Belsen Records - Any help Appreciated!!!

Discussion in 'RASC' started by captaind2005, Nov 2, 2011.

  1. captaind2005

    captaind2005 Junior Member

    Greetings everyone!

    I am new to this site, so thank you in advance to everyone that helps me with my search.

    My Grandfather, Charles Vincent Trevatt, was in the RASC during WW2. I have a photo of him in his uniform, and it shows a patch on his arm of a boar, to which I have learnt that this is the insignia of 30 Corps. I am about to send off for this service records, but I was hoping that leaving a thread on here might help to uncover some further information.

    My Grandfather died in 1979 (before I was born) and he apparently never spoke of his experiences, except that he ended up at Bergen-Belsen as part of the liberation. I have found some documents on the Belsen liberation that detail some of the RASC regiments that were there, but I cannot tie any of them up with 30 corps.

    My question is, were only certain regiments sent as part of the clean-up at Belsen, or did many other army units pass through randomly? Where could I find more information about my Grandfathers visit, but also, how did he end up there?

    I am guessing that there were quite a few RASC units that were part of 30 corps, so pinpointing his regiment could be almost impossible, but I am sure someone might know something.

    So many questions are unanswered and I know my Mum would love to be able to piece together his time during the war. He is a much loved and missed member of the family, and I just know that his experiences may hide a secret or two for us.

    Thank you again to anyone that can point me in the right direction.

    Kindest Regards
    Damien English
     
  2. grimmy

    grimmy Guest

    Hi Damien,

    Here's a partial list for starters:

    British and Allied Units

    My Dad passed by those dreaded gates on April 15th (23rd Hussars, 11th Armoured Division).

    Good luck with your research.
     
  3. captaind2005

    captaind2005 Junior Member

    Many Thanks for the link.

    I did come across this before, and I noticed that it said it was by no means complete. it made me wonder how many other regiments/coprs made it to Belsen?!?!

    I did try emailing the Bergen-Belsen memorial to see if they could help, but they never came back to me. :(

    Thanks again for your help!!!
     
  4. singeager

    singeager Senior Member

    My Grandfather Jim (pictured left) was also in the RASC and visited Belson and some other camps. As the name suggests the Royal Army Service Corps provided all backup and logistics for the military campaign. Or indeed anything else that was required.

    If you think of the problems of dealing with such a camp many personnel from all sorts of professions would be needed:

    Eg medical staff, cooks, demolitions men, engineers to excavate mass graves, security staff, administrators, stores managers, ambulance drivers, welfare offices, nurses, people to deliver and manage supplies……..etc

    No one regiment or group could spare the resource without compromising active operations. So it would be likely that certain individuals were released when available from many units.

    Jim was an ambulance driver and was probably there to both drop off food and supplies as well as to evacuate the inmates to other locations. Some element of luck probably played a part…if your stationed somewhere near a hospital that’s earmarked to receive the inmates. Then you would be summoned to collect them and then return to unit.

    From several war diaries I have read it appears that troop leaders and other senior personnel were encouraged to see the camps before they passed by. So that the truth of the situation uncovered could be disseminated directly back to fighting units.
     
  5. Capt Bill

    Capt Bill wanderin off at a tangent

    captaind2005
    welcome to WW2talk

    this is a list of units involved in the Bergen-Belsen liberation and clearing

    British and Allied Units

    RASC drivers could have worked in a multitude of units.
    I had the honour of being posted to Hohne Camp a few years ago and read some of the diaries of liberating troops

    The Bergen-Belsen Museum wont have much in the way of british Military history, just have patience and wait for his service records to come through
     
  6. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    Hi + Welcome Damien
    Belsen in 1945/46
    Came under the area of XXX Corps Military District. ie.43 Division.
    Most of XXX Corps troops and attached formations were in this area and would have seen or been involved with Belsen.
    Rob

    [​IMG]
     
  7. captaind2005

    captaind2005 Junior Member

    Wow!! Thank you to all of you for your responses and advice!

    Just hoping that his service records will have something to go on.

    I consider myself a very privileged man, as I had two Grandfathers in WW2. My other Grandfather was a Flight Engineer on Lancaster Bombers. He survived the war and he died just 4 years ago. He lived to tell his story of his experiences to which I grew up with in amazement.

    Then on the other end of the scale, my other Grandfather, Charles Vincent Trevatt never spoke at all of his experiences. I do believe that this was purely down to seeing Belsen first-hand.

    Once I have his service records, I will update you all with the details, and hopefully be able to piece together some of his experiences.

    Kindest Regards
    Damien
     
  8. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    Hi + Welcome Damien
    Belsen in 1945/46
    Came under the area of XXX Corps Military District. ie.43 Division.
    Most of XXX Corps troops and attached formations were in this area and would have seen or been involved with Belsen.
    Rob


    As Rob has stated lots of troops 'visited' Belsen although not involved in clearing or liberating it. Possibly to remind or give reason to the troops as to one of the reasons why they had been fighting.!!
     
  9. captaind2005

    captaind2005 Junior Member

    Oh my god!! I just spoke to the Army Records Office. There's me thinking it would take a couple of weeks to get the records back, but there is a 9-12 MONTH waiting list!! OUCH!!!

    Slightly disheartened!!! But I have a plan!

    I have one photograph of my Grandfather in his uniform. I was wondering if anyone might be able to work out what medal ribbons he is wearing, as I was hoping to get some information for my Mum.

    Can anyone help?? I will get the photograph scanned an online within the next 24 hours.

    Cheers
     
  10. AMWright

    AMWright Member

    Oh my god!! I just spoke to the Army Records Office. There's me thinking it would take a couple of weeks to get the records back, but there is a 9-12 MONTH waiting list!! OUCH!!!

    Cheers

    That is strange as I requested my Grandfathers service record 3 weeks a go. I received it about 2 weeks after sending for it!

    Coincidentally I am on a similar search as I have been told my grandfather was at Belsen. He was with 107 Medium Regiment RA in N.W Europe at the time but I cannot be sure he was there as I cant find anything about his regiment being involved.

    Good luck with your search!

    Ash
     
  11. captaind2005

    captaind2005 Junior Member

    Ash - That is quite weird!!! Maybe they just say that to allow for busy periods?!?!

    There doesnt seem to be a definitive list of units that went to Belsen. I think this is purely down to the fact that so many went there?!?!

    I hope you do find something conclusive!! Good Luck with it!
     
  12. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    captaind2005
    I know it seems a long time but they told me 6 months when I applied. Sometimes people get lucky-mine popped through the door in 6 weeks. Post any photos you may have in the meantime-you could learn a lot more whilst you are waiting!

    Lesley
     
  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    That is strange as I requested my Grandfathers service record 3 weeks a go. I received it about 2 weeks after sending for it!

    Coincidentally I am on a similar search as I have been told my grandfather was at Belsen. He was with 107 Medium Regiment RA in N.W Europe at the time but I cannot be sure he was there as I cant find anything about his regiment being involved.

    Good luck with your search!

    Ash

    You need to have a look at his units war diaries:

    WO 171/1067 107 Med Regt 1944 Mar.- Dec.

    And these two took a while to find - There is a Typo in the file name. Its listed as 107regt. with no space.

    WO 171/5038 107 Med Regt 1945 Jan.- Mar.

    WO 171/5039 107 Med Regt 1945 Apr.- Dec.

    There's a good possibility that no one has ever looked in the last two files !
     
  14. captaind2005

    captaind2005 Junior Member

    Hi Everyone.

    As promised, here is a link to the only photograph in my family of Charles Vincent Trevatt in his Army Uniform.

    http://www.theninjasquirrels.co.uk/GrandadCharlie%20001.jpg

    (Sorry about the link but I was having problems attaching the file to this post.)

    I would love to know what are his medal ribbons on his uniform. I am guessing they are a 1939-45 star and a France/Germany Star, but please correct me if I am wrong!!

    Cheers
    Damien
     
  15. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    I have two descriptions of the camp, one by army medica,,l and the other written by an old friend that walked all the way round the perimeter, and made notes of all he saw
    sapper
     
  16. AMWright

    AMWright Member

    Ash - That is quite weird!!! Maybe they just say that to allow for busy periods?!?!

    There doesnt seem to be a definitive list of units that went to Belsen. I think this is purely down to the fact that so many went there?!?!

    I hope you do find something conclusive!! Good Luck with it!

    Indeed, I even received a letter to apologise for the delay after a week or so.

    Thank you and good luck also!

    Ash
     
  17. AMWright

    AMWright Member

    You need to have a look at his units war diaries:

    WO 171/1067 107 Med Regt 1944 Mar.- Dec.

    And these two took a while to find - There is a Typo in the file name. Its listed as 107regt. with no space.

    WO 171/5038 107 Med Regt 1945 Jan.- Mar.

    WO 171/5039 107 Med Regt 1945 Apr.- Dec.

    There's a good possibility that no one has ever looked in the last two files !

    Drew thats great! Thanks for digging that info out. I was struggling myself to find diaries for 107 in 1945 so that has answered that question for me before i visit Kew.

    I cannot quite believe that there is a possibility nobody has looked at those files! Very exciting.

    Ash
     
  18. June Childs

    June Childs New Member

     
  19. June Childs

    June Childs New Member

    My father too was in the RASC as a dispatch rider and also told me he was at Belsen but never spoke about it save to say that the men were so thin.I will try and find his service number and post on here soon.
     
  20. tmac

    tmac Senior Member

    I think there probably was a policy of sending soldiers to Belsen so they could see it for themselves.

    After VE Day on May 8, 1945, my father's unit, 92nd LAA Regiment RA, was based at Gesmold, near Osnabruck, about 100 miles from Belsen.

    Then on May 10, Lieutenant Nigel Coombs mustered as many drivers as possible for a special operation. My father's old comrade, Len Harvey, of F Troop, 318 Battery, 92nd LAA, was among them.

    ‘We were taken to the 3rd Division HQ, where two drivers each were assigned to a three-ton Bedford lorry and the whole convoy of trucks set off for Hanover, where they were loaded with Red Cross packages,’ Len recalled. ‘From there we progressed to Belsen concentration camp.

    ‘The packages were unloaded at a temporary hospital. By this time, the dead had all been buried into large pits. I saw one sign which read, “Approximately 5,000 bodies were interred here” and there were very many such pits. The smell of dead flesh was still heavy in the atmosphere.

    ‘Back with F Troop, we had to answer dozens of questions from comrades who had wanted to be with us. Personally, I found being in the camp very distressing and too difficult to talk about.’
     

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