5th Northants Reg war diary

Rich, the museum has a treasure trove of personal pictures taken by members of all the Northants battalions including Yeomanary and Royal Anglian regt as they became. They used to be out on show in pull out glass cases but are now hidden away as other displays have taken over these days, Its only a small area of a small park museum. But I know they allow access to the pics if requested. From memory I cannot specifically state 2nd battalion pic exist there, but they must do, I remember spending long hours with wife kicking me out looking through em all and litterally hundreds of personal pics have been donated so must have 2bn stuff too.

 

Found following from a site I visited years ago but didnt bookmark so dont even know where it came from. But might be of interest:


Evelegh began moving his troops into jump-off positions on 16 November. The next day a British unit guarding a bridge and highway intersection at Djebel Abiod, on the route soon to be used by the 36th Infantry Brigade Group, clashed with a German-Italian armored column moving west. In a three-hour fight, the first of the Tunisia Campaign, the Allies lost more men than the Axis but drove the enemy back toward Bizerte with a loss of eight tanks

 

Think I actually got it from a British site to do with Oxford histories but what the heck same info. Thanks for that.

 

Urqh, my reason for asking about the 58th is related to my Grandfather's service. We have a number of posed group photographs but little showing life in the Battalion.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/unit-history/10480-r-s-m-2nd-battalion-northamptonshire-regt.html

Rich

 

Am presently looking thru my own library at moment, well more of a room full of books piled up all over the place, no order about em, just thrown in when I finish with em.
I have a bit on Northants regts, I'll look through em a bit more specifically now, but Im sure I should be able to get something on a bn RSM at the museum this weekend. I may have to get permission to wander through the personal pics sections which are filed away but I'll ask permission tomorrow when I go and will let you know what I find when they let me see em.

As for 5ths actions I found a little more from of all places a 6 volume weekly magazine I brought in binders dont know title of mags as the previous owner cut off front sheets and just filed them as they were. But will scan relevant bits in. Map describing actions of November 42 with HATFORCE position emboldened and an 8 line description of Hatforces run in with a what looks like a German armoured ambush.


EDIT: Sorry meant to delete urqh's "went" post and merged 3 posts altogether instead.
Sorry for any confusion caused. Owen.
Sorry, I got major probs with my internet connection lately... Went to Abignton park museum yesterday, got some good pics of museum displays and read up some of the individual soldiers stories, they have a internal network that allows you to search for every Northampton soldier of ww1 and 2 if they have the info it is displayed. So if anyone has any full names they want to provide me with Ill look again tomorrow. I have got permission also to look at photos Monday. Then I will make a gallery of my findings.
Cheers.

 

Bear with me one more day please chaps, I have got quite a bit of info that you will be interested in, but Im still sorting it out, also I have arranged access to private area of Northampton General Library in the town centre, I never even knew the area existed I thought it just had a reference area, lived here for 10 years now and been in that place every month and never knew. I have booked a librarian to assist me with records that are held there. I will be able to take copies and pics, so heres hoping I can add to the stuff I have from the museum.
Donnie I have sent you a pm.
Regards

 

Hi mate...many thanks, PM returned.


Donnie

 

Chaps, I have put a few pics on my gallery page. Lots more to follow, apologise for camera shake, but the museum has the bulders in and they only let me through because RSM Batchelor was mentioned and funnily enough the waters parted.

I am being given a book to peruse that was privately published on Northampton regt and held in central library, apparantly only copy around.Will be taking any pics and details I can tomorrow.
A Paul Robinson from the Northampton Regiment Association is due to get in touch to help me with any searches so this looks like it will be going on for a while so bear with me.

The Abington library has builders in, managed to get to memorial section, which is quite a peacful place, all the names are on walls around central alter. Donnie your uncles name not on wall becuase its just to guys who lived in Northampton, however he is remembered in the memorial book on the alter, I have more pics to put up for you when Ive sorted thru them.
Only other part of museum I could get to was on Zulu wars, New Zealand, West Indies ww1 and yeomanry regt from ww2. All fascinating stuff and good items in there but the stuff I really wanted, the medals, pics, dioramas and vets first hand accounts etc is in sectioned off areas. I am hoping Mr. Robinson will be able to get me private access while the building work is ongoing. Nothing is ever simple but I will keep at it until I have stuff on Hart force, Rsm Batchelor and any other related info.
Cheers.



Attempt to rush Mateur fails:
in the north the advance continued towards Bozerta.
A small motoized column under a company commander of the 5th Northamptonshire regt, Major V.Hart, attempted to push east of Djebel Abiod to Mateur, hoping to reach this road junction before the enemy, but more than a week had passed since the landings at Algiers and Kesselring's transport aircraft had been arriving at the rate of 50 sorties a day in response. With Mateur only a few miles ahead Major Hart ran into a blocking position with an armoured core and was scattered and obliged to abandon its trucks. Piecemeal, the survivors returned painfully towards 36th brigade, advancing along the coast road behind.

Extract from History of the second world war weekly magazine from 70's

 

Hello Urqh, thanks for all your help on this. Old Dick would have been chuffed to know that he could still get things sorted. I'm not looking for anything in particular but additional photos and anecdotes are always nice.

Good luck with your research.

Cheers,

Rich

 

The diary says they were moving from Ain Arnat to Guelmar on the 17th. The Bn moved off at 0800 hrs and arrived at 1830 hrs.

Perhaps he died of wounds?