Lord Rognvald Herschell 253900 Coldstream Guards

Nice acquisition.

From Howard & Sparrow’s CG Regimental History - Lord Herschell active service - 3 Bn from 5.9.43; 2 Bn 1.3.45; Prisoner of War Italy 23.4.45 to 30.4.45; 2 Bn (Adjt) 10.7.45.

Promotions - 2nd Lieutenant 6.12.42. Lieutenant 6.6.43 Captain 10.7.45

Steve

PS

I think the image is from No Dishonourable Name book. I’ll look up my copy and try & confirm over the weekend

 

If you can check the photo that would ideal - the one I have doesn't look like its from the period but isn't new either, so could well have been copied from a book or from someone he knew that had an original.

Cheers

Alistair

 

Will do Alistair.

I think it is photo of combined 2nd & 3rd CG (+ attached S Company Scots Guards) officers in Italy Feb 1945 (just before long serving officers returned to UK with 3rd CG) - far too many officers for just one Battalion.

Steve

 

Hi Alistair,

As I surmised it's the photo on P252 of N D N - officers of 2nd & 3rd CG @ Spoleto, Italy Feb 1945 - no Scots Guards mentioned!

Lord Herschell - named as Bobs Herschell - is 6th from left on back (4th) row. There is a Gerald Legge (future brother in law?) 3rd from left in same row. Andrew Lord Cavendish (late Duke of Devonshire) is beside him - 4th from left.

Michael Howard (eminent historian) is standing extreme left on 3rd row.

The 1947 & 1972 editions of the book are long out of print. I got a copy on an inter library loan 20 years ago and photocopied it!

Let me know if you want all the other names.

Regards

Steve

 

Thanks for that Steve, Diane was right about who he was in the photo - it is odd about the ribbon - I had a quick look online for the book, I think I'll be giving that one a miss (I'll keep looking in case one turns up cheap, but I'm not holding my breath)

Cheers

Alistair

 

Hi Alistair,

Looking at your first post I think Lt Lord Herschell was searching for the missing No 2 Company when he was captured 23rd April 1945 and that he was released at Capua 30th April.

There is mention on P278/279 of N D N of the 2nd Battalion CG reaching Copparo during the advance to the River Po at 5.15 am 23rd April and making contact with German forces there - No 2 company being out of physical touch with the remainder of the Battalion at that time.

The Battalion received wireless messages that No 2 were being fired on by German tanks at their location near “Apple” (see below topic) on the Battalion right flank but all communication ceased after 10am.

The account also speaks of the majority of No 2 personnel being recovered from German hands at Padua (date of return of personnel to Battalion not given only that P295 N D N says Battalion were moving north of River Po at village of Villadose 30th April when information was received that majority of No 2 were at Capua in Allied hands).

N D N P279 states it was later discovered that No 2 had taken the wrong road during the night advance, gone too far west and run into a strong German locality in a “pocket” between 78th and 56th Division which was later cleared by 11th Infantry Brigade.

Forum member Phaethon has produced an excellent mapping resource for 23rd April in his 2nd CG War diary transcription thread here showing the Apple location mentioned above.

Regards

Steve

Second Battalion Coldstream Guards in WW2 (War Diary: 1944)