2156828 Robert HAMILTON, 186 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

2156828
14/07/1943 Death age 23
11. A. 20.
TRIPOLI WAR CEMETERY


Your help pls - I have located this info but was wondering if there was anyway of finding out how he died without requesting his service records??

Many Thanks

 

His Service Record will be the only way of finding out for sure. The unit war diary for that period might cover the general details, ie how many men died that day, what the Regiment/Battery was doing that day, and so forth but it probably won't mention him by name.

EDIT - just noticed his date of death is a matter of days after the Invasion of Sicily, and long after there had been any fighting near Tripoli, so he may have died in hospital of long-term wounds or illness, or by accident.

 

Thx James, its just we are not sure if he died in action or there was some mention of a fall something to do with swinging on a rope ?? Any Ideas what he could of been up to considering he was in Tripoli?

 

that could be possible, Tripoli was a port so the Regiment could have been passing through on. And theres all kinds of potential accidents in a busy port.

 

Arh so it doesn't seem so cray after all. Thx again.

BTW checked out your website - some really interesting info - note sure I understand most of it but I'm learning. :0)

 

Odd: 186 Fd Regt only served in the UK and NW Europe. So what was Gnr Hamilton doing near Tripoli? If he had been posted, he ought to have been listed under his new unit.

A quick search on Geoff's Search Engine for RA deaths in 1943 has two other 186 Fd Regt deaths, both of whom are buried 'at home'.

I wonder if he might have been 186 Independent Field Battery that appears in that search? Two casualties from them are listed - one on the Brookwood Memorial in March 1943 (lost at sea?) and one in Halfaya Sollum, which is somewhere sandy and a month before Gnr Hamilton.

Nothing yet on who 186 Indep Fd Bty were and who they were with...

 

I've just done a quick search and noticed that too, 186 Field Regiment were formed in the UK in 1942 and served with 52 Lowland Division in NW Europe.

Looks like you may might have found a correction for the CWGC, bills granddaughter!

 

I have no idea what either of you have just said to me - in plain english pls for the newbie hahaha

Jo

 

Hi Jo,

At the time that Gunner Hamilton died 186 Field Regiment was based in England, so either there is an interesting reason for him to have been in Tripoli (in modern day Libya), or his Regiment has been recorded incorrectly.

That OK?

 

Arh yes a lil blonde moment me thinks I get it now thx u.

To be honest the family thought he was buried in france so Tripoli came as quite a surprise today.

 

WO 169/9556 would be the place to start. It's even more intriguing that the war diary only covers the period March-June 1943, not July. It's possible that he could he have died of wounds after the unit had been disbanded? Or did they become 186 LAA Bty that appears in July 1943?

I'm starting to think that I'm speculating a bit too much, now; though with the delays someone mentioned with service records, there may not be much else to do.

 

I've been told we may have his service records (Robert was on my husbands side of the family) so I have asked for these to be dug out, I'll come back to you if I find out anymore.

Thx U both for your assistance

Jo :0)

 

I'm starting to think that I'm speculating a bit too much, now; though with the delays someone mentioned with service records, there may not be much else to do.

There's a thought

 

Shouldn't you be working on a map????

It has got me wondering what an Independent Field Battery was and did. The mighty Joslen isn't coming up with much.

 

Shouldn't you be working on a map????

It has got me wondering what an Independent Field Battery was and did. The mighty Joslen isn't coming up with much.

Did we have Independent Field Batteries in the British Army ww2?

 

Apparently! Maybe some form of Lines of Communication Troops or as Tripoli and Halfaya weren't exactly the front line in 1943?

 

Apparently! Maybe some form of Lines of Communication Troops or as Tripoli and Halfaya weren't exactly the front line in 1943?

Hmm, interesting. I know they had them in RCA and RAA but never heard of it in RA before.
Rob

 

Isn't the Honorable Royal Artillery Company independent?

 

Whilst compiling my list of RA Casualties, I've come across the following type of Independent RA Batteries. Be interesting to look at a WD, though I suspect that nothing out of the ordinary will reveal itself.

Anti-Tank
Heavy Anti-Aircraft
Light Anti-Aircraft
Light
Searchlight
Maritime.
Coast.

Not come across an Independent Medium or Heavy yet.

Cheers - Robert

 

This looks like another WW2 Puzzle being slowly unravelled.

very interesting to read.

Regards
Tom