Serjeant John Edward Purling Norfolk, 1st Royal Norfolks, June 1944

There is a standard Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone in the churchyard of St Ethelbert, Thurton.

5777527 Serjeant
J.E. PURLING
The Royal Norfolk Regiment
11th June 1944 Age 27

A son, brother, husband
Father and Man dearly loved.
Faithful unto death

Serjeant PURLING, JOHN EDWARD
Service Number:……….. 5777527
Died:…………………… 11/06/1944
Aged:………………….. 27
Unit:…………………….1st Bn.
………………………….Royal Norfolk Regiment
Son of William E. B. Purling and Mabel G. F. Purling, of Thurton; husband of Emma Purling, of Swafield.
Buried:……………………….Thurton (St.Ethelbert) Churchyard, Norfolk.
CWGC: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2764511/purling,-john...

The Army Roll of Honour 1939-1945 records that Serjeant 5777527 John E. Purling died on the 11th June 1944 whilst serving on the Home Front with the Royal Norfolk Regiment. He was born and resident Norwich.

Birth and family…………….

The birth of a John E. Purling was registered in the Loddon District of Norfolk in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1915.His mothers maiden name was Carver.

The most likely marriage of his parents occurred in the Norwich District when a William E. B Purling married a Mabel G. Carver in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1911.

On the 1911 Census of England & Wales there are two visitors staying in the household of a John & Eliza Purling at 63 Cozens Road, Norwich. The two visitors state they are married and both have been married under a year, so there must be a very strong likelihood that it’s to each other.

They were the 20 year old William Purling, a Railway Clerk, born Norwich, and the 27 year old Grace Purling, born Yelverton, Norfolk.

Until September 1911 the quarterly index published by the General Registrars Office did not show information about the mothers’ maiden name. A check of the General Registrars Office Index of Birth for England and Wales 1911 – 1983 shows potentially 6 other children of William & Grace, all with the mothers’ maiden name shown as Carver.

Norwich District.

Grace L.C. Purling….Q1 1912
William C. Purling….Q2 1913

Loddon District.

Eliza E. Purling……..Q4 1917
Mary R. Purling…….Q4 1917 (Probably twins)
Ruth M. Purling…….Q4 1921
Rosemary E. Purling..Q3 1924

Marriage and children……………………

The marriage of a John E. Purling to an Emma K. Wilson was recorded in the Loddon District in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1935.

A check of the quarterly index of births in England and Wales reveals potentially three children of John and Emma, all registered with the mothers’ maiden name shown as Wilson.

Loddon District

Gwendoline R. Purling………Q4 1935
Audrey Y Purling…………….Q3 1937

Norwich Outer District

Michael W J Purling………….Q2 1940

1939 National Register…………………..

The 1939 National Register was a mini-census which was used to do a stocktake of the nations’ skills, (with the view to making best use of the available resources in the event of war) and as the basis for the issue of ID cards and ration books. After the war it was used as a register for the National Health Service and continued to be used until the system was computerised in the early nineties. Known deaths and change of name were manually captured. It was this part of the register that entered the public domain via a Freedom of Information request. However entries where the person were still believed to be alive at the time the manual system was closed down and if they were less than a 100 years old were officially closed. Layout also leaves much to be desired, with location restricted to the relevant Urban or Rural District Council rather than village, town or city. It also doesn’t set out relationships, so these need to be inferred.

Recorded living at “The Meadows”, which appears to be on or near Loddon Road in the Loddon Rural District Council area are what looks to be John and his wife. John E. Purling, born 15th September 1915, was a married Bricklayers Labourer. Emma K Purling, born 22nd September 1914 was married and carrying out unpaid domestic duties. Emma would subsequently change her name, although it’s not shown whether this is on marriage. Her later surnames were Culling and Gilbert. There are also three closed records at this address – given the birth details above I suspect two of those were Gwendoline and Audrey.

On the day…………………………………

The British Casualty List 1481 records that Serjeant 5777527 J.E. Purling was wounded while serving with the 1st Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment in North West Europe at a “D.N.R.” (Date not recorded). There is a handwritten note that he subsequently died of wounds. Casualty report 1494 confirms he died of wounds on the 11th June 1944.

The death of the 28 year old John Purling was recorded in the Gosport District of Hampshire in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1944.

There is no obvious Soldiers Will or Civil Probate for this man.

6th June 1944………..

The 1st Battalion of the Royal Norfolks formed part of the initial landings on D-Day. They were part of the 185th Brigade in the 3rd Infantry Division alongside the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and the King's Shropshire Light Infantry. The battalion landed on Red Queen Beach (on the left flank of Sword Beach) at 07:25.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Norfolk_Regiment

A personal narrative of an NCO from the 1st Battalion involved in the D Day landings can be read here.
www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/39/a2691939.shtml

Three large landing-craft of 185, the Intermediate Brigade were hit before disembarkation, and there were casualties between the beach and the Brigade Assembly Area north of Hermanville. The laden men struggled ashore in four feet of water, clinging to ropes run out to the beach by the Navy But by 11 o’clock the three infantry battalions were assembled inland and ready, and Brigade H.Q. was established in Hermanville. The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry were in the middle, with the Royal Norfolks on the left and the Royal Warwicks on the right. The K.S.L.I. were to mount the tanks of the Staffordshire Yeomanry, from 27 Armoured Brigade, and advance along the main axis to secure Caen as quickly as possible. The Norfolks on the left and Warwicks on the right were to mop up and secure objectives captured by the mobile column. But there was no sign of the Staffordshire Yeomanry, who were caught on the beach, which, so far from being cleared, was becoming more tightly congested as the tide came in. And in the Assembly Area the two most westerly companies of the Warwicks came under accurate machine-gun fire from German positions towards Lion and Cresserons. Lieutenant-Colonel H. O. S. Herdon, their Commander, prepared a plan for attacking these positions, subject to the approval of the Brigade Commander, Brigadier K.P. Smith, O.B.E.

The Brigadier was in an unhappy dilemma: whether to launch the assault on foot or wait for the tanks. The General's order was that "this advance will be carried out with speed and boldness so that the enemy's local reserves can be overcome quickly and the Brigade established on its objective ready to meet counterattacks by reserve formations which may develop towards evening on D-day." The question was whether more speed might not be attained by waiting for the tanks than by committing the troops to an attack on foot. Available intelligence was that on the left the East Yorks were still moving across the open marshy ground under observation and mortar-fire, in their advance on the enemy position Sole behind Riva Bella, that the Suffolks had cleared Colleville without much trouble, as the Commandos had just done some of the work on their way through to the bridges. But the Suffolks had still to attack Morris and Hillman, which stood right in the way of the Norfolk advance.

At midday Lieutenant-Colonel F. J. Maurice, commanding the K.S.L.I., reported to Brigadier Smith that only about one and a half squadrons of the Stafford Yeomanry were clear of the beaches, and that a large minefield apparently covered the right flank of Hermanville across the axis of advance originally planned for the tanks. They could not leave the road on account of the bog and were consequently nose to tail and all stationary whenever there was a hold-up ahead. Brigadier Smith therefore ordered the K.S.L.L to advance on foot along the main axis, Hermanville-Beuville-Caen, immediately, the Stafford Yeomanry to "marry-up" as soon as possible. The Norfolks were to wait in Colleville, to pass through the Suffolks as soon as Morris and Hillman were clear.

Lieutenant-Colonel N. P. H. Tapp, R.A., was at this "Order Group." He had been watching his regiment, the 7th Field Regiment, as, shortly after beaching, they roared past Hermanville cross-roads to deploy just to the south in the open fields, and just in front of the South Lancs, the southernmost infantry in the area. The infantry, feeling the strain and reaction from their first attacks on the beach positions, were surprised, relieved, and greatly cheered at this spectacle. In the Colonel's words: "I do not know if the Gunners knew they were the foremost troops at that time. They were probably better disposed to enjoy the honour in retrospect! I grew more and more cheerful as I counted the guns and vehicles going past, and by 12 o'clock was able to say to the Brigadier: 'The 7th Field Regiment is in action with all its assault vehicles and ready to support its affiliated tanks and infantry.'"
At 12.15 Brigadier Smith received intelligence of enemy tanks in front of Caen, of heavy enemy fire from Periers-sur-le-Dan, and of stiff enemy opposition to the Canadians on the right flank. He ordered the Warwicks to disengage the enemy in their original Assembly Area and occupy the area left by the Norfolks. The K.S.L.I. moved off up the Periers ridge. In them, they knew, was centred the whole hope of the Division: theirs was the central thrust of the assault, and aimed at Caen. They soon dealt with the machine-guns and mortars that opposed them on either side of the cross-roads just forward of the crest.

…..

The Reconnaissance Troop of the Stafford Yeomanry now reported that a squadron of about twenty-four German tanks was advancing north from Caen, moving very fast. The Yeomanry Colonel immediately asked for the release of A Squadron from Hillman, who arrived just in time to take up battle positions to the west of Bieville. He had left B Squadron on the Periers ridge to meet such a threat as this. There were also in position the 6-pounder anti-tank guns of the K.S.L.I. and the S-P Troop of 41 Anti-Tank Battery, R.A.

The German tanks came straight on and were engaged when they reached the western edge of the Port obstacle. There were about forty of them. Two were knocked out by the Yeomanry and two more by the K.S.L.I. 6-pounders. The remainder moved west over towards the thickly hedged fields round Le Landel, followed over to our right flank by two troops of A Squadron. As soon as they emerged, No. 1 Troop engaged and destroyed four, and No. 4 gun of the Self-Propelled Troop of 41 Battery knocked out two, though one of their own S-Ps was hit and a sergeant and gunner killed. Other enemy tanks swung still more to the west and made for the high ground above Periers, where B Squadron were waiting patiently. Three more German tanks were destroyed and the rest quickly withdrew. No more left the cover of the trees and hedges. They had lost thirteen Mark IV (Special) tanks in the encounter. In return they had hit one M.10 S-P Anti-Tank gun and two Shermans, none of which was put out of action, though there were nine fatal casualties.

Men who were wounded near-by were carried to the house in Bieville, where Mme. Barrett and her invalid daughter lived. The house was under heavy shellfire, but Mme. Barrett was utterly fearless and tireless in her efforts to tend our men, and, being a trained nurse, she undoubtedly saved the lives of the more serious casualties.

During the German counter-attack on the right, Major Steel's men had reached the northern outskirts of Lebisey. Here they were held up by machine-guns firing from the houses, and a party of about forty Germans was seen making its way round the right flank. Major Steel was killed by a machine-gun bullet; at this critical moment his Company lost "a man of more than normal intelligence and culture, a fine swimmer and athlete, a commander they greatly respected."

Meanwhile the Norfolks, who had been assembled near Colleville, saw that Hillman was an altogether more formidable obstacle than had been expected, and Lieutenant-Colonel R. H. Bellamy planned to slip his battalion past it to the left. They could not, however, go too far over to the left in case they became involved with the possible enemy-defended locality of St. Aubin d'Arquenay. Brigadier Smith arrived with the news that the K.S.L.I. had identified a unit of 21 Panzer Division in Bieville, and that the General's order was that the Norfolks would reach Rover before last light. Rover stood between Beuville and the Orne bridge, a wooded area on the top of a gentle rise, with the ground falling away more sharply beyond. There the Norfolks were firmly established by 7 p.m., though that thorn-in-the-side Hillman cost them about 150 casualties on the way. A single house stood on Rover, thereafter to be known as Norfolk House; one would never have mistaken it for the Norfolk House in the corner of St. James's Square where Eisenhower's early planning took place.

The evening was warm and there was sunshine to cheer things up; at about 9 p.m., while the Norfolks were preparing to withstand the impact of a probable enemy tank attack, the most heartening, splendid spectacle of that great day slowly came across the sky for all to see. Our men looked over their shoulders and gasped as their eyes brightened: for a minute the eyes of the Germans narrowed with fear. The gliders of the 6th Airlanding Brigade were towed on gracefully, majestically. At a certain point the big aircraft released them, turned, and flew back to England, disdainful of the flak the Germans were pelting up at them. It was a superb manifestation of power, precision and planning.

185brigade.myfreeforum.org/archive/185-brigade-june-6th-1...

There is a memorial at Blainville-sur-Orne commemorating its’ liberation by the 1st Royal Norfolks on the 7th June 1944.
www.normandywarguide.com/place/1st-battalion-royal-norfol...

The British 3rd division landing on Sword beach had advanced two thirds of the way to Caen on the 6th before being held up by the 21st panzers. The front line was practically static for 4 weeks.
www.quora.com/What-did-the-allies-do-on-June-7th-1944-the...

Given the narrowness of the beach-head, particularly on D-Day itself, and the need to get as much fighting materiel landed asap, there would have been limited medical facilities so most casualties would have been likely to be shipped back across the channel for treatment. I suspect that’s what happened to John rather than that he was “wounded” before he left these shores.

Taken in: United Kingdom / England / Thurton (show map)

Taken on: January 27, 2018

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Dulce et decorum est

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Church Graveyard

Thurton

Thurton St Ethelbert

Norfolk

England

Old Soldiers rest in peace

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John Purling

John Edward Purling

1st Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment

11/06/1944

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