49th LAA Regt and also 1st Div Uniform Patches

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by JamieC, Dec 27, 2015.

  1. JamieC

    JamieC Junior Member

    Can anyone comment on what patches existed on the uniforms of servicemen in this regiment during their time as part of 78th (Battleaxe division) in North Africa and Italy?

    My Grandad served as part of this Regt in the 280th or 90th Battery and I'm at the pint where I want to frame his medals along with his cap badges and any possible tactical flash or patches that may have been worn.

    Perhaps these were not even part of standard uniform?

    Cheers, Jamie.
     
  2. Giberville

    Giberville Junior Member

    Jamie,

    My uncle was in this regiment, I think 280. Battery. I have a photo of him and he is wearing the yellow axe formation sign on his kd uniform.

    What was your grandfathers name? Do you have much information?

    Regards
    Anthony
     
  3. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    *
    Jamie, contact Ron Goldstein - veteran and forum member. He was in 84th Bty, 49th LAA Regiment.

    NB. He may have already posted details on here or the BBC Wartime Memories Project site!

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  4. JamieC

    JamieC Junior Member

    Anthony... John "Jack" Cooke. Arrived in North Africa on 11.11.42 as part of the 49th LAA. I'm a bit unsure if he was with the 90th or the 280th battery because his records at home have him in the 280th and the 90th. He served with this regt until being transferred to the Infantry (11th Bn Lancs Fusiliers) in Italy in the latter part of 1944.
     
  5. JamieC

    JamieC Junior Member

    I also have a pic of my grandad in uniform but his shoulders are a tad in the wrong position. I was wondering if he would be warring the battleaxes....
     
  6. JamieC

    JamieC Junior Member

    see pic attached.
     

    Attached Files:

  7. JamieC

    JamieC Junior Member

    Where did he do his basic training? I have a pic of the whole battalion, which i think was from his basic training with the 227th DVR TNG RGT RA (TA) in Blackpool in about Sept 1941.
     
  8. Giberville

    Giberville Junior Member

    Jamie,

    49 LAA definitely wore the battle axe. In the photo, as you point out, the 'sliders' are there but frustratingly not visible. You can see the Africa Star medal ribbon however.

    I am away from my archive of papers at the moment but I will look further when I can.

    I have quite a lot of the war diaries and as others have mentioned Mr Goldstein is a source of information and a veteran of the regiment who will help you if he can.

    Anthony
     
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  10. JamieC

    JamieC Junior Member

    Any ideas where I can get a set of those? or at least one?
     
  11. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Did someone mention my name ?

    Hi JamieC ,

    A quick, short answer to your request for photos concerning the 49th LAA

    Go to my photo gallery, look through all the photos and simply download any you require.

    One simple proviso........ You MUST quote the source of the pics, including the WW2talk forum,

    Come back to this thread if you still have any problems

    Ron

    Ps
    Use his link if you need any dates: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/64/a2156564.shtml

    Pps
    My views on sharing info
    http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/59992-sharing-is-stealing/#entry693727
     
  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  13. JamieC

    JamieC Junior Member

    Ron,

    Thanks. I have a couple of questions.

    1. In the 49th LAA there was the 84th (your battery), the 90th and the 280th (one of which my grandfather was in). Were all batteries moving together at the same time? i.e. reading into your movements, is it likely my grandfather would have been on the same ship/boat to Sicily as you or would he have travelled there separately? I'm looking into getting the unit diaries of both the 90th and 280th so I can read from those but just wanted to get a heads up.

    2. Since the 49th LAA RA was TA was you cap badge any different from regular Royal Artillery regiments or were they all the same?

    Cheers, Jamie
     
  14. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Jamie

    1. Looking back at the War Diaries it appears that the Regiment would usualy move en bloc on occasions but move separately as individual Batteries once the general area was reached.
    2. My cap badge was always the main artillery one of a cannon

    Finally, the regiment also included RHQ and for the latter part of my time withe the 49th, that is where I was stationed

    Ron
     
  15. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Jamie

    Further to my previous posting, this excerpt from the Regimental Diary from December 1943 proves my point about how the regiment used to deploy their Batteries.

    On 25 Dec A/84 Tp moved from route protection at Isernia to medium gun protection at Vastogiradi.
    On 28 Dec B and C Tps 90 Bty moved to relieve B and C Tps 280 Bty in the Forli area on gun area protection. A/280 moved guns to adjust Campobasso defences pending the arrival of B and C Tps 280 Bty. The latter arrived at Campobasso on 29 Dec.
    On the 30th two guns of C/84 moved to Capracotta for ground defence and
    On the 31st these guns moved to Carrovilli. There were only 7 raids in Dec, all between the 1st and the 3rd. At the end of the year the strength was 41 officers and 807 ORs

    Ron
     
  16. JamieC

    JamieC Junior Member

    Thanks Ron.

    It's a bit frustrating not knowing which Bty he was with. On the B103 it mentions him being intra-posted to the 90th but on the record (service summary) attached it only has him in the 280th. Any ideas on whether servicemen were switched between batteries for short periods of time? Im thinking along the lines of whether he might of been posted to the 90th in the UK for example some training and then rejoining the 280th before embarkation overseas?

    A few additional questions:

    How many men typically made up a bty? and how many per trp?
    Any idea if they kept the names of men in each bty or trp?
    Did Btys only get shipped one time from the UK? I mean did your battery the 84th arrive altogether or did they already exist in NA and simply reinforcements arrived periodically?
    Does the diary mention the name of the ship and which ports it sailed from and to? My grandfather left the UK on the 11.11.42 (someone mentioned in an earlier post his father (a guardsman) may have been on the same ship that set sail from Greenock. According to his records my grandfather was in Arbroath (with the 90th) shortly before embarkation so Greenock is not that far away. Honestly i'm starting to think he fought with the 90th and whoever wrote up the service summary card simply overlooked it.

    Jamie
     

    Attached Files:

  17. JamieC

    JamieC Junior Member

    i take that back. arbroath is 2hrs 30 from greenock
     
  18. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Jamie

    Mainly to find the time to answer your many queries might I suggest that you first use the following link:
    http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/35439-rons-memories-of-the-49th-laa-rgt-ra/

    This will lead you to tales I have already posted on the BBC site.

    In addition, if you go into PAGES on this forum and search on 49th LAA you will find lots of background stuff.

    Without going into boring details concerning my private life suffice to say that at the age of 92 I have already written most of what I can remember online and I ask you to read that data first to save me the tak of finding the relevant data.

    My Army records can also be found in the Forum Gallery.

    Finally, I am not the only one on the forum with expert knowledge of the 49th and so I invite you all to help Jamie in his quest.

    Good luck young man

    Ron
     
  19. Giberville

    Giberville Junior Member

    Jamie,

    This is my uncle in his khaki drill uniform. You can see the Battleaxe patches. This was taken in Egypt in 1944. Thought it might be of interest.
    Anthony
     

    Attached Files:

  20. Giberville

    Giberville Junior Member

    Also found this. It shows 49 LAA Regt in Italy. This time battledress is worn with the axe patch. Interesting here they are pictured with French troops. Not entirely sure where exactly this is taken in Italy - a very open and exposed gun position!
    Anthony
     

    Attached Files:

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