Remembrance - TS Preston Tynemouth Cemetery



Tyneside Scottish Association
Preston Tynemouth Cemetery

 On Saturday 9th November members of the Tyneside Scottish Association conducted an act of remembrance to Private John Kittwood at his grave in Tynemouth Preston Cemetery. After the sounding of the last post, two minutes silence was observed before a wreath was laid at the grave  as the Association Piper played a lament.

Association Piper Billy Anderson plays a lament

Fred Povey lays a wreath at the grave of Private John Kitwood

Private John Kitwood

3rd Tyneside Scottish

Died 27th May 1917

PRIVATE JOHN KITWOOD CWGC INFORMATION

 The opportunity was taken to Remember Gunner Metcalfe of 74th (Northumbrian) Regiment at his grave in the main CWGC plot.



Jeff Hughes lays a memorial cross at the grave of Gunner RN Metcalfe

 

Gunner RN Metcalfe

74th ( Northumbrian)  Field Regiment RA (TA)

Died 27th May 1940

GUNNER RN NOBLE CWGC INFORMATION

 

Arnhem - Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery

Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery

The Arnhem-Oosterbeek cemetery contains the graves of most of those killed in the fighting during the attempt to capture the bridge at Arnhem, as well as those subsequently killed in the area , including Northumbrian Gunners.

ARNHEM OOSTERBEEK WAR CEMETERY

The cemetery contains 3 Victoria Cross graves

Lt JH Grayburn VC

F/Lt DSA Lord  VC DFC

Capt. LE Queripel  VC

Gronert Twins

Thomas and Claude Gronert

Cluade and Tomas Gronert grew up and worked as tin miners in the Redruth area of Cornwall before enlisting into the Parachute Regiment. They were serving with 6 Platoon of B Company 2nd Battalion, when they were dropped into Arnhem.

As their platoon advanced to Arnhem Bridge they came accross Nazi SS troops who pretended to surrender. When Tommy and three others moved out into the open to take them prisoner, the Germans opened fire.

Hearing badly wounded Tommy scream, Claude rushed to help but was hit 3 times in the head.

Pvt C. Gronert

Pvt T. Gronert

         Pvt T. Gronert                                                     Pvt C. Gronert 

                 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment Army Air Corps               

 Captain WN Barrie DFC

Capt WN Barrie DFC
Glider Pilot Regiment

  William N Barrie was born on 12th October 1918. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Hexham. He was made a Kings Scout in May 1935 and played regularly for Tynedale RFC. He trained as an accountant, the war interrupting his final exams. 

Enlisting with 4^th RNF (TA) before the outbreak of war he deployed to France in 1940 as part of the 51st Highland Div. He was fortunate to avoid capture, during the evacuation from France. On return to the UK , his unit was deployed in the home defence role at  Wylam. He was promoted to Lieutenant and posted to the Durham Light Infantry.

When the Glider Pilot Regiment was formed in early 1942 Lt Barrie was among the first officers to volunteer for flying duties with the new airborne unit.  He took part in the glider operations in Sicily, where he won the DFC, and in Normandy. 

During Operation Market he was serving with G Squadron,  the majority of their Horsa gliders carried the Light Guns, Jeeps and gunners of the 1st Air landing Regiment Royal Artillery. On landing the Wing regrouped and deployed as the divisional reserve, and was given the task of providing local protection to the gun batteries of the Air landing Regiment RA.  

 Captain Barrie was killed in an action trying to knock out a German gun with a hand grenade.

 

Capt WN Barrie DFC

 

Capt WN Barrie DFC
Glider Pilot Regiment Army Air Corps

 

He is commemorated on Hexham War Memorial

 

 

ROYAL ARTILLERY

Unknown Gunner

Gnr. G Gray 1st Airlanding Light Regiment RA

Gunner George Gray was killed 20^th September 1944 served with 1^st Air landing Light Regiment Royal Artillery aged 25. He was the son of George and Isabelle Gray and the husband of Constance Mary Gray of Gosforth, Newcastle.

 

He is commemorated on the Gosforth War memorial.

 

Gnr G. Gray

 



Gnr G. Gray
1st Air landing Light Regiment RA

74th (Northumbrian) Regiment RA (TA)

              L/ Sgt J. Ottino              Capt  RB Hutt             Lt JT Bryant                  

 

L/Sgt James Ottino 

 

L/Sgt Ottino pictured front left

 

 L/Sgt J. Ottino

 

L/Sgt J. Ottino
74^th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA)

Capt RB Hutt

Capt RB Hutt

 

Capt RB Hutt
74^th(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA)

Captain Raymond Barnes Hutt was killed 17^th April 1945 exactly one month after his 29^th birthday whilst serving as the adjutant of 74^th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA). 

He was killed in the village of Wageningen, 10 miles west of Arnhem. The war diary of 74 Regiment records:

Rest of day spent regrouping in Arnhem.
Regt passed through area on which 1st Airborne Div fought and found many signs of their grim fight-parachute-harness-containers-jeeps etc. The Regt buried several "Men of Arnhem" after getting their identifications and found some communal graves with inscriptions in German. Capt R.B. Hutt RA (Adjutant) killed and major R. Hudson (2IC) wounded in the eye when jeep in which they were travelling went over some R mines. Major Hudson evacuated but not seriously wounded.

 His wife Julia Marie vowed never to remarry and visited her husbands' grave every year on March 17, his birthday, to lay a bouquet of white flowers. Julia Marie died in 1991, and her ashes are buried in her husbands' grave.

 He is commemorated in the Book of Remembrance 74 Regiment, St Michaels and All Angels South Shields

Lt JT Bryant

Lt JT Bryant
74^th(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA)

 

Lieutenant John Trevor Byrant was killed 7^th October 1944 aged 26. Commissioned in September 1942 he was serving with 74^th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA). 

The war diary of 74 Regiment records:

7 October 1944: Lieut J.T. Bryant RA killed at OP

 
He is commemorated in the Book of Remembrance 74 Regiment, St Michaels and All Angels South Shields.

Lt JT Bryant

 

Lt JT Bryant
74^th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA)




74th  (Northumbrian) Regiment RA (TA)
Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery



124th (Northumbrian) Regiment RA (TA)



Capt WA Wood MC

Capt WA Wood MC
124^th(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA)

Captain William Angus Wood was killed 25^th September 1944 serving as a FOO with 124^th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA).

Capt. Wood was serving with 72^nd Field Regiment RA (TA) when he was captured in Libya in May 1942. Originally reported as missing, he was later found to be a prisoner of war in Italian hands.

He was imprisoned in Campo 21, Chieti. When the Italians signed an armistice with the Allies, the camp was taken over by Germans who evacuated the POW’s to Germany. During this move Capt Wood escaped and made his way south to the British lines. For this action he was awarded the Military Cross.

He joined 124 Regiment fighting through Normandy and Belgium before being killed in Nijmagen area.

 

Capt. WA Wood is commemorated on the war memorial at Wall and on the Officers Mess fireplace, Alexander Road TAC, Gateshead

 

Capt WA Wood MC

Capt WA Wood MC
124^th(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA)

124th (Northumbrian) Field Regiement RA (TA)

 

L/Bdr VA Blake MM

L/Bdr Blake MM

L/Bdr AH Coombs

L/Bdr Coombs

Gnr W Kelly

Gnr W Kelly

102nd (Northumberlnad Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment RA (TA)

 Lt KL Gentleman

Lt KL Gentleman

 Gnr F Astle

Gnr F Astle

113th LAA Regiment RA (2nd / 5th Battalion DLI) (TA)

Gnr FG Fisher

Gnr FG Fisher

----------------------------------------------------o--------------------------------------------------------

Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery

 

 



Bayeux Military Cemetery and Memorial

The Bayeux Military Cemetery contains the graves of 4,144 graves of Commonwealth soldiers, as well as over 500 graves of other nations, mainly German. The casualties were brough together from graves in the surrounding district and those who died in local hospitals.

Bayeux War Cemetery 

Bayeux War Cemetery
Bayeux Cathederal in the background

CWGC - Bayeux War Cemetery

Aircrew

European soldiers graves

The Bayeux Memorial stands opposite the war cemetery and records the names of 1,805 casualties lost during the Normandy landings and subsequent battles who have no known grave.

Bayeux Memorial

Bayeux Memorial

Bayeux Memorial
Royal Artillery panel

50th Divisional Artillery Memorial Ver sur Mer

50th Divisional Artillery Memorial
Ver sur Mer

50th Divisional Artillery Memorial
Ver sur Mer

50th Divisional Artillery Memorial
Ver sur Mer
Laying wreath on behalf of NVAA

50th Divisional Artillery Memorial
Ver sur Mer
Northumberland Volunteer Artillery Assocaition Wreath

50th Divisional Artillery Memorial
Ver sur Mer

50

50th (Northumbrian) Divisional Artillery 

74th   (Northumbrian)

 86th   (Hertfordshire  Yeomanry)

 90th   (City of London)

124th  (Northumbrian)

147th (Essex  Yeomanry)

D-Day GOLD Beach

The 50^th Northumbrian Division landed on Gold Beach. The assault was conducted by 2 brigades, 69 Brigade on King sector and 231 Brigade on Jig sector. Once the beaches were secured, the follow on Brigades would land, 56 Brigade on Jig and 151 (Durham Light Infantry) Brigade on King.

Within the divisional artillery, fire support for the assaulting phase was conducted by 86^th and 9^th Field Regiments with SP guns on the Run in Shoot. The towed guns of 74 and 124 Northumbrian Field Regiments would not land till later.   The Northumbrian Regiments did provide BC’s and FOO’s to the assaulting brigades.

 At 05:00 6^th June, the transport ships dropped anchor 12 km off the coast and started to lower their landing craft. At 05:30, soldiers started to board thir craft, and the preliminary bombardment of the German defences commenced. The bombardment would last till 06:30, and was augmented by heavy bombers of the USAF. On the approach of H-Hour as the troops neared the beach, the rocket firing Landing craft tank (rocket), supported by the divisional artillery self-propelled guns on the run in shoot engaged their allotted targets.

The bombardment was partially successful, some coastal batteries were neutralised and the shock shattered the morale of many of the defending troops.  However, some key points remained intact, which would cause difficulties for the assaulting troops on the beaches and the subsequent establishment of routes off the beach. In addition, some of the specialist vehicles of the 79^th Armoured Division sank in the heavy seas, which would reduce the capability to clear lanes on the beaches.

The difficulties were further compounded by 147 Field Regiment being unable to fire on HAMEL on the run in shoot, though it was able to augment the fires of 90^th Field Regiment.

As a result of the heavy seas it was decided to land the DD tanks nearer the beaches in shallow water. This worked well in KING sector, the tanks being able to support the 69^th Brigade; in JIG sector, the deployment was delayed consequently the troops of 231 Brigade were without armoured support till 07:58.

The assault on the JIG sector did not go to plan. The failure to suppress the strong points around HEMEL, the loss of the specialist vehicles to clear lanes on the beaches, and the delay in the arrival of armoured support le to heavy casualties and the situation became chaotic. A decision was taken to abandon the attack on strongpoint WN37, to concentrate on WN36. This proved successful, and with gallant actions by the men of the 1^st Hampshire’s and 1^st Dorset’s WN36 was captured and the movement inland began.

147 (Essex Yeomanry) Field Regiment RA Palques Anselles

147 (Essex Yeomanry) Field Regiment RA Palques Anselles

As follow on troops arrived, together with the Self Propelled guns of 147 Field Regiment, the bridgehead began to be developed. This then allowed the follow on 56^th Brigade to land at midday, 2 hours behind schedule, and the breakout continued.

On KING Beach, the assaulting companies of the 6^th Green Howards and 5^th East York landed at H hour. Landing alongside them were 38 DD tanks and breaching teams of the 79^th Armoured Division with AVRE’s Sherman Crabs and bulldozers.  The preliminary bombardment had suppressed defences in the area, and with their armoured support available, the 69^th Brigade attack was a rapid success. One notable act of gallantry was the awarding of the Victoria Cross to to CSM Hollis.

CSM Hollis VC Hut. Plaque detailing CSM's Hollis actions

CSM Hollis VC Hut

The move off the beaches was temporally stalled by heavy resistance in LA RIVERE. Effective naval  fire support coupled with an assault by 4^th/7^th Dragoons knocked out a troublesome strong point and the advance continued.

The Northumberland Hussars had converted to Gunners at the beginning of the war and had fought with the 50^th Division in the Middle East and Scilly.Equipped with the M10 SP tank destroyer, the anti-tank batteries landed with the assault brigades from H + 90 onwards.  RHQ and echelon came ashore with the follow on brigades.

By late morning 69^th Brigade has secured their objectives and controlled the MEUVAINES RIDGE. This would set the conditions for the breakout by the 151^st (Durham Light Infantry) Brigade which commenced landing at 10:30

Gold Beach June 1944

Gold Beach March 2012

69th Brigade Entrance near Ver sur Mont Fleury

The exits off the beach were secured and what would become known as 50^th Divisional Way provided one of the vital routes inland for the division.

The 74^th (Northumbrian) Field Regimen landed 7th to 9th June. The 124^th(Northumbrian) Field Regiments would not be complere till 30th June.  The guns of 74 and 124 Regiment would go on to support the 50^th Division throughout the campaign in North West Europe.