TELL IT NOW!
For many issues the Norfolk Editor has urged Old Comrades
to write it down and complete an obituary form for the
inevitable day.
The ’Limited Edition’ Aug 2000 for West Essex,
published by Guardian Newspapers, carried a remarkable
story of a 3-year search by 70-year old Bob Sandwell
for details about how Leslie Harry
Frankland, a 17-year old lad from his Clapton
street, was killed in the Normandy invasion in 1944.
As it is never too late, Leslie’s obituary appeared on
p N27 - click
here to read it. |
LESLEY HARRY FRANKLAND
Bob Sandwell,
who served with the Devons in Malaya, exemplifies
remarkable persistence and research.
‘Whatever suddenly started me thinking of the lad from
the road I used to live in who was killed in the Normandy
invasion in 1944?
I am now 70 and was only a 14 year old kid, just left
school when it happened. It had a devastating effect on
the family of course. His mother died shortly afterwards
as the shock of his passing took a great toll on her. His
only sister had also died shortly after in her teens.
As young kids we admired this lad and to us he was our
hero soldier. He was the original Jack the lad and his
bearing was that of a serviceman who could not wait for
the battle to commence. There was an air of cocksure about
him and this made us very proud of him, looking forwards
to seeing him on his infrequent home leave from duty.
I spent a long time pondering over these thoughts and
gradually it seemed to me that I was being guided by some
outside influence to find out more of the details after
over 50 years. Where could one start the search?.
My first thoughts was to ask a friend to look at the war
memorial at the top of Kings Head Hill which he passed
this daily. But it was here that the many intervening
years had played tricks with my memory or it could have
been the bad diction of my neighbours in Manor Farm Drive,
Chingford. The name I was searching for was L Franklyn or
one of the various spellings of this surname. I was very
disappointed when told there was not an inscription that
corresponded.
I then decided that my next move would be to contact the
War Graves Commission. They did a thorough search but drew
a blank on a name match for an army soldier killed about
D-Day or soon after. All I had was a name, no unit, no
rank, or number and they did not think I had much of a
chance in finding what I was seeking. I then approached
the death registrar but again no match was found.
After much deep deliberation and mainly out of
frustration, I once again contacted the War Graves
Commission. Now you all know that when you seek
information from a large organisation and the facts
available for them to work with are pretty scarce, you don’t
expect to get the results you are looking for.
It was then that I had a stroke of luck. I happened to
call at an opportune moment and was connected to a person
who could not be more helpful but again nothing was found.
By chance it was mentioned that the War Office had sent
out 324 telegrams during the war to the residents of
Chingford E4, informing them of bad news and they would
search them for me. Needless to say no Franklyn was found
but they did have an LH Frankland. When I was given the
parents’ Christian names as Elizabeth and John I knew I
had found my missing soldier.
14408104 Pte Leslie Harry Frankland 1 Royal Norfolk killed
on 9 Jul 1944 aged 19 years and buried at Ryes War
Cemetery Bazenville, Calvados, France.
Armed with the above facts I approached the Royal Norfolk
Regiment museum in Norwich for by now I just had to know
all that I could.
They had no real information but they did send me two
pages from the war diary of this period. In it I learnt
that the Regiment had fought a battle on 8 Jul 1944 for
Lebisey Wood, near Caen, and took heavy casualties in the
action.
On ITV channel 4 Teletext they
broadcast a free service for servicemen to contact lost
friends and colleagues called Service Pals page 172. I
asked them to run an advert for me, giving my telephone
number.
Within hours of this appearing the calls commenced. I had
found in the past that veterans would be a bit reticent
about talking about their battles, but I had not reckoned
on intervening years focusing their minds, and for them it’s
now time for all to be told and hopefully the lessons
learnt. They all wanted to give me the details that had
been shut away for all these long years
I heard from an 83 year old CSM A Coy Royal Norfolk
Regiment, the Royal Engineer who was awarded the MM in the
action and the Rifle Brigade veteran who had left a leg
behind (his words). While many more contributed small
details they had not personally known my soldier.
On day 8 a letter arrived from Fred Howell, a veteran who
had known my soldier personally, had grown up alongside
him and served with him from call-up until he was struck
down. The sender lived quite close to me and could let me
see photographs of my soldier and his grave. He had gone
to an awful lot of trouble to obtain my address from
Teletext as my phone seemed to have been out of action for
a time. I shall be eternally grateful that he did not just
give up.
We met at the RBL in Loughton. Leslie Frankland and Fred
Howell were brought up at Clapton E5 (indeed as I was
myself). In 1942 along with ten other mates aged 17, they
all volunteered for the army, and received their call-up
papers two months later. They were posted to join the
Essex Regiment at Warley Barracks Brentwood, Essex, for
basic training. They were posted to Northern Ireland to
serve with the Royal Berkshire Regt and after a few months
4 of them were then transferred to the Royal Norfolk
Regiment in Northumberland. By now they were receiving
intensive training for the expected opening of the second
front.
When the chosen date arrived their port of embarkation was
Newhaven and they had a rough sea crossing of the Channel.
They landed at Sword Beach early on the morning of 6 Jun
1944, D-Day. (see B&C 93 Dec 99, p8). They had been
given bicycles but had to abandon them quickly. The
fighting was hard and they met with fierce resistance from
the defending force. Soon it was dig in, hold, and the
battle of the hedgerows had commenced.
Many patrols were sent out to recce the enemy positions as
a plan was being formed for the second attack on Caen. 185
Inf Bde had been expected to capture this objective within
days of landing but the terrain was exceedingly difficult
to take and was fought yard by yard against heavy
resistance from the defenders 12 SS and 21 Panzer. Lebisey
Wood was a key feature dominating the defences of Caen and
had to be seized before the town could be taken.
The second attack was set for 0400hrs on 8 Jul, on the day
before the RAF carried out a very extensive heavy bombing
raid on Caen and surrounding areas. The battle commenced
on time and was preceded by heavy shelling from both
land-based artillery and from the battleship Warspite and
cruiser Black Prince off-shore. The fighting that day was
fierce and swift. Lebisey Wood was taken by 1000hrs on the
same day. Some of the units had advanced too far and had
to be recalled. Caen was taken the following day by
Canadian Infantry.
The Royal Norfolk Regiment had taken heavy losses on 8 Jul
with 25 killed and 84 wounded and in the consolidation on
9 Jul a further 2 were killed and 18 wounded. Leslie Harry
Frankland had been mortally wounded by a massive head
wound on the 8th and had died on 9 July 1944 aged 19
years. My Soldier was laid to rest.
His grave is visited by surviving veterans of the Royal
Norfolk Regiment on the D-Day anniversary each year where
they lay a wreath.
My search took me the best part of 3 years. But now I feel
greatly privileged to have spoken to all the brave
veterans who contacted me.
The words of one of them sums up their feelings better
than any words of mine: 'I go back every year in October
when there are no crowds. I can’t go in June or July as
I would be in tears all the time.'
I would urge war veterans, many of whom have many stories
to tell, to commit them to paper before it is too late.'
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