8th Rifle Brigade (11th Armoured Division) website

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by 8RB, Mar 30, 2019.

  1. m kenny

    m kenny Senior Member

  2. Louglitter

    Louglitter Member


    Hi Ronald

    My dad has sent me what he has of the image (he’s still trying to trace who has the full image it’s taking a while!) Anyway, not a massive improvement but there are 5 faces in there in case you recognise any of them... here’s hoping you might as I’ve hit a bit of a wall!

    Thanks as always,
    Louise
     

    Attached Files:

  3. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    Have just added some more photos of liberation of Antwerp to website (France to Germany - 8th Rifle Brigade). It now shows Harkness' photos and my own collection of 25 photos, most of which I believe were taken on 23rd Hussars' and H Company 8th Rifle Brigade's route through the city (as indicated on attached GSGS 4420 map).
     

    Attached Files:

    Louglitter likes this.
  4. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    Hello Louise,

    I am not too good at recognizing faces but I had hoped I might have recognized an officer or sergeant on the full photo. Here I can distinguish no badges of rank however. You might have a go and see if you recognize any individuals on the group photo page of the website (Group photos - 8th Rifle Brigade), or I could give it a try if maybe later you find the full photo.

    Good luck with your search, Ronald.
     
    Louglitter likes this.
  5. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    I was contacted through my website www.8thriflebrigade.co.uk by the daughter of the 8th Rifle Brigade veteran pictured below. On her behalf: can anyone tell me to which medals he would have been entitled? Or how this can be found out? He served in Europe (France to Germany) from June 1944 to May 1945. I do not know when he was enlisted (he was born on 22/8/1925).

    upload_2019-6-14_15-38-9.png
     
  6. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    All details will be in his Service Records available from the MOD Glasgow.
     
  7. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    The 8th Rifle Brigade website is starting to take shape. Some 18 pages now, on battalion members, history and organisation and with photos, film and audiotapes. I also start to get response from relatives of battalion members, now and then resulting in brief biographical sketches on individual members of 8th Rifle Brigade, such as the one below. You can find them on Members of the Bn. - 8th Rifle Brigade

    8thriflebrigade.co.uk - Rfn. John Petrie.jpg
     
    Rfn1940, stolpi, bamboo43 and 3 others like this.
  8. Louglitter

    Louglitter Member

    Had a look the other day Ronald and it’s looking great!
     
  9. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    This weekend I received on loan a wonderful collection of photos and other documents - including his Soldier's Service and Pay Book - from a late G Company Sergeant of the 8th Rifle Brigade, for research and future publishing on the 8th Rifle Brigade website: http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/

    Collection - low.jpg
     
    Rfn1940, harkness, SDP and 4 others like this.
  10. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    While going through and scanning the documents (#29), I stumbled across this document... and decided I needed a drink. :)

    Hooch list.jpg
     
  11. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    Just added a large number of photos to 'wanted' section of 8RB website: http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/wanted/. Do take a look, certainly if you think you might recognize anyone!

    Fruin photo 012a.jpeg
     
    dbf and Chris C like this.
  12. vestingjager

    vestingjager Well-Known Member

    I'm pretty confident that it is taken at Mortsel-Luithagen, Antwerpsesteenweg (now: Mortsel, Antwerpsestraat), the troops arriving from Mortsel, driving towards Antwerp! You can see the bombed out area to the right, and a little further the railway bridge near the Krijgsbaan. Also, at that point, the tramway lines were on the right side of the road coming from Antwerp, driving towards Mechelen.
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2019
    8RB likes this.
  13. vestingjager

    vestingjager Well-Known Member

    I was right, almost the same view (see roadsigns bottom right), after the US bombing on April 5, 1943:
    [​IMG]

    Unfortunately, that's how the same are looks today (google maps):
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    8RB likes this.
  14. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    Great find!
     
  15. vestingjager

    vestingjager Well-Known Member

    Thanks, I pass this crossroads every day taking the Krijgsbaan/Vredestraat from work....lol

    From what I can see that is written on the tanks, you can easily follow their route towards Antwerp; I believe they bivouacked in the area of Merchtem, then they apparently drove east over Nieuwenrode as far as Mechelen, then due North via the N1, past the Walem fort, to Hove, Mortsel Oude God to Mortsel Luithagen.
     
    stolpi likes this.
  16. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    Here's a photo of when they came through Malines (or Mechelen), taken at Steenweg, right next to the St. Romboutskathedraal. The photo was taken by "Van Daele photo" in Mechelen, which still exists. I have used it for Don Gillate's autobiography "With the 8th Rifle Brigade from Normandy to the Baltic", to illustrate a story about a "the tank commander" in Malines...

    18f - tank commander 23rd hussars - Mechelen - 4 sept 1944.jpg
     
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  17. vestingjager

    vestingjager Well-Known Member

    This is very consistent with the pictures, taken a few miles from the outskirts of the town, just between Antwerp and Mortsel at Luithagen:

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    I have marked the route taken, as well as the names of towns found on the tanks, the red or blue dot shows where pictures were taken.
     
    8RB likes this.
  18. vestingjager

    vestingjager Well-Known Member

    Some more old (turn of the century) pictures of the same area;

    1. The tanks were parked in front of the park of this building (notice the same fence):

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    2. View towards Mortsel and the railroad bridge. Both buildings to the right were the ruins in the 1943 and 1944 pictures:

    [​IMG]

    3. View from the opposite direction, park is on the left, tanks were approximately where the photographer stood, looking towards Antwerp:

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2019
    8RB and stolpi like this.
  19. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    Thanks Vestingjager, just added your location info to Antwerp section of: France to Germany - 8th Rifle Brigade If you have any other photos or information which might be added to the site, I would be very interested!

    Kind regards, Ronald.
     
    vestingjager likes this.
  20. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Aug 4, 2019

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