2nd Armoured Battalion Irish Guards HQ Squadron

Many thanks - it did look like the 3rd Battalion judging by the War diaries of the two units.

 

Hello Kevin

Me again !

I have been looking at the engagement of 4 August when the Battalion lost four tanks.

Tank 1 appears to have been crewed by L/Sjt R Wood 2719530, Gdsmns L Boland 5347756, T Gerrard 2722984, G Kibble 2719991 & J Stansfield 2721254 (all KIA)

Tank 2 crewed by Sjt M Brennan 2719937, L/Cpl C Williamson 2720416 & Gdsm H Ramsden 2721934 (all KIA) plus two others

The other two tanks were replacement tanks supplied by 268 FDS with crews of four Coldstreamers each under the command of two IG officers, Lt Keatinge & Lt Maguire (both KIA).

Any information on Tanks 1& 2 would be appreciated.

Thanks

Mel

 

Hi Mel,

Managed to find something.

Sherman T212283 No. 70. No. 1 Sqn No. 2 Tp
Tp. Sjt. Sjt. M. Brennan 2719937, D/Op. Gdsm. T. Gerrard 2722984, G/Op. Gdsm. W. Wingrove 2723035, G/Mech. Gdsm. J. Stansfield 2721254, D/Mech. L/Cpl. A. Burrows 1431437
So that looks a bit of a mixed crew of tank 1 & 2.

Sherman T147619 ARDAGH No. 73 No. 1 Sqn No. 3 Tp
Tp. Off. Lt. J. K. Maguire 243516, G/Op. Gdsm. A. Moore 2723480, D/Op. Gdsm. H. Ramsden 2721934, G/Mech. Gdsm. C. Martin 2723130, D/Mech. L/Cpl. A. Chapman 3523394

Lt. Kealings must have been a replacement Officer.

Cheers

Kevin

 

Hello Kevin

That is a great piece of information.

Lts Keatinge & Maguire were place in command of two replacement tanks supplied by No 268 Forward Delivery Squadron and crewed by four Coldstreamers each.

L/sjt Wood must have been placed in command of Maguire's former tank and there was mixing and matching between the two crews to make them combat ready which is hardly surprising at this stage of the camapign.

Many thanks again for all your help.

Regards

Mel

 

Hi Mel & Kevin,

Firstly thank you for all your insight on this thread – it is incredibly useful.

Sorry to post back on the old thread - but I am researching for information on L/Sjt R Wood 2719530 who is my wife's Grandads brother.

He was KIA on 4th Aug 44 - when the Battalion lost four tanks in the one day near LA MARVINDIERE

The war diaries War Diary: 2nd Armoured Battalion IRISH GUARDS, Jan - Dec 1944

- refer to 4 tanks as being commanded by:
Sjt BRENNAN
Lt. KEATINGE
L/Cpl MORRELL
Lt. MAGUIRE’

The war diaries entries are:
Sjt BRENNAN’ and Lt. KEATINGE’s tks were knocked out by a PANTHER some 500 yds to NE of them.
The Fitters ½ track was hit, L/Cpl MORRELL killed and some trucks set on fire.
A Mk IV then came down the road from N, spotted Lt. MAGUIRE’s tk in the hedge and knocked it out, killing Lt. MAGUIRE before it itself was hit by our guns


I am struggling however to work out which of these 4 tanks L/Sjt R Wood 2719530 would have actually been in


Mel you had the amaizing insight that:

Tank 1 appears to have been crewed by L/Sjt R Wood 2719530, Gdsmns L Boland 5347756, T Gerrard 2722984, G Kibble 2719991 & J Stansfield 2721254 (all KIA)

then:
Lts Keatinge & Maguire were place in command of two replacement tanks supplied by No 268 Forward Delivery Squadron and crewed by four Coldstreamers each.

L/sjt Wood must have been placed in command of Maguire's former tank and there was mixing and matching between the two crews to make them combat ready which is hardly surprising at this stage of the camapign.



My main challenge however is trying to reconcile this to the war diaries, since R Wood’s tank is not mentioned there. I wonder if his tank may not have been recorded in War Diary, or mistakenly attributed to someone else.

If happened to have any more insight you have either on L/Sjt R Wood 2719530 or the formations of the 4 tanks on the 4th Aug would be wonderful as I’m trying to piece this jigsaw together.

Many thanks in advance,
Keith

 

Hi, I'm trying to find information on my grandfather. He died before I was born, but my Nan told me his tank was knocked out during Operation Market Garden. He and and af least one other crewman suvived. I found some information in this thread. His name was J Mallaburn. The info I have is below,

Sherman T147420 No. 67. No. 1 Sqn. No. 1 Tp
D/Op. L/Sjt. I. Harrison 2721034, D/Op. L/Sjt. J. Murphy 2719636, G/Mech. Gdsm. L. Walsgrove 2721569, G/Mech. Gdsm. J. Mallaburn 2719927, D/Mech. Gdsm. J. Blackburn 2723191

Can anyone help?

 

Greetings, Kevin. I stumbled across this posting whilst conducting research on behalf of a work colleague whose great grandfather, Harry Townsley of Castleford, served during the Second World War as 2720641, Irish Guards. His medals rule out 1st Battalion as a possible unit and I have been unable to locate his name in your 2nd Battalion HQ and "A" Squadron listings. Is there a possibility of your checking the muster rolls for "B" and "C" squadrons? Both my colleague and I would be extremely grateful. Thank you in anticipation. Chris

 

Found him!

On the 2nd Irish Guards D-Day listing I have 2720641 Gdsm Townsley H. Dvr. IC is listed with a Bedford 3 ton 4 x 4 (ammunition + 1 mc) L4884454 No. 3 Squadron.
Hope this is of some use.

 

Thank you ever so much, Kevin: I am immensely grateful for your hard work in locating this information. I am astounded that we now know the exact vehicle Castleford Rugby League forward Harry was driving at the time. My work colleague will be thrilled to learn of your findings when next I see him. I look forward to future dealings with you and your fellow experts. Kindest regards. Chris

 

Good morning Kevin! Only just seen this thread. I have been trying to find out the fate of 2719596 Gdsm Marcial FERNANDEZ who had been in the Bn since 1939. He was KIA 21 Sep 44. I have his file which states that he was trained as a Driver Operator Class II in 41/42 in Tidworth. He is buried in Oosterbeek CWG Cemetery. All my other research has drawn a blank up until now about his death or what he actually did in the Bn. If you have anything on him I would be grateful.Thanks! Sean

 

Found him.

No.2 Sqn No. 4 Tp

Gdsm 2719596 M. Fernandez (Driver/Operator) is part of an un-numbered Firefly crew along with Sjt 2721275 H. Garland (Tp Sjt), Gdsm 2719298 E. Bannister (Gunner/Mechanic), Gdsm 2721598 H. Neal (Gunner/Mechanic).

Sadly none of the Firefly’s are numbered. However from my census number database I have 3 Firefly Vc numbers listed a being knocked out T150260, T212605 and T289489. Other numbers I have are Vc T232394. Ic T262954, T263686. Unfortunately I do not know the sqn or Tp numbers of the these tanks.

Hope this is of some use or interest.