Pte 5889794 Edwin Humphreys Northamptonshire Regt

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by Dee123, Jun 20, 2016.

  1. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

    Hi members:

    Having spoke with TD I feel the better option for us at the moment is to take a couple of days to sort through, process and organise all the information already received,

    I am so grateful to every member for your input, You've all been fantastic and so helpful,

    Please continue to post if there is anything that you feel may be helpful and I will keep coming back to read & eventually post again,

    I'm not sure how reliable this site is for de-coding abbreviations but it seems quite helpful so I thought I'd post a link incase anybody wanted to have a look:
    http://www.researchingww2.co.uk/ww2-abbreviations-acronyms/

    (Admin: Please remove if not allowed)

    Kind regards
     
  2. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

    Good morning,

    we have been trying to piece together all the information and am wondering if somebody could correct me or add input if I'm wrong or missing anything so far please: I still feel slightly confused by everything although I'm sure the more I read and retain it should become clearer,

    Private 5889794
    September 1940 : 5th Battalion Northampt' Regiment - 11th Infantry Brigade

    The 5th Northamptonshire spent under 2 years in Britain, during that time it was incorporated in the 78th Division in June 1942
    The 5th Battalion became part of the 8th Army, under Montgomery

    ⦁ Madagascar 5/5/42-10/6/42 - ''Operation Ironclad'
    ⦁ Iraq /8/1942 - 11/1942 - "
    ⦁ N.Africa, Algiers - 8/11/42 -22/7/43 - Tunisia Campaign - 'Operation Torch'
    ⦁ Sicily - 25/7/43 -21/9/43 - Allied invasion of Sicily - 'Operation Husky'
    ⦁ Italy - 22/9/43 - 17/7/44 - 'Operation Avalanche'

    ⦁ 30.10.1943 wounded sw.buttocks

    ⦁ switched from: 5th Battalion Northants - 11th Infantry Brigade, 78th division
    to: 2nd Battalion Northants - 17th Infantry Brigade, 5th division

    ⦁ Egypt and Middle East - 8/7/44 - 8/2/45 - Operation Battleaxe
    ⦁ italy - 16/2/45-3/3/45 -
    ⦁ N.W. Europe 5/3/45 - 31/8/45 -

    any advice would be greatly appreciated, Kind regards
     
  3. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Op AVALANCHE was the code word for the landings at Salerno that took place between 9-23 Sep 43. The Codeword expired after that as new operations were planned for the capture of Naples, the crossing of the River Volturno, the breakin to the Bernhardt Line and then the assault on the ridges beyond the River Garigliano.

    AVALANCHE did not last from 22 Sep 43-17 Jul 44 as you are showing.

    You are not showing the date of his transfer from 5 NORTHANTS to 2 NORTHANTS. 21 Dec 43. It is important because it places him in a different part of Italy.

    Regards

    Frank
     
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  4. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

    Thank you frank, I did not list a date of transfer as I was not 100% sure, from his service I record I can see he was posted to the 2nd bn? on the 14/9/43 *also just looking where the battallion went as a whole to begin with, I understand Edwin may have only served in part of each

    ⦁ 14 September 1943
    - - - | embarked sicily 14.9/1943. disembarked Italy
    ⦁ 14 September 1943
    43x? | posted to 2nd bnd (Battalion) s.o.s x 4 (Struck off strength) |
    ⦁ 30 October 1943
    2NN (2nd Northants) | w/a (wounded at) italy (sw.buttocks) ?L 146/43 & evacuated to x2 |
    ⦁ 21 December 1943
    x4? | posted to 2nd Bn(Battalion) of sos(struck of strength) x4 |


    still figuring everything out, its all a bit back&forth at the moment
    image1.jpeg
     
  5. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

    ⦁ 14 September 1943
    - - - | embarked sicily 14.9/1943. disembarked Italy
    ⦁ 14 September 1943
    43x? | posted to 2nd bnd (Battalion?) s.o.s x 4 (Struck off strength) |
    ⦁ 30 October 1943
    2NN (2nd Northants) | w/a (wounded at) italy (sw.buttocks) ?L 146/43 & evacuated to x2 ||
    ⦁ 31 October 1943
    x2? | tfr(transfer) to 15 mob (Cairo mobile) Gh (General hospital) BBS (Brigade and Battalion Simulation) (bc) |
    ⦁ 7 November 1943
    x2? | tfr(transfer) to 100gh (Algiers, general hospital) (bc) |
    ⦁ 12 November 1943
    x2? | tfr(transfer) to 94gh (Algiers, General hospital) (bc) |
    ⦁ 14 November 1943
    x2? | Dis(discharged) 94gh (Algiers General hospital) (BC) No.4 !(?) company, x3 |
    ⦁ 8 December 1943
    x4? | posted to 3 6 ru? remains x |
    ⦁ 21 December 1943
    (Switched from: 5th Battalion Northants - 11th Infantry Brigade / 78th Division
    To: 2nd Battalion Northants - 17th Infantry Brigade / 5th division on)
    ⦁ 21 December 1943
    x4? | posted to 2nd Bn(Battalion) of sos(struck of strength) x4 |
    ⦁ 1943/1944
    2NN | Awarded African star |
    ⦁ 1943/1944
    --"-- | SOS (Struck off strength) BNAF (British North Africa Forces) TO MEF (Middle East Forces) |
    ⦁ 3 July 1944
    --"-- | embkd (Embarked) |
    ⦁ 9 July 1944
    --"-- | disembkd (Disembarked) |
    ⦁ 23 December 1944
    --"-- | LEAVE WITH Palestine from _ to _ / with H.R.M/LR (Higher rate messing / Lower rate pay) at 67 PD (per day) 17.12.1944 |
    ⦁ 1944/1945
    --"-- | awarded 1st army clasp to african star
    ⦁ 8 February 1945
    --"-- | SOS (Struck off strength) MEF (Middle East Forces) to AMF? ( Allied Mobile Force?) |
    ⦁ 3 March 1945
    --"-- | Reclassified blass? IA (immediate affect) pay | bmf |
    ⦁ 6 March 1945
    --"-- | Embarked cmf (central mediterranean force) & SOS(struck off strength) |
    ⦁ 1945
    --"-- | [disembarked] & TOS (Taken on Strength) 21st Army G(Group) |

    I've just been trying to break down into how we understand, although i hope to not be going off on the wrong track so all advice or corrections are greatly appreciated
     
  6. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

    Hi Frank, do you have any documents (or point me in the right direction) that confirm officially that Edwin switched from 5th to 2nd on the 21st December 1943

    I'm just confused by the earlier entry on the 31 October 1943:

    2NN | (?2nd Northants?) ~(as earlier entries for 5th are abbreviated to 5NN) | w/a (wounded at) italy (sw.buttocks) ?L 146/43 & evacuated to x2 ||
    ⦁ 31 October 1943

    Kind regards
     
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I'd say it was ''15 mob CCS (BC)''

    CCS is casualty clearing station.

    ?? where does it say that , he was last with the 5th Bn when he was wounded 7.4.43
    He was posted to the 2nd Bn 14.9.43
     
  8. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

  9. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

    *I've used this thread to peice together information, I didn't feel the 21st was right, hense not putting a date myself
     
  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Just highlighting this to show when he was first posted to 2 Northants.

    2 NN 14.9.43.JPG
     
  11. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

    Yes. I posted earlier asking for clarification but Frank was insistent I listed it as 21 December as it is important to where this places him in Italy, I did ask for the corresponding document that stated this although I am still awaiting a response

    Kind Regards
     
  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

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  13. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Last entry for when he was with the 5th Bn.

    5NN 7.4.43.JPG

    Wounded & admitted to 137 Field Ambulance.
     
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  14. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

    Oh brilliant, I'll have a look through the Xlist (Most appreciated) - Do you have any idea what may 3 6 RU correlates too?

    Entry:
    ⦁ 8 December 1943
    x4? | posted to 3 6 ru? remains x |

    Kind regards
     
  15. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I maybe wrong but it might be 3 IRU
    Infantry Reinforcement Unit ?

    That doesn't seem quite right to me BUT after being in hospital & then posted back to his battalion it sounds like it ought to be.

    I'm not convinced so would like someone else to help out.


    upload_2018-10-5_22-25-54.png
     
  16. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

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  17. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

    Could be CRU? As the squiggle looks awfully similar to the BBS* (CCS) (Casualty Clearing Station) I had misread & you corrected me on earlier?

    Regards,

    (Any & all input greatly welcomed & appreciated)
     
  18. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

    ⦁ 8 December 1943
    x4 | posted to 3 cru remains x4 |

    According to the Xlists, X2 or X(ii) is medically unfit and X4 or X(IV) referred to fit for service, having reread this threat I noticed a previous comment by stu, Cru is possibly Casualty resettlement Unit - which seems to fit as the entries are as follows

    ⦁ 14 November 1943
    x2 | Dis(discharged) 94gh (Algiers General hospital) (BC?)

    ⦁ 8 December 1943
    x4 | posted to 3 cru remains x4 |

    ⦁ 21 December 1943
    x4 | posted to 2nd Bn(Battalion) of sos(struck of strength) x4 |

    (BC) is still a mystery,

    Kind regards
     
  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    An extract & map* from the 78th Division history , Algiers to Austria by Cyril Ray for the date he was wounded on 7th April 1943 , when in Tunisia with 5 Northants.

    * note route of 11 th Brigade , which you know 5 Northants were in.
     

    Attached Files:

  20. Roberts92

    Roberts92 Member

    Thank you Owen, I shall have a look at those now
     

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