hi im new

darealjolo · Mar 2, 2007

Im Joanne,

Im trying to find out information and a photo of a relation of mine who was killed in action in Egypt but dont know how to go about it. anyone help me at all?

Thankyou

Jo

Flying Tiger · Mar 2, 2007

hey welcome to the forum and hope you have nice stay.

Dang i dont know much about Eygpt, but the photo i might be able to help you out with.

von Poop · Mar 2, 2007

Hello Jo,
The best possible start would be a name, and any other scraps of information you may have?
Cheers,
Adam.

darealjolo · Mar 3, 2007

Ok this is what i know so far.

PUMFRETT, ALBERT ARTHUR
Initials: A A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Middlesex Regiment
Unit Text: 1/7th Bn.
Date of Death: 26/10/1942
Service No: 6204863
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: XI. E. 22.
Cemetery: EL ALAMEIN WAR CEMETERY

Born,

Albert Arthur Pumfrett
Born abt 1914
Mmn Parks
West ham

I have also seen him on the roll of honour but i cant find it now as have a new pc.

Joanne

Flying Tiger · Mar 3, 2007

I tried looking him up, but No pics of him yet, Im sorry.

von Poop · Mar 3, 2007

Hi again Jo,

The best start for finding regiments and their formations is usually Regiments.Org. starting there and leading onto another site implies that 1/7th battalion of the Middlesex's appear to have been the machinegun battalion of the 51st Highland Division at that time, so he was probably killed during Operation lightfoot.

Good basic account of the 1/7ths war here:
1/7th Battalion 1939-1945.
And a quote from there showing roughly what was going on in their area:

At first light on the 24th it was possible to make some sort of appreciation of the situation. On
the right, 153rd Brigade, with "C" Company under command, had made good progress and taken its first objectives, but 154th Brigade, supported by "B" Company, had had a harder nut to crack and neither the 7th Black Watch nor the 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders had been able to
reach their objectives, which lay on the crest of the Miteirya Ridge. As a result, most of the
machine-gun platoons dug in on the reverse slope and only one platoon, No. 12, had a direct
shoot from a position on the crest.
It had been hoped that the capture of the ridge would enable the armour to break through and
start an encircling movement to cut off the two German panzer divisions, 15th and 21st, which
were known to be close behind the army front line in this sector. On the morning of the 24th,
therefore, 8th Armoured Brigade of the 10th Armoured Division began its attempt to break out
on the divisional front. But as the tanks topped the Miteirya Ridge they came under concentrated
fire from enemy tanks dug in on the forward slopes of a further ridge, and from a number of
88-mm. guns on the crest. They suffered heavy casualties and finally had to be withdrawn
without effecting any penetration of the enemy line.
It was, therefore, once again left to the infantry to continue the advance to the final objectives.
On the night of the 25th the 5th Black Watch, with No. 10 Platoon in support, and the 7th Argyll
and Sutherland Highlanders, with No. 9 Platoon, put in further attacks and in the end captured
their objectives. By the night of 26th October the Division had reached all its objectives, and for the next six days turned to the defensive to hold and consolidate the gains. All the forward
machine-gun platoons were now dug in on the crest of the ridge.
The fighting had inevitably caused casualties, though not as severe as had at one time been
Click to expand...

I appreciate that you've quite likely seen this before Jo so I'll keep having a shufti around and maybe ask a few people who know a lot more than me about this hunting down of soldiers business, I'm sure you appreciate that an actual, specific photograph would most likely require sheer serendipity but you never know, there might be some sort of unit picture out there for the finding.
The national Army museum appear to hold the Middlesex's regimental collection so they could well be worth contacting.
Good luck,
Adam.

darealjolo · Mar 4, 2007

Thankyou so much for helping me and looking Flying Tiger.

Jo

darealjolo · Mar 4, 2007

Adam,

Thankyou for your information.
I will contact the Middlesex Regiment and see if they can help me at all.

Once again Thankyou

Jo

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