6088428 Percy GARWOOD, Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey) & 1/5 Welch Regiment

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by John French, Jan 27, 2020.

  1. John French

    John French Member

    Percy was killed in action on 12/3/45 and was initially buried in Asperden (10 km south of Kleve, Germany). Please could anyone advise where 1/5th were in action around that time (a link to war diaries would be useful).

    Are there any photos of 1/5th in action around that time or if not an image of the 1/5th cap badge.

    I understand he originally enlisted in the Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey) earlier in the war. Is it possible to establish when he might have transferred from his service number?

    Thanks
     
  2. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

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  3. John French

    John French Member

    Thanks Tony. I am not a family member, so I probably cannot access his MOD service record, hence my request to establish his approximate transfer date from his service number.

    John
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    You can order his records as lots of us have ordered service records of men we are not related too.

    I have the 53rd Welsh Div history on my shelf but am at work at the moment.
     
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  5. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    See Tony's above link. You do not have to be related to get full Service Records if they died more than 25 years ago.

    Tim
     
  6. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    John - He was killed in the interlude between the Rhineland Offensive (which ended on 10/03/45) and Operation Plunder (Rhine Crossing 24/03/45).

    The 53rd Welsh had been relieved by 52nd Lowland Division on 7 and 8 March 45 and moved from the Bönninghardt plateau near Alpen to a reserve position described by Barclay's History of the 53rd Welsh Div as the area "between the Goch - Venlo road and the river Meuse". Starting on March 12th the division then moved to the Brussels area.

    There is mention in the divisional history of an aerial attack by three enemy air planes on the 11th, but this involved the 1st HLI at Twisterden and caused no losses in personnel.

    Unfortunately I do not have the War Diary of the 1/5 Welch for March 1945. I think this will give more details.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2020
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  7. John French

    John French Member

    Apologies to all - I incorrectly stated the date of death, which should be 12/2/1945. I think this is in the middle of Operation Veritable, where XXX Corps were clearing the Reichswald Forrest. It seems likely that Percy died in the heavy fighting there.

    John
     
  8. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    12/2/1945 was the day of 47th Pz Korps counter-attack against the British who had (nearly) reached the eastern edge of the Reichswald and had cleared Hau to the east of Cleve. While 43rd Wessex at Hau was hit by the 116. Pz Division, the 53rd Welsh inside the Reichswald forest, hard west of Pfalzdorf, were attacked by elements of 15 .Pz Gren.Division.

    See: VERITABLE 1945: 15th Scottish & 43rd Wessex Divisions in the Reichswald battle
     
  9. John French

    John French Member

    Casualty
    On 3/8/1938 Percy Garwood enlisted as Private 6088428 according to the Queen's Regimental Rolls, but I do not have any details of which battalion or whether he was a Territorial. In December 1944 he was transferred to The 1/5th Welch Regiment(a Territorial battalion), in which he was killed in action on 12/2/1945. Can anyone provide any details of his Queen's Royal Regiment service, so I can established where he served.

    Thanks

    John
     
  10. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

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  11. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Follow Tullybrones advise but in the meantime

    Surrey, England, Regimental Rolls, 1914-1947
    Name: Percy Charles Garwood
    Event Date: 3 Aug 1938
    Regiment Number: 6088428
    Regiment: Queen's Royal West Surrey
    40816_1831101883_1467-00005.jpg

    UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
    Name: Percy Garwood
    Given Initials: P C
    Rank: Private
    Death Date: 12 Feb 1945
    Number: 6088428
    Birth Place: Essex
    Regiment at Enlistment: Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
    Branch at Enlistment: Infantry
    Theatre of War: Western Europe Campaign, 1944/45
    Regiment at Death: Welch Regiment
    Branch at Death: Infantry


    TD
     
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  12. John French

    John French Member

    Tricky Dicky, sorry for slow response. This is very useful data and raises a couple of questions:

    - Percy would have been aged 16 when he enlisted. Did the Queens (Regular Battalions) still have boy soldiers (musicians) or did he possibly lie about his age?

    - This is the time when the Queens Territorial battalions were being rapidly expanded - did they have different age criteria?

    - Percy and some other Queens men were transferred to 1/5th Welch (in Dec 1944), which was a Territorial Battalion. Is this likely to support my idea that he may have been a Territorial? If so, could he have been transferred from Britain to Germany at this time?

    Regards

    John
     
  13. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Probably best to speak to the Regimental museum. I am presently looking through the records for a 'boy' soldier who 'joined up' in 1937 (Worcesters) -each regiment may have had slightly different rules to meet their own requirements (guessing there)

    TD
     
  14. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

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  15. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    It really isnt a good idea to have duplicate threads on same person.


    Edit: Threads merged
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 10, 2020
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