Hello, sorry for any mistakes but English is not my mother tongue. Yesterday I have got from Army Personnel Centre the file of my great-uncle who was kill in action as a trooper of the 8th KRI Hussars. According to the file he was a member of these units in the following order: 251 Company Pioneer Corps 286 Field Company R.E. 251A Company Pioneer Corps O.C. 93 Company Pioneer Corps 55th Trg. Regt Royal Armed Corps Farnborough 49RHU X/4 X(IV) 8th KRI Hussars 49RHU X/4 X(IV) 8th KRI Hussars What is "R.E." in 286 Field Company R.E.? What unit is 49RHU X/4 or X(IV)? Was the 55th Trg. Regt Royal Armed Corps a pure tank training regiment? And there are some things I just can not "translate": What is a "GC Badge"? "28. Februar 1944 8H Passed T.T. as Driver? 6p/Gp? Yp/Jp? C CEIII and mustered as such" Does it mean he was a tank driver? What do these "6p CEIII" things mean? "Corps trade and grade: D OP. CIII 2T/44 or 27/44 or 25/44" and later: "T.T. + MUST. GV or 9V UR/OPCIII on 24-1-44" Please, could someone help me to explain/translate this. Thanks for any help!
What is "R.E." in 286 Field Company R.E.? Royal Engineers What is a "GC Badge"? Good Conduct badge. What unit is 49RHU X/4 or X(IV)? RHU = Reinforcement Holding Unit See this thread for X(iv) I know it says NZ but same for UK troops http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/service-records/19949-x-lists-service-records.html THE X (iv) LIST comprises all unposted reinforcements and incoming reinforcement drafts. Personnel discharged from NZ Reception Depot (x(ii)) to Training Depots, fit for duty, are transferred to the X (iv) list of their corps, until posted to a unit, when they are struck off X (iv) and taken on unit strength. Reinforcements in transit between the Base and a unit remain on X (iv) (and the Base Depot strength) until they actually reach and are taken on the strength by the unit to which they are proceeding. Escaped PsW [Prisoners of War] who until such escape have been on the X (iii) list are transferred to X (iv) list on reaching their respective training depots.
Gramenz - The 55th RAC training regiment was a Tank training depot - he was then posted to the 8th Royal Irish Hussars as trade tested as a driver /operator (Dvr/op) class III then ClassII which meant that he was trained as a deputy Tank driver but mainly worked as Wireless Operator Check with Bovington for their war diary for their movements Cheers
That answers all questions. Thanks a lot to both of you! So then it seems like he was the wireless operator in the troop commanders Cromwell tank of the 2 troop A squadron of the 8th KRI Hussars. Is there any chance to clarify this or to get to know the names of the tank crew members or only of the tank commander? I believe that these pictures of Ernest Shofield show my great-uncle (on looks exactly like my grandpa) but I don't have a proof for this: Photo Gallery I already have got the war diaries of the 8th KRI and on his date of death 6 men of the A squadron were killed and a "commander" was severely wounded in his tank.
Gramenz you are very fortunate to have so many photo's and the war diary of the 8KRI's- to hand mostly they were lost- but to find the crew members etc is very difficult as the war diary - like all of them only mention officers and not the OR'S- or if someone wins a high honour - he might get a mention ! He served in a good regiment- and great Division....The Desert Rats...! Cheers
Fascinating and thank you gramenz. Major Henry Huth went on to command C Squadron of the 8th RIH in Korea as part of 29 Brigade,. I do believe he and his tanks saved my dad's life (55 Field Squadron RE) at the battle of the Imjin by fighting a rearguard action and carrying away troops on the back of the tanks.
BrianM59 Thank you for confirming my argument last week that the Tank regiments and Battalions did comply with their credo of assisting the Infantry by carrying them into battle - fighting alongside - then carrying them out again - surprising the arguments some people can raise at times. Cheers
BrianM59 Thank you for confirming my argument last week that the Tank regiments and Battalions did comply with their credo of assisting the Infantry by carrying them into battle - fighting alongside - then carrying them out again - surprising the arguments some people can raise at times. Cheers I think on this occasion Tom, there would have been wholesale slaughter if the Hussars hadn't covered the retreat so astutely. I hear tales of them having to machine gun Chinese troops off each others' tanks. It's very difficult as while my dad was relatively happy to recall, albeit grudgingly, his WW2 experiences, he was notoriously tight lipped about Korea. Never really heard him use the 'f' word except when describing Korea as looking 'like the f*** moon'. I think part of this came from the fact that he was an 'A'class reserve, called back into the army just after finding a job and about a year after his demob. I know he was a storesman and reassured my mum that he was well behind the lines. But while she read that letter, the Chinese entered the war and of course all hell broke loose. I know that 55 Squadron were asked to act as infantry alongside the RUR and cover the retreat. I think dad was deafened by a grenade and got out riding on a tank - must have been nightmarish. He always had a good word to say about the Irish Hussars and Huth was mentioned in particular.
Brian Most times it was wholesale slaughter - he was one of the unlucky ones as I was also recalled for Korea - but happily my wounds from WW2 kicked in at the right time and saved me that journey... to another nightmare ! cheers
The war diary is probably as good as you will get unless there is a regimental history book that covers just WW2 - This maybe quite detailed but I find the regiment books can be a bit hit and miss on detail. I guess they are comparable to regiments war diaries-some are rubbish and contain very little detail and some list even the OR's on Standing Orders and Nominal Rolls and give the circumstances of every soldier killed. I hope the diary I copied for you is of interest. Cheers Andy
Hi Drew, thanks so much again for the war diary of the 8H! It was very detailed on 29th and 30th March 45. There was even an exact attack map with positions of the British and German forces. Although there were no names with the Army file from UK MOD now everythings fits perfectly together. He must have died in a Challenger tank of the A Squadron which was hit by German Panzerfausts on the road between Burlo and Oeding. Just unbelievable.
