12th Battalion Devonshire Regiment

Hi all, been to my favourite second hand bookshop today, look what I found for a pound...

 

An oldie but a goodie! Your eyes must have lit up when you saw Pegasus on the cover ...

 

Hi shazza,

Some very nice photos of your grandfather. You or your family must have made submissions to the Fallen Heroes site as well.

Lance Serjeant ALBERT FREDERICK COBDEN - Fallen Heroes of Normandy



There's a good shot of 'D' Coy in that collection. I've tried to plot the movement of 12 Bn Devons during this period and must admit to a little confusion. The impression I get from the map coordinates in the WD is that they moved to a position just south of Ranville on the 10th and were possibly still there on the morning of July 11.

11th July 1944
Place: 40/16 NW RANVILLE

0900 - Enemy shelled Bn area. 1 O.R. killed and 1 O.R. wounded. The op by 51 HIGHLAND DIV was not a success and the raiding forces withdrew.

The location is given has NW Ranville, but that could be their position later in the day after the return to the Breville area. Note also there were casualties in the reserve area before the move to Ranville on the 10th. That is just my interpretation of the WD which could be off.

Regards ...

 

Nice work Cee.

 

Many thanks for your help Cee.My Mum(daughter of Albert Cobden) met some of his regiment at a reunion at Exeter and was told that he was killed in the grounds of a farm at Breville but we know very little else.

 

Has anyone checked the original war diary for appendices etc?

 

Shazza, thanks for posting the pics, would you mind if i copied them and the pics on the Fallen heroes of Normandy?

 

You are very welcome reddevon.Dont really have much information as Mum was only 18months old when her Dad was killed.Im interested to find out as much as possible but im a bit of a technophobe.Feel free to copy any of the photos

 

Thank you Shazza, pics copied and added to my collection.

 

Will ask Mum if she has any more photos and post them asap but I have a feeling they were all she had.It has been great to find so much information on this site.Thanks for your help.
Regards- SHAZZA

 

Reddevon

Hi, you asked if anyone knew who was in your picture. My grandad is! Bottom row second from left is Fred (Frederick) Dalley, who are the others? Do you know where the pic was taken etc? I don't know what company or platoon my grandad was in so if anyone has info I'd be eternally grateful. I have many other pics my grandad kept so will find them and upload them shortly. Cheers Alex

 

For those trying to spot family in pictures, let me know if you know any of these guys or have other pics of the 12th Devons, these are pictures my grandad kept of himself and comrades so he must have known them pretty we'll. Most pics I think are from when he was at Bulford Camp or Operation Varsity around Haminkeln. But I also added a paper cutting my Nan kept while my grandad was fighting in The Ardennes (around Bure) There is also one of my grandad with an accordion he got somewhere (he used to be good at playing). I have more so will upload those too. Thanks Alex! aldalley@hotmail.co.uk

 

Hi Alex,

I forgot to say welcome. What an interesting bunch of photos - thanks for posting!

Regards ...

 

Pte. Leslie James Hooper who killed with eleven other of his comrades from the 12th Devons in a bombardment on the 12th June 1944.

Attached is an article titled "D-Day Soldier Missing In Normandy" from the Cheltenham Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic 15th July, 1944. Hooper was one of the five missing O.Rs noted in the War Diary. He is buried in Ranville Cemetery.

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2342937/HOOPER,%20LESLIE%20JAMES

12th Devons War Diary 12th June 1944

Place: Le Bas de Ranville

2200 - D Coy received orders to move area LONGUEVAL to come under comd 12 Para Bn to counter-attack BREVILLE. Hy arty conc on BREVILLE preceded attack. D Coy caught in conc on start line. Major J.A.F.W. Bamfylde killed, Captain J.H.W. Pengelly and Lt P. Taylor wounded. 5 O.Rs killed and 18 wounded. Attack successful and composite force consolidated in village. 5 O.Rs missing.

 

Welcome Alex. many thanks for posting the photos they are bloody brilliant! the first pic i would say is either very late war or just after the war as they are wearing collars on their shirts (normal shirt did not have a collar) could i copy them?

Here is a couple more
Lt Geoffrey Sneezum.


A group of 12th Devons priming grenades prior the Op Varsity




birthm, could i copy your photo as well, its very rare to see members of the 12 before they became Airborne,

 

more pics of the Battalion here http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/41123-12th-battalion-devonshire-regiment/ could they be merged?

 

Hallo! Having searched for many years, I finally saw a photo of my dad on your page. He was a member of the 'Red Devils', 12th Battalion (Airborne) Devonshire Regiment and then part of the 6th Airborne Landing Brigade (British Airborne Division). I know that he travelled in the Horsa Gliders, so would really grateful if anyone could tell me any more information. He is in one of the photographs already posted here, showing a group entitled 'unknown' (he is in the front row). I have also attached 2 more photo's. One in uniform and one showing him with the accordian during the war. If anyone knows anyone else in the photo, I'd be would extremely pleased to know more. Thank you for your help!

 

You will see from my original post on 9th June 2013, I have been trying to research the movements of my late Father, William Brown whilst serving with the 12 Devons.

I was always told he was in A Company but have been unable to find him through that.

This last weekend I found the attached photograph of 'E Company' (as well as loads of others) and there he, the corporal, on the far left of the third row from the front!!!!

Does anyone have any information about E Company?

Bill Brown



PS If anyone wants to copy or use the photograph feel free

 

Fredreddev, this may be a coincidence but the person who posted the other photo is a chap called Alex Daley who says the chap with the accordion is his grandfather, see below

For those trying to spot family in pictures, let me know if you know any of these guys or have other pics of the 12th Devons, these are pictures my grandad kept of himself and comrades so he must have known them pretty we'll. Most pics I think are from when he was at Bulford Camp or Operation Varsity around Haminkeln. But I also added a paper cutting my Nan kept while my grandad was fighting in The Ardennes (around Bure) There is also one of my grandad with an accordion he got somewhere (he used to be good at playing). I have more so will upload those too. Thanks Alex! aldalley@hotmail.co.uk

 

Hallo reddevon! Yes, after years of searching, my nephew managed to find dads photo on your page!! I posted 2 photo's this morning and have just noticed Alex's post on another page on here about the 12th Battalion! We would love to know the names of any of dads friends, especially the ones in the 'band' photo! Also, could someone possibly tell me, the original photo on here shows them wearing the round Devonshire badge on the beret. When they became the 6th Airborne and went in Horsa Gliders, did they still keep the same beret badge please? Reddevon's photo on the other 12th Battalion page (comment number 47), dad is in the front row, 2nd from the left as you look at the photo! We're really pleased to see him amongst your photo's and would love to know anything else about his time in the Red Devils. Thank you for your help.