4th (Durham) Survey Regiment, RA

Robin - any ideas what Battery they were in?

 

Robin - any ideas what Battery they were in?

They were in No2 Composite Bty.('X' survey Troop, 'B' Flash spotting Troop and 'S' Sound Ranging Troop) C.O. Major Curtis. Most of No. 1 Bty were in Syria at this time. See "Z Location " pages 57/58

Robin

 

War Diary of 4th Durham Survey Regiment RA for July 1944


For those seeking Battery War Diaries ...

The July 1944 War diaries for 48 Battery C.O. Major J C Balfour
and 48 Battery C.O. Lieut F H Smith

are at the end of the regimental diary.

Robin

 

Hi there,

Trying to research my great Uncle. Apparently deployed with with the 4th Survey Regiment in Cairo, Oliver Andrew Stockton. Any chance you can check the nominal roll Robin. Please provide me with any information you have about him as I have limited info. Also, any other online resources you can think of for acquiring information would be great. Are the war diaries online anywhere?

Tim

 

Yes he's on the Nominal Roll.

Reg No 1098553 L/Bdr/Sur Stockton O.A. of 26 Ryecroft Road, Stretford. He joined the regiment on 11.9.1942.
This shows his trade was Surveyor ... given the date he probably joined up in a RA Survey Training unit and qualified in UK before going to Cairo.The date he joined suggests he was part of rebuilding the regiment after the loss of a Battery in the fall of Tobruk.

I can work out more if this is your uncle.
Robin

 

Tim
For history start with the one by the Colonel ... link in contribution from Wills above - 'Z Location'

I have copy of "Sound like the enemy" a bombardiers view...

War diaries are at Kew and Drew has photographed several for those of us with an interest.

Have you got his service record?

Robin

 

Unfortunately I don't have his service record, but his service information comes to me from a relative who has also done some research on him. Where are the war diaries?

 

I'm assuming his address and service number match.

War diaries are at The National Archives in Kew Drew5233 does a great service photographing them for us.

I have several for the regiment mostly for the early years and 2 Battery (Later B then No48) I suspect your uncle was in the other battery. 2/A/47.

I have the 1944 regimental diary which shows what they were doing in UK as prep for D Day.


Robin

 

I totally missed this post! Yes, this would be my great uncle! Whatever you can work out would be great. Do we have war diaries photographed for that time? My great uncle was an Engineering apprentice and left his apprenticeship to join this regiment.

 

As I said earlier Robin, a relative has written a wonderful 6 page word document about my great Uncle Oli's involvement. I am trying to fill in some blanks and collect as much information as possible. If you want, I can email the document I have to assist you. How I access the photographed war diaries? Also, is there any chance you can print screen the nominal role entry of my great uncle and send it to me? As I am researching for a book i am trying to keep all of my records on file. Thank you so much for all your help Robin!

 

Thanks to Robin and his efforts! My family has been able to determine that Oli was S Troop, 2 Battery. Are there any other S Troopers here?

 

D-Day preparations ...

War Diaries for Jan-June 1944 give us limited information but we've made progress ...

RHQ was in Dedham House near Manningtree with 47BTY nearby (clue is one sick parade) while 48 Bty are over other side of Manningtree in Furze Hills area of Mistley (clues were separate sick parade Mistley, RC Mass celebrated in Brunswick House and much told tales of how father in law BQMS Hird and fiancee Wren Main managed to meet up so often from wedding in Dec 1943 and Clarrie being CB at end of May.... )

The regiment then went to Clacton on Sea pre movement to MA's
With excellent work done by Ramacal on this forum we've now tied down that Clarrie Hird went to MA S1 and embarked at Tilbury. Fascinating to see the maps showing vehicle parks and routes to the port.
His personal diary shows him boarding on 7 June and 'arrived off beach..what a wonderful sight of hundreds and hundreds of ships'


Beginning to link the War Diary entry re movement of Serial 23 to MA to the regimental history ... looks like Tilbury was embarkation port for the D+2 D+3 and D+4 parties ..
View attachment 4th Durham Overlord .tiff

But where did the D Day Beach party embark?

The regimental history states "The first light scale party of the Regiment, with the assault force of 50 (N) Division which includedNo. 47 Royal Marine Commando, actually landed at 08.20 hours on D-Day. This consisted of one officer, Captain Hamer, and 13 men from 'Y' T roop."

Any suggestion of where to look welcome


Robin

ps can't sort out why the second image has gone in as a file link .. hope it is visible

 

Turns out that father-in-law BQMS Hird was transferred from 1bty to 2 Bty for invasion of Sicily ...
R

 

Amazing that Robin's father-in-law was my great uncles RHQ from Sicily onward. I believe Oli was D-Day + 2 or 3...

 

War Diaries for 4th Durham Survey Regiment RA

Working on the regimental war diaries for 1944
Saw the complex communications between the various troops and sections with the RA formations they were supporting 50 Div RA, 30 Corps, 5 AGRA and 10 Med .... beginning to get a feel of the complexity ...




We also found that Appendix F is actually the diary for 48 Battery of the regiment and includes a separate diary for the 4 pen recorder troop.




Robin

 

4th Durham Survey Regiment RA
War Diaries 1944
We have the full 1944 war diaries and steadily working through them.

New finds are annoying as there are notes stating that War diaries were completed for 47 Battery and 48 Battery.... and working with Andy we'd not found them...

Late last night another search of TNA Catalogue came up with them

WO171/1078 for 47 Battery Jan to December 1944
WO171/1079 for 48 Battery Jan to December 1944


and
WO171/5118 for 47 Battery Jan to April 1945
WO171/5119 for 48 Battery Jan to April 1945


Robin

 

You never asked - I could have found them in a few minutes for you Robin

Disc in the todays post for you

 

Didn't know what to ask for then .. and they don't come up with a 4th DUrham search

 

So Robin, do we have the diaries for the regiment and each battery?

 

Andy sorted out a list for me earlier this year .. suspect we've still to find some of them ... for instance did the diaries for No 2 Battery survive the fall of Tobruk in 1942 .. I've not yet correlated the dates and Battery information

Robin