12th Battalion Devonshire Regiment

Hi Tim,

Looks like your grandfather was involved in Operation Varsity and would have arrived at Hamminkeln by glider on 24th March 1945. If so do you have any further details such as his departure airfield, landing zone, chalk number etc? I would be interested to hear more and please share with us all any other great pictures you have.

Jenny

 

Hi Jenny. I don't have those details, do you know how I could get them? I know he was involved in Overlord, Market Garden and Varsity. I have his diary from when he landed in Normandy and I have his demob record and a few other bits. I have been looking at these photos for years. I hope other people can spot relatives in them.

 

Hi Tim,

Which company was your grandfather in? I may be able to help further if you can provide this info. Do you have his service record? This should indicate which transit camp he was at in the days leading up to Varsity and maybe we might be able to tell whether he left from RAF Rivenhall, Great Dunmow or Matching airfields and then narrow down the chalk number of the glider he travelled in and what kind of landing he had.

Jenny

 

Hi Jenny. I don't have his service record or know what company he was in. The writing on one of the photos states "26th platoon, anti-tank", but that is all I know.

 

Hi Tim,

Unfortunately I don't have any information to help indicate which glider he may have traveled in. I think the anti-tank platoons were part of Support Company but I'm no expert so maybe someone can come along and confirm whether that's the case. In the meantime have you had a look at the war diary for Varsity? It might be interesting to read this alongside your grandfather's record of the march. Link to Pegasus Archive here.

12th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment

Jenny

 

Thanks Jenny, that's absolutely fascinating. Ties in completely with my grandfather's written notes. Are any other war diaries for the Devons available online?

 

Tim,

The 12 Devons orbat info for Op Varsity on the Pegasus Archive is incomplete. For the Normandy Campaign the anti-tank platoons were part of E Coy. See here:

6th Airborne Division

Notice the two anti-tank platoons are not numbered. Best guess there is the 26th Platoon is the second listed under Lt. Trapnell. There is some speculation of what became of E Coy post D-Day on the other 12th Devon thread starting at post # 178.

12th Battalion the Devonshire Regiment

I'm not sure we ever sorted that out. I'm curious what the other unit might be as attached by Tim in post #87. On Operation Varsity the 12 Devons left from three airfields - Rivenhall, Great Dunmow and Matching. The tables I have from Steve Wright's book on Varsity ,"The Last Drop", don't tell what sub-units were assigned to the various airfields.

Tim if you go to the Pegasus Archive and enter Normandy you can access the WD for that campaign, Nothing on there for the Ardennes as yet.

Regards ...

 

Tim,

Just to add your grandfather shows up in the nominal for Normandy listed as:

Sgt Stevens W., 5627898

The 12th Devons took part in three campaigns - Normandy, The Ardennes and N.W. Germany. They crossed the channel by ship for the Ardennes Campaign at about Christmas time 1944. They weren't involved in Operation Market Garden.

Regards ...

 

Hi Cee. Thanks so much for all the information, fantastic. Regarding the photo I posted above, do you know why the Devons were in North Wales in July 1945?

 

Tim,

Yes that is an interesting photo. There are a lot of different cap badges present which suggests your grandfather was taking part in a course of some kind. It may be get a mention in the WD? Unfortunately the one on the Pegasus Archive only goes up to May 31st, 1945. Mark Hickman does sell British Airborne WDs cheaply. Llanberis is situated in a fairly mountainous area of Wales.

The Pegasus Archive War Diary Collection

I should add that your grandfather's service records may note his presence in Wales. There is quite a variety of men from different units in the photo as revealed by the berets and caps of different colours and the various badge types.

The fellow seated 3rd left front in the 26th Platoon A/TK photo is Victor Drewett. His nephew Keith (Pegasus2075) has commented extensively in searching for info on his uncle. You may have this group photo. Do I spy your grandfather amongst them?

"E" Company, 12th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment

Regards ...

 

Wow! Yes, he's front row fourth from the right. I don't have that one, thanks so much. Regarding service records, are they obtainable anywhere?

 

Tim,

It's here at Gov.uk. I think in your case you would need the NOK and the British Army Forms:

Get a copy of military service records: Apply for the records of someone who's deceased - GOV.UK

Regards ...

 

Hi Tim, That's a very nice photo of your grandfather. Major Patrick Dobbin was the commanding officer of E Company who I believe in the E Company photo is on the left of the officer with the white shirt. could I ask if I could copy the photo of him on his own?
Is it possible that he is in this photo?

 

going back to this photo

front row
center is Lt.Col.Hill.
fifth from right is Major.J.A.F.W.Bampfylde.
fourth from right is Captain K.Stoneman.third from right is Major.E.Warren
second from right is Captain.J.F.Carroll.
eighth from right Lt.Col.P.Gleadell.
tenth from right possibly Lt.r.Gilbert.
second from left Captain.J.S.Binning. MO
middle row
far right Major.W.Barrow.
third from right Lt.R.H.Whiteway.
sixth from right is Lt.J.Pengelly.
tenth from right Lt.B.F.Horwood.
rear row
second from left is Lt.F.E.Ogden.
third from right possibly Lt.G.G.Reakes.
far left Lt.R.L.Tucker.

hopefully more to follow.

 

They're great photos, thanks very much for posting them. My grandfather is not in either of them. Yes, you are very welcome to copy the photo. Incidentally, my grandfather lived in Ilfracombe, North Devon, his whole life.

 

Red,

There are actually two officers with name Pengelly in the group photo. The medals being sold on Ebay are those of WS/Lieutenant J. Pengelly who is under the "X" top row. From the Normandy nominal roll.

WS/Lieutenant J. Pengelly, 249190, Evacuated - Battle Exhaustion
T/Captain J. H. W. Pengelly, 149241, Wounded 12/06/44, Evacuated, Returned to Unit.



Regards ...

 

Thanks fore the correction Cee, its hard to match up some faces from various photos, a beret worn at a different angle, the sun in the eyes making people squint or even just a slightly different angle. Correction to my last post rear row third from right is Lt.J.Pengelly and middle row sixth from right is Captain.J.H.W.Pengelly.

Thanks Tim he is now in the collection with many others.

 

Found more of my grandfather's things today, including his diary, stripes and badges. Thought they may be of interest. Can someone tell me about the top two, the sword coming out of the water?

 

Hi Tim,

For the Excalibur shoulder insignia see here:

77th Infantry Division (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia

Regards ...

 

He would have also wore a single red arm of service stripe and a green-red-green coloured stripe beneath the arm of service stripe. obviously those badges are prior to the battalion transferring to the 6th Airborne Division.