Hello Tim,

 

I wonder if you could help me.   I am the grandson of an Irish Guard (unfortunately now deceased) and have spent the last year or so trying to contact veterans of his time to discuss their experiences.   To start off with, my grandfathers details are as follows:

 

William Arthur Crunkhorn

Enlisted:            02.05.40

Discharged:        10.05.46

2 720 720

Served with the 3rd Battalion Irish Guards

I believe he may have been a member of the Pioneer Platoon possibly serving under Captain D Compton.

He served in Normandy and was wounded on 10.08.44 - my guess is this was at Pavee, the day before the Guards disastrous attempt to cut the Vire to Vassy Road as part of Operation Grouse.

After recovering from his wounds he returned to the 3rd battalion, somewhere near Nijmegen on 28.02.45 and then took part in the move in to Germany.   He spent time in both Hamburg and Cologne.   He was discharged in 1946 after suffering a serious motorcycle accident whilst home on 'harvest leave'.

He was promoted and demoted on a number of occassions.   Always either Guardsman or Lance Corporal.

He died in Spalding, Lincolnshire in 1988.

 

I would be interested to hear of any veterans still alive in the uk, but am particularly interested to know if any of the following (or there relations are known to you) as these all appear in my grandfathers squad photo and the Pioneer Platoon photo:

 

Squad photo (Caterham)

Gdsn.   P.Edwards

            E.Bowels

            H.Bird

            W.Hammond

            E.Mortimer

            J.Hoten

            R.Cawthra

            J.Bartram

            W.Collick

            D.Gale

            G.Holdich

            F.Pinder

            F.Hector

            L.Harvey

            A.Hallows

            N.Martin

            F.Evans

            C.,Gooch

            J.Brooks

            W.Darlowe

            C.Cable

            G.Gregory

            G.Doades

            J.Benstead

 

All of the above appear in a squad photo taken at Caterham in June 1940.   I would guess that service numbers for all are around 2 720 690 to 2 720 740.

 

Pioneer Platoon photo

Gdsn.    J.Dempsey

            A.Farrow

            H.White

            L.Potter

            T.Willis

            J.Greenwood

            R.Hyde

            R.Parker

            H.Ford

            J.Logan

            E.L.Chamberlain

            R.Blackburn

            C.Sangster

            F.Lancaster

            J.Frost

            L.Fairhurst

            J.Hammond

            R.Copeland

            G.Keogh

            L.Thompson

            A.Atkins

 

L/Cpls:        J.Congrave

                A.Milner

                M.Shields

                F.Atkinson

                R.Taylor

                J.Potter

               

 

Sgt.:        J.Monks

 

Lt.:            W.F.Reynolds

 

This photo was probably taken after August 1943 (this being the date when my grandfather completed a course on mines and may then have joined the platoon.   In addition, i understand that in Normandy the Pioneer Platton Commander was Captain D Compton (wounded on the same date as my grandfather - they may have been together).

 

I have recently been to see the Mayor of St.Charles de Percy in Normandy and one of the names mentioned at that meeting was Guardsman Micky Bolton (no. 4 Coy, 3rd Bn i believe).   I believe that he may be dead although again would be interested to hear if you know of any of his relatives that may be alive.

 

I hope that you are able to help.

 

Kind regards

 

Andrew Oglesby