 1st Battalion of the KOSB had landed on Queen Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944. They had played their part in Operation Goodwood in July as part of the larger battle for Caen. The Battalion saw some action at Vire on 9 August but was held in reserve during attacks at Tinchebray. From 20 August to 3 September they had a period of training. It was during this period that Robert joined them as a reinforcement.
 
From 5 to 16 September they were in Etrepangy where they again rested, receiving a further 30 Other Ranks as reinforcements to add to the 6 officers and 91 Other Ranks they had already received since D-Day.
 
They then moved quickly past Brussels and through Leuven to support the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles and 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment as they crossed the Meuse Escault Canal and on into Belgium and the Netherlands, reaching Milheeze on 28 September. At this point the war diary mentions that the bath unit arrived and “the whole battalion felt clean again for the first time since Etrepagny”, which was over 3 weeks previously.
 
On 1 October they reached St Hubert where they were very well received by the inhabitants. They remained there until 12 October. They spent their time training but also had time for relaxation. A soccer match was arranged against the Regiment’s 6th Battalion on St Hubert’s football field. They lost 4 – 1 and the Pipe Band played at half time and at the end of the match. They also had two film shows on the 10th and 11th. The diary notes that they left St Hubert on 12 October after a pleasant stay of 10 days.
 
On 12 October they reached an assembly area just west of St Anthonis. On that day, the 1st Suffolks succeeded in capturing Overloon and took up a position just to the south of the town.
 
At 1320 on 13 October, the Battalion began its attack on the western part of a wood south west of Overloon, south and west of the property known as Helderse duinen today. They started from a position just north of the east/west Overloon to Oploo road. One squadron of Churchill Tanks (4th Grenadier Guards), one squadron of Flail tanks and one squadron of Flamethrowers led the way. By 1700 hours the leading troops had succeeded in reaching a point about 200 yds from the southern edge of the wood and this is when the Battalion consolidated for the night. No enemy were encountered until the forward companies got into position, and then isolated machine guns opened up occasionally and continued to do so till an hour after nightfall. From the time that the whole Battalion was in the wood, the enemy put down fairly heavy artillery, mortar, and Nebelwerfer fire on the wood.
 
On 14 October, the Royal Ulster Rifles attacked the woods to the east of the Battalion and then consolidated their position. The Lincolns then passed through the RUR and put in an attack on a wood a bit further south of them. They were attacked by machine guns and suffered casualties, causing them to have to withdraw to the RUR positions. For the rest of the day, the enemy put down a large amount of fire on the Brigade area, quite a large proportion of which was from Nebelwerfers. In the afternoon, the Lincolns with two companies of RUR with heavy supporting artillery and machine gun fire succeeded in reaching their objective of a wood further to the south.
 
During this day, the 1st KOSBs explored further to the south and west corners of the wood where they were based, destroying two machine gun posts and killing six of the enemy and wounding others. Recce patrols also ascertained that there were enemy in a wood to the south and that a stream would present an obstacle to tanks. In was on this day that the Battalion had three men killed and twelve wounded from shelling and mortaring. One of the three killed was Pte. Robert Wright and another was Sgt. Alexander Gay Graham. Robert was initially buried on the premises of Widow Goemans while Alexander was buried on the premises of HJ Hendricks. Both are near the junction of Peelkampweg and Vredepeelweg, south west of Overloon. The third man killed was Private William Joseph Simmons who was initially buried a little further to the south in the wood. Alexander Gay Graham and Robert Wright were later re-interred alongside each other at the Overloon War Cemetery while William Joseph Simmons was later re-interred at Mook War Cemetery.
 
Robert’s next of kin was informed on 23 October 1944.
 
He had served for a total of 3 years and 181 days of which 58 were in North West Europe.
 
He was awarded the following medals: War medal, 1939-45 & France & Germany Stars and the Defence Medal.
 
It is thought that Robert’s mother, Annie Wright, died on 19 May 1953, and his father, William Wright, on 7 June 1955, both in Stanley.

From FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Electoral Rolls; Military Records; British Newspaper Archive
King’s Own Scottish Borderers website
1st KOSB War Diaries (Royal Scots KOSB war diaries)
Wikipedia Moonlight Batteries Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery 1939-45 Website
Service Record WO 423/1231234 of Robert Wright from National Archives

Research Elaine Gathercole

George Moore (Service Number 3769934) died of his wounds on October 18, 1944. He served with the 1st Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment. He was initially buried at Deurneseweg in Oploo and was reinterred on January 28, 1946, in grave II.A.8 at the Overloon War Cemetery.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

George Moore was born on May 9, 1915, in West Derby, Lancashire, England. His parents were George Moore (1890–1953) and Sarah Alice Moore (née Bateman) (1894–1979). His father was a baker, and his mother was a homemaker. In 1918, during the First World War, his father served with the Royal Army Medical Corps.

George had the following siblings: Alice (1913), Albert Leonard (1918), Esther (1921), Lilian (1924), William Harold (1927), Jennie (1931), and half sister, Jean (1936).

The family lived at 56 Uxbridge Street, Edge Hill, Liverpool, and later moved to 19 Marmaduke Street in Liverpool.

MILITARY CAREER OF GEORGE MOORE

Early Years and the Territorial Army (1934–1937)

On April 17, 1934, the 18-year-old George Moore enlisted in the Territorial Army. He was posted to the 5th Battalion of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool). In 1934, 1935, and 1936, he faithfully attended the mandatory 15-day annual training camps. At the time, he lived at 19 Marmaduke Street and worked as a railway porter.

On October 20, 1936, he was honorably discharged from this battalion, only to be declared officially fit for active service with The King’s Regiment the following day in Seaforth. He listed his father, George Moore of 22 Mozart Street, Lodge Lane, Liverpool, as his next of kin. During his training, George proved to be a dedicated student, obtaining his 3rd Class Education Certificate in 1936 and his 2nd Class Certificate in 1939 while stationed in Peshawar, British India.

A Global Stage of War

During the Second World War, the King’s Regiment was spread across various fronts:

• British India (now Pakistan/India): The 1st and 13th Battalions guarded the borders. They later formed the core of the famous “Chindits”, fighting the Japanese deep in the Burmese jungle.
• England and Europe: The 5th and 8th Battalions defended the home front until participating in the Normandy landings in 1944.
• Mediterranean: The 2nd Battalion fought in North Africa and took part in the invasions of Italy and Greece.

Although the regiment was ceremonially based in Liverpool, its men fought all over the world: from the beaches of France to the mountains of Pakistan and the jungles of Burma.

Service in British India: The Transport Section

On November 10, 1937, George was assigned as a Private to the 1st Battalion and sent to Peshawar, near the Afghan border. He was placed in the transport section. Because of the rugged, mountainous terrain of the Khyber Pass, trucks were unusable; the unit relied entirely on mules for transporting ammunition and supplies.

Caring for these animals was a demanding daily task. George was described by his superiors as a quiet, respectful, and cheerful worker with excellent prospects. In September 1938, he was officially rated as a skilled rider with “good knowledge of animal management.”

Incidents with Mules

Despite his skill, George seemed to be a magnet for accidents involving these headstrong pack animals:

February 1939: During an exercise, another soldier’s mule bolted, causing a panic. George was thrown from his mule and kicked while on the ground.

July 1939: While riding to the “Grass Farm,” a passing mule reared and kicked George’s right ankle. He had to return to the barracks on his own despite great pain.

August 1941: While walking behind his animal to put away a currycomb, the mule kicked out unexpectedly, striking his right knee and resulting in two days of hospitalization.

Discipline and Promotion

His Service Record also showed the human side of the young soldier. During his early service in Devonport, he once stayed away for four days without leave, which earned him a reprimand. In India, discipline became stricter; minor offences, such as an incomplete uniform or briefly leaving his post, were punished with ‘C.B.’ (Confined to Barracks). Nevertheless, he remained ambitious. His educational certificates led to his promotion to Lance Corporal on 11 March 1943.

From 2 August 1943 to 28 January 1944, he served in India with the 13th Battalion of the King’s Regiment. The 13th King’s provided the bulk of the British contingent for the “Chindits” (Burmese word for Lion). The Chindits, officially known as Long Range Penetration Groups, were special operations units of the British and Indian armies that saw action in 1943-1944 during the Burma campaign of the Second World War. Their operations consisted of long marches through extremely difficult terrain, carried out by malnourished troops who were often weakened by diseases such as malaria and dysentery. Controversy remains about the extremely high number of casualties and the questionable military value of the Chindits’ achievements. George may have been involved in these operations.

THE ROAD TO THE EUROPEAN FRONT

On 28 January 1944, George left the port of Bombay and returned to England. After passing through various training centres, he underwent a medical examination in June 1944 and was found fit for active service in North-West Europe.

In the summer of 1944, administrative changes followed in quick succession:
In July, he was placed on the S.O.S. list (Struck Off Strength) in preparation for a new assignment.
On 11 August, he was added to an S.O.S. Reinforcement Draft group.
On 21 August 1944, he was officially assigned as T.O.S. (Taken On Strength) to the 1st Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment. For this, he gave up his stripes and became a Private again. That same day, he left for France.

Normandy and the Falaise Pocket

George joined a battalion that had already been through heavy fighting. The 1st Battalion had landed on Sword Beach at Colleville-sur-Mer on D-Day. The landing and advance cost the lives of more than 100 Lancashires, including their commander. After fierce fighting at Pegasus Bridge, the bloody battle for Caen and the capture of Chateau de La Londe, the battalion took part in the offensive at the Falaise Pocket.

When George joined his unit on 21 August, the encirclement of German troops had just been completed and the Battle of Normandy was coming to an end. After a short period of rest and training in northern France, the regiment marched through Belgium towards the Dutch border.

Operation Market Garden and the Battle of Overloon

Operation Market Garden commenced on 17 September 1944. The Allies’ plan was to advance rapidly through the Netherlands by dropping airborne troops at the bridges over the Meuse, Waal and Rhine rivers. The aim was to capture and secure these bridges, in combination with a simultaneous armoured attack on a narrow front from Belgium. Both the East Lancashires and the South Lancashires took part in this operation on the flanks of the main axis; the South Lancashires were on the right flank.

To this end, on 18 September, the South Lancashires, together with the Suffolks and Yorkshires, first formed a bridgehead to Sint-Huibrechts-Lille. This was followed by patrols towards Kaulille, where the temporary headquarters were established the following day. In the two days that followed, the Meuse-Scheldt Canal was crossed and on 20 September, the battalion entered Hamont. The plan was to advance to Weert the following day, but that first joint attack failed due to fierce German resistance.

After several days of reconnaissance, George and his battalion arrived in Bakel via Maarheeze, Leende, Heeze, Geldrop and Helmond. This route took them through an area that had already been liberated by the 11th British Armoured Division. They were then deployed on 3 October in Mook, just south of Nijmegen. This was part of the offensive in Operation Market Garden, which ultimately failed because the bridge at Arnhem could not be captured. As a result, the Allies ended up in a narrow corridor through the Netherlands. On 30 September, the American 7th Armoured Division had already attempted to widen this corridor by attacking from their position at Sint Anthonis Overloon, but this attack also failed.

The battalion remained in Mook until 8 October and then moved south towards Wanroij. On 9 October George was promoted again to Lance Corporal. It had been decided that the Americans would withdraw and that the British would take on the task of widening the corridor via Overloon, Venray and Venlo. Initially, the attack on Overloon was to begin on 11 October, but due to the very wet weather and poor soil conditions, it was postponed until 12 October.
On 12 October, the attack began at 12 noon with a very heavy artillery bombardment. The 2 East Yorks led the attack on the area described as “Dog Wood”, west of Overloon, while the 1 Suffolks focused on Overloon itself. Both units reached their objective at 3 p.m., after which mopping-up operations followed. The 1 South Lancs had previously been held in reserve, but at 5 p.m., the A and D companies were ordered to advance to clear a remaining area. Each front company was supported by a troop from the 3 Grenadier Guards. They encountered little resistance and by evening they had taken up their position on the edge of a clearing west of Overloon.

The Attack on Overloon and Venray

The next day, they advanced a little further south. On 14 October, however, they were ordered to go to the road between Rouw and Halfweg (northeast of Overloon) to secure control of a junction leading to Schaartven. Meanwhile, the 1st Suffolks and 2nd East Yorks were struggling to cross the Molenbeek and attack Brabander and Venray. On 17 October, George’s battalion followed the 2nd East Yorks to the north-western edge of Venray, where they were ordered to take the southern part of the town. Although Venray had been almost completely cleared, heavy artillery fire continued and minefields were discovered. On this day, Venray was officially liberated.

However, the planned advance to Venlo had to be abruptly halted a day later, on the orders of Supreme Commander Eisenhower. The liberation of the Scheldt estuary was given priority. The strategy for the advance south was reconsidered and attention shifted to patrols east of Venray. As a result, Venray remained a front-line town for months; despite its liberation, artillery fire continued to be a daily occurrence.

It was on this day, 18 October 1944, that George Moore was wounded and died of his injuries that same day.
He had served for 7 years and 363 days.

He was buried together with a number of comrades on Deurneseweg in Oploo and reburied on 28 January 1946 at Overloon War Cemetery.

George Moore was posthumously awarded the following medals for his service: 1939-43 Star, France & German Star, Defence Medal, and the War Medal.

Ancestry Civil and parish birth, marriage, and death records; English census and records from 1911, 1921, and 1939; electoral rolls; military records and family trees.
Ancestry family tree Eric Bateman
Wikipedia for 1st South Lancashire Regiment, King’s Regiment (Liverpool), 13th King’s Regiment
War Diaries 1st South Lancashire Regiment
Service Record WO 423/362060 of George Moore from the National Archives
Kevin Moore and Leo Janssen for the photo of George
Eric Bateman for the photos of George’s parents

Research Anny Huberts

Ronald Laggett (service number 14388156) died on April 27, 1945, as a result of a heart rhythm disorder. He was 20 years old and was a soldier in the Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey), 1/6th Battalion. He was initially buried at Margraten Cemetery in the Netherlands and reburied on May 1, 1947, in grave IV.A.7 at Overloon War Cemetery. The inscription on his grave reads: “Rest eternal grant them, shed on them the radiance of the heavenly light”. 

Family background

Ronald Charles Laggett was born on June 3, 1924, in Westhampnett, Sussex, England.
His parents were Charles Morris Laggett (1879–1962) and Edith Warren (1889–1975).

He had at least four sisters: Nellie Laura (1910–1976), Edith May Laggett (1918–1994), Vera Gertrude Laggett (1921–1999), and Irene Joan Laggett (1926– ).

They lived at 4 Scott Street in Bognor Regis, West Sussex in southern England. Charles, his father, was a gardener. Ronald was a milk roundsman when he enlisted.

Bognor Regis

Bognor Regis is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England. Bognor used to be a fishing (and smuggling) village with a harbor, until it was transformed into a seaside resort. It was a place located in a frontline province at war; of a people who endured the dangers and hardships of wartime, prepared to face the invader, opened their doors to displaced persons and housed military personnel, and contributed in numerous ways to the broader war effort.

On the beach between Bognor Regis and Aldwick lies the wreck of a floating pontoon that was once part of the Mulberry floating harbors used by the Allies to invade the French coast on D-Day, June 6, 1944. It broke loose during a storm on June 4, the day before it was due to cross the English Channel to Arromanches, and was left behind. Shortly after D-Day, it washed up on the beach.

They were designed in 1942 and then built in less than a year in the utmost secrecy. Within hours of the Allies creating bridgeheads after D-Day, sections of the two prefabricated harbors were towed across the English Channel from southern England and placed off the coast of Omaha Beach (Mulberry “A”) and Gold Beach (Mulberry “B”), along with old ships that would be used as breakwaters.

The Mulberry B harbor at Gold Beach was used for ten months after D-Day, supplying more than two million men, four million tons of supplies, and half a million vehicles before it was completely decommissioned. The partially completed Mulberry A harbor at Omaha Beach was damaged by a severe storm on June 19. After three days, the storm finally subsided and the damage was found to be so severe that the harbor was abandoned and the Americans resorted to landing troops and equipment on the open beaches.

Military background

Ronald Charles Laggett began his military career on December 17, 1942, with the Queen’s Royal Regiment. After completing his basic training, he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment in Great Britain on April 27, 1943. While the active battalions of this regiment were fighting in North Africa and Italy, Ronald and his battalion focused on defending the homeland and preparing for the invasion of Europe.

On April 16, 1944, he returned to the 1/6 Battalion of the Queen’s Royal Regiment. Training during this period was extensive and intense. While the troops practiced cooperation with the RAF, war was already looming: during their exercises in England, the troops were regularly fired upon by enemy German machine guns from the air.
On April 28, a Reinforcement Unit of this battalion was established, to which Ronald was assigned, under the command of Captain G.A.R.N. Warren, awaiting deployment.

In May 1944, the battalion was fully prepared for Normandy. Vehicles were waterproofed and the troops were prepared with tactical training, lectures, and inspections. While the vehicles traveled by road to the coast, the troops traveled by train to the assembly camps. The men received their mess tin rations and French francs to get through the first week in France. In early June, they embarked at the Royal Albert Dock and Tilbury Docks, after which their convoy anchored at Southend, waiting for the go-ahead.

The Landing and the Battle of the Bocage

While the first waves of soldiers stormed the beaches on June 6, Ronald was briefed on the progress in the camps. Between June 7 and 9, his convoy sailed through the Strait of Dover under cover of a smoke screen. On June 10, 1944, the arrival at Gold Beach was complete and the entire battalion gathered at Sommervieu, near Bayeux.

For Ronald, the battle in France had now officially begun.
As part of the 131st Brigade of the famous 7th Armored Division (the “Desert Rats”), Ronald marched through the treacherous Normandy countryside. It was a war of attrition in the “Bocage”: an area full of dense hedges where a German ambush could lie behind every bush. The advance took them past places such as Briquessard, Grentheville, and Fontenay-le-Marmion.

August 3, 1944: The Day of the Disappearance

At the beginning of August, the battalion was near Aunay-sur-Odon / Jurques, a little south of Caen, during Operation Bluecoat. The day of August 3 began hopeful with a successful ambush on a German column, but in the afternoon disaster struck.

At 2:50 p.m., the enemy launched a massive counterattack with infantry and tanks under cover of a smoke screen. The fighting was unprecedentedly fierce; although German tanks were destroyed, the British anti-tank guns were put out of action and the positions were overrun. Around 4:00 p.m., D Company and parts of B Company were completely overrun by the advancing German armour.

In the chaos of this surprise attack, the toll was assessed: the battalion suffered heavy losses with 161 casualties, including 23 dead, 45 wounded, and 93 missing. This was the day Ronald Laggett was reported missing. He was one of the men who fell into enemy hands during the fierce fighting.

Prisoner of War: Stalag IV-B and IV-D

After the chaotic fighting on August 3, 1944, Ronald Laggett’s fate remained unclear for some time. While his unit attempted to restore the lines, he was officially registered as missing. Only later did confirmation arrive that he had been taken prisoner during the surprise attack on his company. From the battlefield in the Normandy “Bocage,” an uncertain journey deep into the German Reich began for him. He was registered as prisoner of war number 71010 and transferred to Stalag IV-B.

Stalag IV-B was one of Nazi Germany’s largest and most multinational prisoner-of-war camps. The camp was located about 8 kilometers northeast of the town of Mühlberg, in what is now the state of Brandenburg. Upon his arrival, Ronald found a huge, fenced-in city of barracks, where tens of thousands of men from all corners of the world were imprisoned.

The camp was a melting pot of nationalities: in addition to British soldiers like Ronald, the Germans also held Polish, French, Australian, Soviet, Yugoslavian, South African, and Italian prisoners of war. Despite the harsh conditions, the scarcity of food, and the constant threat from the guards, a close-knit community developed among the Allied prisoners in Stalag IV-B.

For Ronald, this meant the end of his active participation in the war, but the beginning of a new, exhausting ordeal: surviving behind barbed wire, far from the front, awaiting eventual liberation.

Life in the camp was a daily struggle against the elements. Stalag IV-B was extremely overcrowded, especially in early 1945 when no fewer than 30,000 prisoners – including 7,250 British – were crammed together. Hygiene was poor, food rations were minimal, and diseases such as tuberculosis and typhus claimed the lives of some 3,000 prisoners.

From this main camp, many prisoners were sent as forced laborers to various Arbeitskommandos in the region. In early 1945, an evacuation order was suddenly issued. In the chaos of the approaching front, the prisoners of war were hastily loaded onto transport trucks before the lines shifted again.

It is not known whether Ronald was still in Stalag IV-B because, according to his Service Record, he was transferred at an unknown date to Stalag IV-D in Torgau, a town on the Elbe that would later become world famous as the place where the American and Soviet armies first met. Stalag IV-D was not a traditional barracks camp, but consisted of requisitioned buildings in the city itself, including a former printing plant and a non-commissioned officers’ school.

Although Torgau served as the administrative center for tens of thousands of forced laborers in the surrounding mines and factories, in the final phase of the war, the main camp also served as a “Heilag”: a gathering place for sick and wounded prisoners who were eligible for repatriation or exchange. There were hopes of a return home, but these exchanges never took place because the British army command feared that exchanged German prisoners would immediately be deployed back to the front.

Liberation and the Tragic End

The long-awaited freedom came at the end of April 1945. While the Red Army liberated Stalag IV-B on April 23, Allied troops reached Torgau on April 25. Ronald was finally liberated in Bennewitz, near Leipzig.

However, after months of undermining, poor nutrition, and the enormous physical and mental pressure of camp life, his body was exhausted. He was transferred to an American evacuation hospital in Naumburg for medical care. The hope of a safe return home was now within reach, but it was not to be. Just a few days after his liberation, his heart gave out; Ronald Laggett died in the hospital from the effects of a heart rhythm disorder (complete heart block).

Ronald survived the hell of the Bocage, the ambush of his company, and the hardships of the German camps, only to succumb in the early days of peace.

A year of hope and fear

While the world celebrated victory in Europe in May 1945, Ronald’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Laggett from Bognor Regis, entered a grueling period of uncertainty. They knew that their son had been captured in Normandy in August 1944, but after that, there had been virtually no news. During the entire period that Ronald was away from home, they had received only one letter from him.

Month after month, there was no news of his release or repatriation. While other soldiers returned home, the door at 4 Scott Street remained closed.

The shock was therefore immense when, on May 20, 1946— more than a year after the actual liberation of the camps — an official message from the War Office finally arrived. It was not the announcement of his return, but the news of his death. Only then did his parents learn that their son had died thirteen months earlier, shortly after his liberation by the Americans in Bennewitz.

The bitter timing of the news was particularly painful: Ronald would have celebrated his 22nd birthday the following Monday.

Shortly after the official notification, an article appeared in the local newspaper of Bognor Regis under the headline: “Bad news for parents in Bognor: Son died shortly after liberation.” The newspaper described the tragic turn of events and expressed its condolences on behalf of the entire community of Bognor Regis. The article summarized the young soldier’s sacrifice: called up in 1943, captured during the Battle of Normandy, and dying just when freedom was within reach.

The letter from the War Office concluded with words of deep sympathy for the parents, who after a year of uncertainty saw their hopes turn definitively to mourning. Ronald Charles Laggett died for freedom, but the scars of his struggle were long borne by those who waited for him in Bognor Regis.

Ronald was initially buried by the Americans in Margraten in the Netherlands, but in 1947 he found his final resting place at the British Overloon War Cemetery also in the Netherlands in Grave IV. A.7. He rests there as one of the many who lived to see liberation, but did not live to experience freedom itself.

Ronald had served for 1 year and 175 days in the UK and 322 days in North West Europe. He was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the France & Germany Star, and the War Medal 1939/45.

He is commemorated on the War Memorial in Bognor Regis.

Ancestry Civil and parish birth, marriage, and death records; English census and records from 1911, 1921, and 1939; voter rolls; military records and family trees.
Wikipedia Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
Wikipedia Stalag IV-B and IV-D
Prisoner of War Museum
The Queens Royal Surrey Regiment website
West Sussex Record Office Blog
War Diaries 1/6 Bn the Royal Queens Regiment 
Service Record WO WO 423/537243 of Ronald Charles Laggett from the National Archives
Elske Dusselaar-van Kammen and Emma Jane Gwen for Ronald’s photo and newspaper article

Research Anny Huberts

John Henry Gray died on 11 May 1945 from injuries sustained in a traffic accident. He was 42 years old and was a Bombardier (service number 883381) with the Royal Artillery. He was buried at the American Military Cemetery in Margraten in the Netherlands and reburied on 1 May 1947 at Overloon War Cemetery in grave IV.A.1.

Family Background

John Henry Gray was born on 29 January 1903 in Old Kilpatrick, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. His parents were John Gray (1863–1927) and Annie McKeever (1878–1956).

His siblings were: Helen Gray (1898–1898), Margaret Gray (1900–1985), Patrick Gray (1901–), Mary Gray (1904–), Anne Gray (1906–1997), Bella Gray (1907–1992), Sissy Gray (1908–1911), Winnifred Gray (1911–), Thomas Gray (1915–1955) and William Gray (1916–1977).

He married Agnes Doyle in Paisley on 27 July 1923 and they went to live at 13 Underwood Lane. Later they lived at 96 Seedhill Road, also in Paisley.
They had six children, all born in Paisley: John 22 October 1924, Margareth Doyle 25 September 1926, William Henry 31 August 1928, Thomas 6 June 1930, Agnes 16 January 1933 and Terence 21 August 1936.

John worked as a motor driver.

Military career

John enlisted in the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 12 May 1938, at the recruiting office of the 156th Infantry Brigade.
On 29 September 1939, he was mobilised into the British Army, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War. His mobilisation took place in Stranraer, Scotland, after which he was deployed for service within the United Kingdom.

His first posting was with the 5th Battalion of The King’s Regiment, an infantry unit of the Territorial Army. In this early period, their duties consisted mainly of home defence, including guarding vital infrastructure, ports and communication lines, as well as military training and readiness services. The battalion was mainly stationed in north-west England and southern Scotland, areas of strategic importance in the early years of the war.

In 1940, as German air raids on Britain intensified, he was transferred from the infantry to the Royal Artillery. After retraining at a Basic Artillery Training Centre, he was assigned to the 225th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, becoming part of the British air defence during the Battle of Britain and the subsequent Blitz.

In addition to his duties as an artilleryman, he was formally appointed as a Vehicle Mechanic and was required to maintain recognised technical proficiency. His work included the maintenance and repair of military vehicles, tractors for anti-aircraft guns and associated equipment, which were essential for the deployability of Heavy Anti-Aircraft units. On 12 January 1944, he was officially classified as a Vehicle Mechanic, Group A, Class III, recognising him as a skilled executive mechanic.

His Service Record shows that he served in various units of the Royal Artillery between 1941 and 1944. In the early years of the war, he served with the 58 Anti-Tank Regiment, the 223 Anti-Tank Regiment, the 3rd Reserve Regiment, and in June 1943, he joined the 97 Anti-Tank Regiment.

During this period, he steadily rose through the ranks. He was promoted from Gunner to Lance Bombardier, then to Bombardier, and subsequently held positions as Acting Bombardier and War Substantive Bombardier. He remained in England during these years and would later fight on the North-Western Front.

France

On 17 June 1944, he arrived in France as part of the 21st Army Group. The 21st Army Group was commanded by General (later Field Marshal) Bernard Montgomery.
During the fighting in Normandy, this Army Group was involved in the Battle of Caen and the fighting for the Falaise Pocket, among other things.
After Operation Dragoon, the 21st Army Group formed the left flank of the Allied advance in north-western Europe. It was responsible for capturing the ports and eliminating the V-1 and V-2 launch bases along the coasts of France and Belgium. On 4 September 1944, the Belgian port city of Antwerp was captured.

Belgium

On 20 December 1944, John was assigned to the 31 Reinforcement Holding Unit, which was part of the 101 Reinforcement Group. This unit had already been in the area for a few months and consisted mainly of Royal Artillery officers and other ranks, who had been supplied from various regiments. There was a great deal of training, from map reading to shooting exercises, rifle exercises, weapons training and vehicle training. But there was also personal training to stay strong, and football was played regularly.

The unit was stationed in Bourg Leopold, Belgium, 70 km southeast of Antwerp.

Leopoldsburg (Bourg-Léopold) was an important strategic military location during the Second World War, with the Camp of Beverloo. During the First and Second World Wars, the camp was occupied by German troops. Part of the camp was also used by the Germans as a prisoner-of-war camp. After the Battle of France, 10,000 members of the Hitler Youth, who formed the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Youth, were trained at the camp. During the war, it was also used as a transit camp for the Holocaust. In May 1944, the camp was bombed by the Allies and fierce fighting ensued, resulting in many casualties.

The months of January and February 1945 in Bourgh Leopold were relatively quiet, with occasional attacks by enemy aircraft, but normal support activities continued.

Holland

In April, the unit left in three groups by train for Gennep at the river de Maas in North Limburg in the Netherlands.

Following the construction of two crucial Meuse bridges by the British Engineers, an impressive tent camp was established on the outskirts of Gennep at the Maaskemp in April 1945. This large-scale transit camp, which resembled a small village in both size and structure, played a key role in the logistics of the Allied advance. Various British regiments utilized this facility to recuperate during their journey to or from the front lines in Germany, with the flow of troops streamlined via the “German line” railway connection.

As the Maaskemp served as a transit hub, Gennep saw a constant stream of rotating regiments, ranging from troops arriving fresh from England to units returning from heavy combat in France or Germany for leave or regrouping. Additionally, especially during the lead-up to the liberation, large groups of British artillerymen were stationed in the immediate vicinity to support the further push into the Reichswald.

The first group of the Unit from John arrived on 18 April, the second on 19 April and the third on 20 April. They stayed in tents or houses. Some of the houses were watertight, but all were in “filthy” condition, as described in the War Diary. Their tasks consisted of normal support duties, and they were also assigned to escort three groups of prisoners of war, consisting of three officers and 100 other ranks, to Germany every day.

These transports of prisoners of war took place from 1 to 7 May. The accommodation in Gennep was used to its full capacity, as each train carried between 800 and 1,000 soldiers every day. It was an emergency situation, but it meant that the unit could deploy 1,250 reinforcements every day where they were most needed. As hostilities decreased, this number dropped to 500 to 600, and the future role of the Reinforcement Holding Unit was reviewed.

On 11 May 1945, John Gray was sadly killed in a very tragic traffic accident. The information his wife Agnes received was that he was transporting German POW’s, and a bridge that he drove over was mined and it blew up killing him. His Service Record shows that there was insufficient evidence to identify a guilty party. His death was marked as Killed in Action.
He was buried at the American military cemetery in Margraten in South Limburg in grave CCC-2-33. On 1 May 1947, he was reburied at Overloon War Cemetery in grave IV.A.1.

John received the following medals for his military actions:
1939-1945 Star
France & Germany Star
Defence Medal
War Medal 1939-1945

Ancestry Civil and parish birth, marriage, and death records; English census and records from 1911, 1921, and 1939; electoral rolls; passenger lists, military records, and family trees.
Wikipedia
War Diaries 31 Reinforcement Holding unit WO 171-3692 and WO 171-8205
Robert Clark of researchingww2.co.uk for the above War Diaries
Service Record WO 423/202335 of John Henry Gray from the National Archives
Stichting Erfgoed Gennep for the photo’s
Liberationroute

Research Anny Huberts