Thanks for including the years conscription did not occur. Yes, they being "career" soldiers was my first thought also. Maybe one or both of their career(s) will have enough human interest highlights that I can include in a letter to newpaper(s), so they will publish it.
If a living next-of-kin doesn't come forward who can prove their relationship to each soldier, then its back to searching for them. That is where I hit a brick wall. Do you have any experience with/knowledge of 192.com and/or heir hunters?
We don’t have enough information for 192.com to be particularly helpful and ‘Heir Hunters’ is not a free service. I avoid sites where you have to pay. I checked ‘FindaGrave’ and Reginald Jackson
might perhaps be Reginald P. Jackson (1909 – 1985). He was the only likely candidate based on age who is recorded as buried in Scotland (Ullapool Morefield Cemetery, Ullapool, Highland). He reportedly married Magaret E. Ansell. Not the only possibility though since the Scots Guards also recruited in the north of England and elsewhere across the UK too, as well as the possibility that place of death doesn’t equate to place of birth. Other possibles for Reginald Jackson in England can be found at the link below but many of them can be ruled out from their dates or likelihood of them starting a military career in 1930 based on their ages, and some have no dates for reference:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial...tefilter=&orderby=r&plot=&page=3#sr-192714690
Nothing came up for Alfred Jeffries in Wales, but the Welch Fusiliers also recruited beyond Wales itself). Possibles for Alfred Jeffries buried in England came up as:
Alfred Jeffries (unknown birth date, died on 16 August 1971) buried at Bloxwich Cemetery, Bloxwich, Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands. Wife’s name given as Ada Jeffries, who died on 27 October 1965.
Alfred Jeffries (unknown birth date, died on February 1951) buried at Witton Cemetery, Witton, Metropolitan Borough of Birmingham, West Midlands. No other details.
Alfred Thomas Jeffries (18 January 1910 – 13 January 1984). He died at St Mary’s Hospital, Etchinghill, Lyminge, Kent and was buried at Hawkinge Cemetery and Crematorium, Hawkinge, Shepway District, Kent on 23 January 1984. Wife said to be Nellie Florence Jeffries (1904 – 1997).
Regarding the presence of these guys’ units in Italy, the 2nd Battalion of the Scots Guards were part of the allied forces that landed in Salerno at the beginning of September 1943 (Operation Avalanche).
As
@Mackaydon said, the Royal Welch Fusiliers were also in Italy at the same time as part of the invasion force. In August 1942 the 10th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers had been converted to a parachute role as the 6th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Battalion, 2nd Parachute Brigade within the 1st Airborne Division. They were selected for the landings at Taranto (Operation Slapstick), but lack of suitable aircraft meant they were transported by ship (including HMS Abdiel, which was sunk by a mine in Taranto Harbour with the loss of 58 dead and 150 injured). The landing was largely diversionary and unopposed, capturing the ports of Taranto and then Brindisi (both on the Adriatic coast) before the unit then served as infantry on the Adriatic flank of the Italian campaign and at Cassino. Given they got as far north as Cassino, they may well have passed through Salerno at some time after landing, although not in an active combat role at Salerno itself.
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