Searching for survivors of 3rd Reconnaissance d day landings

I am a new member so im saying hello and hoping this is the right way ...

My dad was conscripted in WW2 at the age of 18. He was in the 3rd Reconaissance Regiment. He was trained in scotland, think Dumfries and sailed from Tilbury to Normandy Beach. He was landed at Sword Beach on 7th June 1944. They were landed on armoured vehicles and were told to head for Caen. He made a pact wth his mates to meet at Caen but it never happened. His group was stuck for a week as the Germans 21st Panzar Division were in situ. And despite the British Airboourne bombings they were trying to survive the allied bombings. My dad did eventually reach Caen which was totally devasatated. He has never been back since or wanted to. This year me my mum and dad are going to the D Day landing memorials as part of my dads 90th birthday.

I know he would want to meet up with any of his regiment he landed on sword with in France or indeed at least hear from any other survivors or relatives of those men who served alongside my dad in the 3rd reconniassance. I know of the link to the Northumberland Fusiliers as he talked about the gerdie comrades. My dad is from Liverpool and his name is Arthur Sharkey.

I would welcome any contact from other members of his regiment or from the4ir fanmilies.
.

After the liberation of Germany the £rd Reconaissance Regiment was disbanded and my dad was put into the 15th / 19th Hussars and weas shipped to Palestine.

If there is anyone who served with my dad in france and Germany or Palestine, I would love to hear from you.

 

Hi Sharkey and welcome Here is 2 pages from i.w.m. they may not be your Regiment as they mention Corps but im none the wiser.

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205197698

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205197697

Alan.

 

Welcome to the forum, great to have another Recce on board. Do you have any photos etc that you might like to share.

Cheers
Paul

 

Hello and welcome to the forum - I've got some 3 Recce Battalion War Diaries I was never paid for. Drop me a PM if you are interested and good luck with your search.

Regards
Andy

 

Hello Sharkey,

Firstly welcome to the forum.

I believe there is a 3 Recce Old Comrades Association that meets in Hexham, although I don’t know how many members are left.

My father (Lt Bill Lewis) served in the Regiment (A Sqn & RHQ) 1943-45. He died in 1990.

3 Recce provided about 100 officers and other ranks for the provision of Divisional Contact and Beach Control Groups. They landed on 6th June on Sword beach, with the majority of the Regiment following on 18th/19th June.

The war diaries for the Regiment are on this forum: 3 Recce War Diaries.

Richard.

P.S. Owen, you beat me to it!

 

Mine have the appendices :p

 

Thank you so much for replying. I didnt know if i should expect anything as the surviving veterns and interest in WW2 is dwindlind..sadly...everyone is not even forgetting...they are just oblivious to the actions of all the young men who gave and lost their lives and what hell those who made it thru had to goi thrui...anyway all info welcome in particular 3rd reconnaissance (8th Fusilliers northumerland) who were landed at sword beach 7th june 1944...there might be some lads still alive like my dad....my dad has only now entertyained going back to sword. he has always felt he had his youth robbed and has always shunned pomp and ceremony as he remembers the real stuff but I am honoured as his daughter to spend his 90th birthday year wth him and my mum in Normandy. my ,u, and I iwill also be remembering my uncle ( her brother) Albert Davies who was on the ss maid of orleans and landed british troops ar gold beach. he died 4 years ago, He was awarded the Crioix de Guerre wth a gold star for bravery and he was mentioned in Dispatches twice as he saved british troops from landing craft and when he watched a torpedo hit this ship ss maid of orleans so Im am trying to locate any of his comrades as well thanks you for yr replies so far x

 

Hi,

I have just got my Grandfathers military record back, it seems to mirror your fathers. He started in the Northumberland Fusiliers and then went on to serve in 3 Recce and the 15th/19th. He was in Group C in 3 Recce and was CQMS for some time, His name was Donald Scase.

Don't much more about what he did though as he never spoke of it.

Rich

 

I picked up two collections to 3rd Recce, the group photos in Germany from the first one which were identified by members. Being on my iPad I can't easily link to the thread.

I've just picked up another collection to a 3rd Recce man with all his photos. He was also posted to 15/19 Hussars and there are many photos of his time with this unit too. After the summer I am going to scan them all and will put some up on the forum.

 

Did your uncle leave any more about the loss of the Maid of Orleans? There is a page about her first landing at Normandy in a book that I have; I have posted it somewhere in this forum - but forgot where!! Also which ship did you Dad sail on from Tilbury?

 

Maid of Orleans

 

there are still a few veterans of 3rd recce alive.
one of them is my uncle, joe lytollis, of A sqd, who is only too glad to talk to anyone interested in their history.
sadly there are very few left.
they used to meet in the RYTON social club on the first tuesday of each month but i believe that was ended 10 years ago due to their age.
he was among the first wave to land at sword.
one of there capts arthur gardner, has a street named after him in hermanville
my father sgt arthur plews arrived the 7th june.

 

Hi Sharkey,
My late father Neil John McKelvey also had the same army record as your father he was known as "Mad Mac" he was Irish and living in Manchester, acording to his war records he enlisted on 3/10/42 and was posted to 3rd recce on 11 Feb 43 he also landed at Sword beach and then on to Caen. He was wounded by a sniper whilst firing a brengun throw his right arm on the 17/4/45 when recovered he rejoined his unit 24/6/46 afte the war he to was posted to Palestine and demomed 11/9/46, It would be nice to think that they where commrads during those times.

Regards Neil

 

Hello,
I'm new to this site and hoping somebody can help me with my research of my late father's experiences from D-Day to the end of the war in Europe. My father was Bob Parker who served as an armoured car driver with the 3rd Recce. His gunner/wireless operator was a guy called Machin and his car commander was Sgt Harry Allpress. He also spoke about another driver in his outfit called Donworth.

He landed at Sword beach and crossed the Rhine at Wesel. I'm looking to contact anyone who might be able to share some of the stories he told me about his journey across Europe.

Nick

 

Don't know if either of you have seen this thread on 3 Recce?

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/17096-recce-photo-id-3rd-division/

 

Nick welcome to the forum. Great to have another Recce on board. Please post what you have about father, photos, records etc

Cheers
Paul

 

My father, John Gray MBE was in 3rd Recce. He landed on 6th June on contact deployment (radios). Soon reunited with his armoured cars, jeeps etc. Ended up in Palestine after war ended. Of the 120 men in his squadron, B, he and his Sergeant, Harold McCarten, were the only 2 men not wounded or killed. He was a fantastic man and a beloved Dad. Loads of photos from his many trips back to Normandy. Was treasurer of Ellesmere Port and Chester branch of Normandy Veterans Association for many years.

 

Alan welcome to the forum, great to have another Recce on board.

Cheers
Paul

 

Thanks Paul. My dad wrote a very detailed memoir of which the Imperial War Museum has a copy. You may be interested.