30th Green Howards: a small mystery

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by davidbfpo, Feb 17, 2022.

  1. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Doing research on Setif, French Algeria I have discovered the 44th Infantry Battalion of the South African Air Force handed over their guard duties, mainly at RAF stations, in French North Africa (now Algeria) in July 1945 to a Green Howards Battalion. See Post 15 for a little more in: VE-Day in Setif, French North Africa: who helped the French?

    Looking around I cannot find anything on such a high numbered Green Howards battalion, for example Wiki for WW2 lists one to twelve. See and updated after result 18/2/22: Green Howards - Wikipedia

    The CWGC though list one death on 22nd August 1945, of Corporal Richard Herbert Bradshaw, who is buried in the Dely Ibrahim Cemetery, a suburb about 10 kilometres south-west of Algiers on the road to Blida (WW2 airfield). See: Corporal Richard Herbert Bradshaw | War Casualty Details | CWGC

    After VE-Day I can locate two others from the unit died, one is buried in Yorkshire and the second at Bari, Italy.
    Refining the regiment deaths in WW2 with the CWGC database to that unit eludes me.

    Forty-six Commonwealth dead after VE-Day are buried in the same cemetery, mainly RAF and through to June 1946.

    Did the 30th Green Howards (formally Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment) really exist?
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2022
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  2. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    30th Green Howards were formed 12/41 by redesignation of 8th (home defence) battalion, 9/43 to 10/43 they were in North Africa as part of HQ 40 div (deception), then 11/43 to 12/43 HQ 57 Div (deception), then 11/43 to 8/45 in Italy with AFHQ
     
  3. Quarterfinal

    Quarterfinal Well-Known Member

    I used to have some notes on 30th Bn The Yorkshire Regiment, remembering this nomenclature seemed to be used more than GREEN HOWARDS (or XIX on map symbology). Can’t find them. Sorry. I see from the Wartime Memories Project that Cpl. Lancelot Thompson 11th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment also served with the 30th battalion of the Green Howards. If you have access, you might glean some additional info.
     
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  4. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

  5. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

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