1st Bn Royal Sussex Regiment

That'd be great thanks.

RWK looks like a very brief stint just as he went abroad - & pillar to post intially... here's what i transcribed trying to build a timeline (from the 'Service & Casualty Form') ...including his episodes of AWOL - so feels like I'm airing his laundry (rest his soul) - but intrigued to know more if possible!!!!! :

16/6/43 - 68 PTW - called up under NSAF & reported with GSL(?) 68 P.T.W Carlisle
29/7/43 - " " - transferred to R. Northumberland Fusiliers and posted to 24 M.G.T.C. (Pte.)
17/11/43 - 24 MGTC - ??? 5th Cheshire Regt SOS of 24 MGTC wef **CANCELLED**
8/12/43 - 24 MGTC - ??? attd. 5??? Cheshire Regt. SOS wef
17/12/43 - 5/Cheshire - Classified Class I
26/2/44 - SOS Draft RXB MN (?) UK
25/3/44 - Embarkation for overseas
9/4/44 - Disembark theatre of operations CMF, joined 5 Btn IRTD & posted to x (4)
18/7/44 - Trfs. from NF to RWK under AC/626/39 & posted RWK x4 ??? 5 Btn 11RTD, CMF (Pte)
23/8/44 - joined 2(B) CRU X/4, CMF
15/9/44 - 1 Sussex - transferred from the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment to the Royal Sussex Regiment under the conditions of AC/626/39, Posted to 1st Btn and SOS wef; CMF (Pte)
24/11/44 - Awarded 14days CB by CO on ? when a soldier on No 9 guard leaving his guard without permission & absenting himself without leave from 1730hrs 22/11/44 until reporting to the Guard Cmds at signal exchange No 6 at 2145 hrs (absent 4hrs 15mins).
8/1/45 - R.Sx.R. - Deprived of 8 days pay by CO for being absent from roll call and staying so absent until 2315 hrs (absent 45 mins). CMF, Pte.
19/5/45 - " 1 Btn. - Adm. 17 ?? 7d(?) amb x/2) (???) , CMF, Pte
26/5/45 - " 1 Btn. - ??? 15 I/R Sussex R, CMF, Pte
19/7/45 - " 1 Btn. - ceased to be entitled to Med allce, CMF, Pte
3/9/45 - " 1 Btn. - entitled to med allce wef, CMF, Pte
19/11/45 - " 1 Btn. - awarded 14 days CB on 19 Nov 45 for being in an out of bounds area in Verona at about 1845hrs on 14 Nov 45.
13/12/45 - " 1. Btn. -Proceeded to leave ??? to UK; entrained at Milan CTBE to Med allec., CMF, Pte
17/1/46 - "1 Btn. - detrained @ Milan regranted Med allce. , CMF, Pte
18/1/46 - Rejoined 1 Bn R/Sussex, CMF, Pte
13/1/46 - " 1 Btn. - Forfeits one days pay by RW for AWOL from 2130hrs until being apprehended by the Military Police @ 0615hrs 14.1.46. Awarded 7 days CB PBE No 61 (?), CMF, Pte
1/6/46 - " 1 Btn. - Admtd ????,, CMF, Pte
5/6/46 - " 1 Btn. - Disc and RTU , CMF, Pte
15/8/46 - 1 Btn. Entrained Villach for 19 days Prov Leave in UK. Med Allce ceases wef. CMF Pte.
9/9/46 Detrained Villach ex Leave UK Granted Med Allce wef. CMF Pte.
10/9/46 - Rejoined 1 Btn. , CMF, Pte
31/12/46- 2 R Sx. Posted 2 R. Sussex, CMF, Pte, TOS 2 RSx.
16/2/47 2RSx. - Embarked CMF ??? malta x SOS CFM to Malta command (???). CMF Pte.
17/2/47 TOS Malta Command Entitled to Local Ocverseas Allce. WEF same data. Ref. 2 R. Sx. Pt II O 25/47 ADD CTRE MED ALLCE. wef Malta. Pte.
21/Feb/47 - 2.R.Sx. Admitted to 90th Mil Hosp Wef, Malta Pte.
12/Mar/47- 2.R.Sx. Discharged from 90th Mil Hosp wef. Malta, Pte.
1/7/46 [out of sync] Classified * Pt wef, malta Pte.
1/3/47 2 R Sx. Upgraded to * * Pt wef. Malta, Pte.
3/4/47 2 R Sx. SOS this Unitl and Malta Cmd on posting to UK on Python - LSA wef.Malta, Pte.
12/4/47 35 PTC - TOS of personnel in excess wef. 12 Apr on posting to UK under Python from 2nd Bn R.Sx Authy awaited. UK, Pte.
20/5/47 35 PTC - SOS of excess wef 20/5/47 on proceeding for released on ??? dae and postd to ?? on 21/5/47. UK, Pte.

Happy to enlist professional services if possible to offer any advice?
many thanks for any help
<Martin

* and 'Notification of Impending Release' form also has:

Chichester, 19 May 1947
Officer: ???? (M.Clark)?? Commanding 35 Primary Training Centre [Orederly Room, 35 PTC, Chichester 20 May 1947]
Conduct: Good
Testimonial: " A sober, honest, punctual & reliable man. A cheerful willing hard worker who has given good service. A keen sportsman.
Surname: HARROP
Christian: Robert
Unit Regt of Corps: 35 RTG/C(?) R. Sussex
Army No. 14635357 [& 22544510 - he later rejoined for Territorial service until 1955]
Age and Service Group: 50

 

:mellow:

Right - so possibly the 5th Battalion, but only for two months. I'm afraid that I don't have anything for them.
For the 1 Royal Sussex stint you might want battalion War Diaries listed below from the National Archives. I myself am interested in acquiring a copy of the first, so let me know if you decide the same thing.

This member offers an excellent document copying service:

http://ww2talk.com/forums/user/6786-drew5233/

WO 170/1478
1 Royal Sussex Regiment
Date: 1944 Jan.- Dec.

WO 170/5072
1 Royal Sussex Regiment
Date: 1945 Jan.- Dec.

WO 170/8035
1 Royal Sussex Regiment
Date: 1946 Jan.- June

 

Looks like he started out as a Vickers MMG gunner with NF and was then posted to 5 CHESHIRE who were also a machine gun regiment.

FdeP

 

thanks both for looking at that - and for pointing to refs for the Unit Diaries. I've sent enquiry as suggested - but failing that... might try and squeeze some time out of work/life to pay the TNA a visit and attempt to scan/copy/PDF etc and share with whoever would like a copy - but might take a while/several trips... (worth it though - the WWI unit diaries are fascinating - but guess it'll be a while before TNA digitize the WWII ones...)

 

View attachment 149033

attempt 1... hopefully works. If anyone in these pics or places rings a bell for anyone would be good to know more about where & who these might be. I'm assuming the ones with Armoured div. badge/flashes on shoulder are in Italy (one pic had a note to my gran on the back saying so).

Have followed Charley's advice and am seeking to get hold of the Unit diaries. All these pics will be sometime between September 1944 and May 1947.

The pic i scanned in titled '1944-47 - bharrop-unknown Btn-R.Sx-somewhere in Italy or Greece' (possibly somewhere else?) is virtually identical to that posted here by Melchy couple of years ago...

 

Hi

In some of the pics they are wearing the formation flash of 6th Armoured Division. http://www.petergh.f2s.com/flashes.html

Info on 6th Arm Div can be found at http://www.ordersofbattle.com/Units/UnitData?UniX=1472

Hope this helps.

Gus

 

Which would be during his 2 Royal Sussex stint. They were part of 61st Infantry Brigade from 19 July 1945.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/61st_Infantry_Brigade_(United_Kingdom)

So any of your grandfather wearing those flashes (the gauntlet-thingy, to be decidedly non-technical) must have been taken on or after 31/12/46.

 

Martin

A fine crop of photos !

When you have time, consider posting them all to the Gallery so that you can easily use them to illustrate future postings.

Ron
( who has already posted all of his Army Records into the Gallery for that very purpose !)
http://ww2talk.com/forums/gallery/album/5-rons-army-records/

 

I duplicated my post in error, tried to delete but unable at this time.... original post as follows:

1st Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment 1944-1946

Many Thanks, Keith.

 

This thread is duplicated here - 1st Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment 1944-1946

Keith - be careful as dulicating threads will lead members to posting on one or the other and could lead to confusion and duplicating of effort

TD

 

Evening,

As I've already mentioned I'm currently researching my Grandfather's WW2 Service with 1 Bn Royal Sussex Regiment.

I've received some cracking help from members of this forum, big thanks 'Charley Fortnum'. I've managed to borrow and scan the only photograph we have of my Grandfather in uniform and with his colleagues. we don't know whether this was taken in the UK or whilst servicing overseas in Italy/Greece.

If any one recognizes any of the others in the photograph I'd be very interested in hearing from you. My Grandfather is in the front row, first on the left (as you look at the picture).

I've also attached my findings to date and below is a quick recap of his service with the 1 Bn Royal Sussex

08 March 1944 29 March 1944 Posted to 6 Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment
10 April 1944 British North Africa Forces (BNAF) / Central Mediterranenan Force (CMF) - Naples
10 April 1944 09 May 1944 4th Battalion Infantry Reinforcement Training Depot (IRTD)
10 May 1944 19 January 1946 1st Battalion
04 Dec 45 - 03 Jan 46 - Leave In Addition to Python (LIAP) in the UK
18 January 1946 Entrained at Milan for UK
19 January 1946 - Return to UK

Many Thanks,

Keith

 

Further to what I mentioned on the other thread, here is a listing of material concerning the battalion held by the West Sussex Records Office

Search results: 4 indian division | The National Archives

 

Many Thanks for that, sounds like it could be worth a visit.... all this information that I get is building up a very interesting picture of what my grandfather did during WW2.

 

Hi melchy...great photos....the 1st top photo is a picture of my grandad I have a few photos of him and have been doing some research of my own and it has taken me to the royal sussex regiment....i was always told me grandad was a medic in the 8th division desert rats under Montgomery..im still currently trying to search for his service number and what medals he obtained while on his tours....he toured n/Africa Italy and venice so far that's all I know.

 

Stuart.

That looks like a Royal Fusiliers cap badge to me.

Regards

Frank

 

Hi Frank....from what my dad told me,He said that he was a medic in the 8th division under Montgomery...thats all he knows!!! I would really love to know more without spending a fortune on a researcher.

 

The guy to the top right looks very much like my grandad.

 

Stuart.

The best thing for you to do is to ask MoD for his Service Record. That will cost you £30.

The Service Record will tell you what units he served in. From there, you can get War Diaries from Drew5233 for the cost of a trip to Aldi.

Regards

Frank