24th Lancers - Roll of Honour

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by Ramiles, Jan 10, 2016.

  1. AnnieEssex

    AnnieEssex Member

    Hi - I did write on this forum before about my Grandfather, George Alfred 'Spud' Taylor 319743. I found your post this evening and thought a couple of photos of him would be of interest - to put a face to the man. The wedding photo was taken 22nd April 1944, George and my Gran, Irene, and her brother Tony. Anne
     

    Attached Files:

    Tim H., norton 407545, SDP and 2 others like this.
  2. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Annie
    Is it possible to post a higher definition photo of 'Spud' please?

    Tragic that he was killed and especially so soon after his marriage although not alone I'm afraid.

    I'm not sure of how often you visit this forum and consequently how up to date you are but you will find a few more references to him in various threads. His wireless Operator at the time of his death, and also present in the turret on that fateful day, was Tony Hughes; Tony himself sadly died a few years ago.
     
  3. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Edit: Re. "A" squadron's 24th L -"Spud" Taylor - (further pictures and details etc.) : Mersea Island Museum

    Ps. re. the ref. in the link above - "he chose to join the Army where he got the nickname of 'Spud' because of his link to the land." - I think "Spud" was often associated with the surname "Taylor" in the army: WW2 slang: Does it still make sense ?

    Nb. though, if looking for a 24th L "Spud" Taylor - via search etc. there was "another" - "Spud" Taylor - in the 24th Lancers. who was a Sergeant in their "C" Squadron and was wounded, quite early in Normandy, and evacuated back to the UK.

    i.e. Lancer Life. (In the second : News from Casualties – From the Edition dated 11th July 1944)
    24th Lancers Newsletter: 'Lancer Life'.
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2019
  4. AnnieEssex

    AnnieEssex Member

    Hi Both
    Hopefully the attached photo is a better resolution. I'm so sorry to hear that Tony Hughes has now passed away. My mum and I have wondered if he was still with us and so grateful that via this Forum we were able to make contact with him and hear his memories. It was 'shocking' to hear who he thought may have been responsible for my Grandfathers death. Guess we'll never know for certain but it does make you stop and think. Mersea Museum - if you were accessing anything via that link with my attachment..... It's a local Museum at West Mersea and they were doing research on local people and had a little bit about George - we corrected some elements of his story for them. Sorry I thought I had tagged my owned scanned photo to the Forum yesterday.
    Wedding: yes like so many very sad. Married 22nd April 1944, one week leave and back to camp. We know from his letters he only had one or two days leave passes after that so wasn't able to get back to Worcestershire to see my Nan again. The last letter she had from him is dated 5th June. She turned 21 on 16th June unaware she was a widow. She didn't find out until early July. We also found her 1944 diary after her death in 2011.
    Nickname 'Spud' = to our knowledge (and what my Nanna told us) comes from the fact that George's father worked on the land in Worcestershire and George would have followed the same career. However, he wanted to better himself and joined the Army. But it is the type of nickname that people would give someone with his background. I know from some of the links that the same nicknamed was applied to the other George Taylor in C Sqd. He joined up in 1937. We have also, since speaking with you, shared photos, his letters to my Nanna and information with The Bovington Tank Museum Archives.
    There are some other photos of George and his crew (with Tony Hughes). I'll dig some of them out and upload them if you think they are of any interest - please let me know.
    Steve - I've put George Taylor in the Search option but didn't spot anything 'new' so if I'm not searching about my Grandfather correctly then please let me know. I love to find out what I can about him.
    Best Regards
    Anne
     

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  5. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Anne

    Lovely photo of George. The cap badge appears to be 9th Lancers which was presumably his Regiment before joining the 24th Lancers. Have you obtained a copy of George's Tracer Card from Bovington (this is effectively a very cut down version of a Service Record showing some basic details).

    Ref the forum threads about George, I'm now wondering if I've conflated the Forum with the emails we exchanged a few years ago. Apologies if I have done that.

    I would be very grateful if you could post any other photos you have of George and colleagues. They could include not only Tony Hughes but also Fred Bartlett and Peter Hancock. Peters son Tim also visits this forum and would also no doubt be interested. Peter also died a number of years ago. Tim and myself were very lucky in being able to attend Tony's funeral. May they all Rest in Peace.
     
  6. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Anne

    I've looked at the Mersey Museum web site link and believe - needs validating by others - that on the photo of 'Arab', the chap on the left is Fred Bartlett and the second from left is Tony Hughes. Tim Hancock can hopefully validate this? The photo of the Lloyd Carrier looks familiar - hopefully I'm not conflating - but the chap on the left appears to be Clifford Remane (later KIA just after the River Seine crossing at a place called Mainneville when his Troop had been transferred to 3RTR when the 24L were disbanded).
     
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  7. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Anne

    I was correct about Clifford Remane....so here's another photo of George and pals with what appears to be the same Lloyd Carrier.

    If you do a google search for 'Clifford Remane Banstead' and scroll down the Banstead War Memorial page to Clifford Remane, you will find this photo.

    IMG_4195.JPG
     
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  8. AnnieEssex

    AnnieEssex Member

    Hi Steve. Thank you. Looks like they took it in turns to take photos of themselves in the Lloyd Carrier.
    Glad you and Tim were able to attend Tony's funeral, and yes, may they all Rest In Peace. It's very hard to imagine what the atmosphere in the Countury must have been like 75 years ago at this time for everyone, especially the Troops; trespidation, excitment, hope etc with the rapid build up to what we know unfolded in June 1944 and beyond. All very brave individuals.
     
  9. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    ....and that is why I will be laying a wreath on the 24th Lancers Memorial in Tilly-sur-Seulles in June (most likely during the local commemorations on 7th June).
     
  10. Tim H.

    Tim H. Junior Member

    Hi Steve. I can confirm that Tony Hughes is second from left in the photo of "Arab" but the trooper on the left does not resemble the only two photos I know of Fred Bartlett. There is a photo of Fred in None had Lances and I have a photo at home (courtesy of Tony Hughes) taken in Bridlington 1943 or maybe very early 44 which includes Fred, Tony and Peter my father. I asked Tony if he could provide names for the rest in the photo but he was uncertain about the identity of the other five.....time and all that. I never met Fred Bartlett but I do know that Dad and Mary visited him in his nursing home not very long before he passed away and Dad said they had a very jolly get together...must be 2001/2002.

    My father never related to me the loss of George Taylor, but then he rarely spoke of Normandy anyway. I learned what happened from Tony Hughes and it took time for the penny to drop I'm afraid that he had been their tank commander. My father did refer to Audrieux once only saying they had destroyed the station as somebody had said they had seen snipers there, and I believe he destroyed the church steeple for similar reasons.
     
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  11. Tim H.

    Tim H. Junior Member

    Correction: Audrieux should be spelled Audrieu without the X.......my attempt at editing was timed out.
     
  12. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Tim
    Can't remember whether we've discussed this before but it does explain why Fred Bartlett isn't shown on the A Squadron ORBAT - the ORBAT is effective D Day so Taylor (shown on the ORBAT) is KIA then replaced by Bartlett, presumably at Audrieu (Tony told me he - Tony - assumed command when George KIA, but that would only have been temporary) and that remained the case until their tank was KO at Tessel Wood on 26th June.
     
  13. ObserverPete

    ObserverPete New Member

    I have a photograph of my Dad (Trooper J P Walker) taken in Bridlington, that shows him and his troop in front of their tanks taken before the invasion of Normandy.
     
  14. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Would be brilliant if you could upload the photo. Any names mentioned on the photo?
     
  15. ObserverPete

    ObserverPete New Member

    I will get the photo out of storage and upload it with the list of the crew's names and what happened to them.
    As an aside I was a member of the Royal Observer Corps and we wore the RAF blue battle-dress uniform but with black berets. The black berets came from the Royal Armoured Corps tank regiment. I wish i could have told my Dad that information before he died in 2010.
    Pete
     
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  16. ObserverPete

    ObserverPete New Member

    Please see photo upload of my Dad J P Walker far right taken in Bridlington, and the names of each crew.
     

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  17. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Gosh! I didn't realise your dad was a member of Bunny Leathers jinxed Troop. Horrendous casualty rate.
     
  18. ObserverPete

    ObserverPete New Member

    It is a pleasure to contribute to the history on this site. I have more pictures but without ID names. I will dig them out and upload them here.
    I would appreciate any information about Bunny Leathers jinxed Troop. Dad never talked about what he went through. I would love a map of where he went.
    I have uploaded his Service Record of Regiments/Corps.
     

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  19. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    That's quite a Service Record. Basically, after initial training he went to 24L and, when they were disbanded - and after a couple of weeks in limbo - he transferred to the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in 11th Armoured Division. He was then moved around a few times post War before leaving the Army.

    Best sources of information would be Richard Leathers chapter in 'None Had Lances' and, for a good overall 'feel' the book 'The Black Bull' by Patrick Delaforce. For more detail you would need to delve into the various Unit War Diaries.

    I look forward to seeing the other photos: hopefully we can fill in a few names.
     
  20. harkness

    harkness Well-Known Member

    Jinxed?

    Hmmm.....Bunny Leather lost two more tanks after moving to 23rd Hussars. Four men killed, two wounded on May 1st, 1945 in Sahms. Days before the end of the war.
     

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