5th battalion Royal West Kents

I am new to WW2Talk and to this research and would really appreciate some guidance. I want to see if I can construct my late father's movements. He was with the RWKs, certainly the 5th battalion in North Africa and Italy. He was also with the BEF and evacuated from Dunkirk - he was in the TA at the outbreak of war.
I think I need to use the regiment's war diaries but I am not sure if they will be available, how to find them nor how many there may be! There may also be some other helpful sources (I have the book on the regiment for the relevant period by H D Chaplin). Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Astonian,

The first and best way to start to track your late father's specifics is to apply for his war service records from the UK MOD. It will take quite a bit of time (up to a year) and would cost £30 but would reduce any ambiguity in your research.

This is the link :

Ministry of Defence | About Defence | What we do | Personnel | Service Records | Making a Request for Information held on the Personnel Records of Deceased Service Personnel and Home Guard records

On war diaries, it's a Kew visit or asking one of our esteemed members to help out (Drew 5233 offers a service) :

5th Bttn Royal West Kents' ref numbers are below - each file is likely to encompass hundreds of pages.

• INFANTRY: 5 Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment.

o Date range:01 January 1939 - 31 December 1941 (excluding BEF period).
o Reference:WO 166/4640
| The National Archives

o Date range:01 April 1940 - 31 May 1940
o Reference:WO 167/763
| The National Archives

o Date range:01 January 1942 - 30 April 1942
o Reference:WO 166/8941
| The National Archives

o Date range:01 May 1942 - 31 December 1942
o Reference:WO 169/5028
| The National Archives

o Date range:01 January 1943 - 31 December 1943
o Reference:WO 169/10241
| The National Archives

o Date range:01 January 1944 - 31 December 1944
o Reference:WO 170/1420
| The National Archives

o Date range:01 January 1945 - 30 June 1945
o Reference:WO 170/5021
| The National Archives

And of course, cross reference all the above with the regimental histories, personal narratives, and any notes/photographs left by your father.

Consider it a 5000 piece jigsaw - usually very satisfying to follow the path of men who served with honour 70-75 years ago.

best

 

I also only really know that 5 RWK were in 21st Indian Infantry Brigade within 8th Indian Infantry Division in Italy from Sept 1943 onwards - clearly not a walk in the park. at the Sangro and across the Gari were two notables amongst many.

best

 

Here is a very brief outline of 5th Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment's service:


5th Battalion, The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment (T.A.)

The battalion was embodied on September 1st, 1939 at Bromley. From September 3rd to until October 7th, 1939 the HQ 132nd Infantry Brigade formed HQ Central Sub-Area and the battalion was under the command of other formations.

132nd Infantry Brigade – 7 October 1939 to 26 November 1942
The brigade left the United Kingdom on April 1st, 1940 for France and landed the following day. It served in France and Belgium until May 31st, 1940, when it returned to England. The brigade embarked from England on May 27th, 1942 and arrived in Egypt on July 26th, 1942.

21st Indian Infantry Brigade – 26 November 1942 to 5 June 1945
The battalion joined the 21st Indian Infantry Brigade in Egypt on November 26th, 1942. It was located in Egypt until June 10th, 1943, in Qaratepe, Iraq until June 25th, 1943, in Egypt until July 17th, 1943, in Syria until September 15th, 1943, at sea until September 24th, 1943, and then in Italy. The 1st Jaipur Infantry (ISF) replaced it in the brigade for a short spell in December 1944, while the battalion rested and refitted. The battalion was at Fiesso at the capitulation. It moved to Spoleto on May 22nd and reorganized since it was earmarked for the Far East.

After reorganization it left the brigade and moved by rail to Lammie, near Naples and embarked for the United Kingdom on June 27th. It arrived in July and the men went on leave. After leave the battalion assembled at Dumcombe Park, Helmsley and remained there until the end of the war.

 

I've got the BEF diary and I've also got the Regiments offical history. If I don't post anything tonight send me a PM to remind me and I'll let you know where the battaion was throughout the war.

Cheers
Andy

 

6338029 sjt W.F. WALTHAM Royal West Kents
Hello this post is relation to my freind who has found a set of world war 2 medals war medal africa and italy star along with LSGC. The africa star has the number 8 on it. I may be wrong but this is awarded for service with the 8th Army between 23 October 1942 and 12 May 1943. An '8' is worn on the ribbon in undress to denote this bar. This award is controversial because Eighth Army was created in October 1941 and fought in Africa for a year before the award service requirement. The award dates from the start of the El Alamein battle that ultimately led to the German eviction from Africa. Reportedly General Bernard Montgomery refused to allow Eighth Army soldiers who fought under his predecessor, General Auchinleck, from October 1941, and even his first few months of service starting in August 1942 to wear the award. She works in a care home in kent and the medals have been in the office safe for a few years now, the person who the medals were awarded is no longer a resident there and they cannot locate the persons residential files at the momen.e She has been given permission by the home to try and track down family memebers so that they can be reunited with the medals.
Any info would be gratefully accepted.
Dropshort

 

Hi Astonian,
I have found a little bit about the battalions during ww2 i'm trying to locate a family member (not mine) from a former member of the regiment so that they can be reunited with his medals.
The 1st Battalion was part of the 4th Infantry Division of the British Expeditionary Force in France in 1940, returning to England via Dunkirk. It remained in Britain until 1943, leaving to take part in the Tunisia Campaign, the Italian Campaign and the Greek Civil War that broke out after the German withdrawal in 1944.
The 2nd Battalion was part of the garrison of Malta during its protracted siege. It then formed part of the 234th Infantry Brigade in the abortive assault on the Italian-held Dodecanese islands in 1943, being captured by the Germans on the island of Leros. It was reconstituted in 1944 by redesignation of the 7th Battalion.
The 9th Battalion raised in 1940[3] converted to armour in 1942 as 162nd Regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps but retained its RWK cap badge on the black beret of the RAC.[4]
Other hostilities-only battalions of the Regiment fought in North Africa, notably at El Alamein and Alam el Halfa, and in Burma.

 

Richard

5th batt RWK'S - with 8th Indian Div were on the left flank of 1st Cdn Div through the Liri Valley in operation Diadem ...

Cheers