Beginner needing help

Marty, I think you have hit the nail on the head with Litton Cheney.
Maybe a bigger place than you think as various regiments seem to have been there at various times.

Litton Cheney, Dorset, England:
Hq. Co. 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry / Company I, 16th Infantry / 3rd Battalion Medical Section, 16th Infantry.
11th Devons.
Formed in July 1940 from a nucleus at the Regimental Depot in Exeter, the 11th Devons were stationed first at Ilfracombe before moving to Plymouth. After a period of training in Northern Ireland from September 1942, they returned to Litton Cheney in Dorset in May 1943 but four months later were disbanded at Bradford Down Camp, near Dorchester.
Durham Light Infantry.
In 1940 - 1941, the officers and men of the Battalion were sent back to England, and eventually arrived at Bridport on 22nd June, 1940. Their headquarters moved to Litton Cheney and 'D Company was stationed at Burton Bradstock. Their job was to protect our beaches from invasion.

 

Back to the Records.

4th to 9th Oct 42. Could be, Temporally attached in execution of War exercises to 114th Infantry Brigade.

9th Oct 42 C.T.B.A. ceased to be attached to 114th Infantry Brigade.
This order cancelled on the 16th.

Then on the 18th again C.T.B.A. to 114th Infantry Brigade.
20th Dec 42. Temporally attached in execution of War exercises to HQ.114th Infantry Brigade.

27th Dec 42. C.T.B.A. to 114th Infantry Brigade.

14th March 43. Reclassified from scale d class 1 to class 1A. Ambulance.
(two thoughts on this either they had forgotten to add this after his previous course or that it was the course he was going to attend).
27th April to 1st May 43. Stretcher bearer course at 207 forward Ambulance.

24th June Posted Draft RXMLQ This would be the draft code for anything and everybody who was going to be sent abroad on a certain day, ship etc.

25th June 44. T.O.S. x(iv) list.
Taken on service. X list. Which might seem strange as the x list is usually for soldiers not available for duties, through sickness, Pows, away on courses, etc.However group 4 is non posted reinforcements.
27th June embarked.

Now where did he disembark and go to?
My guess he disembarked on Mulberry B at Arromanches was attached to the South Staffs,and went on to Caen.
At this time the Battle of Caen was going on and they were short of reinforcements, mainly due to the bad weather which blew up on the 19th of June 44, destroying Mulberry. A. American and damaging Mulberry. B. British.

To back up my guess we go to the Service and casualty Sheet.
9th July 44. Transferred to South Staffordshire regiment and posted to NWE. North West Europe.
Which is a bit incorrect as we know that James was possibly in NWE by at least the 28/29th June.
19th Aug 44. Transferred to 4 wilts under ACI 626/39
This number is possible the order number which accounted for the reorganizing of the division which resulted in James leaving the S/Staffs and joining 4 Wilts.

This from Wikki South Stafford regiment.
The 5th, 1/6th, 2/6th and 7th battalions, all Territorials, all served as part of the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division alongside battalions of the North Staffordshire Regiment. The 7th Battalion was part of 176th Brigade and the 5th, 1/6th and 2/6th were in 177th Brigade. The division was sent to France in late June 1944 to fight in the Battle for Caen. The division performed well and was considered by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery as one of the best in the 21st Army Group. However, due to a severe shortage of infantrymen in the British Army at the time, the division was broken up in August 1944 and its units were used as replacements for other British divisions who had suffered heavy casualties and the battalions were broken up and sent to other units.

Then we have his previously mention hospital visit and his return home for demob.

 

Wow thats amazing to read all that , I did read a bit about other units staying at Litton but it wouldnt let me copy n paste the item or the page link so sorry about that , I did come across this other site if anyone wants to wade through it , it does mention Litton but also other camps by that coast aswell as aerial photos etc ,

 

Sorry not sure why I cant copy n paste links is it me or the site , probably me doing something wrong , thanks again RCG ,sorry if adding the above file is the wrong way to do things , just trying to give some information back that could be useful so someone as youve been such an amazing help . Can I just ask if im being stupid or did he get signed back fit to carry on serving in the B.A,O,R in the march before being released in the may ? .

 

Hi Marty

It may be the browser you are using that is causing the problem with cut n paste, which one are you using?? IE, Google Chrome, Firefox........??

TD

 

Currently using IE 11 I think .

 

Thats your problem then - change to another browser - IE is well, extinct, and now unsupported by MS so it is basically obsolete

TD

 

Hi,

He would have had a long period on leave before his discharge.

My late father was discharged at the end of May 1946 but his papers show he was on leave from early March.

Steve Y

 

Cheers guys and i'll look at updating my browser then maybe I can add something more to the forum , thanks again .

 

Can I just ask if im being stupid or did he get signed back fit to carry on serving in the B.A,O,R in the march before being released in the may ?

Not necessarily this would have been a routine check up on leaving the Hospital. The same rubber stamp would be used whoever the soldier was or whatever he was going to do next.

I use IE and have no problems pasting, Just copy click in answer box right click, then click on paste.
Job done.

 

Thanks for all your help RCG , Ive managed to get hold of some medals in miniture plus a wiltshire shoulder title so i'm gonna get his photo framed up with these and hopefully type up all his movements etc and put those in the back of the frame with a clear perspex backing . In the future it will be there for everyone to be proud of not just me so a huge thank you to everyone on here for all your help .

 

I,m not sure I should be asking this question on here because I dont want it to appear insensative or anything or even if i'm just clutching at straws . I recently bought a copy of the Maroon Square after recommendations off here and ive found it does contain a lot of details which i'm very pleased with . A few days ago I was just flicking through it and noticed on two seperate pages a reference to a private Tyler who was a stretcher bearer and I wondered if there is any way I can find out his first name or is it ever possible names get spelt incorrect in books and it could even be Tyrer or am I just clutching at straws . Thanks again for recommending this book in reprint from the Wardrobe as its saved me a lot of money from buying an original copy .

 

Thanks Owen , Private Youngs War is the next book on my shopping list , can I just ask if you dont mind , you mentioned four men of B company that were stretcher bearers , would this have been all of them in that company or just a selection of names ? I,m not sure how many each company would have had at any one time . Many thanks for your help , martin .

 

Hi Marty

My grandfather also served with the 2nd Herefords, during the early part of war. I am researching his service and would be interested to get in contact.

Best regards

 

Sorry ive not been on the site in months and only just seen your message , If I can help in anyway your welcome to contact me but I didnt do a lot of research as I kept hitting dead ends .

 

Hi Marty

Thanks for getting back to me!

Looking at your grandfather's service record, it seems that he was only at 307 Infantry Training Centre at Holywood for initial basic training, before being posted onto the 2nd Herefords in mainland Britain. The 2nd Herefords were only ever stationed in England and Wales. By the time they were at Dorchester and Litton Cheney, in Dorset, they were on coastal defence duties. 209 Field Ambulance, to which he was attached for a stretcher bearer course, was one of the field ambulance units of their division.

Anyway, I will send you a personal message and let's pick-up the conversation there...