[zorgon]

On behalf of a friend, I am trying to discover some history on a WWII relative of his, a Pte James Neville (6914260). It sounds like he had a very interesting military career but all I have to go on is a half-page of notes he wrote shortly before he died on 24th June, 1989. What we are particularly interested in is his time as a POW after Dieppe and can find nothing on that. All I have is his National POW Ass’n card (attached).

To summarize his WWII events:
• July 1939 basic training at Winchester Hants with Rifle Brigade
• Sep 39, posted to Bovington Hants for Tank training
• Nov 39, drafted to Cairo Egypt with 2nd tank Bde.
• Mar-Apr 40 Norway with 1 Troop Tanks
• Transferred to Special Service (SSB) May 1940 and assigned to the group to assist extricating the Dutch Royal Family
• Provided cover for Dunkirk while based at Calais
• 1941 involved in raids along the French Coast, Channel Islands
• 1942, Dieppe with Lord Lovat’s 4th Commando. , taken prisoner

So it is from here I would like to fill in the blanks although it would be very interesting to uncover any of the specific actions he was involved in during his time with the SSB. I don’t know how to research that. Of course, I can’t vouch for how much of the above is accurate.

After the war he moved to Canada where he joined the RCE on draft for Korea with the 25th Brig but ended up going to Germany with the 27th for the years 1951-53.

Would his nephew be able to access his WWII records?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions, clues or information readers might be able to provide.