Private Lacey Anthony Tingle and Little Bear

This year is the 80th anniversary of D-Day and Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group (LLLSVG) had the privilege of telling two stories of that day – very different from each other and yet not – at the Queen’s Park D-Day Beacon Lighting event.

 

The Story of Private Lacey Anthony Tingle

Killed in Action 06 06 44

Lacey Anthony Tingle was the son of a Methodist Minister, Robert Lacey Aubrey Tingle – known as Aubrey Tingle – and his wife Alice. He was born in February 1915 in Haringey, London. Lacey had a younger sister Margaret born in 1921 and a younger brother John A. Tingle. Lacey lived with his parents at 114 Manor Road, Loughborough and then later at 5 Lime Avenue.

Lacey Tingle. With permission from the Tingle family

Lacey's father Aubrey, came to Loughborough in 1939, as Superintendent at Leicester Road Methodist Church. From 1933 to 1936, Lacey had followed his father to Leeds University. According to the 1939 Register, Lacey was an elementary school teacher in Wigston, Leicester. He was still teaching when WWII began and enlisted in 1941 as a conscientious objector because of his Methodist upbringing. He went before a tribunal and was registered for noncombatant service. This group of men is now recognised as brave – being prepared to serve in the war but unarmed.

In 1941 Lacey was enlisted in the Bomb Disposal Unit and after training, he was based in London. In 1943 he was transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) as part of the 6th Airborne Division, 3rd Parachute Brigade.

On D-Day, as part of Operation Overlord, with the 6th Airborne Division (“The Red Devils”), he parachuted into Normandy on 6th June 1944 as part of Operation Tonga. Their mission was to secure the left flank of the Allied invasion. They were tasked with securing bridges and villages and with destroying the Merville Gun Battery. The 6th Airborne Division lost 850 men of the 8,500 men who were deployed between 5th and 7th June 1944.

With the other members of the 224th Parachute Field Ambulance, RAMC, Lacey’s assignment was to set up field hospitals at strategic points and to attend to the wounded. Due to bad weather and poor navigation many of the Airborne troops were scattered throughout the operational area. These major errors had a positive outcome at the time when the Germans became confused about where the British troops were actually landing.

The 224th Parachute Field Ambulance, RAMC had been converted to an Airborne unit in 1942 and assigned to the 3rd Parachute Brigade, part of the 6th Airborne Division. They first saw active service in 1944 as part of the invasion of Normandy and D-Day. The RAMC is protected under the Geneva Convention and as such bears arms for personal protection only. When on parade this is reflected when swords and bayonets may be worn but must remained sheathed.

On 6th June 1944, Lacey and his comrades in the 224th Para RAMC jumped from the planes that had brought them to Normandy. As they landed, they were split into many different areas and groups. Lacey was later reported as missing, presumed dead, on 6th June 1944 and is commemorated on the Bayeux Memorial. It has now been discovered that Private Tingle landed near the village of Douville-en-Auge. A group of British and Canadian Paratroopers were surrounded by the enemy and, at some point in the course of the ensuing battle, nine of the group lost their lives. Prior to being moved to Ranville War Cemetery after the war, these paratroopers were buried in the village by locals – Private Tingle was among these nine. The official date of his death is 06 06 44.

 

74 years later, Lacey’s sister Margaret was contacted by the Ministry of Defence who confirmed that he had been buried in a grave in France marked with a stone engraved Known unto God. This is now in the museum at Pegasus Bridge. Margaret was informed by the MoD's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) that his grave was identified by a local Frenchman, Ludovic Louis, who had been working on this project for 10 years.

On 7th June 2018, a special re-dedication service and ceremony took place at the cemetery when, watched by his sister Margaret, Lacey’s original headstone was replaced with one inscribed with his name.

The Story of the Little Bear

The little bear in the picture belonged to an American paratrooper who everyone knew as Tex. He was one of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the US 82nd Airborne Division. It was perhaps his childhood toy or a good luck mascot but was certainly something that he cherished. Mrs. Worden took in laundry from him and other American GIs who were far from home.

She was doing his laundry on 29th May, and when he failed to collect it, she walked across the fields to return his clean laundry. The bear had been at the bottom of his kit bag and Mrs. Worden had kept it there ready to be returned to Tex. When Mrs Worden reached the camp, it was deserted. The paratroopers had left for training and for D-Day in Normandy.

Mrs. Worden kept the kit bags and the little bear in case Tex and the other men ever returned. He never did and he was probably one of the 220 unfortunate men killed in action. The little bear became a favourite toy of Mrs. Worden’s children and now belongs to her granddaughter. He is much loved and cherished and serves as a reminder of a brave American Paratrooper.

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About Sharon

Sharon is a volunteer with the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group, where her skills and experience in genealogy are put to good use, helping visitors to unlock some of their family history. Along with other volunteers, Sharon also gets involved in – and indeed organises – other research activity into various aspects of Loughborough’s history, is involved with preparation and hosting of the varied displays in the local history part of the library, looks after the books for the group (financial books, that is!), and is often seen promoting the work of the group at various heritage events. Before becoming a volunteer, Sharon, along with her husband, ran a hosiery company in the town.

Last summer, for this blog's 10th anniversary, Sharon shared her research into people who lived in Paget Street in 1891people who lived in Paget Street in 1891. She has written up her research in full, and the book can be bought from the Local and Family history Centre in the Loughborough public library on Granby Street.

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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