I am
hoping you can help me after many months of trying to track down my grandfathers
exploits during WWII. Briefly, I am currently serving in the RAF and was asked
by my mother to see if I could find out certain periods of my grandfather's
life. I have written, searched & bribed many a government & public
sector office, to be told nothing new. Please help! I never met my grandfather
as he died in the 60's but feel we would have been the best of
friends.
His details;
2717885 Sgt Patrick Ennis
1st Btn Irish Guards, 3 Sect. 10
Plat. 2 Coy.
Enlisted 03 Jan 1934
Served in Egypt November 1936 to May 1938
Escaped capture at Pothus Wood Norway 26 May 1940.
Accompanied by L/Cpl. Cahill & Gdsn. Bryne (of which I have the written
statement, see "Drama
in Norway"). Scary stuff!!!
Awarded Croix
de Guerre 1940 with,Palm.
Mentioned
in despatches(London Gazette 17 Oct 1946 (5141) Issue
No. 37761).
Promoted to Sergeant in October 1940. Returned
to NWE 1944 (I assume for D Day), and was awarded the Croix de Guerre 1940, with
palm, for operations in Belgium (paper cutting enclosed).
I would really like to know about the award of
Croix de Guerre, how & why they got it, plus anyone with memories of my
grandad. Why
did he receive the above award? I am told it was for Operation Market Garden
but this is still not confirmed. He was among the first Allied Forces to cross
the bridge at Nijmegen.
He was demobbed 10 Feb
1945. My
mother recently passed away and I would dearly love to know of him & his
comrades events during the war.
Webmasters
Note The
following photographs and additional information have been supplied by Patrick's
son James Andrew Ennis of Australia.
Andrew Ennis of Australia.
Patrick & Joyce 1939
2717885 Patrick
Ennis 1934
Patrick & Joyce 1940
A photograph Patrick sent to his wife Joyce towards the end of WW2
on which his hand-written message read :
"To the best girl in the
world"
Love, Pat
Ivor . . .
I recently came across your website
and the request from my nephew for information
about the wartime exploits of my late father Sergeant Patrick
Joseph Ennis.
Although I was only 10 when he died I recall Dad talking
about the Nijmegen Bridge and that it was somehow connected with his being
awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm by the Belgian
Government.
I attach some photographs which you may like to
add to the article on your website . . . . .
James Andrew Ennis
Pat's Grave in Streatham
Vale Cemetary showing the wreath in the shape of the Croix de Guerre presented
at the funeral for the Belgian Government by their Ambassador Count de
Guillame "QUIS
SEPERABIT"
Patrick passed away on Easter Sunday 17th.
April 1960.
Among his photos we found these of
his friends . . . Michael Regan, Burt and Chicko "Uncle"Michael
Regan and . . . . . ?
Patrick 1958
Drama in Norway
Patrick's
escape from the Germans in Norway in 1940
Statement
by L/Corporal Patrick Ennis No. 2717885
1st.Battalion
Irish Guards,
Relating to his
Internment in Sweden --------------------------------------------------
On the 26th May,
1940, I was with no.3 Section, No10 Platoon, No.2 Company at Pothus Wood on
the flank of No.1 Company. Part of No.2 Company had received an order to retire
and had started to do so; my section was in a more advanced position and before
the Section could be retired we were driven in by the enemy and retired down
the mountain towards the river.
Accompanied by
L/Cpl. Cahill and Gdsn. Byrne who were in the same Section, we succeeded in
crossing a river but owing to the strong currentwere fairly exhausted when we
reached the other side about 300 yards down the river from where we entered,
and we were immediately taken prisoners by four Germans, who disarmed usand
marched us to a barn where we were interrogated in broken English as to the
Battalion movements, but we gave the enemy no information and we were then marched
away in the direction of a wood, about 200 yards away, having gained the impression
that the enemy intended to shoot us there. Before reaching the wood two 'planes
came over at about 200 ft. overhead and the Germans raced for cover, leaving
us where we were. Taking advantage of this we made a break for the river and
although fired on succeeded in reaching it unwounded and crossing it, and took
cover for the night. After sunup we succeeded in drying our clothes and hid
in a cave all that day.
We then set off
for Bodo, but got lost. Cpl. Cahill was then taken sick and we remained in hiding
for two days. As he was feeling better we again tried for Bodo and during the
day found some packs belonging to the men of the 1st. Battalion, which had been
abandoned and which contained food and tea, on which we subsisted. After ten
days of wandering we met a Norwegian fisherman who could speak no English, but
he produced a map and pointed out to us our position, which was then in
the vicinity Sulitelma. We made our way towards Sulitelma, following a "tourists
path" and thence into Sweden, where the outpost took us over and despatched
us to the Internment Camp in Falun, where we arrived on the 14th. June.
We were repatriated
from Sweden via Petsamo and arrived in the Shetland Islands on the 7th. August
and thence to Thurso , and from there to London and Aldershot, arriving at the
latter place on the 9th. August.
L/Corporal
Patrick Ennis No. 2717885
A
copy of the above Statement was sent to me by Patrick's grandson Cpl Stuart
Lay who is currently serving in the RAF.
Stuart is appealing
to anyone who knew his grandfather and who might have any information or photographs
of Patrick to contact him through my website.
