Family Soldiers: 1/4th Essex (WW2) & 25 Field Regiment R.A.(Post-War)

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Charley Fortnum, Mar 21, 2015.

  1. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I don't actually have a copy of that because a) I have generally limited myself to 1942 onward, when my grandfather's battalion was with the division and b) I have been holding our for the rarer Indian edition with the cool cover to match my copy of The Tiger Kills.

    If I tire of waiting, however, I'll give you a shout, Stu. Thanks for the offer.
     
  2. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.


    Charley,
    I think i may be missing something here ? I'm
    on my phone at the moment ! Will chat later
    when I'm home. I do not have the book to hand. No probs if not requried..
    I think the bòok that you are talking about, comes after mine? Mine does not have dust jacket/ cover. Can you show the one that you are thinking about?

    Regards
    Stu.
     
  3. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    There are multiple editions of The Tiger Strikes (see below). What I don't know is whether the content differs. The second volume in the set, The Tiger Kills, has an Indian Edition and a British HMSO edition, and the first of these has more information in the appendices. It also continues the theme with the cool dust-jacket, but the English HMSO cover is also rather stylish. The modern paperback reprint is less attractive than both.

    P1010556 copy.JPG 8049437752.jpg 9200000025881592.jpg

    There is only a single edition of the final volume, The Tiger Triumphs (plus an identical modern reprint).

    19426109759.jpg

    THE TIGER STRIKES EDITIONS:

    1) Hardback: Green Cloth with black title in white box.
    Publisher: J. F. Paarr at Thacker's Press & Directories, Director of Public Relations, Government of India,
    Calcutta, India, (1942).

    762103879.jpg images.jpeg

    2) Urdu Edition of the Above (1942)

    3) Hindu Edition of the Above (1943)

    4) English Paperback Edition
    Publisher J. F. Paarr for the Government of India (1943)

    21292410350.jpg

    5) Modern Reprint--possibly print on demand--can't find a photo of it online.
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2018
    Tricky Dicky likes this.
  4. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Charley,
    So it does have a cover. Nice one for finding it. You have saved me some time in looking . No 1 that is. It has plenty of detail & some sharp illustrations. I just need the back of the cover to complete it. Will check later to see how many pages it has.

    Thanks for your time.
    Stu.
     
  5. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I have a scan of the first edition of The Tiger Strikes and it has 165 pages and ends with the list of awards and decorations for soldiers with the division. The Tiger Kills (First Indian Edition) has 354 and is brilliant.
     
  6. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I think these will interest: two articles extracted from old War Monthly magazines.

    The first covers the Battle of Wadi Akarit and the second is Cassino, both with 4th Indian Division perspectives.
     

    Attached Files:

  7. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    A very evocative shot here of (what I take to be) Tampin Station, 13/8/54.

    Tampin 13.08.1954.jpg

    Not exactly a bustling place!
     
  8. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

  9. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Somebody on Twitter uploaded a rather good photograph of Warley Barracks in 1960, shortly before its demolition

    The regimental chapel (still standing) is marked with the number.

    Warley Baracs - Chapel Marked [1960].jpeg
     
  10. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

  11. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Also, reproduced in lousy quality but readable:

    With 4th Indian Division at Cassio: 'Batting With Bradman'
    By Major G V J M Smith MBE CEng DipBia

    Extracted from: The Royal Engineers' Journal, Vol. 108, No. 1 (April 1994).
     

    Attached Files:

  12. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I've been trying to track down some information about this man for some time now, but no joy yet:

    Just an interesting aside to the forgoing, Fred "Sailor" Austin was, I believe, the oldest serving member of the 1st/4th Battalion in his forties when they went overseas. At El-Alamein Col. Noble sent him and another soldier home to England as escorts to two prisoners (members of the unit deemed unsuitable for various reasons). Unbeknown to "Sailor" instructions were also sent that he be kept in England. Imagine then Col. Noble's face when, a few weeks later, "Sailor" appeared back with "C" company having convinced the authorities at home that, as a member of the Essex, he had a right to be with them, so the Colonel made "Sailor" his runner.

    Source:
    hudgell home page
     
  13. AndrewP

    AndrewP Member

  14. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Interesting. Have just bought the following on eBay and am itching to see how substantial the interviews are. I mentioned to the seller that my grandfather was there with the 1/4th Essex and he wrote back to say his father was, too--another contact and a double success for the evening!

    s-l1600.jpg

    s-l1600-2.jpg
     
  15. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    The general consensus seems to be that signalling diagrams are a) hard to understand and b) not that interesting, but I'm pondering this one from Cassino. Can anybody tell me the meaning of GOAT (roughly in the centre)?

    Source:
    WO 170/2082: 'E' Signal Section Attch to 1 Field Regiment (Jan-Dec 1944)

    WO 170-2082 1 Field Regiment Signal Section 1944 Jan-Dec.JPG

    They were located in PASTINELLE, here:

    Screen Shot 2019-02-17 at 19.03.55.png
     
  16. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I've found an online copy of After the Battle No.155: Athens, December 1944.

    Athens, December 1944 [After the Battle №155].pdf

    Including this likely 1/4th Essex soldier. Frustratingly, that IWM catalogue number is returning no results at the museum website.

    Screen Shot 2019-02-24 at 00.49.37.png
     
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  17. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    The Battle of Monte Cassino Association page has a truly vast collection of images.

    https://www.facebook.com/pg/battagliadicassino/photos/?ref=page_internal

    I post only those that pertain to 4th Indian Division, but if you have an interest in the battle you'd do well to spend a few hours poring over them!

    Cassino, Italy, march 1944. Gurkhas wounded being evacuated by mule. (NA) .jpg
    Wounded Gurkhas being evacuated (March '44)

    1-4 Essex In The Quarry.jpg
    1/4th Essex in the quarry behind Point 175.

    Gurkhas Cassino.jpg
    Gurkhas around Cassino

    Punjabis.jpg
    4/16th Punjabs at Cassino (Feb '44)

    Feb 15.jpg
    4/16 Punjab at Cassino (15/2/44)--I love this picture.

    Third Battle.jpg
    Good map of the battleground

    Castle Hill.jpg
    Castle Hill. Unpublished photo by a German soldier of the 29th Panzer Grenadier Division--between October and November 1943--In the foreground the ruins of a building destroyed in the first bombardment of 10 September 1943.

    Castle Hill.jpg
    Castle Hill before the war.
     
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  18. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Charley, I cant find a meaning of GOAT, but have a look at the attachment below. Some what of a warren if you ask me? Just imagine trying to follow it when you have had quite a few shots of rum.:wacko: Its from the 1st Division at Anzio.

    Regards
    Stu.
    1st Inf Div. No10..jpg
     
  19. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Spaghetti Diagram!

    Considering that they're neat schematics and the actual lines would be all over the place, it doesn't bear thinking about the task of trying to identify which has just been blasted in two while under fire.
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2019
  20. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Charley,
    these photos are rather smart (especially the last one!) I know of a hotel in Cassino town that has two rather large frames of pics before the war. Edit, & some after. I have tried to take copies of them on my camera & phone, but the glass in the frames does get in the way. I'm going back again this year & will see if the glass can be taken out?:unsure: I know I'm taking a liberty. If you don't ask, then you do not get.

    The map is in the book CASSINO THE HOLLOW VICTORY The Battle for Rome January - June 1944 by John Ellis Page Xiii.
    Panoramic View of the Cassino Massif - seen from Monte Trocchio.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2019

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