My uncle William Hall Johnston (Bill) GROUNDWATER was a member of the 111th Royal Artillery Field Regiment. I am trying to find out more about his time in the regiment. Is anybody able to point me in the right direction? He was born in Scotland in 1919.
I don't have references handy, but 111th Field Regt was a Territorial Army (TA) unit initially recruited in and around Bolton, Lancs. That being the case, your uncle probably joined the unit as a reinforcement. The unit served briefly under 50th (Northumbrian) Division in 1942.
Hi Here is an overview of what they did- RA 1939-45 111 Fld Rgt Have you looked at Scotlands People to get his birth and Family history? Here is a couple of files at National Archives UK about the regiment- Detecting your browser settings Not online but some people on this site do go there for you. regards Robert
Hello Fred-Here's the units diaries if you can get to the National Archives: WO 166/1523 111 Field Regiment. 1939 Sept.- 1941 Dec. WO 166/7013 111 Regiment. 1942 Jan.- May WO 169/4602 111 Field Regiment 1942 June- Dec. WO 169/9512 111 Field Regiment 1943 Jan.- Dec. WO 170/967 Field Regiments: 111 Field Regt 1944 Jan.- Dec. WO 170/4752 Field Regiments: 111 Regiment 1945 Jan.- Nov.
Hello Fred Apply for his service records They will possibly take up to 12 months to come through Request records of deceased service personnel regards Clive
111th Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) HQ, 211th, 212th (East Lancashire) Btys: Bolton The regiment served under command of 66th Infantry Division in the United Kingdom from 3 September 1939 until 22 June 1940. It then served under command of 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division in the United Kingdom from 3 July 1940 until 31 October 1941. On 29 November 1940, ‘R’ Battery was formed at Woodbridge. It was renumbered 476th Battery on 14 January 1941. The word (Bolton) was added to regiment’s name on 17 February 1942. The regiment received 102nd Anti-Tank Battery from 14th Anti-Tank Regiment on 24 May 1942 and was then shipped to the Middle East. The regiment lost 102nd Anti-Battery to 95th Anti-Tank Regiment on 19 September 1942 and the order to convert to a Medium Regiment was cancelled. The regiment then served under command of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division in Egypt from 15 October 1942 until 21 November 1942. It then came under direct command of 8th Army during the campaign in North Africa from November 1942 until May 1943. It then served under command of XIII Corps Artillery (6th Army Group Royal Artillery) during the campaign in Sicily from 10 July until 17 August 1943. It served under command 15th Army Group during the campaign in Italy from September 1943 until the end of the war as an army field regiment. It was detached to the island of Vis in Yugoslavia, arriving there in March 1944 and remained until September 1944. It then returned to Bari and became part of Floydforce for further service in Yugoslavia. The regiment landed on mainland Yugoslavia as part of the Adriatic Brigade (Floyd Force) on 27 October 1944 and remained there for two and a half months operating with the Partisans. It served on various raids in Jugoslavia and the Aegean during this time.
My Grandma's Cousin, Gunner Eric Butterfield served in the 111th RA Field Regiment and was killed in Bari, Italy on 5/10/1944. He was only 24. I have a photo of his Headstone
I have been looking for this information for a long time. My great Uncle Jim Farrow from Bolton served in this regiment throughout the war.I have just been looking through are old photos of Italy and Yugoslavia. He as long passed but used to tell stories to me as a child about his time in the army.
