Roberts Henry Wallace Wriglesworth
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Son of Walter Henry and Beatrice Louisa Wriglesworth, Sculcotes Kingston-upon-Hull.
Walter died in early 1939.
Siblings: Lydia (1909), Thomas (1910), Lilian (1913), Beatrice Edith (1920) Dorothy (1922) and William in 1924. All the children were born and lived in Kingston-upon-Hull except Beatrice Edith who in 1939 was living with her widowed mother at 53 De Grey Street, Hull but in 1940 she married Ernest Jackson in Mansfield. This is the only connection to Mansfield that has been located.
WW2talk.com
2nd Bn Coldstream Guards War Diary.
11th May: based at Fme d'Aigremont and Pont a Marcq. Ordered to movee to Vert Marais.
12th May: after a march of 21 miles they reached Vert Marais at 08:00 hrs. May 12th was a lovely day and nothing could have been more peaceful than this countryside in which we find ourselves. Motor Transport to take bn to Brussels due to arrive at 23:00 hrs, but due to the refugees on the road the column was broken up and largely scattered, it arrived between midnight and dawn the next day.
May 13th: crossed Brussles on foot, hampered by the refugees. Reached Duisberg 12 miles east of Brussels at 18:00 hrs. Billetted at Leefdaal.
14th May: One German plane bombed Leefdaal and hit No3 Coy cookhouse, killimg CQMS Fenwick and one cook, Guardsman Seymour. the cooker was completely destroyed. Food from abandoned houses and shops was collected and abandoned cows milked. Sgt Robinson was appointed head cowmman and at times was dealing with 60 animals.
15th May: 1st bn engaged in heavy fighting with the Germans at Louvain.
16th May:Major Stewart-Brown second in command and company representatives to recce the Zuen sector of the canal 5miles south west of Brussels at 18:00 hrs.
Bn left Leefdaal for Zuen at 23:00hrs.
17th May: Bn moved upto Zuen a march of 17 miles and took up positions on the banks of the Charleroi Canal, to blow the bridges . After dark orders for a further withdrawl was received from Brigade and we started to abandon the position at midnight.
18th may: By 09:00 hrs the bn had covered a further 20 miles to the line of the River Dendre at Ninove. Bn to hold a frontage of 2000 yards west of the town, with the Hampshires on the right and the Grenadiers on the left.
This day the order came for a daylight withdrawl to begin at 09:00 the next morning.
19th May: After a peaceful night the withdrawl began with No1 coy acting has rearguard. No 1 Coy were in contact with the enemy at LOCH. The roads were slightly shelled as our mach began, one shell killed a signaller.
All units of the Guards Division had to walk on the right side of the road, while the Infantry Division used the left and various transport used the centre; all going in the same direction. Thus for mile after mile this road, like many others, presented the enemy airforce an unbroken stream of marching men and transport.
The 2nd Battalion carried on with its retreat to Dunkirk.
Robert was the only member of the Coldstream Guards killed that day and the only burial in Voorde Cemetery, so he was probably the signaller killed as the battalion left Ninove.
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