It’s a question that remained a mystery for decades: who exactly was the “unknown soldier” buried in an unmarked grave in Belgium?
Cemeteries everywhere are full of unidentified service members killed in war.
They symbolize the ultimate sacrifice and the many fallen without a known grave.
But the mystery of one such brave Briton who died at the hands of the German Army in a tiny Flemish village during WW2 and whose remains lie in a Belgian cemetery has finally been unravelled…. thanks to the painstaking work and research of a couple of determined Belgian “sleuths.”
Thanks to Belgians Dirk Van Melkebeke and Willy Roggeman his full identity was established, along with is final resting place. Both know each other but worked independently and came in contact because Dirk was working on a book.
They found that a simple administrative error on paperwork after his death was why the full story of what became of Yorkshireman Fred never came to light.
In belated honour of Trooper Tingle’s sacrifice, a formal rededication ceremony will be held at Heverlee War Cemetery in Flanders on 25 March.
The service will be led by Padre David Jeal, current chaplain to the Royal Dragoon Guards, and there will also be a representative of that regiment present as well as a bugler and a piper. Other invitees are an alderwoman from Leuven, a representative of the Belgian Defence Forces, a representative of the Royal British Legion in Brussels, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)….. and Dirk and Henk.
This website spoke to both Belgian men, along with a great niece of Trooper Tingle, now living in California, in an effort to piece together the slightly complex story of this “unknown soldier.”
Fred was born in Castleford, Yorkshire in 1920 – a twin brother to Fern, and one of 11 children born to William Tingle, a coal miner. His mother was Annie Hepples, William’s second wife.
Fred was a soldier with the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, which had operated since just before the outbreak of WW2 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 on 10 May 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 29 May 1940.
Fred was killed in action on 19 May 1940 during the retreat.
His body was initially recovered and buried in Sint Antelinks, a village 37km west of Brussels.
Although local people continued to care for Fred’s grave throughout the war, unfortunately, when his body was recovered by the British Army in 1946 it proved impossible to reconcile all the records. His remains were exhumed and he was buried at Heverlee War Cemetery, Leuven as an “unknown soldier.”
The cemetery contains 977 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 37 of them unidentified.
Recent research by Dirk, however, found the key documents which proved that the location that the “unknown soldier” had been recovered from (Huigeveldstraat in Sint Antelinks) was identical to the original burial location of a soldier who had been carrying an identification disc.
Further research revealed more details of the unknown soldier and information about letters and papers he was carrying which bore addresses in the West Yorkshire area.
Ultimately, all of this information taken together, proved that the unnamed grave at Heverlee was that of Trooper Fred.
Dirk takes up the story, saying he unearthed the information about Fred as part of research for a book on the impact of WW2 in Herzele.
He says, “In the territory of Herzele, which was in the British sector of the front from 11 to 19 May 1940, three British soldiers were killed: a pilot crashed his Hawker-Hurricane on 16 May 1940 on the territory of Ressegem and was temporarily buried in the cemetery under an anonymous cross.
“A second soldier was killed on 19 May and was buried in the old cemetery of Sint-Lievens-Esse. He was Albert Thompson.
“A third soldier died on the territory of Sint-Antelinks on 19 May and was also temporarily buried there in an improvised grave along the Huigeveldstraat.
“The pilot and the fallen in Sint-Antelinks were exhumed after the war and reburied in the British military cemetery of Heverlee in an anonymous grave.”
Dirk, who lives in Herzele, goes on, “During my research for the book, I looked for more information about these servicemen. For the soldier who was buried in Sint-Antelinks I found a report in the municipal archives of Herzele.
“In the column where the name had to be filled in, it is stated “anonymous”, but in column 5 the identity of the man is indeed mentioned and that is, indeed, Freddy Tingle.”
He explains, “An incorrectly filled in document was therefore the reason why Freddy Tingle ended up in an anonymous grave in Heverlee.”
“I have submitted these findings to the CWGC and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Willy, who collects items related to the history of Sint-Antelinks, says, “I wanted to document what his final resting place was but I couldn’t find it. Fred was mentioned on a Dunkirk Memorial and also on a Memorial in Castleford in Yorkshire but there was no sign of his grave.”
“We were able to track down relatives of him but, unfortunately, the family didn’t know where he was buried either.”
A book called “The story of the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards” by R. Evans describes what happened on the day Fred Tingle died.
Willy says, “We think Fred Tingle got injured and died while they were retreating and passed by our village.He was buried not very deep by the English army – they didn’t have much time – and, after 15 minutes, the Germans arrived and they buried him deeper.”
He adds, “Until 1946 the resistance held regular speeches at his grave.”
Willy came by one of these and managed to acquire photos, including one of Fred’s temporary grave in Sint-Antelinks (around 1943) which shows members of the Belgian Resistance.
Another document he obtained comes from a register of his town that contained the list of foreign servicemen buried there.
The same document also states what Fred had on him when he died:
- A ring (on ne passe pas)
- 4 religious medals
- a pencil sharpener
- nickel and copper coins of Belgian, French and English money
- Some driving licenses, West Riding Automobile Wakefield
- An envelope with the address of “Mr. A Raffin, British consul” and
- 2 unused hankerchiefs
Willy states, “They mistakenly registered the soldier as unknown (in the document and on his grave). They probably thought Tingle F was part of his regiment number.
“This could explain why we couldn’t find where he was buried.”
In 2022, Dirk obtained a document that describes the origin of an unknown grave at the War Cemetery in Heverlee. The date of death and the coordinates corresponded with the temporary grave of Fred Tingle.
Trooper Tingle’s past has come as both a shock and delight to Linda Robshaw whose late grandmother was the twin sister of Fred.
Linda, who lives in California, It’s lovely that you’re writing an article on Freddie. We’re so happy to finally know where Freddie is. I know my grandmother would have been so relieved.
“Having him go MIA (missing in action) during the war and never knowing what happened to him, she would want me to pass on her never-ending thanks to the Belgians who found him for us.”
She adds, “Unfortunately, I live in California and am unable to make it over for the rededication ceremony on her behalf, and none of the other family members are able to attend either. But we’re happy to know he’s getting his final resting place. I’m afraid I don’t know too much about Freddie or his life. I don’t really know that side of my family and all of Freddie’s siblings have now passed away.”
Fred’s parents had two sons but, unfortunately the oldest, Thomas, passed away due to illness in 1937, so they lost both of their boys.
Linda adds, “My dad believed that Fred joined up as a boy soldier, as photo’s show him with a uniform and a sword from prior to early 1938.”
The final chapter of Trooper Tingle’s story will play out next week at his rededication service which is, essentially, a funeral service but without the coffin.
A source at the UK Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre said, “ Fred never had a proper military funeral, acknowledging who he was or the sacrifice he made. If he was lucky the local people would have given some sort of prayers when they buried him, and a military Padre might have said a prayer when he was reburied in the post war years, but none of them really knew who he was.
“The rededication service is a chance to right that – it includes a blessing of the grave, and an acknowledgement that we now know the man interred there, and the importance of that. It also includes the Last Post and Reveille, prayers, the Exhortation and Kohima Epitaph.”
Fred’s story, says the UK Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, does “demonstrate the vast numbers we’re dealing with, and just how special it is to have ‘found’ Fred.”
“It is incredibly sad that over half-a-million are still missing (though this number does include those who were lost or buried at sea) – but it makes these occasions all the more special, and every man ‘found’ is a small victory in some way.”
Anyone who wants to can lay a wreath or flowers during the Fred’s service on 25 March.
The service is short – just 20 minutes or so – but still a fitting epitaph to a young man whose life ended all too early through war.
