SAS death More details of incident required

[TAMCK]

My great uncle Cecil Stevenson died 17th Oct 1945 in Italy & buried in Milan cemetery. I've got his service record and have CWGC memorial. 2 things to note :
He was a commando in SAS but is listed as fusilier on memorial (he joined up with Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers) and
He died 'from wounds suffered as result of an accident' due to 'grenade thrown by Italian. On duty Not to blame'
Who is not to blame? Strange wording.

I'd like to know more about circumstances of his death as he died when war was officially over. Is this possible?
Also can he be properly memorialised as member of SAS?

[medpat]

SAS disbanded very quickly after the war so perhaps he was no longer in the SAS.

[TAMCK]

SAS disbanded very quickly after the war so perhaps he was no longer in the SAS.

Thanks it seems when they disbanded the men went back to original regiment but does that mean their service in SAS ( his was from Jan 1942) goes unrecognised? Was there a medal specific to SAS?

Also would his death and details of the incident be recorded in RIF war diary?

Thanks

[medpat]

I don't know about any medals specific to WW2 and the SAS.

Most SAS keep quiet about their service.

His death was in peacetime so it may have been treated differently to a war death and there may even have been an inquest but it was very likely a quick report because of the conditions at the time. You ask if it's possible for the death to be after the end of the war - sadly since WW2 there has only been 1 year when no British service person has died.

He may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time due to his duty so no blame to him or perhaps the Italian thought it wasn't a live grenade and so it was classed as an accident and no blame placed on the Italian. Difficult to say what happened but it looks like it could be a problem sorting it out.

Perhaps someone who knows more about the SAS or the Italian part of WW2 may be able to help more.

It's so tragic when someone dies like this after going through the war. My mother's friend was widowed during the early 1950s as her husband contracted a disease helping release people from a concentration camp at the end of the war. He served all through WW2.

[ShaunJ]

He died 'from wounds suffered as result of an accident' due to 'grenade thrown by Italian. On duty Not to blame'
Who is not to blame? Strange wording.

As it reads to me:

- He was fatally wounded in an accident involving a grenade while on duty.
- He was not to blame for the accident.
- The grenade was thrown by an Italian.

One could envisage a training accident - perhaps he was instructing an Italian soldier in the use of the grenade.

[TAMCK]

Thanks for reply
Sorry for miss-wording my question I meant is this possible to find out details of incident?
Like you I wonder if there may have been an inquest but I don't know where to look. Italy or U.K registration?

It is all very sad to have survived war then die of an accident or in your example by infection caught whilst helping victims.

Getting to the bottom of this story may not be easy or possible

[TAMCK]

He died 'from wounds suffered as result of an accident' due to 'grenade thrown by Italian. On duty Not to blame'
Who is not to blame? Strange wording.

As it reads to me:

- He was fatally wounded in an accident involving a grenade while on duty.
- He was not to blame for the accident.
- The grenade was thrown by an Italian.

One could envisage a training accident - perhaps he was instructing an Italian soldier in the use of the grenade.

Thanks Shaun,
Yes reading record again it probably means he was not to blame
"Died result of grenade thrown by Italian. On duty not to blame" is how it is written.
Wonder if there is a fuller transcript in a war diary?

[John915]

Good afternoon,

By 1945 most SAS were in the north taking part in campaigns through Germany. The last operation in Italy was Bologna in Mar 45.The SAS were disbanded in Oct 45 so he may have been there as SAS still.

I would read the "not to blame" as meaning he was not the instigator of the incident. I doubt he would have been training an Italian as I doubt they were allowed to be under arms. Most likely he was a rogue soldier who still had weapons and had been in hiding. Then decided to take out a few of the invaders of his country.

John915

[ShaunJ]

I doubt he would have been training an Italian as I doubt they were allowed to be under arms.

Italy was our ally from October 1943 onwards