The story of Richard William & Thomas George Curtis is one of the saddest stories I have researched from WW2. They died within 3 days of each other in WW2. Please click on the link to read Richard William’s story.
Thomas George’s family story is the same as Richard William’s, except that he was born circa 1915, 1 year before Richard William (Flintshire (Mold) HAW/19A/79).
Is seems that both Richard William and Thomas George were Career Soldiers, as the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Enlistment book shows that Thomas George was to enlist on the 27th April 1936 , Territorial (5th) for 4 years , his birthday is given on this as the 12th July 1915. He then re-enlisted in the Regular Army (RWF) on the 19th January 1938. Particulars of Discharges and Transfers – 17th January 1938 – Discharged ‘Joined Regular Army’ R.W.F. 204-15 TA Rgs. MISSING 25/30th May 1940 Died 27th May 1940.
Again, with the help of the WW2talk Forum, for whom I will be forever grateful, I will attempt to show a little light on Thomas George’s fate. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/2-curtis-brothers-died-within-3-days-of-each-other.73770/
On Casualty List 237 (Page 23) Missing (Cont.) – Among the 1st Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers was 4191987 CURTIS, Fus. T.G. – All were listed as – “Date not reported.”
Casualty List 293 (Page 31) CORRECTIONS. – Date of Casualty should read 25/30 May1940 – 4191987 CURTIS, Fus. T.G.
Casualty List – SECRET. No 988? Casualty List No. 988 (Soldiers and Auxiliaries) (Copy No. 88)
(This list contains all casualties reported to the War Office Casualty Section for the 48 hours ended 9 a.m. 23rd November 1942
Expeditionary Forces (a) France – Killed in Action – 1st Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers
4191987 CURTIS, (505) Fus. T.G. Date of Casualty – 27th May 1940
(Previously shown on Casualty List No. 237 (Corrected by List No. 293) as Missing, 25/30Th May 1940.)
Again, as with Richard William’s fate, the Army was still searching for them 2 years later.
Royal Welch Fusiliers – Second World War Extracted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Welch_Fusiliers
During the Second World War the regiment was awarded 27 battle honours. 1,200 men of the Royal Welch Fusiliers were killed in action or died of wounds.[47]
Regular Army
During the Second World War, the 1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers was a Regular Army unit and part of the 6th Infantry Brigade, assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division. It served in France in 1940 with the British Expeditionary Force.[48] The battalion fought in the short but fierce battles of France and Belgium and was forced to retreat and be evacuated during the Dunkirk evacuation.
THE MIRACLE OF DUNKIRK -Taken from https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/barometer/features/the-miracle-of-dunkirk
Light winds and little ships help to evacuate the British Expeditionary Force during the Second World War. One of the best-known events of the Second World War is the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force between 26 May and 4 June 1940. As German troops closed in, 338,226 British and allied troops, including those of the French army, were extracted from the piers and beaches of Dunkirk under heavy aerial bombardment from the German Luftwaffe.
However, it seems that there was a Massacre by the German S.S., in the days that the 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers, as well as the Norfolk Regiment and the Durham Light Infantry were in St. Venant, as they were part of the 6th Brigade and the Royal Welsh were told to hold Robecq, Saint Floris and Saint Venant.
Of course we do not know if Thomas was a part of this terrible massacre and he could very well have been killed in Action or died of wounds, before this, but the full story was only later found out.
Taken from http://www.webmatters.net/txtpat/index.php?id=272 which now seems to have disappeared. I apologise.
“Of the 700 members of the RWF who arrived at St Venant to defend the village only about 80 managed to reach the beachhead at Dunkerque where they were evacuated on the 31st May.
Not far away at Le Paradis the SS Germania massacred 97 members of the Norfolk Regiment and there is a certain amount of evidence that some of those who surrendered at St Venant were also summarily executed.”
And http://www.webmatters.net/txtpat/index.php?id=270
http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/st-venant-war-crime-against-dli-during-may-1940.19264/page-3 St. Venant War Crime against DLI during May 1940
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=226729 Atrocity by German Regiment at St. Venant in May 1940
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-61444787 – World War Two soldier massacre anniversary marked
Thomas George and his brother Richard were both well loved and their names were put forward by their large family to be remembered for perpetuity.
Paul Ross contacted me on the 26th of October 2023.
Hi Mavis. My name is Paul Ross. I reside in Canada. I have just been visiting family in North Wales. My great auntie Kath was Richard’s wife. I am not sure if you know this but she had a son (Anthony) born 2 weeks before his death. I read the detailed description of Richard and his brother online. When I was on vacation I visited Tony and passed on the details. He was very happy to read the documentation as he had not seen most of it before. Thank you for the research that you have done. Many thanks to Paul.
Contacted on the 29th of October 2024, by Eric Williams who is the grandson of Mary Alice Curtis who was Thomas and Richards sister.
He sent me photographs of both brothers. Many thanks to Eric.