Alan Divers - 24th Lancers, 13/18 Royal Hussars, RIP

Discussion in 'Veteran Accounts' started by Ramiles, May 18, 2021.

  1. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Alan Divers 24th Lancers, 13/18 Royal Hussars, RIP

    Sad news... (thanks for letting us know to Phil Watson - Royal Lancers)

    Notification of Death: Mr. A.H. Divers

    "It is with sadness and regret that I inform you of the death of Alan Divers on Thursday 5th January 2021 aged 97. He enlisted into the Army on 23rd April 1942 and was posted to the 24th Lancers in November 1942. He landed on D Day and was badly wounded shortly thereafter when his tank was blown up. He was casevaced to the UK and after rehabilitating he transferred to the 13th/18th Royal Hussars in January 1945 and fought with them into Germany. He was demobilised in 1946."
     
  2. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Alan was a great chap. His tank 'Buccaneer' was KO at Tessel Wood during which he suffered burns but he thankfully fully recovered. RIP Alan.
     
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  3. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    24th Lancers Recollections of D-Day & Buccaneer’s Last Stand – The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) Association

    Alan-Divers-13-18-1946-Berlin-Copy-233x300.jpg

    Trooper Alan Divers

    20210619_062317.jpg

    Nb. The original caption on the picture above further says that this was 5th Troop of "B" Squadron, 24th Lancers - there are, however, perhaps other possibilities?

    The individual with the Beagle, I think, may perhaps have been Major Roy Bennett - who was the squadron commander of "B" Squadron and the officer to his side (also wearing a tie) does not look like Lt. Fuller. Of course it could nevertheless still have been 5th Troop under a different officer than Frank Fuller, but in which case also "5th Troop" was "quite large" - and doesn't well match the Bridlington Crusader picture...

    Slide2-720x499-2.jpg

    Nb. Though - the tie wearing officer there does match the appearance of the officer seated next to Major Bennett... so 5th Troop - perhaps - albeit sans Fuller at that point...

    I guess, one possibility is perhaps that this group / non tank "Troop" picture was possibly associated also in some way with the "Bridlington wings for Victory" event, or something similar and is other than a "5th Troop" group picture.

    It would actually be really nice to think, though, that the 24th Lancers took a large number of these pictures of their troops, and it is just that " they have yet to turn up"... :) ;-) who knows what still remains in "private hands" and "hidden" archives "out there"... one can get into a rut of thinking if it's not on the Internet somewhere and Google hasn't found it, it doesn't exist... ;-) but time steals by and more and more "comes to light" etc... :)

    All the best,

    Rm.

    Edit...

    Fuller.jpg

    Lt. Frank Fuller - Bridlington - September 1943

    Later kia - 2nd F&F - 5d4m1945 - Casualty Details | CWGC
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2021
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  4. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    5th Troop of "B" Squadron of the 24th Lancers is shown driving past the Spitfire here...

    Filmed the day after the 16th June's attack on Cristot - with 24th Lancer Shermans...
    49TH (WEST RIDING) DIVISION IN ACTION ON 30TH CORPS' FRONT PRIOR TO OPERATION EPSOM (PART 2) [Allocated Title]
    Production date - 1944-06-17
    DESCRIPTION
    Object description
    Scenes of devastation in the French countryside on 30th Corps' front as 49th (West Riding) Division units go into action.
    Full description
    I. French civilians gather outside the Sous-Préfecture in Bayeux to listen to a BBC news broadcast relayed to them over a loudspeaker.
    Full description
    II. A Sherman tank squadron from the 8th Armoured Brigade rumbles along a dusty road leading to 49th Division's front between Tilly-sur-Seulles and Fontenay-le-Pesnel past a shot-down Royal Canadian Air Force Spitfire IX from No 412 'Falcon' Squadron.
    Full description
    III. The camera surveys the desolation in Cristot, its shattered stone cottages and farm buildings, with gutted and smouldering interiors, and dead livestock, of which a chicken and a cow appear to be the only survivors. Also present are the wrecks of a German lorry and an SdKfz 250 halftrack armoured personnel carrier from the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend. A 1/4th King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry patrol on the lookout for snipers passes a farmhouse set ablaze by German artillery. At the village calvary, a chicken shows little interest in food offered by a KOYLI Sten gunner.
    Full description
    IV. Near Ducy-Ste-Marguerite, two 25-pounder gun detachments from 'D' troop in 185th Field Regiment Royal Artillery's 386 Battery fire smoke shells to cover an attack being made by 49th Division.

    20210617_154053.jpg
     
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  5. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    And further re. Lt. Frank Fuller's "5th Troop"...

    If, as various accounts seem to suggest he like a number of other officers and troops of the 24th Lancers - transferred "with his troop" - to, in this case, the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry...

    24th Lancer transfers to the 2nd Fife and Forfars
     
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  6. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Re. The top two pictures in collage below...

    To the left - (as yet) "unknown" 24th Lancer officer perhaps leading "5th Troop" of "B" Squadron of the 24th Lancers - around September 1943. To the right - as yet "unknown" ex-24th Lancer officer seated near to Lt.Clive Dixon (ex-"C" Squadron - 24th L) and Lt. B.A.Jewell (also ex-"C" Squadron - 24th L) 24th L Old Comrades reunion dinner just after the war.

    Lower three in the collage... - Lt. B.A.Jewell. (L to R) - September 1943, June 1944, 24th L Old Comrades reunion dinner just after the war).

    I guess (currently) that a "candidate" - potentially - for this officer - may perhaps have been Lt. Gray* - who later led the 4th Troop of "C" Squadron 24th Lances in Normandy and was wounded quite early in the Normandy campaign.

    20210619_073024.jpg

    * Edit - Or not.... Actually re-thinking about it... by the looks of this below...

    Re. Lt. David Gray (237994) - wia - in Normandy 9d6m1944y...
    Troop leader of the 4th Troop of "C" Squadron of the 24th L...
    There is a brief reference here... (although it refers to Capt there - that might relate to post 24th L)...
    Campbell College Register 1894 1954 4
    2355. Gray, David George Darlington (C), b. 18th January, 1917, son of Dr. D. J. Gray, 20 Darlington Road, Sefton Park, Liverpool. U.IV, March, 1934. Medical Student, Liverpool University. 1939-45: Sapper (R.E.): Capt., 24th Lancers. Buyer. Address: The Clearing, Chapel Lane, Kingsley, Frodsham, Warrington, Cheshire. (M.q.) (1938 Address: 25 Gwydrin Road, Mossley Hill, Liverpool 18. (q.))

    Lt/Captain David Gray would have been, I guess, around 30 at the time of the 24th Lancers Old Comrades picture - so the "unknown" individual might be a slight bit too old in appearance maybe. There are plenty of other ex-officers in the 24th Lancers whose pictures I have not yet seen / seen identified however so the number of other possibilities for "who this might have been" is still large...
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2021
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  7. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    There was a recent version of a short sequence of the same film posted on Twitter here...

    https://twitter.com/rgpoulussen/status/1405409877833494532?s=19

    With...

    #OTD in 1944. "A Sherman tank squadron from 8 Armoured Brigade rumbling along a dusty road leading to 49 Infantry Division's front between Tilly-sur-Seulles and Fontenay-le-Pesnel passing a shot-down Royal Canadian Air Force Spitfire IX from 412 Squadron." #WW2 #HISTORY https://t.co/DNEJYRL1m0

    Not sure if there is a rule somewhere about not mentioning the "24th Lancers" ;-) but always interesting to see when it is applied :) ;-)
     
  8. AManMoth

    AManMoth Member

    interesting
     

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