Originally from the Gateshead area, but living in Harrow, Middlesex at the time of his enlistment, Pte George Ronald Hamilton, 16th Battalion Durham Light Infantry is fourth from the right, front row on the POW photograph above, which, along with all the other documents in this section, is courtesy of his great niece, Mrs M Chapinal, who also passed on these further details of her uncle’s war service:
|
Enlisting directly into the Battalion at Folkstone in January 1942, (Army Number 4469530, see this photograph of him and several fellow 1942 recruits and this page to see his Army number in sequence with other known recruits), ‘Ronnie’ Hamilton was serving with B Company, 16 DLI when he was captured during the Battle of Sedjenane on 2/3/43. (‘On a hill in trenches in torrential rain for two days, made an attack on Germans on high ground and were surrounded, ran out of ammo and CO ordered them to surrender’. He remembers that his platoon sergeant was Sgt Gascoyne, who was also taken POW and also his friend and fatal casualty Sid Southwick, who was a bren gunner in the platoon. The 19/4/43 Red Cross letter sent to Pte Hamilton’s sister Aggie. is reproduced below. Continued, next page.
|
