Sunday, 13 January, 2008 13:23    |   Contact

Requests for Help - T and U

Select the letter of the alphabet from the list below to view requests for help concerning that surname, location or camp.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Numerics

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Dale Thatcher

Larry Thatcher is looking for information on his father, Dale Thatcher, who was a radioman in the 101st Airborne attached to the British 1st Airborne at Arnhem. Dale was captured at the Hartenstein Hotel on September 26, 1944. Larry is trying to find any information about Dale's unit. Dale served under a Lt. Johnson, with Lt. Geddes and Sgt. Jones. They flew into Arnhem in a Waco Glider.

Larry would appreciate any information that anyone can provide.

Larry has told me "I just got something in mail from the Arnhem Battle Research Group. There is a book by the name of "Tugs and Gliders to Arnhem". This book information includes mention of my dad, his group, the glider pilot names, glider chalk number, and the other prison camp numbers where the rest of his group ended up. He has had no contact with any of the other men since they were captured 59 years ago. I might be able to find out a little about them this way."

Click here to visit David Parker's site and find out more about Dale Thatcher.

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Gwilym (Mel/Shorty) Tinnuche

Nicki is trying to research her grandfathers movements during WWII. All she knows is that he joined the Welsh Fusiliers, who then (it is thought) joined the Durham Light Infantry. He was part of 46 Division Signal Regiment.

Nicki knows he was in Egypt and Salerno.

Gwilym was also known as Mel or Shorty.

If you can help at all, please contact Nicki

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Waclaw Tomalak

Mark's father, Waclaw Tomalak (known as Walter Tomalak in Canada), was forced into the German Army as a young man, captured and put into a PoW camp in Scotland.

After this he became a Polish Paratrooper for the Allies.(eg: Arnhem).

Mark was wondering where he could find more information on where in Scotland he was held and other bits of information.

His Army Book lists his name as Waclaw Tomalak, Army No: 38418132 but this is crossed off and has a DRC No: 30045771 in red.

If you have any information, please contact Mark

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Alexander Tennant

Gale MacDonald is looking to find anyone who can help her trace her father's medals.

Tthey were lost many years ago and he recently passed away. Gale is trying to find out how to go about getting them back to keep them in the family.

Her father's name was Alexander Dewar Patrick Tennant. He served six years in Burma.

If you have any information that can help in tracing these medals, please contact Gale

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Sergeant Geoff Turner

Jon is conducting some research for an article to be published in the Extralife Magazine, the in-house voice of The ExtraCare Charitable Trust, where, at a care scheme in Wolverhampton, one Geoff Turner and his wife now live.

Geoff was a Sergeant in the South Staffs Regiment, and was part of the evacuation from Dunkirk.

If there is anyone who new Geoff, or remembers being evacuated with him, Jon would be interested to hear from them.

If you can help, please contact Jon via email or, alternatively, contact me via the feedback button and I will pass on Jon's telephone number to you. Please put "Geoff Turner" in the subject line and the nature of your contact. Thank you.

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HMS Thyme

Did you serve on this ship between 1944 and 1946? Were you in the 12th Minesweeping Flotilla? If so, please contact Thelma as she is trying to help a neighbour, Kenneth Barrett, find some old comrades.

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John Francis Tague (aka Jack)

John is trying to find out more about his father, John Francis Tague (known as Jack). He was a Private in the 1st Batalion Worcestershire Regiment Number 5257113. The only thing John knows about him is via a Christmas greeting sent to his mother from camp P.G.53 Settore III on December 18th 1942. Also on the greeting is "Military Post P.M 3300". John Snr did say to his son that he managed to escape and fight with the partisans.

If you have any information on John Snr, any photographs or remember him from the camp, please contact John.

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John Toole

Jay's father was a private first class in the US Army and captured in France in the fall of 1944.He was then detained in Stalag IIA (2A) until liberated by the Russians in 1945.

His name was John Toole,and he was from Lackawanna, New York and 33 years old when captured (older than most GIs).

If you have any information on John, any photographs or remember him from the camp, please contact Jay

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K. Z. TIWANA

Looking for information on Second Lieutenant K. Z. Tiwana, 3/1 Punjab Rigement British Indian Army who killed in action in
Libya in December 1941.

His son is trying to find out how he was first wounded, then killed and in which battle.

If you have any information on Lieutenant Tiwana, please email

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Clifford (Cliff) William Thomas

Tony is trying to locate information on his late uncle, Clifford (Cliff) William Thomas, RASC, from Cardiff, South Wales.

All Tony knows is that Cliff joined the RASC in Cardiff 1939, and was in the second wave landing at D-Day, then through France and onto Germany where he was one of the first British troops to find Belsen in an RASC motorcycle troop of 5 bikes.

Tony knows he joined in 1939 and was in the BEF in France, at Dunkirk but actually witnessed the sinking of the Lancastria on July 14th 1940 off St Nazaire, got back to England on the next liner, the "Oransay", which was also bombed but limped home by the 17th July 1940. After that unknown locations until the D-Day landings and then Belsen.

Tony has two photographs only. The first says "Just Before we moved through Celle" and shows Cliff's troop on bikes together with what could be the background chimney from Belsen which is located "before Celles" (see Michael Bentine's account via Google).

His troop were listed on the photo as:

Bill Weaver
Bob Morris
Harold Austen
Jack Gasgoyne
Cliff Thomas

Any unit information on any of the troop in addition to that of Cliff would be most welcome.

From D-day research the RASC Units are most likely to be either the 522 RASC of the 50th Division off Gold Beach or the 48 RASC from 3rd Division who landed at Sword Beach.

If veterans from the RASC can help to confirm that once called up into the RASC soldiers stayed with the first division enlisted in unless it was subsequently captured or disbanded, that would help to narrow the search to 522 RASC, 50th Northumbrian Division which was the only match Tony found from the 1st BEF listing in May 1940.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Michael Bentine's url reference is in Wikipedia. The photo is very old and not emailable.

Since originally contacting you I have verified that the units approaching Belsen were all in 8 Corps which was responsible for the truce and the overall evacuation of the camp.

The only other unit which fits the previous event cycle is the 3rd Divsion which landed at Sword Beach on D-Day as part of No 1 British Corps, from the 3rd Division History of D-Day called Assault Division by Norman Scarfe I learnt, on about page 80 I think, that the 3rd Division transferred on August 1st 1944 to the 8 Corps where it remained until the end of the War.

From the site kcl oconnor I have traced the personal memoirs of LT Gen Sir Richard O'Connor, who was commanding general of the 8th Corps from Jan 1944 to Dec 1944 see link here which you may find very interesting.

If you have any information on Cliff or the troop, please email Tony.

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WILLIAM A. THOMPSON

Looking for information on grandfather, William A Thompson S/SGT 38 119 822 Company C 16th infrantry Rifleman 745 reason for separation RR 1-1 Demobilization AR 615-365 15 Dec 44 service of schools attend PRCHT School. Service outside US Departure Date 27 Apr 43 E A M E Arrival Date 10 May 43 17 May US 28 May 45.

As Squad leader in an infantry company in the European Theater of Operations, led combat and reconnaissance patrol to determine location, number, and action of enemy.

Directed the use of infantry weapons to destroy enemy personnel and equipment and to capture and hold enemy personnel and positions.

It is also known that he was a PoW in Stalag IIA (2A) Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded two purple hearts, 4 battle stars, Pres, Citation GCM and Combat Infantry Badge. Lapel Button Issued ASR Score recieved 82nd Airborne.

If you have any information on William, please email

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ROBERT TURNER

Steve's grandfather-in-law died in August 2007 and since then he has been attempting to trace his military career, so he can compile the information into a booklet for his father-in-law's 60th birthday.

Unfortunately Steve hasn't really found that much information, although he has sent away for his Army records.

His name was Robert Turner and he served with the 2/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment from 1939 until 1944, where he was seconded to the Dorsets, for the Normandy campaign. He was then captured early August and Steve thinks was kept prisoner at Stalag X11A. He was re-patriated and spent 6 months at Osborne House, Isle of Wight recovering.

If you have any information on Robert, please email Steve

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Revised: 13 January, 2008