164936 (2662259) Major John FREEMAN, MBE, Rifle Brigade (formerly Coldstream Guards)

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by tomf94117, Jun 14, 2022.

  1. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    DAQMG is a crucial role in a Bde HQ. The personnel part coordinates performance reporting for all the units of the Bde and the supply part makes sure that the units in the Bde get everything that they need - from food to ammunition to spares.

    It is a very demanding job.

    Regards

    Frank
     
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  2. tomf94117

    tomf94117 Member

    Hellishly complicated, especially for a travelling brigade, I'd of thought.
     
  3. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    The personnel part also deals with discipline like processing for Courts Marshal.

    F
     
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  4. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    Hmm the Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General is an archaic British military term.

    The modern term is DCOS - Deputy Chief of Staff. This is a key role responsible in WW2 and afterwards in the HQ for Personnel (G1) and Logistics (G4) matters. The Chief of Staff is responsible for Operational staff work. (G2/G3) The Ops side play with chinagraph and maps. The DCOS deals with real things such as fuel, ammunition, supply, repair, transport.

    Remember, amateurs talk tactics: professionals talk logistics.
     
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  5. tomf94117

    tomf94117 Member

    I appreciate the clarification.
     
  6. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    Here is the page from Coldstream Guards official history listing him (among several hundred others) as being commissioned from the ranks.

    From his CG army service number he appears to be a wartime recruit rather than a pre war regular. Clearly a very competent man to gain the rank of Major and hold important appointments as DAQMG and Brigade Major.

    Coldstream Guards enlistment registers - and some other information - are available on Findmypast genealogy site and he will likely be listed there. Perhaps a kind member might post details for you?

    Steve

    EDIT TO ADD 17/6

    I’ve started a stand-alone topic requesting a FMP look up here -

    FMP Records - 2662259 John FREEMAN, Coldstream Guards - Latterly Major Rifle Brigade
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jun 17, 2022
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  7. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

  8. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Hi Steve,
    Noted the threads running on this chap.
    A couple of his earlier records as requested. (move if required)
    cheers.......Graham. (sorry mate poor scan)

    zzz22.jpg
     
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  9. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi Graham,

    Thanks for taking the time to locate and post the records. I know from my own experience that they are large documents that don’t copy well over to the forum - given the forum image file size limitations.

    Hopefully it may be possible to get a better quality image to be accepted on the forum by just posting the portion of the forms relating to Major Freeman. I’ve tried that on the images you’ve posted but it doesn’t make them any more legible.

    Thanks again.

    Steve
     
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  10. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Cheers Steve,
    Scanner out of order for now, no ink.
    plan B.
    Screen shot with an i-pad. :D
    Graham.
    z100 (2).jpg z103 (2).jpg
     
  11. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    That’s great Graham.

    I’ll post these images on the original thread.

    Thank You.

    Steve
     
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  12. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    With thanks to ozzy16 FMP CG Enlistment & Discharge Register images attached.

    The OP may find some useful OCTU information in this topic -

    British Army Officer Training

    and

    An Officer I would be . . . and the Route


    As an infantry OCTU course lasted 17 weeks and Major Freeman was discharged to commission with under 6 months service it is likely he was selected for OCTU with less than 8 weeks service at The Guards Depot.

    Steve
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jun 18, 2022
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  13. tomf94117

    tomf94117 Member

    I think I ought to provide some details I omitted in original post about my father and his life post-war. Initially I think I was shy to say , perhaps worried that his minor celebrity would over-shadow things and produce more questions than answers. Now, a day or two, after posting and having got to know this forum better, I realise it’s spirit is entirely benign and it’s membership deeply knowledgable, courteous and willing to share and I’m left a little embarrassed at not being more forthright.

    After the war he went on to have a rather remarkable life that led him to politics, journalism, official positions, corporate boardrooms and finally teaching. He was a reasonably public figure through much of it. When he died some noticed and obituaries were written in the press.

    He war record was mentioned (including the MBE), as well as some unattributed hearsay that Montgomery praised him, both of which served to paint him as something of a hero.

    I mentioned that my father never discussed his war experiences with me which is true. As a young boy, keen on war and playing battle, I would pester him for stories but he never shared, only saying it wasn’t interesting or he’d forgotten. It wasn’t long after that he left my mother and my opportunities to know him were much diminished. We did maintain a infrequent relationship but his war never came up. Though just before his death he decided to move into a home for retired soldiers which seemed odd to us at the time. So the news of his war came as a surprise.

    A few years on and I am trying to discover the facts behind this facet of his image. It’s clear that he exploited his uniform at the onset of his political career and presented as a dashing officer fresh from war, beyond that, he seems to have left that part of his life completely behind, yet at his death he returned to be with soldiers.

    So grateful to all the have contributed to this thread and helped me unravel the facts of his war.



    John Freeman obituary


    johnfreeman.jpg.gallery.jpg

    Captn. JOHN FREEMAN.jpg
    John Freeman 1945
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2022
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  14. tomf94117

    tomf94117 Member


    Hey Steve, thank you for helping on this. I'm amazed at the resources you all have accumulated and your willingness to share. Very grateful too.
     
  15. tomf94117

    tomf94117 Member

    For some reason the links to OTCU info aren't working. At least, not for me. I'd love to read that though....
     
  16. tomf94117

    tomf94117 Member

    It's interesting to see that enlistment and discharge records retained their order and the three men adjacent to John Freeman on the registers all survived the war too.
     
  17. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi Tom,

    Thanks very much for sharing the additional information about your father. I hadn’t googled his name before posting on the forum but having now read his obituary I can now place him - not least through the oft repeated clips of his BBC Face to Face interviews with Tony Hancock & Gilbert Harding.

    Having seen his educational and employment background I can see he would have been an ideal candidate for a commission. As I’m sure you know many officers contested seats at the 1945 election.

    Hopefully this is a better functioning OCTU link. There is a wealth of information on the subject on the internet.

    British Army Officer Training

    I’m sure the BBC archive will have a wealth of information about him - as well as UK Security services but their archives may be more difficult to access:whistle:

    Steve
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2022
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  18. tomf94117

    tomf94117 Member

    Steve, thanks so much. You've helped me understand his war better. I'll continue to read around the subject generally and whatever I can about 7th Armoured. Turns out it's fascinating and there's lots to learn.
     
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