FRANCIS LIONEL OVERMAN
Born: 1913, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire.
Died: 12th June 1944; age: 31; Died of wounds – Normandy.
Rank: Warrant Officer Class 2 (Company Sergeant Major); Service Number: 5824921.
Regiment: Suffolk Regiment, 1st Battalion – Infantry.
Grave Reference:
1.L.18.
France.
Relatives Notified & Address: Son of Matthew Henry & Rose Edna Overman; husband of Edna Elizabeth Overman, of Ipswich.
Father: Matthew Henry Overman, born 1878, Murrow, Cambridgeshire – died 1913, Parson Drove, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.
Mother: Rose Edna Overman (nee Pickwell), born 1883, New Bollingbroke, Lincolnshire.
Rose re-married in 1923, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, to William Freeman, born February 1886, Wisbech. A General Labourer. The Overman/Freeman family home – 20, Silver Street, Ipswich.
In 1940, Ipswich, Francis married Edna Elizabeth Fox, born January 1907, Ipswich.
They had 2 children.
A Note to the family:
Hi,
I’m a metal detectorist. I recently found a small ID plate which reads “5824921 F L Overman The Suffolk Regiment”. I wondered if you might know if he had any descendants to whom I might return the item. I would be grateful for any thoughts you may have.
Best Regards
Paul Milton paul_milton@btinternet.com
Taff Gillingham:
It’s Lionel Overman’s brass bed plate.
Before the war every Suffolk Regiment soldier had one of these brass plates hanging above his bed.
On the back they usually have the word, “Duty”. When a soldier was away from the barrack room on duty the plate was turned round so the Officer/NCO inspecting the room knew that the soldier had a reason for not being present.
I have about thirty of these.
Many Suffolk soldiers kept their bed plate as a souvenir of their service.
Lionel’s widow had a close connection with the Ipswich Suffolk Regiment Old Comrades.
The Ipswich Branch Standard is the oldest in the Old Comrades Association. We still carry it on parade.
The original needlework was carried out by Mrs Overman who was an expert embroiderer, taught at the Ipswich School of Needlework.
She completed the Standard to an approved design in 1950.
(Mr. Ralph Girling with Standard)
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