76th HAA Regt RA, (236, 237, and 349 Batteries)

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by HAARA, Aug 7, 2013.

  1. Steve in StA

    Steve in StA Member

    My father was Gordon William Chester Rogers a gunner in 236/76 A Troop. A Bristolian he had joined the TA before the outbreak of War. In early 1945 my Grandmother asked Mary Stark, a children's nurse and part time volunteer fire person, to write to him in Italy. He wrote every day when he could returning to Bristol in late Summer where he actually met her and returning to Italy to what sounds like POW duties. My mother kept all his letters (blueys) from 1 March 1945 until his demob in December and kept them in a small clutch bag even in the care home where she died in 2018. My favourite of all those letters describes how his bit of the army celebrated V-Day in San Benedetto, Italy with support from the local partisans. My Dad spoke good Italian and loved Italy. My uncle was a tank commander and died in Italy and is buried in Gradara. Names of people I remember Dad talking about were Stan Bowlie (best mate) Dickie Tomkins, Joe Urch. He spoke very little about his war except for the funny bits. He was promoted and demoted several times I believe but ended his war as a gunner with a very nice commendation from someone who clearly
    knew him well.
     

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    HBStan likes this.
  2. HAARA

    HAARA Well-Known Member

    Great information and photographs, Steve, and thanks for posting! I don't immediately recognise any of the names you mention, but if I come across any of them in the Regt diaries I'll come back to you. If you go back to one of my earlier posts you'll find a description of 236/76 A troop's experience during the Bari raid, at which your father would have been present. You also mentioned PoW camp: this was at Cesenatico on the north east coast of Italy where the Regt was designated to guarding German prisoners.

    There was certainly a lot of drinking on VE day - love the description in the letter!
     
  3. Steve in StA

    Steve in StA Member

    Thanks HAARA. I read your account of the Bari Raid with interest - as I said he didnt talk much about his war. Delving into his story has given me great interest in the major British characters of the time and their thinking. Last year I read Andrew Roberts Churchill book, John Bew's Citizen Clem and am reading Andrew Adonis's Ernest Bevin story. In dad's July 1945 letters to mum he is on a course at Perugia University where he writes of the results of the General Election (page 3 of his July 28 bluey). He is surprised that many of the officers supported the change to a Labour government and informs her that all the men he knew had voted Labour. Her father, who had fought in the First World War, had been a carpenter's labourer, a small man who had a tough time with very few employment opportunities in the thirties. His first permanent post WW1 job was actually arranged by my mum's employer and involved filling sand bags. My dad came out of the war a strong socialist and later became a Tory. As a DT and Spectator reader I have followed a similar path. The thirties were so terrible for many working people (my dad's father was a cross channel ferry steward) and the politics of the 1945 General Election showed their desire that the thirties were not repeated after WW2. What a great generation!

    Do you know where the bridge is - my dad's writing on the back is Pixxnaza (the x's are letters I can't read.

    Best wishes

    Steve Rogers
     

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  4. HBStan

    HBStan Member

    It'll be Piacenza where the regiment was at the end of the war. This must be the bridge that my grandfather talked about driving over and it being a strange experience as it felt like you were permanently going uphill.
     
  5. HAARA

    HAARA Well-Known Member

    The Regiment were at Piacenza between 11 and 15 May, having moved from San Benedetto Po where they had been based from 25 April to 10 May. After Piacenza, the Regiment moved to Pesaro (10 May-10 November), from where troops were deployed to the Cesenatico PoW camp.
     
  6. HAARA

    HAARA Well-Known Member

    Yes, many from the Regt went to Perugia for retraining for civilian life - some of the courses seemed quite demanding, particularly after having been away from Britain since the arriving in North Africa in 1942. Like your father, John Kemp came across the same political leanings in the ranks. In case you haven't come across it, the book 'Ever your own Johnnie, Sicily and Italy 1943-45' has significant content about 236/76 through the eyes of the BSM, John Kemp, of the battery together with details of their movements.
     
  7. Steve in StA

    Steve in StA Member

    I have two regimental photos - one with 54 men and one with many more but the resolution I can upload on this site with its 2MP limit is poor. This is presumably a regimental photo my Dad is in the middle at the back. Scanned at 1200 dpi individuals are far clearer.
     

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  8. HAARA

    HAARA Well-Known Member

    Wow! Any idea on the date of this? I can see a tent in the background, so guess this might have been a training camp, possibly?
     
  9. Steve in StA

    Steve in StA Member

    Nothing on the back - my dad looked a bit older by war end so I think a training camp - earlier on - could be right.
     
  10. HAARA

    HAARA Well-Known Member

    Whilst the image on screen is, as you note, a low res, I cannot see any shoulder flashes (as my profile picture), which would have been introduced at some point after the war had started, so think this may well be pre or early war days.
     
  11. HBStan

    HBStan Member

    Fantastic photo. Are you able to cut the high res image into 4 parts so it can be uploaded? It would be great to see the faces.
     
  12. Steve in StA

    Steve in StA Member

    Here are 5 overlapping sections that make up the photo. I can send the original full version by email. (sje_rogers@hotmail.com)
     

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  13. Steve in StA

    Steve in StA Member

    A few more photos
     

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    zola1 likes this.
  14. HAARA

    HAARA Well-Known Member

    Really great images! Any more?!!
     
  15. Steve in StA

    Steve in StA Member

    Will go through everything now to look for any more - most have no info on the back.
     
  16. Tudor weeks

    Tudor weeks Member

    Hi. I believe my dad was in this regiment. He too was from Bristol and joined the TA in 1938 ish. He served in 8th army in North Africa and then up through Italy...Monte casino etc.
    I have uploaded a photo of him from 1939. He’s rear rank right 1DC63BB1-EAC3-4D34-BA6E-F2357E92B58A.jpeg
     
    HAARA likes this.
  17. HBStan

    HBStan Member

    That's a great picture. Do you know the names of them? There's a few of my Grandfather's photos on Page 2 that are from Portbury Camp, which he was at from October 1939. A few are large group photos so your dad may be in them.
     
  18. Tudor weeks

    Tudor weeks Member

    Hi. I did check with my brother. Sorry no names to go with the photo. He does, however, have a photo of a gun battery at Portbury. I’ll post that when I get the picture.
     
  19. Tudor weeks

    Tudor weeks Member

    Have some more photos of my Dad. Both in North Africa I believe.
     

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  20. HAARA

    HAARA Well-Known Member

    Hi Tudor, Good to know there's another connection to 76th, and look forward to seeing more of your pics! Can you let us know his name? Do you know his battery?

    Without wanting to appear picky, which I'm not, but just for history's sake, 76th HAA Regt were not at Monte Cassino, but passed by it not long after. At the time of the action they were based at Cerignola, and then Benevento, passing Monte Cassio on June 19/20 when in transit from Vairano to Frascati.
     

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