* Hello Reme, The 74th Field Regiment was the permanent RA for the 151st Infantry Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division. It was attached from before the outbreak of WWII until 30 November 1944, when the Division returned home as a training cadre. The 151st Infantry Brigade = 6th, 8th and 9th Bns Durham Light Infantry. The 9th Bn stayed on in NW Europe, as motorised infantry in 131st Infantry Brigade, 7th Armoured Division (The Desert Rats). They served with the BEF (Jan to June 1940), Cyprus, Palestine, Iraq, Western Desert (Jan 1942 to July 1943), Sicily (July to October 1943) and NW Europe (June to November 1944). Their only time in the UK was approximately 3 June 1940 to 20 April 1941, 5 November 1943 to 5 June 1944 and following their return to the UK as a training cadre. David, I have no specific information about the 74th Field Regiment, rather what I can derive about it will be in the battalion histories for the 6th, 8th and 9th Bns Durham Light Infantry and other books I have concerning the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. I am happy to do the research but it may take a few weeks before I get back to you! I have not identified a regimental history for this regiment. Will you be asking for similar information about the 124th Field Regiment, RA, or any other RA units attached to Fifty Div in 1941/2 e.g. 25th LAA Regiment, 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment? Best, Steve.
74th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) HQ, 296th (4th Durham) Bty: South Shields 293rd (1st Durham) Bty: Hebburn-on-Tyne The regiment served under command of 50th (Northumbrian) Division from 3 September 1939 until 29 November 1944, when it transferred to 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division. It mobilized at South Shields and moved to Northleach near Cheltenham on 12 October 1939. It crossed to Cherbourg on 1 February 1940 and moved first to La Hutte and later to Bouvelles. It moved into Belgium on 16 May and came into action at Deftinge on the Dendre. It was ordered to withdraw on the 17th and moved to St. Genois the next day to support 151st Brigade. It took up positions on the La Bassée-Aire Canal on the 19th. It had RHQ at Don with 25th Brigade with 296th Battery at Magenta. The regiment fought a major action on 27 May against the advancing panzers. It embarked at Dunkirk on 31 May. On return to England, the regiment assembled at Knutsford, Cheshire but then moved to Weymouth as infantry. It ended 1940 at Weston-Super-Mare. The unit embarked from the United Kingdom on 22 April 1941 and arrived by sea in Egypt on 24 July 1941. It arrived in Cyprus shortly after 25 July 1941 and served there until 3 November. On return it moved to Iraq from 4-21 November and garrisoned Iraq until 12 January 1942. It then moved by road to Syria from 13-21 January and remained there until 10 February. The regiment then moved to Egypt with the division and on 21 February entered Libya. 452nd Battery was formed in the regiment in the Western Desert on 28 April 1942. It withdrew from Libya on 16 June and returned to Egypt. 293rd Battery was disbanded on 20 August 1942 due to casualties. After Alamein, it again moved into Libya on 5 December and into French North Africa on 4 March 1943. It returned to Libya on 28 April and Egypt on 9 May. 440th Battery joined the regiment on 10 May 1943. It embarked for Sicily on 29 June and landed there on 10 July. It remained in Sicily until 19 October and returned to England on 6 November. It left on 1 June and landed in Normandy on 6 June 1944. It then served in Northwest Europe for the rest of the war, transferring to 49th (West Riding) Division on 29 November 1944.
Hello, Just this minute started my research in to an uncle whose story hasn't been researched before. His number 1415068. Gunner Robert Tyson 293 Battery 74th Brigade RA We have a photo and an address of a camp at Northleach Gloucestershire.No date. I met him once as a little lad and pretty sure he served in North Africa ,and somehow became a POW in Italy. He never properly recovered, and I saw him before he succumbed to cancer in a very gloomy South London hospital. Have just seen reference to Northleach as a US base and also RAF ! Any help or directions gratefully received. Thank you, David
Hello David, The 50th (Northumbrian) Division, of which the 74th Field Regiment, RA, was part, concentrated in the Cotswolds circa October 1939, prior to embarkation for France in circa end-January 1940. See orbat + locations in link: 74 (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA(TA) - The Royal Artillery 1939-45 He would likely have become a PoW during the Battle of Gazala or the Gazala Gallop - June 1942. His service records will provide his date of incarceration, which should then indicate during what action he was taken PoW. For service records; link: Request records of deceased service personnel Please do not pay any internet site promising you his service records, as they likely won’t have them, and you will have wasted your time and money. If required, you could post the records here once you've obtained them and the forum will help you interpret them. Best, Steve.
David 1415068 TYSON Gnr R 74 Fd Regt Casualty List No 903 dated 15 August 1942 - Reported missing Western Desert 21.6.42 Casualty List No 922 Dated 7 Sept 1942 - Reported POW Casualty List No 1824 Dated 2 August 1945 - Now not POW WO 392/11 - Camp No 4DZ (Annaburg) WO 392/21 - Camp No 53 (Italy) As per above post, service records are a must.
Thank you so much Steve. Absolutely amazing ! Hoped for a response but not so quickly, and this helps so much with the advice too. I have been very lucky with other family research and my luck continues. Thank you again. All the best for ‘22 ! David
The 21 June 1942 was the day that Major-General H. Klopper surrendered the 2nd South African Division + the Tobruk Garrison to Rommel. That said, Gnr Tyson is unlikely to have been in Tobruk. More likely he was taken PoW during the Gazala Gallop: Battle of Gazala - Wikipedia
Looks like a 12 month wait to get a service record. Covid hasn't helped with the processing. But I have made a start. Thank you Steve.
Apologies Tony56....I didn't acknowledge your message at the time. Remarkable that you both came up with so much information for me. Thank you very much indeed. David
