O'Neill Robert Edward L /Cpl 4457678
Personnel Entry
Name O'Neill Robert Edward
Army number 4457678
Rank Acting Lance Corporal.
Decorations None known beyond Service Awards.
Date of birth Not yet known.
Age (At the time of his death). Not yet known.
Unit Enlisted in The Durham Light Infantry. No enlistment date known but his number suggests Summer 1939. Posted to the ? 6th Battalion DLI. Posted to the 10th Battalion DLI - probably 1/9/1939. Served in Northern France with the B.E.F. Taken Prisoner of War - probably 20/5/1940 - official notification received 12/7/1940. Repatriated to the UK 19/4/1945. Relegated to the Class Z Army Reserve 2/6/1946.
Company/Battery Company not yet identified.
Platoon or other sub-unit Not yet known.
Task or role Not known but probably Rifleman.
Joined Brigade 1/9/1939.
Promotions None known beyond Acting Lance Corporal.
Wounded Not yet known.
Prisoner of War Yes - Stalag 20B, also was in Thorn Camp with Harry Oliver and is mentioned in Harry's book "Seven Men to a Loaf". PoW Number 9659.
Died/Killed in action Date of death not yet known.
Home address According to Harry Oliver he came from Bridlington.
Source table 10DLI
The War Office listing of men "missing" compiled on a Battalion basis after Dunkirk shows Acting Lance Corporal O'Neill as a member of the Royal Engineers. No trace of a transfer from the DLI was found in his records.
