58th anti-tank regiment war diaries

Hi, does anyone know where I can find the war diaries of the 58th anti-tank regiment? Specifically those from Italy 1943 as i’m researching a family member who was taken as a prisoner of war during his time there. Thank you
EDIT: My mistake, I think he was taken prisoner in North Africa. I’m sorry for the confusion!

 

Hi Ellabet - welcome to the forum!

Held at TNA Kew:

Reference: WO 169/9618
Description: Royal Artillery: 58 Anti-Tank Regiment (RA A/Tk Regt)
Date: 1943 July- Dec.

Royal Artillery: 58 Anti-Tank Regiment (RA A/Tk Regt) | The National Archives

(Just to let you know, some people on this forum offer file copying services at a lower fee than ordering them directly from Kew.)

 

Thank you for your help!

 

Welcome aboard.

An online search using "58th anti-tank regiment" + "italy" site:ww2talk.com found a few threads.

Note Skoyen89 in 2016 copied the war dairy for 1944, his Post 13 is worth reading. See: 58th Anti-Tank Regiment RA

Another thread's post states:

From: 58th anti tank regiment Italy 1944 info required

Looking for what is here for the 46th Infantry Division may help too.

Another thread refers to their official name as, so may provide different online results:

From: 1st Army Timeline

The always useful RA website: 58 (Duke of Wellington’s) Anti-Tank Regiment RA (TA) - The Royal Artillery 1939-45 Which lists their batteries too.

 

Thank you!

 

Hi Ellabet,

I think I’ve got that war diary - let me check tomorrow and get back to you. Have you anymore details you could share - date of capture perhaps?

Regards

Tom

 

Hi Tom,
I’m so sorry, now that i look at my family tree, I think he was taken prisoner in North Africa. Missing believed prisoner 22nd Feb 1943 and reported PoW 28 April 1943. Thank you for your help anyway!

 

Try an online search "46th infantry division" + "february 1943" site:ww2talk.com this gives some pointers. He was taken prisoner before the battle of Sidi Nasir on 26/2/1943. So try for context only, as it illustrates the Germans still could hurt: LAST STAND AT SIDI NISR February 26th 1943 - A reflection

He would have been handed to the Italians who had an agreement with the Germans that all POW became an Italian responsibility.

AT regiments usually were posted in support of a brigade, so if you can identify the brigade you are making progress.

 

Thank you for the info!

 

Looking in the Duke of Wellington's Regimental History for WW2, I thought you might find these details interesting:

The 58th Anti-Tank Regiment was a TA unit that had been converted from the 4th Battalion of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment before the war.

"On 28th November 1938 the 4th Battalion became an anti-tank regiment R.A. with the title of 58th (4th Duke of Wellington’s Regiment) Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A. The reorganised Regiment was made up of the 229th, 230th, 231st and 232nd Anti-Tank Batteries."

Looking at the date he was reported missing, I'd suggest your relative was in 229 Battery - they arrived in Algiers on 3rd January 1943. They were detached as part of a small force (2/5th Leicester Regt., 450 Field Battery R.A., 229 Battery of the 58th Anti-Tank Regt) which was rushed south from their part of the Tunisian front to confront a major German offensive.

"This force arrived at Thala on 20th February to find the Americans retiring in some confusion and the Valentine tanks of the Lothians and the 17/21st Lancers fighting a very gallant, but unequal, battle against much heavier armour..."
"The Leicesters dug in on some risking rocky ground about 4 miles east of Thala, with 229 Battery in support."
The Germans arrived in the late afternoon / early evening and very heavy and close quarter fighting broke out - "confused fighting continued all night, and at dawn only two anti-tank guns were still in action, the remainder having been knocked out". "In this gallant action 229 Battery suffered about 50 casualties and they had every reason to be proud of the part they had played in their first battle."

I'd be very happy to post up copies of the relative pages if you would like to see more context around the action.

Regards

Tom

 

That would be great, thanks for your help!