Finding info on Walter Allen, 210 battery, 53rd (Worcester Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by johnnylawless, Jan 10, 2016.

  1. johnnylawless

    johnnylawless Member

    hi,

    I was wondering if anyone could help me find out any more about my grandfather's service in WW2? I never met him as he became estranged from my grandmother and father in the early 1960's. My dad thought he remembered him saying he was in the 8th Worcesters, and we know he volunteered in 1939, before conscription. Apparently he had a rather nasty time of it during the war and was never quite the same. He dropped off the face of the earth until we were located and told of his death in Droitwich in 2005. I received his medals and a few framed certificates which i'll link here. My gran hated talking about him, as did my dad, so I never got to learn all that much about what he got up to. My dad did say he was one of relatively few that got out of Dunkirk, and that after that he went to North Africa and fought at El Alamein. He was injured by shrapnel in the side and recuperated in Alexandria, and he went on to fight at Monte Cassino, where he had a bad time of it and was pretty traumatized.

    I did enough detective work to find out that he was most likely part of the 53rd Worcestershire Yeomanry, and upon visiting the Paradata website during a Google search, I was shocked to find a photo of him in 210 Battery. I'd never seen a photo of him before but he is identical to my father. He is 4th row back, 4th from left in the photo here

    I'd be interested in anything to do with his time serving, or anything anyone else has found that involves him. The only photo I had of him up until now was from his belongings, in which he's marching in a remembrance parade (6th from left, no cap, black suit)

    Is there anywhere I should begin my search? I'm not sure if there's even all that much to find out.
     
  2. johnnylawless

    johnnylawless Member

  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  4. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    210 Battery war diary and the history of Worcestershire Yeomanry 53 will tell you what the battery and regiment were doing. The service record should tell you whether he was doing what the rest were doing.
     
  5. CJB

    CJB Member

    Hello from CJB.
    Firstly, my father is on the Parada 210 Battery photo. He is on 2nd row (seated) 10th from the right next to NCO with peaked cap. My father was BSM Frank Bentley. I believe the photo was taken late 1943 together with similar photos of 211 and 212 batteries when they became 6th Airborne Air Landing Light Regiment. .
    My father was called back to the colours 1st September 1939 to 210 Battery and served the rest of the war in this battery. He only served in North West Europe (NWE) and was with the BEF (Dunkirk), D-day, Battle of the Bulge, and the Rhine Crossing (Op Varsity).
    I have a photo of A Troop 210 Battery taken when my father was a Sergeant with the names on the back, however your grandfather's name is not on it. My father was promoted to Sergeant late 1941 so this photo could have been taken between late 1941 and late 1943.
    I could suggest you try to contact the 53rd Worcester Yeomanry Old Comrades Association. I will also see whaty I can find.

    Charlie B
     
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  6. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    Having looked at the medal link I can see what appears to be a George VI Territorial Efficiency Medal (no medal expert so stand to be corrected) which is suggestive of pre WW2 TA service. Does that medal have an Army Service number engraved on it?


    Efficiency Medal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    You really need to get his service records first and then you will be able to research the units mentioned in his file.

    The file ought to confirm his medal entitlement - I think he ought to be entitled to The Defence Medal but it is not in the photo.

    Good Luck

    Steve Y
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2016
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  7. Rosie1066

    Rosie1066 Member

    Hi Charlie, I note you have a photo of A Troop 210 Battery Worcester Yeomanry with names on back. Any chance you could check it to see if an Albert Russell is mentioned? He was my dad and enlisted in 1938 and was in 210 Battery but I do not know which troop he was in. He served with 210 Bty. till 1942 when he was transferred to 11th H.A.C. RHA. whom he spent the rest of the war with. Thank you.
     
  8. Rosie1066

    Rosie1066 Member

    My late father was also in 210 Battery Worcester Yeomanry having enlisted in 1938. He too was at a Dunkirk, North Africa and Italy. He was with 210 Battery till 1942 and then he was transferred to 11 H.A.C. Royal Horse Artillery with whom he found himself in the 8th Army for the rest of the duration of the war. I wonder if the same happened to your grandfather? 12 H.A.C. RHA fought at Monte Cassino while the 11 fought at Coriano.
     
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  9. CJB

    CJB Member

    Hello from CJB. Sorry about delay in responding but I have been offline for some weeks. There is no Russell mentioned in the photo of 210 Battery A Troop. There is however a mention of Driv i/c A. Russell in the Guttrey book "nominal roll call of 53rd WY Anti-Tank proceeding to France BEF Jan 1940" unfortunately no photo.
    Regards, Charlie
     
  10. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Hi John,
    Was Walter Allen 210 bty,53rd (Worcester Yeomanry) buried in Droitwich ?
    I ask because I have a sister who lives there,and the next I time I visit her I could pop round,maybe grab a photo for you.

    best........Graham.
     
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  11. johnnylawless

    johnnylawless Member

    Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but lockdown has me back investigating this and I tried to join the group to find that not only was I already a member but i'd already made a post about it! Apologies to everyone who responded.

    I've not got further with it and can't until lockdown is gone I guess, but i've got a couple of photos of my granddad with unidentified soldiers and I thought someone from the same regiment might see someone they recognize.
    In the desert background photo, he's in the back right. Do the uniforms check out as 12th HAC?
    The photo of the soldier with the baby is completely unknown. It's addressed to my granddad and is from a 'Sab'?
     
  12. johnnylawless

    johnnylawless Member

    I have no idea what to think, he's the absolute spitting image of my dad, too! He had a brother who fought as well but no idea where, and obviously he'd show up as an Allen too.
    Are you from Kidderminster? Some of my family on my gran's side were Bentleys, had a carpet shop I use to run wild in!
     
  13. johnnylawless

    johnnylawless Member

    belated hello, Graham. I don't know where he was buried, or if he was cremated. Sorry I didn't respond earlier.
     
  14. johnnylawless

    johnnylawless Member

    I think you're long gone from here Rosie, but just in case: it sounds like they had similar paths. Don't know when or why he left but he was definitely in North Africa and my dad remembers Monte Cassino being the big one for him, psychologically.
     
  15. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Searching the 53rd Worcestershire Yeomanry on line they give the address of the Mercian Museum Worcester.
    The address given tends to be the Museum and Art Gallery where the uniforms etc are on display but the archives and curator are in :
    Army Reserve Centre at Dancox House.

    Address: Army Reserve Centre Dancox House Pheasant Street Worcester WR1 2EE
    Tel: 01905 721982
    It is also home to 214 Battery Army Volunteer Reserve who hold records on 67th Field Regt RA TA
    Try giving the curator a ring or drop him an email
    He answered pretty quickly a few weeks ago. They might have some info worth having.

    You might also try emailing the Hive Worcester on the 2nd floor is the Archive Dept as they hold documents deposited by local veterans. Using the Archives – Worcestershire Archive & Archaeology Service
     

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