Account: 3rd Tank Bn Scots Guards, Jul 1944 - May 1945

Discussion in 'The Brigade of Guards' started by dbf, Jun 16, 2011.

  1. 6thgtb

    6thgtb Junior Member

    Also see attached.

    "A mix match of Guardsmen from different tanks with Halifax (2nd Squadron, 9 Troop). My grandfather (On the tank on right) was Gunner in Glossop but this tank was knocked out in the preceding days by two land mines. I believe one or two are his crew (the others were injured), the others are also awaiting a replacement mount."
     

    Attached Files:

  2. 6thgtb

    6thgtb Junior Member

  3. 6thgtb

    6thgtb Junior Member

  4. KevinT

    KevinT Senior Member

    This is from the son of Robert Keenan who was a gunner in Dettingen:

    "Dave, I am glad someone asked that question, official histories dont tell you the true facts, you will not find it in the official lists, the tank Marne was knocked out, my father joined the replacement tank which was named Dettingen, at the end of the war they were ordered to rename the tanks as they were at the start, so Dettingen was reverted back to Marne, this upset my father as he went through the war in Dettingen not Marne, Marne was destoyed, there were at least 4 other tanks the same, my father has them listed in his book."

    Helo Dave,

    Are the names and WD census numbers listed in your father's book?

    Cheers
    Kevin
     
  5. 6thgtb

    6thgtb Junior Member

    Hi Kevin,

    This is from someone else's father (Robert Keenan who was gunner in Dettingen) - I'll ask them.

    Cheers
    Dave
     
  6. KevinT

    KevinT Senior Member

    Hello Dave,

    Sorry I thought it was your post. I obviously mis-read it.

    Cheers
    Kevin
     
  7. 6thgtb

    6thgtb Junior Member

    No worries Kevin, I contacted Robert Keenan's son and he's referring to the Frobes book which I assume you have.

    Cheers
    Dave
     
  8. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Hadn't really read this thread.
    Interesting to see a passing reference in the War Diary to Major Willie Whitelaw.
    [​IMG]
     
  9. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    Casualties from Hill 226 (Les Loges)....after my Father and the remaining crew had been ushered to safety, he remembers seeing Sgt Ronald (7 troop) walking towards him, ashen in colour apparently without a scratch, untill he turned around and showed Dad the shrapnel wounds that had peppered his back. My Father stated he survived his injuries, but never returned to the unit; if anyone has further info on this, please update/amend my remarks. FINDLAY
     
  10. 6thgtb

    6thgtb Junior Member

    Hi Kevin,

    I have just received details of the crew of UIST (No. 8 Troop; S Sq)

    Commander Alex Roberton
    Driver Peter Toy
    Co-Driver James Bryce
    Gunner Alexander Fraser
    Loader/Wireless Bill Bowmer

    Also, a few extra details of LOCHINVAR (Runcie's tank):

    Serial: T31163/C
    Driver: cpl Thomas Moyes Bernard
    Possible other crew member:Jim Lyburn

    You might want to add these to your database.

    Cheers
    Dave
     
  11. 6thgtb

    6thgtb Junior Member

    Hi Kevin,

    I have just received details of the crew of UIST (No. 8 Troop; S Sq)

    Commander Alex Roberton
    Driver Peter Toy
    Co-Driver James Bryce
    Gunner Alexander Fraser
    Loader/Wireless Bill Bowmer

    Also, a few extra details of LOCHINVAR (Runcie's tank):

    Serial: T31163/C
    Driver: cpl Thomas Moyes Bernard
    Possible other crew member:Jim Lyburn

    You might want to add these to your database.

    Cheers
    Dave
    PS George Hursthouse was a crew member of "Kirkaldy" (role unknown).

    Thanks
    Dave
     
  12. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

  13. GDub

    GDub New Member

    Can anyone help me find more information about R.Boon, 2697930, Sgt with 11 Troop, on the left flank at Estry? I have a family mystery revolving around my grandfather who was known as Eric Boon, after the boxer of the day. All I knew until recently was that he was a tank sergeant who saw extensive service in WWII. He met my Grandmother in early 46 when he gave her a lift from down South somewhere to Bridge-of-Don barracks at Aberdeen. She was with the ATS and worked in NAAFIs. He drove transporters, moving tanks and other heavy loads for the army at that time. They had a relationship, my dad was conceived and they were going to get married, but she got wind he was seeing someone else and ended it straight away. She was a no-nonsense type. Apparently, he was 5 years older than her, so born 1921-22 and possibly from Leeds. My Grandmother thought that he became a recruiting officer after that. There was a suggestion that he might in fact have been related to Eric Boon the boxer as well, but I'm not sure about that one.

    Anyway, that's all I've known for 25 years until last week when I found the following entry from Jack Wardrop's wartime diary, which since he was also with a tank regiment, got me thinking:

    "We had a party in Malines one night when a few of us went to a café to drink beer with Eric Boon who used to command 11 Troop but was now in a reinforcement outfit called 263."

    A quick Google of Boon and 11 Troop brought me here, where I found the aforementioned R. Boon. It seems very likely that this is my mysterious grandfather. 263 looks like a Royal Engineers company, where he may still have been in a Churchill.

    Any help from you guys would be greatly appreciated please. I do have a photo that I suspect might be him, so if I had one to compare that would be amazing, but realistically I just want to find out more about this R. Boon and see if his details match what up against the anecdotal information I've been told.

    Hep please????
     
  14. Bluebell Minor

    Bluebell Minor Junior Member

    Help please

    I read Chapter VII of the transcript "To the Baltic" which describes the final moves of the Battalion in the last days with considerable interest.

    However I cannot find a Siehenleihen in Google Earth Maps. There is however a small hamlet called Siebeneichen (Seven Oaks) in the Ratzeburg area

    Can anyone with access to the original document confirm my theory please?
     
  15. recce103c

    recce103c Junior Member

    Dear all (Diana especially)

    the link
    Books: About Foot Guards Regiments, and by Guardsmen

    is not working (for me) anymore; - another way to retrieve it digitally?

    I am going to conduct a Battlefield Tour on the post Op Market Garden, XII Corps operations on the liberation of 's-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg in the 22- 30 October 1944 (prior to the employment around Meiel and Overloon / Venray nov 1944).

    Can any one help me to good digital) primary sources of 6th (Gds)Tk Bde or 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division for this period? I've got Fobes'book

    thx in advance,

    Sybren aka recce103c
     
  16. Bedee

    Bedee Well-Known Member

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  17. jinnee

    jinnee New Member

    I believe R. Boon 2697930 is my grandfather Robert Boon, born in Pontefract, Yorkshire, England in 1916. Happy to compare notes!
     
  18. Thank you for this record, which I read to my 94-year-old father, Peter Ward, yesterday - he very much enjoyed it as he commanded the Churchill tank that destroyed the Panthers at Chênedollé. I attach an account of his memory of the action as given in interview to his grandson, my son, James Thompson in 1998.
     

    Attached Files:

    CL1, 4jonboy, Owen and 2 others like this.
  19. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Catherine,
    Thank you for sharing that, much appreciated. In case you haven't yet found it, the war diary for 1944 has also been transcribed War Diary: 3rd Tank Battalion SCOTS GUARDS, Jan - Dec 1944

    My regards to your father. (Mine was also 15 when the war started and also joined the same regiment as his father - serving in GAD with 3rd Bn Irish Guards.)
    By any chance does he remember names given to any tanks? Would it be possible also to share any photos or indeed recollections of comrades? (From time to time the forum gets enquiries from relatives, such as this one from asking for help: Guardsman John Prentice - 3bn Scots Gds )

    Regards
    Diane
     
  20. Dear Diane
    Thank you. I don't think my father has any photographs although he does recollect comrades such as Bruce. If there us anyone else you'd like me to ask him about (his memory is good but his health is poor), I'm happy to try. The attachment which is an interview with my father, shows that the tanks were given the names Iona, Rona and Canna. I can ask him when I visit tomorrow which was his tank.
    Regards
    Catharine
     
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