Matthias Ostroff

Lance Corporal, Pioneer Corps
Service no: 13035337
Died 6 Jun 1942
Buried East Ham (Marlow Road) Jewish Cemetery, United Kingdom
Age 29

Headstone Inscription
‘A LOVING SON AND BROTHER. DEEPLY MOURNED BY RELATIVES AND FRIENDS’


Matthias ‘Matt’ was born on 23 December 1913 in Whitechapel, London to Poland born parents Bernard and Sarah nee Lazarus. Rev. Bernard was a Minister of Religion at the West Ham Synagogue and he died in 1936. Bernard and Sarah had six children, Bella, Matt, Lily, Leonard, Irene and Marjorie. In 1939, the family lived at 3 Belgrade Road, Ilford in Essex and Matt was listed as working as a silk and woollen salesman.

Matt enlisted into the Pioneer Corps and was taking part in a ‘Blitz’ exercise when he was accidentally killed. He was taking part in an exercise in a park which was to get the soldiers accustomed to the sounds of rifle fire, grenades and bullets. The inquest heard from witnesses that Matt had strayed from his safe course and had previously shown nervousness when grenades were thrown. Firing was ceased when Matt was heard groaning and it was found that he had been wounded and was not in the safe position that he should have been. He died before reaching hospital.

Courtesy Shelley Williams