Hi there Tim,
I can help you with one:
CATLEY, FRANCIS ALBERT Private 9/913 27/06/1916 23 Otago Regiment,
N.Z.E.F. New Zealand II. B. 8. CITE BONJEAN MILITARY CEMETERY, ARMENTIERES
- my great uncle. Interestingly his grandfather was German Prussian. I have
visited this cemetery which is in France (near Lille) very close to Belgium
border. The elderly locals couldn't have been more helpful directing us to
the cemetery. It was immaculate.
Of the other two NZers, Harry is not part of our branch, and I don't know
about Norman, but suspect he isn't either.
Jocelyn
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Cattley" <timjhcat(a)tiscali.co.uk
To:
<CATLEY-L(a)rootsweb.com
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 10:10
PM
Subject: [CATLEY] Cat(tl)eys killed in both World Wars
Hello all,
As a side issue, I intend to do some research into the circumstances
ralating to
all Cat(t)leys who appear on the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission sites
My tree shows three members killed in WW1 and one in WW2.
However I shall leave them til last as naturally I know a bit about them
and it is
the others that interest me at the moment.
Have started with Raymond Rex Catley who was an Able Seaman on H.M.A.S.
Sydney in
1941.
HMAS Sydney was a light Cruiser of the Perth Class which was a modified
Leander
Class Cruiser.
Both Leanders and Perths were built in the United Kingdom
Five Leander Class were built during 1933-35 and two of them were loaned
to the
Royal New Zealand Navy which operated them as HMNZN
"Leander" and HMNZN "Achilles" (Achilles was
involved in the Battle of the
River Plate along with HMS Ajax as sister ship) whilst
the three Perth Class
versions built 1935-36 went to the Australian Navy as:- MHAS' Hobart, Sydney
and Perth.
In November 1941 the German commerce raider "Kormoran" was at large in the
Indian Ocean sinking merchant ships at will looking like a
harmless merchant ship but mounting heavy calibre hidden guns. HMAS
Sydney found her on the 19th November 1941 when she was (as usual)
masquerading as an innocent neutral ship, this time for Sydneys benefit and
the end result was that Kormoran thus "beat Sydney to the draw" in a gun
battle which saw both vessels sunk.
I would be interested to know if any Listers have Raymond Rex confirmed
as a
member of their Tree?
Regards
Tim
.
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