126 (H) Field Regiment RA

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by DonaldSPeacock, Jan 22, 2010.

  1. DonaldSPeacock

    DonaldSPeacock Junior Member

    I am trying to find out where the 126 (H) Field Regiment RA was between January and April 1946. I think they may have been at Sandbostel following on from the 6 LAA Regiment RA, the unit my father was with. The 6th moved on in 1946 but my father transferred to the 126th and I believe was de-mobbed from Sandbostel. I would just like some confirmation of this.

    Can anyone help?
    Thanks
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Donald and welcome to the forum...Hopefully one of the RA chaps will be able to answer that for you soon.

    Any stories or pictures you can share of your fathers service?

    Regards
    Andy
     
  3. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Hi Donaldspeacock.

    The database at the National Archives at Kew show that there is a war diary for 126 Field Regiment which runs from Jan to Mar 1946, so the date range is more or less correct. If the war diary for my Dad's unit is anything to go by, the military authorities were moving RA men from one regiment to another and completely different types, as by this time, they were simply policing the local populace.

    Regards - Robert
     
  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  5. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    Hi Donald + Welcome.
    The 126 (Highland) Field Regt RA were disbanded in 1947 and were under command of 51st (Highland) Division. Most Regt Histories end May-July 45
    so to find where they were, you would probably have to consult the War-Diaries of the Regt at Kew.
    As Robert has said, most Regts were dealing with DP's (Displaced Persons) POW's, Refugees, Guarding Duties, Frontier Duties, etc and as by this time most RA Units had lost their guns (sent back to England) were acting as Infantry.
    Rob.
     
  6. Lbdr Barker

    Lbdr Barker Junior Member

    Hello to one and all on the forum, I'm new to all this so please don't bite!!! I was very interested in DonaldSPeacock's post as my Grandfather was KIA with the 126th during the Normandy campaign as an OP signaller. I've got loads of information about the regiment etc which has been built up over about 15 years from trips to Kew and the like. What I would really like to try and do is to contact either surviving veterans or their families for there own personal accounts. I was fortunate to have spent time with one 126th veteran up until he passed away quite suddenly last month. If anyone should read this who could help them I would be extremely grateful.

    Chris
     
  7. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Hi Lbdr and welcome.

    It's a shame you did not pop up earlier as I believe Tim is either at Kew today or going some day this week to look at WD's.

    Regards - Robert
     
  8. Lbdr Barker

    Lbdr Barker Junior Member

    Hi Robert,

    Thank you for you kind welcome to the forum,

    I've contacted Tim privately and he's told me he was going. I'm off there in the next couple of weeks to get the last little bits of the war diaries I'm missing (June 45-Mar 46) which are the sort of dates Tim was after for his Father's time with the regiment, so I couldn't help too much at this point.

    The best record I've found so far in my research I happened across only a couple of months ago and is actually a personal diary that mentions my Granddad in it! The person who wrote it not only knew him as they were both signallers in the same battery, he also had the unfortunate duty of burying him! This diary is held at the IWM.
     
  9. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    Hi Chris + welcome
    Great to see of your success with the research of you Grandads Regt. Nice to see another RA man here.
    Regards
    Rob.
     
  10. mikepotts3040

    mikepotts3040 Junior Member

    Hi Chris (LBdr Barker),
    I've just joined as I have a copy of my wife's grandfather's (very brief) notes on his time in the war, including serving with 126 Field Reg RA in Italy and Northern Europe until demob after VE day and I'm quite fascinated with it. He was Royston (Royce) W Leeming (there's a number "14260046" which I presume is his service number); his son has all his photos so I don't know if there are any war-time photos in there - to be investigated. He's still alive and living in Nottingham, now 92. I'm hoping to speak with him soon but he's not very well.
    I'd be fascinated to see if you have any record of him in your info.
    Best regards,
    Mike
     
  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Mark may I suggest two things.

    Help your wife's grandfather apply for his service records and ask him what battery and troop he served in during WW2.

    The later is near impossible to find out once a relative has gone and it will help you narrow down your research from 800 ish men down to 100 ish men.

    Good luck with your research and let me know if you want any help finding his units war diaries-They are all kept at the National Archives in London.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  12. Lbdr Barker

    Lbdr Barker Junior Member

    Hi Mike,

    Thank you for your reply to my thread, all i can say is WOW!!! I'm currently working my way almost to completion of a book about the regiment which I started about 2 years ago now- a labour of love so to speak which i do hope will get published soon. I would be greatly honoured to speak with Royston about his stories and hopefully feature them in the book? My own Grandfather was an OP signaller with both 297 battery and later 298 battery and was KIA at Falaise. I only live in Sheffield and would be down the M1 like a shot (pardon the pun!) if he feels up to it. Please feel free to send me a private message so we can exchange email address' and I can answer any/all questions you may have accordingly. Funnily enough I am now aware of another Nottingham 126th veteran who is still with us, unfortunatly his memory is not what it was.
    Kind Regards,

    Chris
     
    LBdrCran likes this.
  13. LBdrCran

    LBdrCran New Member

    Chris,

    My father was a driver/signaller with 298 (City of Aberdeen) Battery, 126 (Highland) Field Regiment throughout WW2. I recall him telling me that he was called an OP Ack. I had difficulty understanding what “ack” meant until through the Internet I discovered that Ack was the old phonetic for the letter A and again from the Internet I discovered that OP Acks were Observation Post Assistants (OPA). Drop me an e-mail (bill.cran@gmail.com) and I'll gladly trade what I have for yours. It may also interest you that before moving to the Western Desert in 1942 that the rgt. was reinforced by men from Sheffield and Manchester and one of his close mates, Harry Brazier, was from Sheffield. Look forward to hearing from you.

    Regards,

    Bill Cran
     

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