155 Battery 172 Royal Field Artillery

Hello everyone

I was in the above battery during the Sid Nisir, Tunisia battle of 25/26th February 1943. There were 130 of us and sadly only 9 survivors. I now believe my name and maybe two others were left off the survivors list maybe because we were POW's. If there is anyone can help me find out more information I would be grateful.

 

Welcome aboard William - I just finished reading an article about that action, incredible to think that there were any survivors after such a brave action.

The way the article reads, the nine survivors refers to the number of men that were able to make it back to their own lines after the action.

It also mentions the wounded and POWs - I presume that the wounded were also mainly taken prisoner. Is that correct?

I must read more on this, it's nowhere near my area of knowledge.

with compliments


Dave




The Beja Battle Badge Part 1 - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum



http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/north-africa-med/22386-beja-sacrifice-155-battery.html

Of the nine officers and one hundred and twenty one other ranks on the gun positions or in the Command Posts and Observation Posts at the start of the battle only nine survived and escaped to join the remainder of the Regiment.

One officer and seventy eight other ranks who were at the wagon lines or detached from the Battery also survived and reached Regimental lines. The rest of the Battery were killed wounded or taken prisoner.

Of the Hampshire's who fought just as heroically and gallantly along side the Gunners, two hundred reached safety.

 

Welcome to the forum William, your account puts you as one of the Vets on this site if I'm not mistaken.
All the best with your request. Alan.

 

Hello and welcome to the forum William

Lesley

 

While I am more than happy to welcome William to the forum, I did think that the Royal Field Artillery had long since been amalgamated into the Royal Regiment of Artillery, well before 1943. What are the facts?

Chris

 

Found this. Sidi Nsir

 

While I am more than happy to welcome William to the forum, I did think that the Royal Field Artillery had long since been amalgamated into the Royal Regiment of Artillery, well before 1943. What are the facts?

Chris

Royal Field Artillery & Royal Garrision Artillery
combined to become Royal Artillery in 1924
RA Brigades became Regiments in 1938
The official term Royal Regiment of Artillery, was adopted long after the war

There title should read: 155Bty, 172nd Field Regt RA
But it's no big deal, don't worry about it. :wink:

Welcome aboard William!

Best
Rob

 

Hello everyone

I was in the above battery during the Sid Nisir, Tunisia battle of 25/26th February 1943. There were 130 of us and sadly only 9 survivors. I now believe my name and maybe two others were left off the survivors list maybe because we were POW's. If there is anyone can help me find out more information I would be grateful.

Hello William and welcome to the forum, I have a great interest in Sidi Nsir as my grandfather was with the 5th Hampshires' and was captured at Point 609. I may be able to help you, please PM me.

 

Hi William,

I have been looking into my grandfather's time in the Belgian merchant navy during WW II and from what I can gather the 155th Battery was on board of the ship (the Jean Jadot) he was an officer on when it got torpedoed of the coast of Algeria on 20 January 1943. Could you help me and confirm this?

Also any info/stories related to this would be very much appreciated.


Kind regards,

David

 

Hello all, especially William

I have been piecing together the story of my late grandfather's time in the RA during the war. Two pieces of information, in particular, are relevant to this thread: he was on the Jeanne Jadot en route to North Africa when it was torpedoed in January 1943 and he first fought at Sidi Nasir.

My granddad's name was Frank W A Osborne and he was in 172 Field Reg RA. In his box of memorabilia is a Beja Battle badge, one of those made specially for the survivors by . He was a surveyor so I am not sure exactly what his role might have been at Beja or how closely he was involved in the action that wiped out 155 Battery. For example, was he one of the 9 survivors who made it back? My mother hasn't yet completed the forms so we can get his war records which might help to answer this. He stayed with 172nd throughout the war, via Sicily, Palestine, Italy and Greece, ending up running a bar in Austria. Then he returned to work in the Post Office until his retirement in 1965.

As the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Beja is at the end of this month it would be lovely to track down someone who might have known him.

 

Hello William

I'm new to this so did a post without realising I should hit "reply" to yours. My granddad Frank Osborne, was in 172nd Field Regiment RA, a surveyor. He was on the Jeanne Jadot and mentioned Sidi Nasir as one of the places he fought. A couple of months back I found out more about the battle on another forum, including a badge that was made for the survivors. Then I found one with this medals. He fought throughout the war with the 172nd so I know he wouldn't have been a POW with you but I wondered whether you might have known him before the battle. He was in his late 30s and looked a bit like General Montgomery.

 

Hello - Have you considered getting copies of the units war diaries at the National Archives?

Here's what is available and click the red link below if you can't get there yourself - Good luck !

WO 166/7055 172 Regiment. 1942 Jan.- Dec.

WO 175/342 172 Regiment 1943 Jan.- May

WO 169/9532 172 Field Regiment 1943 Sept.- Dec.

WO 169/16036 172 Field Regiment 1944 Apr.- June

WO 170/979 172 Field Regt 1944 Jan.- Mar., July - Dec.

WO 170/4761 172 Regiment 1945 Jan.- Nov.

 

Hello William

I'm new to this so did a post without realising I should hit "reply" to yours. My granddad Frank Osborne, was in 172nd Field Regiment RA, a surveyor. He was on the Jeanne Jadot and mentioned Sidi Nasir as one of the places he fought. A couple of months back I found out more about the battle on another forum, including a badge that was made for the survivors. Then I found one with this medals. He fought throughout the war with the 172nd so I know he wouldn't have been a POW with you but I wondered whether you might have known him before the battle. He was in his late 30s and looked a bit like General Montgomery.

Hello ethicsgirl

Send William a private message he may well get back to you.
He has not logged since 8/11/12
regards
Clive

 

For example, was he one of the 9 survivors who made it back?

Sorry ethicsgirl! His name isn't on the list that I have.

 

Many thanks for all the suggestions so far. I've seen some scans of typed notes from the action on another thread and his name doesn't come up there so I will have to carry on digging from the other hints provided.

Thank you everyone

 

I trying to find out information about 3237452 Sgt E A. Spary, RA who served with 155th Battery, 72nd Field Regiment, RA at Sidi Nsir and received the Beja Badge. Any assistance appreciated. His medals and Beja badge are illustrated below.

Regards, Gunner 1

 

Hi Everyone.
My Grandfather, George Dove was with 155 battery at Sidi Nsir. Along with his medals I have his Beja Badge. I was just wondering if the list of the nine that survived the battle and were not taken prisoner, could be posted on here. My Grandad was not a POW and survived the war. He had told my mother that he had been on a troopship that was torpedoed in the Med. The dates in his war records lead me to believe this ship was the Jean Jadot. I would like to know if this was the case. Many thanks for a very interesting thread.

 

Good Morning all - my name is Tara and I work for the Gunner magazine - William Ledbury is in touch with us trying to track down any other survivors of the Battle of Sidi N'sir in 1943. He will turn 100 this month and wants to know if he is the last or one of the last survivors. Grateful for any assistance that can provide info for him. Please email thegunner@artycen.ra.mod.uk - many thanks, kind regards to all.

 

Posted on the Royal Artillery FB Page for you.