Raiding Support Regiment (RSR) War Diary Dec 44

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by Skip, Jun 21, 2014.

  1. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Hi Steve.

    It is always a pleasure to meet another 'vet'.

    I did visit a FIBUA once, but only to rest after an 8 mile tab escorted by the Light Infantry.

    I was in RAF 1983-2005 and spent most of my working life in underground bunkers chasing the Russians and misbehaving civil airliners around the skies of UK. However 87-91 I spent a much more interesting time in West Berlin, during which I was trained as a Bren Gunner.

    The RAF Station I was based at was located right next to the only part of the Berlin Wall that wasn't actually made of concrete. It was made of chainmail as hundreds of thousands of East German troops and thousands of tanks were based on the other side. If the balloon ever went up, the tanks would have made light work of the chainmail fence. We had an army infantry barracks nearby in a similar predicament so joint exercises were quite frequent. We were all shown this part of the wall as part of our familiarisation and it was pointed out that the East Germans could be knocking on our door before I had laced my boots up.

    Witnessing the Berlin Wall fall was one of the moments I will never forget.

    Dad was in France with the BEF with the RAOC in 39, evacuated from Dunkirk in 40. Defended RAF Syerston against OP Sealion. Was on fire watchkeeping duties in Liverpool during the blitz. Went to NA with 8th Army (1st Armoured Div) in 1941. Nearly captured at Saunnu during the Gazala gallop. Was transferred into REME whilst sick in Alex and missed the start of El Alamein. Transferred into a Heavy AA Regiment. Made it all the way to Tripoli and then when 8th Army else went off to Sicily was sent back to Alex. In Summer of 1944, when his HAA unit was disbanded, he joined 23rd Armoured Brigade who were in Palestine resting after heavy fighting in NA and Italy. The were brought back early to Alex to train as Infantry (no tanks). And was sent to Greece in Nov 44.

    In Athens, Dad was based in a REME workshops on the main road between the center and Phaleron. The road was nicknamed 'bomb alley' or the 'mad mile' as drivers ran the gauntlet of MG fire to get precious stores into the center of Athens. The workshop was just across the road from the Fix Brewery a notorious ELAS stronghold. His workshop was MGed and mortared on a daily basis. The workshops was evacuated as they had been registered by ELAS artillery but was reoccupied a few days later. He stayed in Greece with 23rd Armd Bde until Aug 45 when he was sent back to UK and demob.

    Dad hardly ever mentioned the war, I never knew he had been in Greece until I got his service records not long after he died.

    Gus
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2020
  2. Steve Turner

    Steve Turner Member

    Sounds like a place they wanted to keep secret from their families. I can understand why. I spent time in Bosnia 1993 and Saudi/Iraq/Kuwait in 1990/91. Two relatively minor tours in comparison, but enough for me get a feel for what this was like. Let's hope we never have to go through anything like this again.

    Steve
     
    Chris C and gmyles like this.
  3. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    I consider myself extremely lucky to not to have ended up anywhere too dangerous. If you need anything else explaining about Greece just l me know.

    Gus
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2020
  4. Steve Turner

    Steve Turner Member

    Hi Gus,

    I’ve found out that Bob Larnder was in 7 Tp, C Bty and was therefore part of FOXFORCE and SCRUMFORCE. You mention in your book a FLYFORCE which appears to be a splinter of Scrumforce. Is there any way I can find out if he was part of FLYFORCE or indeed which part of Scrumforce?
     
  5. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Hi

    This is a Chain of Command diagram and found in 2nd Para Bde's War Diaries for October 1944.

    upload_2020-12-16_13-32-17.png

    This definitely says 7 Tp RSR were part of 9 Cdo and the timing (21 Oct) is suggest this is SCRUMFORCE.

    I have a loading table for Op Kelso and only 6 of those personnel are from SCRUMFORCE.

    Haven't found anything about FLYFORCE.

    Sadly I don't have the WDs for RSR or 9 Cdo for October or November 1944.

    I'll keep digging.

    Gus
     
  6. Steve Turner

    Steve Turner Member

    Great Gus thanks all these snippets are helping to build up a great picture. I’m putting together a PowerPoint of HIS war. From recruitment in UK, the convoy he was on around South Africa to get to Suez Canal, his time in Egypt and Lybia either on the run or fighting through and running any tank training school. I have a year gap of 1943 which I need to dig out info for, but I suspect he was part of the invasion of Italy. Then of course Greece and Athens. It was the end of his war when he got injured Jan 1945.
    I’ll share it once I’m complete.

    steve
     
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  7. Steve Turner

    Steve Turner Member

    There are ‘some’ entries in the 1944 war diaries for Aplomb, Manna and Scrumforce. Dating Sept Oct and November. Capt street then logs from 12th onwards on the Athens tasks.
     

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