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30th March 1945On this day:
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Remembering those who died this day.
- Byrd William Alfred. Sergeant (d.30th March 1945)
- Fortney Ray F.. S/Sgt. (d.30th Mar 1945)
- Knowles William. F/Lt. (d.30th March 1945)
- Siek Robert. 2nd Lt. (d.30th Mar 1945)
- Thomas Lawrence. Flt.Sgt. (d.30th March 1945)
- Warren Kenneth William. Rflmn. (d.30th Mar 1945)
- Winstone Lewis George. L/Cpl. (d.30th March 1945)
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
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Want to know more about the 30th of March 1945? There are:29 items tagged 30th of March 1945 available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Stories from 30th March 1945
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S/Sgt. Ray F. Fortney. US Army Air Force, 855 Bomb Sqd. 491st Bomb Group. (d.30th Mar 1945) I am the younger brother of S/Sgt Ray F. Fortney who was a tail gunner on the Robert Siek crew, which ditched at sea on Mar 30, 1945. The "Heavenly Body" had been losing altitude constinually on the return trip as one engine was out. When ditching became inevitable, the radio operator sent the word out. An Air-Sea Rescue unit saved only two men from the crew. It was the last aircraft from the 491st to be lost on operations.
Joe K. Fortney
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2nd Lt. Robert Siek. US Army Air Force, 855 Bomb Sqd. 491st Bomb Group. (d.30th Mar 1945) 2nd Lt Siek lost his life when he was forced to ditch at sea on Mar 30, 1945. His aircraft the "Heavenly Body" had been losing altitude constinually on the return trip as one engine was out. When ditching became inevitable, the radio operator sent the word out. An Air-Sea Rescue unit saved only two men from the crew. It was the last aircraft from the 491st to be lost on operations. My older brother
S/Sgt Ray F. Fortney was the tail gunner on this crew.Joe K. Fortney
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Sergeant William Alfred Byrd. RAF, . (d.30th March 1945) During the second World War the Allied and German soldiers, who were killed in Goirle, Noord Brabant, the Netherlands and in the neighbourhood, were buried at the Roman Catholic cemetery from the parish St. Jan in Goirle.
After the war the remains of the German soldiers were reburied in Ysselsteijn (near Venray) and most of the allied soldiers were reburied in Bergen op Zoom (War Cemetery and Canadian War Cemetery) and in Leopoldsburg (Belgium, War Cemetery).
At this moment there are 27 Allied graves in Goirle. Every year we commemorate the victims of World War II, both soldiers and civilians. We know their names, but who were the persons behind the names? What were their lives before they died? Where did they come from? How did they die? Under what circumstances?
It is my intention to give the victims a face, to write and keep the story behind the gravestones because we always will remember the soldier who died for our liberty. We can forget names, but not faces. I will try to write down all their stories for the next generation so they will know who was commemorated.
Maybe someone can help me with Sergeant William Alfred Byrd, RAF 544393 who died on the 30th March 1945, age 24.
Send me a letter or an e-mail with additional information, a photograph or a copy of any personal document, which I can use for The Memory Book or a website. Thank you in advance for your help. Gerrit Kobes
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L/Cpl. Lewis George Winstone. British Army, 4th Btn. Grenadier Guards. (d.30th March 1945) From a letter Lewis Winstone wrote to his mother in 1942:-
Arriving at Barracks from leave I was told I was one of the very few men who had been chosen from this Battalion to go up to Windsor Castle for the celebration of Princess Elizabeth;s birthday, and to represent the Battalion.
When the parade presented arms to the Royal Family, and the massed band played the National Anthem, it sent a shudder through us.
This is the first time for a long period that a Princess has been Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. After the National Anthem we were inspected by the Princess Elizabeth and her parents. The King wore the uniform of the Grenadier Guards. After the inspection we had a march past in review order, the Princess taking the salute.
In the evening I went to the BBC variety concert in one of the great halls of the Castle, also attended by the Royal Family and many distinguished guests.
The best moment of all was when the King and Queen were walking out, and I happened to be sitting about three quarters of the way back and at the end of the nearest gangway, and for the first time in my life I had a few words with their Majesties. What made them stop and speak to me I don't know. Since then I have been I have hardly kept my hat on!
From the Battalion war diary for 30th March 1945:-
Coesfield was very heavily cratered, so No's 1 & 3 squadrons found a way round. No.1 Squadron advanced 25 miles & halted just East of Millenbeck. L/Corporal L Winstone (Recce Troop) was killed by spandau fire while climbing out of a bazooka'd Honey tank.
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Flt.Sgt. Lawrence Thomas. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 235 Squadron. (d.30th March 1945) Flight Sergeant (Navigator/Wireless Op.) Lawrence Thomas was the son of William Charles and Ann Maria Thomas, of Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
He was aged 23 when his plane crashed in Norway. He is buried in the Skien Civil Cemetery in Norway.S Flynn
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F/Lt. William Knowles. DFC. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 235 Squadron. (d.30th March 1945) Flight Lieutenant Bill Knowles was the son of William and Maria Rebelo Knowles, of Carcarelos, Portugal.
He is buried in the Skien Civil Cemetery in Norway.
S flynn
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Rflmn. Kenneth William Warren. British Army, 12th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps. (d.30th Mar 1945) Ken Warren was the youngest child of seven and, against the wishes of his mother, joined up in July 1943, at the age of 20.
He trained at Fulford Barracks, York, transferred from General Service Corps to KRRC, then was posted to 10th Battalion, KRRC at Strensall Camp, York.
He was posted to 12th Battalion KRRC in May 1944 and left for Europe in June 1944. He was killed in action on 30th of March 1945 and is buried in Uden War Cemetery, Noord Brabant, Holland. He was 21.Rob Warren
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