From Newcastle to Utah - Ralph Ramsay, wood carver and pioneer.

Ralph Ramsay was a man who lived a long and eventful life who was born in 1824 and died in 1905.  Because of his endeavours there is quite a lot of online information from pages such as wikipedia and Mormon history websites.  Also contact with his 5th great grandson led me to a copy of Ralph’s handwritten diary.

In the bustling industrial heart of the 19th century Newcastle upon Tyne Ralph Ramsay entered the world in 1824 the son of Joseph Ramsay and Mary Bainbridge.

Ralph was born in Liddells Fell, near Ryton, Newcastle upon Tyne and emigrated to the United States in 1856 According to the Census of 1841 Ralph was living in Spital Tongues, Newcastle upon Tyne with his family.  His father Joseph was an agricultural labourer and Ralph was an apprentice wood turner working for William Hobbs and after a number of years Ralph opened a shop of his own.  His working with wood would be an important part of his life using the art of shaping wood to create an iconic structure that sits on top of the Eagle Gate in Salt Lake City.  We'll learn more about the Eagle Gate a little bit later.  His mother was Mary Bainbridge and she is my 3rd cousin 6 x removed.  She was born in 1787 in Stanhope, County Durham, and died of Smallpox in 1841, shortly after the 1841 Census, in Spital Tongues.

Ralph married his first wife, Emma Clarke, in 1851, and they had one son, Joseph. Emma died in 1852, and Ramsay married his second wife, Elizabeth Burns, in 1853. They had four children together: Emma, John Smith, Jane, and Elizabeth Burns.

In 1856, Ramsay and his family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. He married his third wife, Elizabeth Stokes, in 1863, and they had one daughter, Hannah Burns. Ramsay became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1863.

In 1867, Ramsay married his fourth wife, Catherine Hopson, and in 1869, he married his fifth wife, Mary Ann Cheshire. They had three children together: Marian Cheshire, Joseph Cheshire, and John Cheshire.

Ramsay died in 1905 in Snowflake, Navajo, Arizona Territory. He was 81 years old.

To understand Spital Tongues in 1841, it's essential to consider the key developments happening in that period.  The 1830s and 1840s were a time of significant industrial growth in Newcastle upon Tyne.  Crucially, the Leazes Main (Spital Tongues) Colliery had opened in 1836, driving the area's development. This colliery was a major factor in the growth of Spital tongues.  The Victoria Tunnel, constructed between 1839 and 1842, was being built to transport coal from this colliery to the River Tyne. This is a very important fact relating to 1841. This shows that in 1841, the area was heavily involved in the construction of a very important piece of infrastructure.  Spital Tongues was transitioning from a relatively rural settlement to a more industrial one, with the construction of worker's housing and related infrastructure.  The presence of the colliery meant an influx of workers, leading to the development of housing like Ropery Terrace and Long Row.  The area's name originates from its historical association with St. Mary Magdalene Hospital, which owned outlying pieces of land ("tongues").  It is important to remember the construction of the Victoria tunnel, and the impact that this had on the area at that time.  In summary, 1841 in Spital Tongues was a period of significant change, driven by the coal industry and the construction of the Victoria Tunnel.

The Ramsey family originally lived in Middle Hedgersfield Farm near Ryton on the banks of the River Tyne.  At seven the family moved to Orpeth Riding and when Ralph was 10 he started his education at Perth Head.

By the time the 1841 Census was undertaken the Ramsey family were living in Spital Tongues, a vibrant area on the outskirts of Newcastle upon Tyne.  The year 1844 marked a significant turn as Ralph embarked on an apprenticeship with carpenter James Dotchin.  This would be the pivotal step in Ralph learning a trade.  During this period Ralph lodged with Mr W R Ireland in Algraham Street in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. 

In 1846 Ralph began a new adventure moving to London gaining experience in his carpentry skills.  In 1848 he returned to the north east finding employment with Robert Jobson, a skilled cabinet maker.  1851 saw a profound spiritual awakening in Ralph  and he was baptised by Elder Wilkinson Graham into the Mormon Church.  In that same year he found love with his first wife Emma.

Ralph’s commitment to his faith deepened and in 1851 he was ordained an Elder by John Highee, William Warboys and Thomas Greener.  The 1851 places Ralph living on High Friar Street in Newcastle upon Tyne as a wood turner.  Later that year he and Emma moved to Sunderland taking up work with A Mr Alcock and sons.

Tragedy struck in 1852 with the birth, and subsequent death, of his son Joseph followed by the passing of his beloved Emma.  Hope found its way back into Ralph’s life when he married his second wife, Elizabeth Burns.  Their family grew and in 1853 his daughter Emma was born.  An entrepreneurial spirit stirred with Ralph and in 1854 he embarked on his own business in Crow Tree Road.  This year also brought the birth of his son John.

The first Mormons, or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, arrived in Liverpool from America on board the Garrick on 19 July 1837 and were sent to preach the restored gospel by Church President, Joseph Smith, Jr. The Church had been formally organised in America on 6 April 1830. Three of the seven missionaries were Canadian and two had been born in England, and they set up branches of the Church at Preston and throughout the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. Within eight months of their arrival membership had reached some 2,000 people. By 1850, 42,316 people had been baptised and another 52,192 had been baptised by 1870.

From 1840 the majority of these early converts were encouraged by the Church leaders to emigrate from Britain to North America to help build the community's own settlement, Nauvoo, on marshland alongside the Mississippi River in Illinois. Brigham Young arrived in Liverpool on 6 April 1840 on board the packet ship Patrick Henry and the first company of 41 emigrant Mormons left Liverpool on the Britannia for New York on 6 June 1840. On 20 April 1841 Brigham Young boarded the Rochester with a party of 130 Mormon emigrants, arriving in New York one month later.

In 1846, persecution culminating in the assassination of the Church leader, Joseph Smith, forced the Mormons to flee west into unsettled territory in the Rocky Mountains, to found "Zion" at Salt Lake City in the State of Utah in July 1847. Many thousands of Mormon emigrants followed.

Many of these emigrants were poor, and were assisted to emigrate by their local Church branches, or from 1849 by the Church's own Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company. By 1852, over £125,000 had been given to assist poor emigrants, and the Church had its own charter and supply agent in Liverpool.

In 1854 the Mormon agent and passenger-broker, Elder Samuel W. Richards, gave evidence to a parliamentary inquiry on how the Church organised this mass emigration. He described how the Church chartered its own ships, charging passengers £3.12s.6d. to New Orleans, and £20 for the full journey to Salt Lake City. The journey to Utah from New Orleans consisted of a 1,300 mile trip by steamboat on the Mississippi to St. Louis, then a further 800 miles on the Missouri River to Council Bluffs. From Council Bluffs they joined the wagon trains along the Mormon Trail to Salt Lake Valley, some 1,030 miles across the Rocky Mountains.

During the 19th century, about 55,000 British Latter-day Saints immigrated to North America. Between 1870-1920 the Church in America was composed of mainly English emigrants. With more leaving than settling, most of the branches of the Church were then closed down in Britain. Official Church Emigration Records began to be recorded in Liverpool (the primary port of Mormon European emigration) commencing in 1849 and were kept until 1925.  (https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/archivesheet29)

While the earliest baptisms of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England occurred in the River Ribble, in Preston, Lancashire, it's important to understand the broader context of early Mormon missionary work in Britain.  The first Latter-day Saint missionaries arrived in England in 1837.
Their initial and most significant successes were in Preston, Lancashire, where the first baptisms took place in the River Ribble.  From Preston, missionary efforts spread to other parts of England, including areas in and around Newcastle upon Tyne.  In the early days of the Church, baptisms were often performed in available bodies of water, which could include rivers.  As the Church established itself, local congregations would use suitable locations, and later, as meeting houses were built, baptismal fonts were incorporated.  Therefore, it is possible that early converts in the Newcastle area were baptised in the river Tyne.  The Church did establish a presence in the Newcastle upon Tyne area, and it's plausible that baptisms would have taken place in the River Tyne or other local waterways during the early period of missionary work.

In summary, while the River Ribble holds the distinction of the first baptisms in England, the spread of Mormonism to Newcastle upon Tyne likely involved baptisms in local rivers, including the Tyne.

Ralph left England for America in March 1856 arriving in Boston seven weeks later.  Leaving Boston they arrived at the CampGrounds in Iowa, where he worked making hand carts.  Daughter Jane was born on 31st May 1856 but she sadly died on the 7th June 1856 31.5.1856 - in the Emigrant Campground near Iowa City.

John Smith Ramsay who was born in 1854 and sadly died young on the 27th June 1856 near the South Coone River, Iowa.  It must have been so upsetting to lose a child on their long journey and have to bury and leave them along the route.

On 11th June 1856 they began their long trek westwards under the leadership of Dan McArthur and Edmond Ellsworth.

After three and a half months in travel they arrived in Salt Lake Valley on 26th September 1856.  

Being a wood carver and turner by trade, Ralph was soon busy and much of the furniture in the Brigham Young home was fashioned by his hand

Daniel D. McArthur, a returning missionary from Scotland, was appointed to lead the 2nd handcart company. Most of the people in this company crossed the Atlantic on the ships Enoch Train and S. Curling They traveled from New York City to Iowa City, Iowa, and there spent about a month getting the handcarts and supplies ready to set out. On June 11, they moved out, two days after Ellsworth's 1st handcart company had left. The two leading handcart companies seemed to be engaged in a friendly rivalry trying to best each other in being the first to get to the Salt Lake Valley. McArthur's company earned the name of "Crack Company" because they were a spirited and fit group and were highly regarded by all who met them en route.

The handcarts were poorly built and required daily maintenance to keep them repaired. It was easy to be discouraged pushing handcarts laden with up to 250 pounds of luggage; a few turned back and dropped out. For much of the way across Iowa, McArthur kept pace with and traveled close to Ellsworth's company. On or about June 18 an attempted aggravated kidnapping of a teenage girl in the company by two men in a fancy buggy was thwarted. The sweltering heat persisted for weeks and several fainted from exhaustion, causing a few more to drop out.[Ellsworth Ancestors, p. 97] In early July a terrible thunderstorm tore up tents and drenched everyone. They were also delayed looking for people who veered off the road. At one point an 8-year-old boy got lost on the road. They halted for a day to search for him but then had to move on, leaving the boy's father to continue the search alone. Four days afterward, a reunited father and son joyfully rejoined the company, waving a red shawl as they approached the camp. Hot days continued; more people collapsed and more families dropped out. Along the way "gentiles" and "apostates" harassed Ellsworth and McArthur, calling them "tyrants" and "slave drivers." On July 8, both McArthur's and Ellsworth's companies arrived at and crossed the Missouri River on a steam-powered ferryboat and moved on to the emigrant camp west of Florence, Nebraska Territory.

At Florence, enticing land and farm opportunities were tempting, causing a few in the company to drop out. The company spent more than two weeks here repairing carts, restocking supplies, and getting ready to continue. Several days after Ellsworth's company left, McArthur's company left on July 24. They numbered about 220 people (mostly Scots, a few Germans, and 30 children). There were 44 handcarts, 2 wagons, 12 yoke of oxen, 5 beef cattle, and 12 cows. Each person was allotted 55 pounds of flour. The supplies included rice, 550 pounds of sugar, 400 pounds of dried apples, 125 pounds of tea, 200 pounds of salt, and 12 tents. The food was supposed to last them 60 days; then they would be re-supplied from Salt Lake City. They crossed the Elkhorn River on a poorly constructed ferry and then had to travel 15 miles without water before reaching the north bend of the Platte River. Later they carried water with them over the dry stretches. At Loup Fork the women, children, and handcarts again used a ferry, but at least some of the men waded or swam across. Roads were often very sandy and in places cart wheels sunk up to their hubs. Many streams had to be forded. On August 3 rain fell in torrents all day and throughout the night. Weak from being on short rations, many suffered from severe fatigue. While traveling along the north side of the Platte, an elderly Scotswoman was bitten on the leg by a rattlesnake but survived (although at least seven Pioneers were bitten by rattlesnakes during the years of overland travel, none died). On that same day another old woman was run over by a fully loaded wagon; miraculously she suffered no broken bones. Two days before Chimney Rock, they were lashed by another drenching thunderstorm.

On August 28 they crossed the river to the south side and camped at Fort Laramie. Moving on, they skirted the Black Hills and followed the same course as the Ellsworth company just ahead of them. On September 2 they met the first supply wagons sent from Salt Lake. Two days later at Deer Creek (present-day Glenrock, Wyoming), they obtained more flour from five supply wagons. On that same day, 4 September they reached the Upper Crossing of the Platte, which they forded. The next day they stayed in camp because it had rained so much; snow covered the surrounding mountains. With plucky determination, they tried to keep up with or pass their friendly rivals in the Ellsworth company. Twice they covered more than 30 miles in a single day to catch up with Ellsworth. After traveling nearly night and day, on September 11 at almost 11:00 p.m. they pulled into camp beside Ellsworth's company on present-day Alkali Creek on the Seminoe Cutoff. This cutoff was an alternate route that tracked south of Rocky Ridge, bypassing it and four crossings of the Sweetwater. Ellsworth had taken this cutoff in 1854 when traveling to serve a mission in England. These two handcart companies were the first westbound Mormon emigrant groups to take the Seminole Cutoff.

They pushed on over South Pass, forded Green River, and reached Fort Bridger on September 20. On September 25 they camped at the east base of Big Mountain. There, a number of friends from Salt Lake City met them, spent the night, and then took many of the women and children into the valley by wagon. The men of the "Crack Company" now raced their carts to again try to catch up with Ellsworth. They came out of Emigration Canyon on September 26 to see Ellsworth's company feasting on melons with Brigham Young, who had come out to meet them with other dignitaries. After joining the party, both handcart groups paraded into the city in company with the First Presidency, the Nauvoo Brass Band, H. B. Clawson's company of lancers, and many local citizens. Ten had died in the McArthur Company during the journey.

https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/organization/pioneer-company/daniel-d-mcarthur-company-1856?timelineTab=allTabs&lang=eng

In 1857 Ralph’s daughter Elizabeth Burns Ramsey was born in Salt Lake City.  She moved to Richfield,Sevier with her parents and died in 1924.  Elizabeth would marry twice; first to George Frazier and secondly to Henry Bartlett.  

In April 1859 son Ralph Ramsey was born in Salt Lake City and died in Richfield, Sevier in 1874.  He never married.

The carved eagle in Salt Lake City refers to the iconic sculpture that sits atop the Eagle Gate, a prominent landmark in the city. Here's a breakdown of its history and significance.  The original Eagle Gate was erected in 1859 as an entrance to Brigham Young's property.  The first eagle was carved from wood by Ralph Ramsay.  The wooden eagle sat atop an archway, marking the entrance to Young's estate.  Over the years, the Eagle Gate has undergone several changes and reconstructions.  Due to deterioration and the need to widen State Street, the original wooden eagle was eventually replaced.  The current eagle is a bronze sculpture, installed in 1963.  The eagle and the beehive (also featured in the sculpture) are significant symbols in Utah, representing freedom and industry, respectively.  The Eagle Gate is a powerful reminder of Salt Lake City's pioneer history.  It is a very important historical landmark for Salt Lake City, and is a very visible representation of the city's history.  The original wooden eagle can be found in the Daughters of Utah Pioneers museum.

In essence, the carved eagle of Eagle Gate is a historical and symbolic icon of Salt Lake City, reflecting its pioneer heritage and enduring spirit.

In April 1861 son James Burns Ramsey was born in Salt Lake City and he died in 1946.  He married Clare  Adelia Babbitt.  James  rode the pony express between Fort Apache and Fort Wingate.  The Pony Express was a fast, 19th-century mail service operating from April 1860 to October 1861,which bridged the American East and West via a 1,900-mile, horse-relay route from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California. It was established to provide faster, more reliable communication between the East Coast and the newly developed, gold-rush-driven West, particularly California, during the brink of the Civil War.

Ralph married his third wife Elizabeth Stokes in 1863, whilst his second wife was still alive.   Elizabeth was born in Kensworth, Hertfordshire and emigrated to America in 1858.  She died in 1908 in Richfield and her obituary in the Salk Lake Herald on the 31st July 1908 said she never had any children but cared for the orphans in the area.  

Wikipedia states that Mormons believed in the practice of plural marriages after their founder Joseph Smith a revelation after reading the Old Testament and learning that the prophets had more than one wife.  The practice began in 1850 and ended in 1890 when, following opposition by future leaders who advised against multiple marriages.  A manifesto was compiled, which adhered to national law, and agreed upon by the Elders.  The manifesto ended future plural marriages but had no effect on past plural marriages.  ThoseThe who ignored the manifesto would face excommunication.

In 1863 daughter Hannah Burns Ramsey was born in Richfield and she died in 1909.  Hannah married Henry Baker and they would have three sons.  One of those Charles Henry Baker became a Mormon missionary.  It is interesting that he was delivered by Grandmother Ramay.  In July 1911 Henry left for England on a mission.  His journey began in Chicago followed by a visit to Niagara and Montreal where he boarded the steamship Lamentie.  They travelled along the St Lawrence River where he started his journey across the Atlantic,  The steamship arrived in Liverpool on 31st July.  Following the mission Charles returned home in October 1911

Ralph married his fourth wife Catherine Hopson in 1867.  Catherine was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1795 and died in Salt Lake City in 1880.

Ralph married fifth wife Mary Ann Cheshire in 1869.  Mary Ann was born in 1841 in Kensworth, Hertfordshire and died in Snowflake in 1923.

His son Joseph Cheshire was born in October 1872 and following his birth the family moved to Richfield, Sevier County, Utah where he was called to colonize the area by Brigham Young.

Around 1880 Ralph was called by President Young to go to St Johns, Arizona to again colonize the area and from here we went to Old Mexico with the first Mormon colony.  After two years he returned to Arizona and settled in Snowflake where he helped construct The Flake House.

In 1874 son John Cheshire Ramsey was born in Richfield and he would die in 1954 in  Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona.  John Cheshire would marry Evaline Elizabeth Youngblood.

In 1878 daughter Rose Ann Ramsey was born in Richfield and died in 1962 in Price, Carbon, Utah.

In 1883 son Ralph Cheshire Ramsey was born in St Johns, Apache, Arizona Territory and died in Mesa in 1951

Ralph’s amazing life ended in 1905 in Snowflake, Navajo, Arizona Territory.  According to Wikipedia Snowflake (Navajo: Tó Diłhił Biih Yílį́) is a town in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. It was founded in 1878 by Erastus Snow and William Jordan Flake, Mormon pioneers.[4] Snowflake is 25 miles (40 km) south of Interstate 40 (formerly U.S. Route 66) via Highway 77. The Apache Railway provides freight service.

Ralph Junior Baker  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leyte

http://www.ralphramsay.com/

https://www.dupinternational.org/dyn_page.php?pageID=10

From Spitfires to Stalags: A Family's WWII Saga

The 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe prompted me to delve into my family history and uncover any relatives who played a role in World War 2. Through a combination of family stories, Wikipedia, and online forums, I've been able to trace the wartime experiences of some of my family members.  I’ve also included descriptions of the Prisoner of War camps that some were imprisoned to add context into why I think they are heroes.  To have undergone such heroism and then horrific internment took incredible loyalty to their country and stoicism.

Let’s start with my closest relatives:- John and William Spencelayh.  Both were involved in some way or another in the D Day Landings and the Battle of Britain.  The first of these is John Spencelayh, my 3rd cousin 3 times removed.  John was awarded the British Empire Medal for his work in repairing the radios of the Spitfires involved in the Battle of Britain.  Wikipedia tells us that The Battle of Britain (German: Luftschlacht um England, lit. 'air battle for England') was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. It was the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces.[13] The British officially recognise the battle's duration as being from 10 July until 31 October 1940, which overlaps the period of large-scale night attacks known as the Blitz, that lasted from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941.[14] German historians do not follow this subdivision and regard the battle as a single campaign lasting from July 1940 to May 1941, including the Blitz.  It was, therefore, vital that radios were repaired, and planes then able to again fly, rapidly.

William Spencelayh died on board HMS Boadicea when it was torpedoed in the English Channel during the D Day Landings.  HMS Boadicea was a B-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy (RN) around 1930. Initially assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet, she was transferred to the Home Fleet in 1936. Before her departure, the ship evacuated civilians from Spain during the beginning of the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939. Boadicea later spent considerable time in Spanish waters, enforcing the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides of the conflict. During World War II, the ship spent the bulk of the war on convoy escort duty in British waters and participated in the Battle of the Atlantic, Operation Torch, the Russian Convoys, and in the Normandy landings. Badly damaged by German dive bombers in 1940, she was sunk almost exactly four years later by German aircraft.  

This is a piece that was sent to me by their direct relative:

During the war, John (my father in law) was in the RAF as a radio engineer. He was based on Battle of Britain airfields repairing Spitfires and Hurricanes when they returned. He briefly was posted to Norway and quickly returned as they were overrun. Bill was on one of the ships escorting them and two were torpedoed losing all the pilots and officers on board. He was then posted to Egypt and we have pictures of him in uniform at the pyramids. They received a lot of damaged radios that they had to fix in whatever way possible to install in the aircraft and it was this that got him the BEM. He was a sergeant by then, his officer got a higher level award. Bill was on a ship in the channel that was attacked by bombers and a bomb went into the magazine and the ship exploded with virtually no survivors. Nellie never remarried and lived quietly in London, occasionally seeing the family up north. John's brothers Matt and Jim both served in the war and their sister’s future husband Dave was on the D Day landings. The eldest brother Tom worked in the shipyards in Hartlepool building warships. A different breed!

James Brown Bell, who was awarded an MBE for his bravery.  My connection to James is through my great granduncle William Robert Hood's marriage.  Intrigued by the mention of this honor, I reached out to a relative of his through Ancestry, and she shared James' remarkable story with me.  James was in the Merchant Navy during World War 2

James' story unfolded aboard the Canadian steamer SS Thorold, which was transporting coal from Cardiff to London. On August 22nd, the ship was attacked and sunk by German Dornier Do-17 aircraft south of the Smalls. The attack resulted in the loss of 11 of the 23 crew members.

Amidst the chaos and danger, James, who was the Second Engineer, displayed extraordinary courage and resourcefulness. He cut the rafts adrift, lowered the damaged but still functional lifeboats, and managed to get the wounded Master and Second Mate on board, despite the ship rapidly sinking.

Tragically, a violent explosion then threw everyone into the water and destroyed the lifeboats. Undeterred, James, with the assistance of Able Seaman Kiely, used a raft to rescue as many people as he could find, including the Master and Second Mate. Unfortunately, both of these officers later succumbed to their injuries.

It was for these heroic actions that James was awarded the MBE while serving as Second Engineer. Additionally, he received the Lloyd's Medal for Bravery at Sea, recognizing his exceptional courage and selflessness in the face of extreme danger.

https://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/merchant-navy-awards.15302/page-47

http://warsailors.com/forum/archive/forum/read.php-1,25171,25172.html

James was also on board the SS Gemstone when she was torpedoed by the Spier.  On June 4th, the German raider Stier spotted a freighter 200 miles east of St. Paul ’s Rocks off the coast of Brazil. The commander Gerlach fired a warning shot across her bow and the freighter’s captain turned his ship stern-on to present the smallest target.

Stier fired several more salvos, all of which missed and Gemstone's Captain ordered its crew to abandon ship. The freighter was then identified as the 4,986-ton Alva Steamship Co. Gemstone, en route from South Africa to Baltimore with a cargo of iron ore. Her crew was taken on board and she was sunk by a torpedo.

Jan Lettens 06/07/2011

The German auxiliary cruiser Stier was responsible for the sinking of Gemstone (British), Stanvac Calcutta (Panama-flag U.S.-owned), Dalhousie (British) and Stephen Hopkins (U.S.-owned), the latter proved fatal to Stier.[/B]

On or about June 10, the Stier put 68 prisoners from the Gemstone and the Stanvac Calcutta onto the Schliemann less the Captain of the Gemstone and a crewman from the Stanvac Calcutta. With 195 prisoners the Doggerbank departed June 26 for Yokohama via Batavia.

https://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/requests-for-help/30214-sinking-ss-gemstone.html

Fukuoka #17 - Omuta, Branch Prisoner of War Camp was a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp located at the Mitsui Kozan Miike Kogyo-Sho coal mine and Mitsui Zinc Foundry in Shinminato-machi, Omuta-shi, Fukuoka-ken, Japan, during World War II. It was the largest POW camp in Japan.[1]

The camp was opened on 7 August 1943 with 500 Americans arriving on the hellship Clyde Maru from the Philippines. It was gradually populated to about 1,757[2] by Allied prisoners of war of mixed nationalities, mostly Australian, American, British and Dutch. The British, Dutch and Australians were survivors of the Burma Railway construction in Thailand (Siam). The last group to arrive were all Australians, in June 1945; they had formerly been held in the Fukuoka 13-D Oita POW camp. There were also Norwegians, Czechs, Portuguese, Saudi Arabians, Canadian, British Indian, British West Indian, Malayan, Chinese, and British Guianan POWs, as well as civilians.

The site was originally the labourers' quarters built by the Mitsui Coal Mining Company owned by the Baron Mitsui. The camp was gradually expanded with further buildings constructed over the years.

The camp measured 200 yards by 1000 yards and was surrounded by a 12 feet high wooden fence fixed with heavy gauge wire. There were 33 barracks, all one story buildings 120' x 16' with ten rooms to a barracks. Officers were billeted three or four per room measuring 9' x 10', with four to six enlisted men accommodated in rooms of same size. There was no heating whatsoever, which was a serious problem in the winter months as the men were living on starvation diets.[3]

There were two meals served each day, usually one cup of rice and some radish soup. Protein was rarely provided.

The camp commandant was Asao Fukuhara, who was executed after the war for war crimes. The camp doctor was an unidentified Japanese surgeon who forced men to work even when critically ill.

Baron Mitsui's company leased the POWs from the Japanese Army, who received payment from the Company of about 20 yen per day. The American, Australian and Dutch POWs all worked in the Mitsui coal mine whilst all the British worked in the nearby Mitsui zinc foundry. Pay for privates and NCOs was 10 yen per day and all POWs received about 5 cigarettes each day.

Baron Mitsui liked to visit the camp and seemed to enjoy seeing the POWs. He sometimes provided costumes so that the POWs could put on musicals that he and the guards would watch. When the war ended, he invited camp officers to dinner with his wife.

The camp was liberated on 2 September 1945, by which time most of the POWs were in a desperate state of health. Many were suffering from severe beri-beri and on average had lost about 60 lb (27 kg).[3] Camp survivors were evacuated via the destroyed Nagasaki about ten days after liberation. War correspondent George Weller interviewed many of the men who were released. These interviews can be found in a book edited by his son Anthony Weller, First Into Nagasaki: The Censored Eyewitness Dispatches on Post-Atomic Japan and Its Prisoners of War.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuoka_17

Denys Leonard Taffe is related to me via my 2nd cousin 3 x removed Edward Hunt.  Denys was a member of 161 (Special Duties) Squadron which was a highly secretive unit of the Royal Air Force, performing missions as part of the Royal Air Force Special Duties Service. It was tasked with missions of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) during the Second World War. Their primary role was to drop and collect secret agents and equipment into and from Nazi-occupied Europe. The squadron had a secondary role in acting as the King's Flight, where it was responsible for transporting royal family members.

The squadron was formed at RAF Newmarket on 15 February 1942 from 138 Squadron’s Lysander flight and a flight of Whitleys and Wellingtons.[2] These were combined with pilots and aircraft from the King’s Flight to create the second SD squadron.[3] The unit was commanded by Edward Fielden, an experienced pilot who had been the CO of the King’s Flight. He inherited two very experienced officers in Guy Lockhart and “Sticky” Murphy from 138.[4] 161's A Flight was made up of six Lysanders, with Guy Lockhart as its commanding officer. A Flight undertook the pick-up operations. The squadron's B Flight flew two-engine Whitleys and Wellingtons, and did agent parachute drops and supply drop missions.

In April 1942 the squadron joined 138 Squadron at RAF Tempsford in Bedfordshire. It remained there for the duration of its service. In November 1942 the B Flight's Whitleys were replaced with the four-engine Halifax.[5]

Following the end of the war in Europe, the squadron was disbanded 2 June 1945.[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._161_Squadron_RAF

On the night of the 2nd October 1942, as part of Operation: Special Duties / Special Operations Executive / target: Lettuce 7,  his plane took off from Tempsford at 21.30 and ditched off the Dutch coast at 22.45 after suffering engine failure.  Bomb-aimer Sgt Denys Taaffe and first pilot Ernest Edge were the only survivors.  They were captured , P/O Edge being detained in Stalag Luft 3 (Sagan) and Denys Taaffe in Stalag Luft 6 (Heydekrug)

https://www.rafcommands.com/database/awards/details.php?qname=TAAFFE&qnum=1253986

https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/211873

Google’s AI overview states:

• Operation Lettuce was a code name used by the British Royal Navy during World War 2 to describe a naval operation aimed at disrupting German naval traffic in the English Channel

• The operation's primary goal was to disrupt German U-boat activity and other naval traffic in the English Channel, which was a vital route for Allied shipping. 

• The operation involved the deployment of mines and other obstacles in the channel to disrupt German shipping and naval activities. 

• "Operation Lettuce" was a small but effective operation that contributed to the overall Allied effort to cripple the German war machine. 

• Other Operations:
  While "Operation Lettuce" is a specific operation, it's important to note that there were many other significant naval operations during World War II, such as Operation Torch, Operation Overlord (D-Day), and Operation Husky. 

Denys was a Prisoner of War at Stalagluft IV in Gross Tychow, Poland in 1939 and again on 2 October 1942.  

Stalag Luft IV was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp in Gross Tychow, Pomerania (now Tychowo, Poland). It housed mostly American POWs, but also Britons, Canadians, Poles, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Czechs, Frenchmen and a Norwegian.

The camp was opened in May 1944. In July of that year a military report was released which described such problems as inadequate shower facilities, unfit distribution of Red Cross parcels, and that prisoners complained about the food situation often. Two letters and four postcards were permitted per month. These letters were harshly censored, with prisoners forced to tell families that they were being treated well and that there were no problems whatsoever.[1]

A report by the International Red Cross in October 1944 described camp conditions as generally bad. The camp was divided into five compounds (A-E) separated by barbed wire fences, with the POWs housed in 40 wooden barrack huts, each containing 200 men. Prisoners in compounds A and B had triple-tiered bunks, but there were no bunks at all in compounds C and D, and POWs slept on the floor. None of the huts were heated, with only five small iron stoves in the whole camp. Latrines were open-air, and there were no proper washing facilities. Medical facilities and supplies of food and clothing were also inadequate. At this point there were 7,089 American and 886 British POWs (of these 606 were from the British Isles, and included 147 Canadians, 37 Australians, 58 Poles, 22 New Zealanders, 8 South Africans, 5 Czechs, 2 French and 1 Norwegian).[2]

Another International Red Cross inspection in January 1945,[3] reported that the camp held:

• 8,033 Americans

• 820 British

• 60 Polish

• 5 Czech

• 2 French

• 1 Norwegian

On 6 February 1945, some 8,000 men of the camp set out on a march that would be called the "Death March". The prisoners were given remaining Red Cross parcels and were allowed to carry as much as they could. The march from Gross Tychow lasted approximately 86 days. They were forced to march under guard about 15–20 miles (24–32 km) per day. There was much zigzagging, to escape the encroaching Soviet Red Army from the east. The death march passed through the towns of Białogard and Świnoujście.[4]

The treatment was deplorable. The sick were shot or bayoneted when they fell out of formation.[5] Dysentery and diarrhea were commonplace as water sources and latrines were inadvertently mixed. Shelter might be a barn or under the stars, in the rain, snow, or whatever was available. Food remained scarce and the best one could hope for was a portion to replenish the calories from a full day’s march (a bushel or two of steamed potatoes for a barn full of men was the best ever received at the end of a day). Often, the food was placed in the barn in the dark of night for the men to get what they could. The German government provided no clothing. They carried two blankets, and an overcoat for bedding.

The average POW lost a third of his body weight after capture. They drank water, often contaminated, from ditches beside the road, or ate snow when available. They used cigarettes, watches, rings or whatever they had to trade with the farmers along the way, for food. However, in doing so risking the farmers and the POWs' lives. The POWs ate charcoal to help stop dysentery, and they all became infested with lice. Pneumonia, diphtheria, pellagra, typhus, trench foot, tuberculosis and other diseases ran rampant among the POWs.

Acts of heroism were virtually universal. The stronger helped the weaker. Those fortunate enough to have a coat shared it with others. The Germans sometimes provided a wagon for the sick. However, there seldom were horses available, so teams of POWs pulled the wagons through the snow. When a wagon was not available and a POW fell out along the road, a German guard would drop back and a shot would be heard.[6] The guard would then come back into formation alone. However, not all Germans were hated - the guard Shorty was carried by several prisoners after he couldn't go on.[citation needed]

They reached (Stalag XI-A), near Dörnitz on 30 March 1945.[7] Many camps on the eastern edge of Germany were combined into one large camp there. The treatment was a repetition of that at previous camps, with the exception of food, of which there was virtually none.[citation needed] There were no beds or bedding in the buildings.[citation needed] The prisoners, and the Germans as well, knew liberation was close at hand. The sounds of the encroaching American artillery could be heard getting louder and louder at this camp. When the sound of Allied artillery grew closer, the German guards were less harsh in their treatment of POWs, because the prisoner roles might soon be reversed.[citation needed]

The POWs were only in this camp for about a week, when lagers A and B from Stalag Luft IV were taken out on their final march on 8 April 1945,[8] this time marching to the east. This last march lasted 25 days,[9] but was just as harsh as the previous march except for the treatment by the Germans, which was somewhat better. There was still little or no food available, and the pace was much slower, advancing 4–5 miles a day. With the Russian and Western Allied forces closing in rapidly, the POWs of Stalag Luft IV crossed the River Elbe on 21 April 1945, near Dahlenburg. On the morning of 2 May 1945 the POWs were all sitting in a ditch next to the River Elbe near Lauenburg, Germany, when the British arrived and liberated the camp. Soldiers were given virtually nothing and told to march west. Thus Stalag Luft IV ended.[citation needed]

Some POWs managed to escape before the liberation of the rest of the camp. According to an interview with Sgt. James B. Lindsay 15081658, he and two fellow POWs, Dewitt and Lockenny, armed with a hatchet taken from a woodpile of a nearby barn, captured a guard and fled on 24 April 1945; they found the body of a second decapitated German officer while making their escape.[10] Two days later they reached an American outpost while heading South towards Düben.[11]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_Luft_IV

Ralph Bernard Spencelayh was my 3rd cousin 3 times removed and was a POW in Kalamata, Greece on 29 April 1945 and was also held at Stalag 18A Wolfsberg,   Ralph was a driver in 292 Field Company which was initially allocated to support of the RAF in improving, upgrading and repairing the few usable Greek airfields. Later they, and other arriving Sections, were utilised to aid active fighting Brigades in forward deployments as the tactical military circumstances demanded (including HQ Section). As such they were dispersed geographically and were required to perform a variety of functions including maintenance and repair of roads and railways and subsequently - during the withdrawal phase - demolition of the same. 

The battle of Kalamata, named for a small city on the southern coast of the peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece took place on the 29th April 1941.  It pitted the 2nd New Zealand and British units against elements of the German 5th panzer division and some SS units.  It was fought as a delaying action to assist the evacuation of over 58,000 imperial and commonwealth personnel from greece by royal navy and other allied ships.  The action at Kalamata marked the end of the larger battle of greece

https://wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/battles/battle.php?pid=5004

https://ww2greekveterans.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/3-GREEK-CAMPAIGN-Jack-Dean-updated.pdf

Stalag XVIII-A was a World War II German Army (Wehrmacht) prisoner-of-war camp located to the south of the town of Wolfsberg, in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia, then a part of Nazi Germany. A sub-camp Stalag XVIII-A/Z was later opened in Spittal an der Drau about 100 km (62 mi) to the west.

The camp, first designated Oflag XVIII-B, was opened at the site of a former parade ground on 19 October 1939, after the German invasion of Poland. The first inmates were Polish officers, from Spring 1940 also Belgian and French officers captured in the Battle of France.[1] Wolfsberg remained a sub-camp of Stalag XVII-A Kaisersteinbruch, until in March 1941 the officers were transferred to other camps and the camp was redesignated a Stalag of the military district XVIII, with French and Belgian prisoners being transferred in from Stalag XVII-A. The first British and Commonwealth prisoners arrived in July 1941 from a transit camp in Thessaloniki, Greece, having been captured during the battles of Greece and Crete. The first Soviet prisoners arrived in October 1941, and were housed in a separate enclosure.

In December a typhus epidemic broke out, and the entire camp was quarantined until March 1942. Many prisoners died, mainly Russians, as their living conditions and rations were substantially inferior to the other prisoners.[2] In June 1942, to ease overcrowding, three new barracks were built, and 400 British NCOs were transferred to Stalag XVIII-B at Spittal. In January 1943 the camp at Spittal became a Zweiglager (sub-camp) of Wolfsberg, and was redesignated as Stalag XVIII-A/Z. In March 1943 a Lazarett ("Camp Hospital") was built there.[2]

In November 1943, after the Italian armistice, Italian and Commonwealth prisoners arrived from Italy. Two hundred NCOs were transferred to Stalag XVIII-C at Markt-Pongau in June 1944. That month there were a total of 38,831 prisoners registered at the camp. Of these 10,667 were British and Commonwealth troops, of which only 825 were in the main camp, while the rest were attached to various Arbeitskommandos ("Labour Units").[2] In August 1944, according to a Red Cross report, there were 313 Arbeitskommandos attached to Stalag XVIII-A, which were split fairly equally between Landwirtschaft (agriculture or forestry) and Gewerbliche Wirtschaft (trade and industry).[3] There were several attempts to escape, primarily from the Arbeitskommandos.

On 18 December 1944 the camp was bombed by U.S. aircraft. Forty-six prisoners and several guards were killed. Both the British and French camp hospitals were hit, with the British hut being almost completely destroyed.[2] On the approach of Allied forces in April 1945 all fit prisoners from the camps and neighbouring labour units were marched east to Stalag XVIII-C.[2]

Officially, the camp was liberated by elements of the British 8th Army on 11 May 1945. In fact the prisoners had been in control of the camp since the 8th, the day of the German surrender. That day the Kommandant, Hauptmann Steiner, had handed over control of the camp to the Senior British Medical Officer and the "Men of Confidence". French and British prisoners disarmed their guards and took control of the camp armoury, and the local Post Office, Railway Station and Police Station. Over the next few weeks the prisoners were transported via Klagenfurt to transit camps in Bari and Naples, from where they were eventually repatriated. By the middle of June only Russian prisoners remained, these were eventually exchanged for British and American PoWs in Russian hands, near Graz. The camp then served as a British detention centre for ex-Nazis, before finally closing in mid-1947

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_XVIII-A

He earned the  Africa Star which was a British World War II campaign medal awarded for service in North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943.1 It was instituted to recognize the service of British and Commonwealth forces during the North African Campaign.  It was awarded for a minimum of one day's service in designated operational areas. These areas included North Africa (from the Suez Canal to the Strait of Gibraltar), Malta, Abyssinia (Ethiopia), Kenya, Sudan, and the Somalilands and Eritrea.  The qualifying period spanned from 10 June 1940 (Italy's entry into the war) to 12 May 1943 (the end of the North African campaign).  It's a six-pointed star with the Royal Cypher "GRI VI" in the center, surrounded by the inscription "THE AFRICA STAR.  The ribbon has a light buff (sand) color with central red, dark blue, and light blue stripes, symbolizing the desert, the Army, the Navy, and the Royal Air Force, respectively.6There were three clasps awarded for specific service within the campaign: 1st Army 8th Army, North Africa 1942–43.  Only one clasp could be worn on the ribbon, even if a person qualified for more than one.

The Africa Star is a significant symbol of the hard-fought campaigns that took place in North Africa during World War II.

Frederick George Spencelayh was a member of XV(B) Squadron and Bomber Command. 

No. XV (B) Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron that played a significant role in both World Wars and the Cold War. Bomber Command was a major RAF command during World War II, responsible for strategic bombing.  It employed large numbers of aircraft like the Lancaster, Halifax, and Stirling.  It was controversial due to the high civilian casualties caused by its bombing raids. It played a significant role in the Allied victory in Europe.

Frederick was killed in action in Siemolten, Germany during a raid on Emden on 1 June 1942

The raid on Emden on June 1, 1942, was a significant event in World War II. The primary target of the raid was the German city of Emden, a major port and shipbuilding center.  Siemolten's Role: While the exact details of Siemolten's involvement are likely limited due to the nature of wartime records, it's possible that:  Civilian Impact: Siemolten, being a nearby town, would have likely experienced the effects of the bombing. This could include:  shock Waves: The explosions from bombs dropped on Emden would have been felt in Siemolten.  Debris from the bombing, such as shrapnel or falling masonry, could have reached Siemolten.  The air raid sirens in Siemolten would have sounded, alerting residents to the imminent danger.  If Siemolten had any military installations or personnel, they would have been on alert and potentially involved in the defense against the Allied bombers.  The raid on Emden was a significant event in the strategic bombing campaign of World War II. It aimed to disrupt German war production and weaken the country's economy

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It's been a privilege to share the stories of my family's heroes and their experiences during World War 2. I hope you've found them as compelling as I do.