78th British (Battleaxe) Division

Bexley84
The list was from a photo album (bought on board the Llangibby Castle 2nd Dec 42)
The hospitalisation was for malaria (or some exotic disease) in Bari Italy. he said it was the best Christmas dinner he had abroad courtesy of the Americans.

561 Coy was involved with the Sangro Bridge.
The MiD was, he originally told me was for peeling the most spuds in the NAAFI.

It was many years before I was told it was for rescuing his sergeant who was about to be shoot as a German spy. The sergeant Had broad Scots accent.

I'm sure it was more.

I'd like to find out.

Alan

 

Lesley

Thanks
Alan

 

Alan,

So, they may be all places he visited, including some on leave (Naples?) rather than all in the line...but a travel gazetteer, indeed

If malaria, he possibly picked it up from the Simeto river in August 1943 (notorious for such) and reoccurred. My Dad's Bari hosptilisation experience was in April 1944. He couldn't wait to get out and get back....to Cassino (oh dear !!).

No doubt the MiD was awarded for an accumulation of vital service / combination of incidents in heat, rain, and snow all along the way from Bone to Villach... hopefully you have his medals.

The Shamrock would have been provided to him by the one of the fair sons from the Irish Brigade, from Co Brixton or some such.

The 49 flash - Ron G will be able to confirm but does it connect to 49 LAA (edit update - see below, the 49 is connected to 281 Fd Company)

best

 

Bexley

Thanks for info
Alan

 

Service record details:

38th (W) Division, October 39

Transferred to 561 Field Company from 1/1/40

Transferred to 214 Field Company from January 1946 (Battleaxe Div)


The only war diary I can find at the National Archives is WO166/8227 Royal Engineers, Field Companies, 561 Field Company
Jan-Oct 1942

 

Lesley

Thanks V much, its more than I had before

Alan

 

Alan

Have a look at this site-it shows Sappers building the Bailey Bridge over the River Sangro.
http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2011/11/uk-military-bridging-world-war-ii-italy/


I met a Veteran on my Italian trip last year called Jack Robertson who was involved in building it at night under heavy fire.

[sharedmedia=gallery:images:25603]


Lesley

 

The white on blue numerals were used in several divisions to show the hierarchy (seniority?) of RE Companies within it. Some sources (erroneously) say they are the number of the Company (e.g. 49, 50, 51 etc.) A well known militaria auction house does this, and should know better.

Unfortunately I don't have chapter and verse on 78th Division, but this was the scheme for the Fd Coys in 1st Division in Italy:


48- 6 Fld Park Coy (later Fd Sqn)
49- 23 Fd Coy (later Fd Sqn).
50- 238 Fd Coy (later Fd Sqn)
51- 248 Fd Coy (later Fd Sqn)
52- 1 Bridging Plt (later Bridging Tp)

Don't know if we can extrapolate with any certainty?

Stop press: looking at another forum, the discussion agreed that '49' in 78 Div was 281 Fd Coy

 

Thanks to Staffs' and Owen

Alan

 

Thanks to All the info that everyone gave. I've transferred to the Royal Engineers Forum.

C Alan Humphries

 

Humphrca

Bit odd to have been demobbed at the very small village of Sankt Veit in Austria as usually they drove to Villach to catch

the train which eventually finished up at France for the ferry to the UK and demobbed at, for example, York which was a main

demob centre

Cheers

 

Just noting that the 78th Division paraded together for the last time in Spittal, Austria on the morning of 6th July 1945.

Someone (and I should be able to find the post, but sadly can't) had added a number of details/photographs of the parade to this website - a few notes taken from that are attached here but perhaps all the "originals" and appropriate accreditation links can be added by other members in due course. (edit: new thread started).

best

 

Posted by Tony56

Posted 02 November 2011 - 10:57 PM
Can’t trace if this has been posted before and I am afraid that the photos are not the greatest but this should appeal to those of you interested in the Battleaxe Division.

(For the sharp eyed amongst you the document contained a few blank pages, which accounts for the gaps in page numbers).

78th Victory Parade Part1.pdf 1.46MB 99 downloads

78th Victory Parade Part2.pdf 1.51MB 72 downloads

78th Victory Parade Part3.pdf 1.52MB 62 downloads

78th Victory Parade Part4.pdf 1.69MB 57 downloads

78th Victory Parade Part5.pdf 1.49MB 61 downloads

Post #33
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/25400-78th-british-infantry-division-the-battleaxe-div/page-2

 

Still learning about site, how to use it.
I could not do an edit in 5 minutes so that is now lost.
Will post in format that I have used.