1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

S.A.S. is Small Arms School, as you thought. There has been one at Hythe for many years.

Without knowing what unit he was in during the campaign in NWE 1944-45, impossible to add much more.

 

Having searched all over again,there is no record of the 1st Battalion being anywhere near NW Europe during WW2, so I would think Owen + Paul are correct in their assumtion that he was posted to another Regt to have gained the medals he was awarded. You do badly need his service records to get anywhere with this.
Rob
P.S. I know its going off thread but thought this might be of interest to the RA Boys:

ROYAL FUSILIERS – BATTALIONS converted to ROYAL ARTILLERY<O:p</O:p
WW2 Formed<O:p></O:p>
3<SUP>rd</SUP> Battalion - 69<SUP>th</SUP> Searchlight Regt RA 1<SUP>st</SUP> Nov 1938/40<O:p></O:p>
14<SUP>th</SUP> Battalion – 107 LAA Regt RA 1<SUP>st</SUP> Jan 1942<O:p></O:p>
16<SUP>th</SUP> Battalion - 10<SUP>th</SUP> Medium Regt RA 11<SUP>th</SUP> Dec 1942 <O:p></O:p>
18<SUP>th</SUP> Battalion – 100 LAA Regt RA 30<SUP>th</SUP> Dec 1941<O:p></O:p>
19<SUP>th</SUP> Battalion – 98 Anti-Tank Regt RA 1<SUP>st</SUP> Dec 1942<O:p></O:p>
22<SUP>nd</SUP> Battalion – 94 Anti-Tank Regt RA 13<SUP>th</SUP> Dec 1941<O:p></O:p>

 

Thanks to everyone so far for their help !!! Once I get his service records Ill update the post. Thanks again. Jon

 

Does the Personal message from Montgomery I uploaded give any clues ?? Im guessing all officers would have received this to read out to their lads ??

 

Does the Personal message from Montgomery I uploaded give any clues ?? Im guessing all officers would have received this to read out to their lads ??

Jonny
Correct, but only if you served with the 21st Army Group = NW Europe!
Rob

 

Jonny
Correct, but only if you served with the 21st Army Group = NW Europe!
Rob

Im thinking there were a lot of units involved with that then ?? Is there a list anywhere ?

 

There are two military 'establishments' in the Hythe area for want for a better word - If establishment is the right one.

Hythe has a rather impressive range complex that is bordered by Dymchurch Road to its rear and the sea to its front - You shoot towards the sea on most ranges on the complex. It does have some electronic ranges with CQB facilities etc. The ranges though are rather modern and I don't think the rang was there during the war. I may be wrong but it doesn't get a mention in New Romney at War which doesn't mean anything as such but I would think it would be in there. The ranges have no accomdation etc so no one would be posted there etc. Infact I can't think of any camp/garrison that has a range (Other than a 25m one) within the perimeter.

Further down the road at Lydd there is however a OP TAG centre used for training troops before deployment overseas- currently being used for Afghanistan. I think this place could be a strong possibility as it was used during WW2 and the accomdation is definately WW2 Billets to this day.

The only other place I know in the area is the Shorncliffe and Westdown but they come under Folkstone.

Can I ask is your Grandfather the Sgt pointing to the Bren gun? If so I think he was a recruicter as it appears he is wearing the crossed flags a crown on his sleeve.

Regards
Andy

Ps I'm always down in the Hythe area so if you want anything looking up specifically let me know....I'll try and bob into the local legion in Dymchurch when I'm down there nest week. They have been most helpful in the past.

 

I've just looked at the distance between the ranges and Lydd and it's quite considerable so that may be a red herring.

 

Andy, the Hythe School of Musketry, where Small Arms Schools were located in WW1 and WW2, was renowned in the British Army. That it did not exist in your time, does not mean it ever existed.

See:

http://www.mlagb.com/blackpowder/200704_hythe.pdf

 

The Ranges at Hythe were there way before my time. I fired .303's and Bren Guns there when I was 13 in the 80's and they would have been there way before then. I just wasn't sure if they were there during the war as there is no mention of them in a local WW2 History book which covers just about everything in the area.

Cheers for posting the link, it made for interesting reading .... I remember now after reading that my dad mentioning that a block of terraced white houses on the south side of the road just west of Hythe before you reach the Ranges were Officers accomodation in the late 1800's.

Andy

 

There are two military 'establishments' in the Hythe area for want for a better word - If establishment is the right one.

Hythe has a rather impressive range complex that is bordered by Dymchurch Road to its rear and the sea to its front - You shoot towards the sea on most ranges on the complex. It does have some electronic ranges with CQB facilities etc. The ranges though are rather modern and I don't think the rang was there during the war. I may be wrong but it doesn't get a mention in New Romney at War which doesn't mean anything as such but I would think it would be in there. The ranges have no accomdation etc so no one would be posted there etc. Infact I can't think of any camp/garrison that has a range (Other than a 25m one) within the perimeter.

Further down the road at Lydd there is however a OP TAG centre used for training troops before deployment overseas- currently being used for Afghanistan. I think this place could be a strong possibility as it was used during WW2 and the accomdation is definately WW2 Billets to this day.

The only other place I know in the area is the Shorncliffe and Westdown but they come under Folkstone.

Can I ask is your Grandfather the Sgt pointing to the Bren gun? If so I think he was a recruicter as it appears he is wearing the crossed flags a crown on his sleeve.

Regards
Andy

Ps I'm always down in the Hythe area so if you want anything looking up specifically let me know....I'll try and bob into the local legion in Dymchurch when I'm down there nest week. They have been most helpful in the past.

Hi Andy

Thanks for this its very interesting firstly yes that is my grandfather pointing to the bren gun, can you make out any of the other patches ?? Ive never heard of him being a recruiter but nothing would suprise me ! He was an permanent staff instructor before the war (9th Battakion T.A) and then promoted CSM of D company (1st Btn Royal fusiliers ) when the war started. It states in his certificate of service that ive attatched above that he passed the L.Q Course S.A.S Hythe and S.A.S qualyfying course Ahmednagar ???? He was known as Jack and in a letter I have from another CSM from 1st fusiliers hes known as Tommo !!!!

Its just weird that all the rest of his regiment were in Italy and got the Italy Star and he was in NWE and got the France and Germany star !!!

If you could ask at the Legion that would be great.

Thanks for all your help

Regards


Jon

 

It's quite likely that promotion to WO1 took him to another battalion.

 

I'm no expert but can someone confirm that is a recruiters badge on his sleeve?

I've blown the sleeve up and I'm not so sure now.

 

If you mean on the Bren photo, then I can't see either of them clearly, but it could well be.

 

Just a thought, might the second one be a version the flower badge of the R Fus.
Rob

 

It's quite likely that promotion to WO1 took him to another battalion.

I have a letter from an old mate of his to my nan saying at the outbreak of war hs was promoted CSM of D company but thats all I know, his certificate of service shows The Royal Fusiliers all the way through the war thats what's baffling !!!!

 

Sorry forgot to explain SASC is Small Arms School Corps.

SASC Comrades Association - HOME PAGE

might be worth contacting them see if he is in their records.

After receiving your post I checked out the site, emailed them and look what i got back this morning !!!

Thank you very much for your advice on this one

!

 

I see from the list he is down as 2nd Battalion RF. not 1st. So that now puts him here then;
Rob


1939 Dover - B.E.F. FRANCE & BELGIUM <O:p</O:p
1940 May LA PANNE - DUNKIRK - ENGLAND <O:p></O:p>
1943 March NORTH AFRICA <O:p></O:p>
1944 EGYPT <O:p></O:p>
May - June MONTE CASSINO, ITALY <O:p></O:p>
1946 December 13th. Greece