Where are relatives for Sgt Wall?

[Oggie2620]

Council seeks relatives of Second World War airman (from Press Assn)
(UKPA) – 1 day ago

Archivists at the south London borough of Sutton are launching an appeal to trace the relatives of a Second World War serviceman whose aircraft was shot down in Germany ahead of the unveiling of a memorial to remember the lost crew.

RAF Flight Sergeant Frederick Albert Wall died alongside six other crew when his Lancaster Bomber was shot down on March 6, 1945 while attacking an oil plant at Salzbergen.

Those killed were temporarily buried at the crash site before being moved to the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery near Kleve. Authorities in Germany are preparing to unveil a memorial at the crash site this Saturday (November 13) and would like his relatives to attend the ceremony.

Records at Sutton Council show that Sergeant Wall's parents were Albert and Kate Wall of Carshalton, south-west London. However, there are few clues as to where his living relatives might be.

Ruth Dombey, deputy leader of Sutton Council, said: "Sergeant Wall was one of the many brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the war effort. Seeking out his relatives and informing them of this memorial is a fitting way to remember this war hero. I would appeal to anyone who has any information that they think might be useful to come forward and tell us."

Gunther Gratzki, who is organising the memorial service, added: "These men were only doing their duty and I think it is important that we honour them so that others remember their sacrifice."

The council's heritage staff have identified that Sergeant Wall, who was aged 29 when he died, was a member of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit 514 Squadron. The plane in which the crew died was an Avro Lancaster Mk III which took off from Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire.

Newspaper reports document 119 Lancasters of No 3 Group, accompanied by RAF Mustangs and Spitfires, attacked the Wintershall oil refinery north-west of Munster in broad daylight, with volumes of thick black smoke seen rising above the clouds.

Sergeant Wall's was the only one of the Lancasters to be lost. His service number was 1800217 and he is buried in grave 13.E.7 at the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth cemetery in Germany.

Anyone with information on Sergeant Wall or his relatives, should contact Kath Shawcross, Sutton Council's borough archivist on 020 8770 4745 020 8770 4745 or email kath.shawcross@sutton.gov.uk.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

[aestorm]

Dee
I wonder if Sutton council have put a notice in the local newspaper such as Sutton Guardian or tried the 7 Walls living in the Carshalton area in the bt.com directory ?

From my experience some crew relatives can be found still living in the same hometown.

Anne

[mike]

Anne,

I agree with you that a notice in the local newspaper could be succesful.I did find relatives via a notice in a local newspaper several times.And if there are no relatives living anymore often an (older) resident could lead you to a relative.
Let's hope that there will be also relatives of Sgt.Wall at the ceremony.

Mike

[alclark]

Well, it took a while but I eventually found his parent's marriage.

Albert Wall & Kate Richards, Southwark, September Quarter 1921.

I have not found a birth for a Frederick Albert Wall but I have found an Albert F Wall, mother's maiden name Richards in Lambeth in March 1922. I know that the age the CWGC have suggests 1916.

There were two other births in Southwark whose mother's maiden name was Richards in 1924 and 1927 so he may have had two brothers, Henry and Arthur. Neither appear on CWGC or AFM so if they were in service it looks as though they lived through it.

[Lisawall]

I am the niece of the below, my father was Henry Wall his brother, my father sadly passed away a few years ago. I have photos and info on Albert Wall. I would love to have gone to the memorial service to commemorate his service. What a shame.

Well, it took a while but I eventually found his parent's marriage.
Albert Wall & Kate Richards, Southwark, September Quarter 1921.

I have not found a birth for a Frederick Albert Wall but I have found an Albert F Wall, mother's maiden name Richards in Lambeth in March 1922. I know that the age the CWGC have suggests 1916.

There were two other births in Southwark whose mother's maiden name was Richards in 1924 and 1927 so he may have had two brothers, Henry and Arthur. Neither appear on CWGC or AFM so if they were in service it looks as though they lived through it.

[Steve Brew]

Hi Lisa

Did your father perhaps have a cousin by the name of Peter, who was born in nearby Croydon in May 1921, died 2003, and served as a fighter pilot in the RAFVR during WWII?

Regards
Steve

[Lisawall]

Hello, he could well have, however I'm just trying to piece the family together.

[Garywall]

I am the nephew of Frederick Albert Wall, my father was Arthur, his brother. Ive struggled to locate him as my dad and grandparents only called him Albert, i never knew him as Frederick

[Garywall]

Following on from my last post, some information about the family that may be of interest to Lisa. Albert had two brothers, Arthur, my dad, and my uncle who i knew as Harry, though i see Lisa says his real name was Harry. I had a brother called Tony, who sadly passed in 2010. We both spent a lot of our childhood at my grandparents house at i think was number 20 Tweedale Rd, Carshalton. A photo of Albert sat proudly on the small dining room table by the front window. My grandparents never really got over the loss of their son.
We both visited our uncle Harry and auntie Shelia many times, i remember the house number was 142, and was in Crawley, we looked forward to going there, it was such a lovely house. At the time i remember only two cousins, i think, Linda and Karen, though i have a picture of my mum, Jean, with auntie Shelia and either Karen or Linda and they are holding a small baby, who i presume is Lisa. If i am correct, there must be a large age gap between Lisa and her sisters. I also remember they had a dog, Airedale Terrier i think, who would chase the car to go for a walk.
I now care for my mum and live in Banstead Surrey. I hope this information is of some interest to someone, especially Lisa, though i don't know if you will ever see this post.
Now i know Albert is buried at the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Germany, i plan visit to pay my respects. I still find it hard to believe the bravery of these young men who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Gone but never forgotten.

[Lyffe]

Good-day Gary, and welcome to the forum. It is always interesting when very old threads receive a boost many years after the last post.

I'm afraid Lisa has not visited the forum since Jan 2012 and, like you, she has not listed an email address in the drop-down menu associated her her name (just put the pointer over it). However, you will see she will accept a private message, so that is the best way to contact her especially as you are related. As you do not appear to have provided that option you really need to do so so as to be able to contact her directly.

Should you have a problem setting it up come back to the forum and I will advise her of your interest/relationship.

Brian