Gaps missing in friends service?

Hi, i am a new mwmber and I hope this is the correct place to ask.

I had an old friend who unfortunately passed away a few years ago, and I have been trying to piece together his service history from what I know, and from his son and others .

what I know is;
Victor A Mosey enlisted in September 1940 to the 60th Battalion Beds and Herts, assigned to clearing roads during the Blitz and guarding airfields.

In September 1941 he joined the Royal Armoured Corps to train as tank crew, sailing from Liverpool in May 1942.

In July 1942 he had gunnery training in Cairo, and his Grant tank was knocked out at the Battle of Halfa. ( from another source, this was before he was attached to any unit and was still in training, but with the threat to Cairo he was grouped up with other trainees and put in a grant and sent forward. He did not even know the two others who died in the turret above him, as he was the 75mm gunner. He believes he knocked out a tank before this happened.


He was posted to India in December 1942 to join the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment.

He was in Iraq and in Palestine/Syria.and followed them through Egypt I presume?

He took part in the Sicily invasion during 1943 and his tank that was knocked out on the road up Mount Etna.This is where the confusion is? at the time the " RTR where not in Sicily? and he was actually knocked out of a tank at Mt Etna , this happened to be an Italian semovente 75/18. So iam wondering if he was still in the 2rtr or with someone else?

he was then a tank crew in Italy , but again if this was 2RTR I am unsure as they did not arrive in Italy until the 29th April 44, and he was commissioned as an infantry officer in May ( he had had enough of tanks by this point)which seems very early. Forces war records record commission as a 2nd lieutenant but in September?

His commission was into the Green Howards in May 1944, and was posted to the York and Lancasters to fight in the Anzio beachhead and in the Ardea offensive to break out of Anzio.I am assuming this would have been part of the 5th infantry division? and if so was this the 1st,6th or 7th battalion? as he stayed with these through the rhine crossing in 45?

He fought in Belgium and Germany and remained with the Green Howards But again with what battalion I do not know? he was at this point in charge of the 6pndr section. until he left the army in September 1947.

if anyone could share any ideas? or point me in the right direction as to where to look that would be amazing.

thank you in advance.

 

Hi Jonathan - welcome

The starting point for any research of this nature is to obtain his service records as they are the bible to work from - they can only be obtained from the MOD and the link is - Request records of deceased service personnel - GOV.UK

All the detail will follow by being able to read the relevant War Diaries for the units he was in, during the time he was in them. It really does stop a lot of cul de sac searching

TD

 

fantastic ,

I will see what I can do , but as I am not next of kin and do not really know his next of kin, can is till do this?

 

You can still do it, but the files wont be the 'full' files as if you were his next of kin, although in your first post you said :

- maybe ask his son to send off for them. If Victors wife is still alive then she can apply for free

TD

 

unfortunately his wife is not with us, but I can ask his son. thanks for the advice.