Cheshire regiment - locating my dads records

I have located a couple of really small bad quality photos, will upload as soon as I can get my scanner working. No dates on the back, but appears that my dad served in Egypt, at a camp at El Kirsh, nr Ismailia. from there he seems to have been injured & transferred to the Australian Hospital in Jerusalem. I've also got a photo which states 'the boys that came with me in Hospital in South Africa. I can only assume he was therefore in S Africa at some point, which would explain why my parents did consider emigrating there. Will keep digging, but maybe these bits if info may shed some light?

 

Attached are the medals my Dad was awarded.

 

Several thoughts:

1. Try and get to the PRO Kew to look at the war diaries of the relevant Cheshire battalions. Your father isn't likely to be mentioned in them but war diaries included strength returns that listed officers, so you could find Capt Gingell that way.

2. The diaries will also give locations and movements, at least of Bn HQ's. If your father mentioned any places, that would also help pin down which battalion he was in.

3. Between the fall of France (June 40) and the conquest of Sicily (Jul-Aug 43), nearly all troops from the UK reached Egypt and the Middle East via the long convoy route around the Cape of Good Hope. Convoys routinely broke the journey in Cape Town or Durban to refuel and give the troops a quick leave ashore. If your father fell ill on the journey out, it's quite possible that he was hospitalized in South Africa before going on to join his unit.

 

I see that your dad had the war medal, 39-45 medal, and the Africa Star, but nothing for Italy or Malta. I've checked assignments etc of Cheshire Regt bns on ordersofbattle.com, and this suggests to me that he wasn't in the 7th Bn (5th Division), which fought in Sicily and Italy but not in Africa. Maybe not the 1st Bn either, which was on Malta after Africa. The 6th Bn fought with the 44th and 56th Divs in Africa and later with the 56th in Italy. The 2nd Bn (50th Div) fought in Africa, Sicily, and later NWE. So, 7th Bn appears to be out, which leaves the other three. If he was in the 1st, 2nd, or 6th, he would have left the unit before the unit went on to its post-African destination. The 1st Bn was already in Africa (Sudan, actually) when the war began. He could have joined the 1st as a reinforcement, going out via the Cape probably sometime after June 1940. Otherwise, he could have gone out to the Middle East with the 2nd Bn in 1941 or with the 6th in 1942.

 

I have been in contact with the Chester Museum who has been able to advise that my father was listed as 2nd Battalion in 1942. I will complete the forms & request his formal records, for all info available.
Thank you do much for all info recd so far.

 

I have been in contact with the Chester Museum who has been able to advise that my father was listed as 2nd Battalion in 1942. I will complete the forms & request his formal records, for all info available.
Thank you do much for all info recd so far.

Hello Jackie,

So, your father served with the 2nd Bn Cheshire Regiment, 50th (Northumbrian) Division. They were divisional troops giving predominantly Vickers MG and Mortar support to the Infantry.

The Infantry of 50 Div were:

1. 150th Infantry Brigade - 4th and 5th Bns Green Howards, and 4th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment;
2. 151st infantry Brigade - 6th, 8th and 9th Bns Durham Light Infantry; and
3. 69th Infantry Brigade - 6th and 7th Bns Green Howards, and 5th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment.

Albeit, the 150th Infantry Brigade was overrun at Gazala on 1 June 1942 and was struck off the nominal role thereafter.

They called in at South Africa on the way up to Egypt, 150th Infantry Brigade went to the Western Desert, with 69th and 151st infantry Brigades going first to Cyprus and then Northern Iraq (all second half of 1941). The route from Cyprus to Iraq and back took them through Palestine, and they passed through/by Ismailia on their way back to Egypt and eventually the Western Desert in January/February 1942.

There is much more to add, but the foregoing shows how your father could have been in South Africa, Ismailia and Jerusalem - hospitalised.

He also thought he should have had the Italy Star and if he was still with the 2nd Bn this is likely to have been for service in Sicily 10 July to end August 1943. I recollect that some of the 2nd Bn also helped out at the start of action on the Italian mainland - I will research this further and revert.

I hope this is helpful.

Best,

Steve.

 

Thx Steve
That's really interesting. He definitely never mentioned Italy, so hopefully his records will show more details. Will keep updating as & when I get any other info & will add pics as I locate.

 

Jackie, if you can get yourself to the National Archives at Kew, these are the war diaries for 2 Cheshire for 1942. Although you may want to confirm his battalion through his service records before thinking about getting the war diaries.


WO 169/4999, 2 Cheshire Regiment (1942 Jan.- Dec.)
WO 169/5000, 2 Cheshire Regiment 'B' Company (1942 Aug., Oct.- Nov.)
WO 169/5001, 2 Cheshire Regiment 'C' Company (1942 Jan.- Mar.)


Lee

 

Thx Steve
That's really interesting. He definitely never mentioned Italy, so hopefully his records will show more details. Will keep updating as & when I get any other info & will add pics as I locate.

Hello Jackie,

I'm getting this and another thread confused. The Jack Gingell connection must be taking me off at a tangent; his MiD was for service in Italy. Maybe Jack was in a different battalion of the Cheshire Regiment?!

Anyway, do you know if your father did service after N Africa and if not why not?

NB. I am out of the UK on business for a couple of days so may not be able to catch-up until Thursday...

Best,

Steve.

 

Hi Steve

Pretty sure they were in the same battalion, but my dad never served in Italy. Whether Jack Gingell did, I'm not sure. My Dad told me he came home from the war on a hospital ship, but I may have presumed it was because he was injured, although I can't think of any other reason for him leaving his unit early. My sister was born in early October 1944, so he was back in Crewe in Feb 1944 at the latest.

 

Hello Steve. I am trying to find information about the war career of Charles Bonner 4122477 of the 2nd Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment. He died on 3.3.1946 as a result of his wounds. I believe he was involved in D-Day but would love to have more information. Many thanks. Chris.

 

Then you need a copy of his service records - Request records of deceased service personnel

TD

 

Thanks. Can I get a copy of the war diary of the Regiment?
Chris.

 

Probably but first the service records will tell you which regiments (units) he was in and when - was he always in the Cheshire Regt??

TD

England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Charles Bonner
Death Age: 34
Birth Date: abt 1912
Registration Date: Mar 1946
Registration district: Liverpool North
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8b
Page: 672

 

My understanding is that he was always with the Cheshire's and finished with the 2nd Battalion. I will send off for details as you recommend. Cheers. Chris.

 

Its the only way to know for certain - he may have been transferred into them after D - Day - so unless you know for sure......

TD