We Will Remember Them Heath 1939-1945

[Denise E Johnson]

THEY GAVE THEIR TOMORROWS FOR OUR TODAY
Which is appropriate today on the 2nd May 2020 with the coronavirus (COVID) 19 where doctors, nurses, carers, paramedics, porters and cleaners are sacrificing their lives to save their patients who are severely ill. This is our battle like the men and women who went to fight in the World Wars.
On Friday 8th May 2020 it will be 75 years since the end of the fighting in Europe. VE Day.
On the Saturday 15th August 2020 will be 75 years since the end of the fighting in Japan. VJ Day.
The official papers were signed on the 2nd September 1945.

Private
Frederick William Heath
Service number 13005001
Died on the 17th June 1940
Place of death at sea.
Aged 37
73 Coy., Aux. Mil.
Pioneer Corps
Son of Thomas and Mary Heath:
Husband of Phyllis Heath, of Meir, Stoke-on-Trent.
Commemorated at Dunkirk Memorial
Nord
France


Private
Joseph Cyril Heath
Service Number 4913488
Died on the 10th July 1943
Aged 29
2nd (Airborne) Bn.
South Staffordshire Regiment
Commemorated at Cassino Memorial,
Cassino Provincia di Frosinone Italy.

Seemingly on the 9th July 1943 the airborne regiment of the South Staffordshire Regiment captured Ponte Grand Bridge Syracuse. Seemingly Joseph Cyril Heath was reported missing on the 9th July 1943.

Trooper
Joseph Wilfred Heath
Service Number 14397929
Died 1st January 1944
Aged 19
56th Regt.
Reconnaissance Corps,
Royal Armed Corps.
Son of Samuel James and Lucy Heath, of Cheadle Staffordshire
Sangro River War Cemetery, Italy.


Private
Daniel Heath
Service Number 1436248
Died on the 25th September 1944
Aged 34
The Hallamshire Bn.
York and Lancashire
Burial at Lepoldsburg War Cemetery
Limburg Belgium
Residence Stoke-on-Trent


Private
John Grindy Heath was born 1922 registered Biddulph.
Service number 5057706
Died the 13th October 1944
Aged 24
2nd Bn
North Staffordshire Regiment
The son of Samuel and Hannah Heath of Baddeley Green.
Buried at Faenza War Cemetery
Italy. The Heath line of Horton


Guardsman
Stanley Heath
Service number 2662989
Died on the 4 October 1944
2nd Bn.
Coldstream Guards
Santerno Valley War Cemetery
Italy
Residence Stoke-on-Trent.

Private
William Heath
Service Number 4034540
Died on the 4th February 1944
Aged 26
1st Bn.
King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
Son of Philip and Annie Heath of Cradley Staffordshitre
Anzio War Cemetery
Italy

Denise

[Peter Dzik]

Operation Ladbroke - invasion of Sicily. The invasion of the triangular shaped island opposite Tunisia was split between the Allies, the forces being about 85 miles apart by road.. The American 7th Army was to land in the southern area in a large swathe either side of the town of Gela early on July 10th. They were preceded by 2200 parachutists of the 505th Regiment, to disrupt and capture key points, dropped from gliders towed from Tunisia. The British area of attack - called Operation Ladbroke - eastwards - was south of Syracuse, mainly to capture the Ponte Grande twin span bridge over the river Anapo and a canal. Setting out at 6 pm from Tunisia the 1st Airlanding Brigade was towed in 144 gliders. However, a darker night and windy conditions caused much breakup of formations. With no lights some pilots dropped 65 gliders miles short of the land - 252 paratroopers are known to have drowned. With gliders landing in a wide spread only 87 men of the 2nd Batallion, South Staffs Regiment, made the bridge and captured it, holding out till after midday. Another glider had crashed by the bridge but burst into flames, killing all 30 troops aboard. It appears that 29 year old Joseph Cyril HEATH's body was never found for burial. So he was either drowned or burnt beyond recognition in various crashed gliders. On the following night of July 10th/11th in the Gela area the American 504th regiment dropped from 144 towed gliders. Disaster occurred when it was passing over American warships off the landing beaches. A nervous anti aircraft gunner opened fire on the noisy but invisible planes, causing all the others to. All the US land troops also joined in. Shocked commanders recall bodies and body parts falling on them. They lost 318 men. One of the survivors was 2nd LT. Richard Janney who is the subject of the war hero on the Janney/Heath post His ancestors derive from one of the Quaker Heath sisters of Horton parish near Leek town, as specified in their Quaker marriage certificates. bye.

[Peter Dzik]

Subject. Further British troops rescue after Dunkirk 1940

This June period is the anniversary of the rarely mentioned rescue of further large numbers of Allied troops from France , beginning eleven days after the Dunkirk event ended; taking 12 days commencing 15th June. The French army continued fighting the Germans after Dunkirk (338,000 Allied troops rescued), allowing British forces to fight with the French and then retreat west and south. Naval forces took off some 40,000 troops from Cherbourg etc by 18th June (Operation Cycle). Naval ships were also taking off forces all the way down from the Loire estuary. It was at St. Nazaire that the only disaster occurred. The crowded liner Lancastria was bombed and sank slowly, drowning at least 3000 soldiers. The RAF was also very active in protecting the ships and delaying German advances led by General Rommel. In total nearly 192,00 troops, including RAF support personnel, were rescued. The actions included the death of local Stoke on Trent soldier Frederick William Heath, aged 37, married with 5 children. His details are the first casualty covered by Denise Johnson in her listing above.
bye pete

[Peter Dzik]

It wasn't too easy to trace the origins of Coldstream Guard Stanley Heath, buried in a small Commonwealth war cemetery near Imola, on the north east side of the Apennine mountains in Italy. I eventually found that 32 year old Stanley, was one of six children of Methodists Jervis and Mary Heath of Garbett street, Goldenhill, Stoke on Trent. Stanley had worked in the pottery industry pre WW2, but his father and ancestors had been coal miners in the Oldcott and Newchapel area. He must have been tall as you had to be at least six foot to be in the Guards regiments. Apparently he was unmarried.

At some point Stanley joined the 2nd battalion, Coldstream Guards. This became part of the British 1st Guards Brigade, with three other Guards units. It saw action in North Africa, before transfer in early February 1944 to the Sessa Aurunca battle zone north of Salerno. The Brigade then went on to the bitter fighting around Monte Cassino, before gradually moving up the eastern side of the Apennine mountains against determined German resistance.

2400 feet high Monte Battaglia (Battle Mountain) dominated the eastern plains above Imola and the routes to Bologna. It had been seized by the American 88th Division on 25th September. Heavy casualties ensued by continuous German attacks and ceaseless shelling. The open rocky site could only be reached by a narrow sharp ridge open to enemy fire. The 1st Guards Brigade relieved the Americans in the early hours of October 4th in heavy rain. German shelling began instantly, continuing through the day. Trenches could rarely go deeper than two feet in the rocky surface, and filled with water. On this day the Coldstream Guards lost eight men, including Stanley Heath. Movement of all bodies and wounded was difficult under shellfire to base camp four miles down the mountain.
As Denise Johnson wrote, Stanley is one of 281 Commonwealth soldiers buried in the Santerno war cemetery near Imola.
bye pete

[Denise E Johnson]

Sorry for the mistake.
The age of John Grindy Heath should read 21 years.