Saturday 25 April 2015

Tattersall, Harry - Driver

(No soldier photo available)
573 Army Field Company,
Royal Engineers
Died 13 March 1945
Age 29

German and Italian troops commanded by General Erwin Rommel counter-attacked British and Allied forces in North Africa on 21 January 1942. They reached the port of Benghazi on 29 January and advanced to within 50 miles of Tobruk. The Allies were pushed back 350 miles in two weeks. Driver Harry Tattersall was one of many captured by Italian troops at Benghazi. In September 1943 he was transferred, with others, to a German prisoner of war camp, Stalag IVB, near Leipzig. Harry died of dysentery and malnutrition only a month before the camp was liberated.

Harry was the husband of Ethel Tattersall. He was aged 29. He attended St.Peter's Church, Laneside, but after his marriage he worshipped at St.Stephen's Church, Grane.

Harry's name is on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt. The Memorial is within Alamein War Cemetery and names 12,547 men who lost their lives in the area and have no known grave. His name is on Panel 52. Harry's name is inscribed because he was reported missing in that theatre of war. His actual burial place in a village cemetery in Germany was never found.