220th L.A.A. Training Regiment R.A.

I've just received my granfathers service records which confirms that he was posted to 220th LAA Training Regiment RA as a gunner and saw active service in the Middle East & Nth Africa between May 1942 and July 1944 and then in Italy from July 1944 to March 1945. I am trying to find out about his war time experiences as he never spoke of the war. Can anyone help? Are there any war diaries from this unit?

Thanks in anticipation

Mark

 

HI Mark

As a training regiment, he would have not gone to North Africa with them, but would have been posted to another, you need to get their details.
Have you tried to get his service records?
Apply MOD Service Records, you need to fill out next of kin form as well.
When you find out, the war diary will not be online but they are at National Archives or also at Firepower.

regards

Robert

Sorry stuffed that up well, didnt read your original post too well did I!

 

ALso forgot to add this-
RA 1939-45 LAA Index
gives you a list of all the LAA regiments

regards

Robert

 

Thanks Owen,

Having deciphered some more of the plethora of abbreviations in my grandfathers service record, it seems he was posted from 220 Training Regt to 280 Bty LAA on in July 1941 and to 280 Bty LAA 49 Regt on 15/9/1941. On 28/4/1942 he was posted to 86th LAA Regt. and then "disembarked Egypt 8/7/1942". The next entry under postings simply says "SOSMETOSNA 7/7/1944" Has anybody amy idea what this can refer to?

Thx

Mark

 

SOS ME Struck off Strength Middle East.
TOS NA Taken On Strength North Africa.

perhaps...

 

SOS ME Struck off Strength Middle East.
TOS NA Taken On Strength North Africa.

perhaps...

I agree

Lesley

 

49th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
RHQ, 84th, 119th Light AA Batteries; 520th-529th Light AA Troops
Raised: 10 July 1940

The regiment formed part of 6th AA Brigade in the Essex airfields in February 1941. 119th Battery left on 19 September 1941. 298th Battery was added on 19 February 1942 and left by 1 April 1942 being replaced by 452nd Battery. 452nd Battery left on 28 April 1942.
The regiment formed part of 78th Infantry Division from 16 July 1942 to 6 November 1944. It was located in the United Kingdom until 16 October 1942, at sea until 9 November 1942, in North Africa until 23 July 1942, at sea until 26 July 1942, in Sicily until 22 September 1943, in Italy until 18 July 1944, at sea until 23 July 1944, in Egypt until 9 September 1944, at sea until 15 September 1944, and then in Italy. The regiment and batteries were disbanded on 8 January 1945 in Italy.

 

Hi

Here is a summary of my Dad's records for the 86th LAA Regt from Firepower

regards

Robert

 

86th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
RHQ, BHQ 119th, 281st, 53rd
Raised: 30 September 1941 at Holyport, Berkshire

119th Battery was completed to four troops on 7 October 1941. 475th Battery was added on 19 February 1942. 53rd Battery left on 14 April 1942 and was replaced by 452nd Battery on 28 April. 475th Battery left on 19 May 1942. The regiment was sent to the Middle East after May 1942 and was located there by December 1942. It served under 1st AA Brigade at Benghazi in May 1943 and under 18th AA Brigade in Alexandria in June 1944 with only one battery. The regiment and batteries were disbanded in the Middle East on 6 June 1944.

 

Good Shout.
I thought it might be a place, but I can see your right from the list of "Usefull Abbreviations" which accompanied my grandfathers service records. Can you interpret what "Struck of Strength Middle East Taken on Strength North Africa" means in relation to his postings?
Thanks
Mark

 

I think the usual designation was

BNAF - Brtish (B), Force (F).
MEF - (F) Force.

Not in my opinion the most useful, as the force designation may not always reflect where the man was - administrators didn't keep up. Where exactly the man was based is best achieved (as you're doing) by cross referencing the service records with the unit's war diaries and official histories..

For example, my father was "BNAF" when he sailed to Algeria in Nov 1942, officially stated as being with "BNAF" until July 1944 despite the fact that he had been in Italy since July 1943. He then reverted to "MEF" while on R'n'R and training and then in hospital in Egypt until November 1944, and then was transferred to "CMF", although it took him about another month to get to his unit in central Italy.

best,

 

Thx for info on 86th LAA - it ties in with my grandfathers service record. On 6.6.44 his medical catagory was reassessed, he had a load of vaccinations on 19.6.44 and left Middle East on 3.7.44 and arrived in Italy on 4.7.44. I can't find any details of which outfit he was in when he was in Italy.
On 12.5.44 the posting "X (1) ME 12.5.44" has a Part II Order ref of 45/44 with 457 Bty next to it. Does this indicate that he may have been transferred/included in 457 Battery?
Part II Ref Posting
X110/44 SOSMETOSNA 7.7.44
X/162/44 X List I NA 4.7.44
Can you determine which unit he served in whilst in Italy from the above 2 posting entries?
Regards
Mark

 

Thx for info on 86th LAA - it ties in with my grandfathers service record. On 6.6.44 his medical catagory was reassessed, he had a load of vaccinations on 19.6.44 and left Middle East on 3.7.44 and arrived in Italy on 4.7.44. I can't find any details of which outfit he was in when he was in Italy.
On 12.5.44 the posting "X (1) ME 12.5.44" has a Part II Order ref of 45/44 with 457 Bty next to it. Does this indicate that he may have been transferred/included in 457 Battery?
Part II Ref Posting
X110/44 SOSMETOSNA 7.7.44
X/162/44 X List I NA 4.7.44
Can you determine which unit he served in whilst in Italy from the above 2 posting entries?
Regards
Mark

Hello Mark
Can you scan the full set of records and post them on here, then members will be able to see exactly what is on them and fill in the gaps.

Lesley

 

Mark

Re 280 Bty, have you seen this ?

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/unit-documents/13571-49th-light-ack-ack-rgt-r-regimental-diary-extracts.html

Ron

 

Sorry guys. I've scanned the records and tried to upload them as an attachment but I keep getting error & failed messages. I'm new to the site & I'm obviously doing something wrong. Is there an easy way?
Regards
Mark

 

Try reducing the size of the files

 

Yes there are size limits on them, it should tell you when you try to load them.

regards

Robert

 

Hi All,
Thanks for your help - I'm learning fast
Here are the scanned images of my grandfathers service record for you to make sense of











Thanks again for all your help
Mark

 

Hi

Second card
U/A/L/Bdr is unpaid acting lance bombardier
then maybe paid?
then relinquished to Gunner

What else dont you understand?

regards

Robert