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Tracing USN WW2 casualties


Tony B

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How can I go about tracing USN fallen? I'm doing an articale for Pathfinder on the Jersey War Cemetry. Some casualties buried there are USN, I belive from a PT boat action in the Channel after D-Day. the action was by PT Squadron 34 August 1944.

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The confusion over spelling is mentioned in the report Page gave after the war. We are going from English, to German, and at the time French, or more particular Jerriase, was the official legal language of Jersey. This continued up to the mid nineteen seventies. My Father's death certificate in 1971 is in French.

 

It is probable that something was put in the local paper at the time, the Evening Post, still going God bless it. Though the Occupiers were hot and cold over the civillian population being at such cerimonies in case of 'unrest'. Though they were very keen to show that it was all conducted 'properly'.

 

I'll send some e mails off into the blue and see what happens.

Go for the Pinzagauer! Got to be easier, and a nice vehicle! :-D

 

Alan the info so far on Anderson is even more intriguing. Shot by German Police. Surley as such it would have been a war crime? Yet I've never heard of any such event. A date he was shot down might help. After a quick check through books and the net, it appears the only War Crimes trial proposed involving the Channel Island's was against Max List commondant of the camps on Alderney. No trial ever took plce. Unfortunatley this brings in the good old 'conspiracy' theorists that the Islanders were all collaborators and the British Goverment wanted to hush it up after the war.'

Edited by Tony B
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Plaque_Gorey_American_escapees_1945.jpg?format=jpg%2Cpng%2Cgif

Tracing the IWM records, they are apparently at Duxford. There is a post script, documents microfilmed for the official history commisioned by the Stes of botgh Island's for the bok by Charles Cruckshank, which I have. So now we have poloticians to deal with!

Found this on the net as well. I've never seen it! Though to be fair Gorey is at the end of the world!

Edited by Tony B
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Oooh, fancy a Jersyaise saying that about Gorey, the guillotine will be sharpened up ready for your next visit:nono:

I knew there had been successful escapes from the Islands but didn't know any details. The other, fatal attempt ,which you mentioned earlier was re-enacted on TV a few months back.

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Ah yes ma boy! But I come from the posh end, St Brelade!. :-D:-D Checking up there were Fiffty nine escapes from Jersey. The first was Dennis Vibert, his first attempt was a faliure the second attempt he got to Portland and was picked up by a Destroyer. The boat was about eight feet long, and he had to pay customs duties for it's import. Both boat and recipt were at La Houge Bie, and are now in the Maratime musuem. Of the others, most attempts were following D-Day from the east coast, to reach France. Cartret being the closest point, about fourteen miles from Gorey. sounds easy till you know the waters. Most famously associated with escape attempts was the Bertram family. This family lived at Fauvic on the east coast and provided hiding places and strorage for escape paraphinalia and boats.

 

I've found pictures of the funeral of Sgts Butlin & Holden. The prescence of older graves in the picture back up this being at the Mont A L'Abbe sight.

Two others of my old haunt Lotrign at Noirmont. the first is the early open range finder pit, the second the armoured cupola finally fitted. Maurice gould's story desrves a whole post. I will check details and add it.

funeral 1.jpg

2005_0101noirmont0056.jpg

noirmomt open.jpg

funeral 2.jpg

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That could be the same Anderson shown as KIA 28th May. Records might not have been updated after the real facts came to light or they simply preferred to keep things quiet after the war. Squadron records show he was shot down on the above date and they were operating over Normandy and adjacent areas just before D-Day.

Edited by Degsy
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Anderson is intresting. I'd have thought a story of an american' shot in cold blood' would have entered at least the local folk law. After all on a Island 9 miles by 5 nothing stays secret. I'll do more digging. This might intrest you Dennis Vibert's report on getting to England. notice he reckons 50 bombers in Jersey. Knowing the size of Jersey airport. a grass feild built 1937, but very well equipped, I wonder if that many would have fitted.

http://www.guernsey-society.org.uk/donkipedia/index.php5?title=Vibert%27s_report_in_full

 

The website is a nes one.

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Hi Degsey, not a cover up as such. I knew the basic story for years, but as Peter says he didn't say anything as he didn't want to cause any pain to the familiies.

People ask me 'Why did you leave Jersey?' My reply is 'It's 9x 5'. You live almost permenatley in a state of isolation. Even now if there is violent storm there is no way off the Island. Life is very concentrated. Now take that situation, add a quarter of the population as armed invaders, and your own goverment appear just to throw you to the wind with out a care.

It's not suprising the whole situation caused turmoil. When I was kid things were still to fresh for those who had ben there. I suppose now we'd call it Post Traumatic Stress, but as we both know attitudes have changed so much over our lifetimes.

 

Most of the adults in the fiftes and sixtyies had the attitude, 'we wan't the children of the Island not to look back, we wan't them to enjoy their childhood in a freedom we didn't know'.

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Latest update. The Jersey Evening Post have been very kind, and sent me this. It was published on 11th August 1944. Bear in mind, this is an English publication, under German control, published in the United kingdom, for a British audience. The Evening Post still has better than 80% coverage of the Island's population.

Civillian radios had been confiscated in 1940, and listening to the BBC on hidden crystal sets was litterally to put your life at risk.

ep pt boat.jpg

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