5th Bn The Black Watch . battle of Mauny Northern France 29th Aug 1944

Discussion in 'Veteran Accounts' started by Gus Brydon, Sep 13, 2016.

  1. Gus Brydon

    Gus Brydon Member

    My Father was in the 5th Battalion the Black Watch during WWII and was wounded by shrapnel on the 29th August 1944, when ambushed by German troops in Northern France. As far as I can ascertain, the only fighting around that period by the Battalion, was when they tried to take Mauny. I have just found out about Tom Renouf and his association with the same battle. I am so sad that he passed away in June, as he would possibly be the only veteran that would be able to clarify if my Father was with him at the battle. My Father is now 90 years old and lives in East Lothian Scotland. Does anyone know where I could find out details that would confirm my Father being at the location in France at this time?
     
  2. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Hi Gus, get your father to apply for his own service record (no cost) Get a copy of military service records - GOV.UK You will have to wait a few weeks for it to arrive, but with your father being alive it will be treated priority over family research requests.

    Can you post what you know? Service number etc?
     
  3. Gus Brydon

    Gus Brydon Member

    Thanks, I already have his record. But it only states he was wounded in action on 29th August 1944 in Northern France and evacuated out of France on the 31st August.
     
  4. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

  5. Gus Brydon

    Gus Brydon Member

  6. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Hi Gus, Lee is often at Kew and so is Andy if you need anything copied for a very reasonable rate. Ordering Kew copies directly is expensive.

    War Diary Search Engine - Arcre
     
  7. Gus Brydon

    Gus Brydon Member

    Thanks, I'll see how far I get but realise it may be in vain, as I've left it a bit late to try and research.
     
  8. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I think I may have a copy of that war diary at home. I'll have a look tonight when I get home from work.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  10. Gus Brydon

    Gus Brydon Member

    Thanks for investigating for me. I managed to access the Roll of Honour 5th Battalion the Black Watch, which shows the dates of those killed during the war. This corroborates with my Fathers' date when 'wounded in action'. ROLL OF HONOUR 5TH BATTALION BLACK WATCH
     
  11. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Hi Gus - I did several battlefieldtours with Tom Renouf and his group and he certainly would have been of assistance. He was a real 5th Bn man.

    Did your father return to duty after recovering from his wounds.
     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2016
  12. Gus Brydon

    Gus Brydon Member

    Hi, thanks for your interest. Afraid he was too seriously injured by mortar shrapnel and had to be transferred back to the UK and never saw action again. He underwent a course of hospital operations before he was able to be released.
     
  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

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  14. Gus Brydon

    Gus Brydon Member

    Thanks Drew. These are brilliant and gives an insight into what happened there. Once I decipher the pages, I'll read them out to my Father and see if he recognises some of the detail and names. Any other info would be valuable. Thanks again. Gus
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 13, 2016
  15. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Hello Gus,

    I spoke with Tom Renouf in January last year about a 5th Bn colleague of his that he believed was killed at Mauny and who he couldn't find a grave for. I am sorry to hear of Tom's passing; a real gentleman.

    Here is some of the work I and others did about Mauny; link: Mauny cemetery,Normandie.

    Hope this helps with the bigger picture...

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  16. Gus Brydon

    Gus Brydon Member

    Cheers Steve, I just wish that I had tried to clarify my Fathers role in WWII sooner! He used to tell us stories in the 60's and 70's about his 'exploits' during the war when we were kids...............he still does and he's 90! He was never one to boast about his war days and didn't want to be a 'club' member. He was the youngest in the 5th Battalion and war had an impact on him, as we can all appreciate. He remembers being face-down on a stretcher across a jeep all the way to Bayeux, which took almost a day, as he had been hit by shrapnel on his back. He also used to tell us that the column had been attacked by fighter planes, which turned out to be U.S. planes! He was eventually shipped back to the UK, where he underwent a series of medical operations to his wound.
     
  17. Aeronut

    Aeronut Junior Member

    Gus, I wish you luck with your search, I'm going through a similar search for information about my late father who was with 1st Black Watch at the same time your father was with the 5th. I've checked the records I have and the 5th get little mention I'm afraid.
    Being attacked by aircraft of your own side was far from uncommon, my father suffered from attacks by the Luftwaffe (legitimate) RAF fighters (the Battalion's fault for advancing too fast!!) and the Americans (criminal as the bombs fell 7 miles behind the front line).
     
  18. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    *
    I read a book about British and USA bombers during WWII. One of the conclusions was that the British had a policy of area bombing with precision and the USA had a policy of precision bombing an area.

    Part of a battalion of 6th British Airborne was bombed by US bombers on D-Day. Did more harm/damage than the Germans. If you want the precise details I would be happy to provide these!
     
  19. Gus Brydon

    Gus Brydon Member

    After more investigating, I have managed to find out more info about my Dad (George Brydon d.o.b 20:12:25. Army No. 14709016) according to his 'Army Personal File' he was drafted for France on the 29:7:44 and arrived in Arromanches France on 1:8:44.
    He was 'Wounded in Action' on 29:8:44, after being hit by shrapnel from the mortars and shelling the same date that Major Merrielees, Sgt. Kirkcaldy and Cpl. Chapman were 'Killed in Action' from the same shelling presumably, although, my Dad saw the soldier immediately in front of him get severely wounded/killed by machine-gun fire which he thinks was Cpl Harry Chapman.
    He was then taken by ambulance (possibly in the same transport as Tom Renouf, although Tom states that he was wounded on the 28th, but on further investigation I found out from the MOD 'War Diary' written over this period, that the action happened during the night over the 28th and 29th, which may possibly account for the casualties on both dates). The ambulance eventually took him though a few medical stops to Bayeaux on the 31:8:44 and was then evacuated back to the UK on 1:9:44.

    He is now back home from 9 weeks in hospital after a serious illness and it's a miracle that he managed to pull-through. He has also just received through the post this morning (Saturday 24th Sept), the 'Legion of Honour' Medal from the French Embassy in Knightsbridge, London. But we are holding this info back from him so we can have it presented to him more formally. Hopefully the 'Black Watch Association' will help in this presentation, as he is one of the last remaining soldiers of the 5th Battalion The Black Watch, who fought through Normandy in 1944.
     
    Owen likes this.
  20. Gus Brydon

    Gus Brydon Member

    My Dad My Hero, who will be 91 this December, is due to be awarded France's highest honour, the Chevalier de l' Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur next month. For his part in the liberation of France during 1944-45 when he was just 18 years old.
    He was a soldier in the 5th Battalion The Black Watch and fought through Normandy against the feared Waffen SS, until he was severely wounded by mortar shrapnel at Mauny 1944 (2).jpg trying to reach the River Seine, before the Germans could blow the bridges and stop the Allied advance through Northwestern Europe.
    He is now one of only three soldiers left in the 5th Battalion The Black Watch, who fought during WWII.
    We are who we are today because of their courage and sacrifice.
     
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