Hi Everyone, I am a new member seeking as much information as I can about the experiences, in WW2, of a raw recruit from London into the 1st Battalion 'The Rangers' which was a TA unit of the King's Royal Rifles Corps. They had a HQ in London, Barracks in Winchester and a training camp at Bushfield camp south of Winchester. I would be most grateful if any member could enlighten me as to where a man, called-up in January 1940 would have been required to present himself for his first appearance. Kevin Trott
Hi Kevin The 1st Battalion were in North Africa according to this war diary ref (WO 169). Are you sure he went to the 1st Battalion and not the 2nd? WO 169/356 1 King's Royal Rifle Corps 1939 Aug-1940 Dec
He's asking about 1st Bn The Rangers which later became 9th KRRC. KRRC Association The 9th Battalion (1st Bn. The Rangers), under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel G. C. Ashburner, had left England in November, 1940
Hi Fellas, thanks for trying to assist with this. Yes, it is a bit confusing. The 1st Rangers were a Territorial unit of KRRC based in London. They trained as Motorised Infantry and were sent to Greece and Crete in 1941. They were re-designated 9th Battalion KRRC in March of 1941. They later served in North Africa in the desert war around the siege of Tobruk. When Tobruk fell to the Germans, they withdrew to Egypt. The depleted Battalion was disbanded in September 1942 and the remaining men re-allocated to other units of the KRRC and Rifle Brigade. My gt-uncle went to 2bn KRRC and was KIA at El Alamein in October 1942.
