Researchers solve 85-year-old mystery of unknown soldier from WWII

By Charlie Fenton

A World War II soldier has finally been laid to rest in a marked grave following amazing detective work by two researchers.

Trooper (Tpr) Fred Tingle was killed in action at age 20 on May 19, 1940, while serving in World War II with the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guard in Sint-Antelinks in Flanders, Belgium.

His body was initially buried in the small town by locals but after the war ended in 1945, his body was recovered by the British army in 1946.

Though officials buried him at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's (CWGC) Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium, as an "unknown soldier" after they were not able to reconcile all of his records.

But now more than eight decades later, research by two Belgian nationals — Dirk Van Melkebeke and Willy Roggeman — discovered key information leading to Tingle, who was born in Castleford, West Yorkshire in 1920, being identified.

They found key documents which proved that the location from which the unknown soldier had been recovered from was identical to the original burial location of a soldier who had been carrying a disc marked, 321740 F Tingle, 5th D.G.

Further research revealed more details of the unknown soldier including a physical description, and information about letters and papers he was carrying which bore addresses in the West Yorkshire area.

On March 25, the Ministry of Defence's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) organized a rededication service for Tingle at the cemetery where he is buried.

Fred had a twin sister called Fern, and on Tuesday her great-granddaughter, Linda Robshaw, who lives in California, said she is "so happy" to finally know where Fred is adding she knows her grandmother would have been "relieved" after hearing the news.

JCCC Caseworker, Alexia Clark, said: "I am grateful to the two researchers who put such a lot of effort into searching in local archives for the evidence to identify Tpr Tingle, and who ultimately submitted this case.

"Their work has led us to recognize the final resting place of Tpr Tingle, to restore his name to him and to allow his family to honor his sacrifice.

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"It has been a privilege for me to have contributed to this case and to have organized the service for the rededication of this grave today."

The service was supported by serving soldiers from the Royal Dragoon Guards.

The headstone was replaced by CWGC.

Director of the Commemorations at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Richard Hills said:

"We are honored to have been involved in the rededication of the grave of a previously unknown soldier of the Second World War, Trooper Fred Tingle.

"Decades after he was laid to rest as an unknown British soldier, his newly engraved named headstone ensures he is appropriately commemorated today, and for generations to come."

Fred was a soldier with the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, which had operated since just before the outbreak of war as part of the newly formed Royal Armoured Corps.

The Regiment was part of the British Expeditionary Force which was deployed to mainland Europe in a reconnaissance role shortly after the war broke out.

When the Germans launched their invasion of the Low Countries — Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg — on May 10, 1940, they forced a retreat of the British forces.

And the 5th fought a fierce rearguard action as they made their way back towards Dunkirk — which they reached on May 29, 1940.

Tragically, Fred was killed during the retreat.