Calling all the British and Commonwealth Veterans of this Forum

Discussion in 'Veteran Accounts' started by Drew5233, Mar 26, 2010.

  1. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Kevin - didn't know that about the Calgary barracks as I was living there in '66- '71 and always thought that it was strange that the V.C. was never mentioned ! Never thought to ask anyone either .....my boss was ex Calgary tanks and my friend Roy Farran didn't talk about it ....nor any of the PPCLI's whom I met in 2nd bde in Italy
    Cheers
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    but I like to think I help veterans when I can.


    Soooo Mr Goldstein - It seems you do not have all of the unit war diaries (complete sets) who you served with during WW2 - I reckon 67 years is long enough to wait so tell me the battery's in your regiment and the dates you served with 49 LAA Regiment RA and 4 QOH's and I will start to rectify this problem on my next visit.

    A
     
    Paul Reed likes this.
  3. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Andy

    84 Bty in the 49th LAA between April '43 & Aug '44
    RHQ from Aug '44 to Dec '44

    A Sqn in the 4th QOH from March '45 to Dec '46

    Please bill me for any costs

    And many thanks

    Ron
     
  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    These are the ones I think you'll want:

    WO 169/9992 49 Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) Regiment 1943 July- Dec.

    WO 169/16080 49 Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) Regiment 1944 Aug.

    WO 170/1230 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiments: 49 Regiment 1944 Jan.- July, Sept.- Nov.

    WO 170/4622 4 Queen's Own Hussars 1945 Jan.-Dec.

    WO 170/7863 4 Queen's Own Hussars 1946 Jan.-June

    A few questions your excellent personal diary's may help to answer:

    Any thoughts why the regiments diary starts in July? I can't seem to find one for 1942 either. I'm guessing July was when the unit deployed overseas? Another oddity is the lone August 1944 diary-Anything significant happen then? Did you move from Italy to North Africa for a refit and back again?

    Ref the 4 QOH anything spring to mind why the diary ends in June and you was with then until Dec? Deployed back to the UK?
     
  5. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Ps Couldn't find any battery diaries so I'm assuming the regiment didn't split up into batteries at any point whilst you was with them.
     
  6. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Andy

    Will reply in detail tomorrow, need to go back to my diaries to get definitive answers.

    Was out today to the Trent Park Silent Listeners experience and though I wouldn't have missed it both Nita & I found it physically and emotionally heavy going.

    Report and details tomorrow then.

    Ron
     
  7. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Andy

    Had second thoughts, this is probably the simplest way to show you the dates.

    Oct ‘ 42Bury St.Edmunds, Called up, Thursday Oct 1st, aged 19, and posted to 53rd Primary Training Wing for 6 weeks basic training.
    Nov ’42Whitby, Yorkshire. Posted to 52nd Anti Aircraft Driver Training Regiment, R.A to be trained for 12 weeks as a Driver/Wireless Op.
    Feb ’43Haltwhistle, Northumberland. Posted to 112th L.A.A. Regiment.
    who were just starting a 2 week’s battle training course.
    Mar’43Hove, Sussex, Congleton, Cheshire. Bty guns protecting the Hove coastline. Then taken off strength of 112 Rgt and posted to Congleton where the overseas draft REAYK assembled. Posted to Woolwich and sent home for 7 days embarkation leave.
    Apr’43 Liverpool, Embarked on S.S.Frankonia, The troopship that took us to North Africa. Algiers. Posted to 84 Bty, 49th Light Anti Aircraft Rgt, stationed at Tunis
    May ’43 War ends in North Africa May 13th.
    June ‘43Carthage, Guelma, Hammamet. Boarded ship for Sicily.
    July’ 43 Syracuse, Bronte, Adrano, Messina.
    Sep’43 By landing craft to Reggio di Calabria, then onto mainland Italy, Crotone, Bari, Foggia, Termoli.
    Dec ’43 Carovilla, Cantalupo, Agnone, Riccia, Campo Basso, Bagnolia.
    Jan' 44 New Years Day 1944 snowed in at mountain village of Carovilli.
    Feb ’44 Ortogna, Mignano, Cassino (Regiment responsible for smoke laying beneath the monastery), Caserta, Afragola, San Vittorio.
    Mar ’44 Two weeks in dock in Naples and not a wound to show for it
    Apr’ 44 Vanairo, Vanafro, Ceprano, Lake Trasimeno, Rome.
    Jun '44 Day leave in Rome
    Baschi, Tiber, Frosinino, Taranto. Pulled out of the line. 78th Div goes to Egypt to re-fit and re-form. S.S.Empires Pride The ship that took us to Egypt .
    Jul’ 44 Alexandria,(Egypt), Cairo, Ishmalia, Amiryah. S.S.Homer Lee The American ship that took us back to Italy. Augusta, (Sicily) Assisi (Italy), Vasto,Termoli, Sangro, Pescara, Scarperia, Florence, Firenzuolo.
    Oct ’ 44now with RHQ , Sienna, Tavernelle, Naples, Ancona.
    Nov '44 Firenzuola
    Dec’ 44 The 49th LAA Rgt. disbanded and I was posted to Royal Armoured Corp Training Depot for re-training as a tank Loader/Op.
    Mar’ 45 Posted to “A” Sqdrn 4th Queen’s Own Hussars as SSM “Busty Thomas’s Loader/Wireless Operator. Gubbio, Ravenna, Rocciano, Rimini.
    Apr’ 45Comacchio, Traversare, Ferrara, Lugo, Santerno, Reno.
    2-4th April Operation “Roast”, Ray Jefford gets his MM
    May’ 45 War ends in Europe 8th May. Venice, Ferndorf,(Austria) (Set up a POW camp for SS Cavalry Division), Lienz, Spittal Paternion, Grafenstein, Trieben,Villach,
    Jul’ 45 Velden, Klagenfurt,Salsburg,
    Aug’45 Munich, Ulm in Germany. (One month running staging camp for troops going home on leave under LIAP. LILOP & PYTHON.
    Oct ’45 Peacekeeping between Italians & Yugoslavs, Trieste, October 1945 to January 1947
    Nov’45 Udine, Milan, Brig, Calais, Folkestone,London, (First home leave since Apr’43) Folkestone, Calais, Milan, (Italy) Palmanova, Trieste,
    Jun’46 Milan, Calais, Folkestone, London, (My second home leave)
    Trieste, (Italy) Monfalcone. Victory Celebrations, 8th June 1946
    Mar ’46 Became “A” Sqn Tech Storeman
    May ’46 28 Days home leave (LIAP)
    Oct’ 46 Now full Corporal in charge of “A” Squadron Tech Stores
    Milan, Dieppe, Dover London, Dover, Dieppe, Trieste (Regimental re-union with the Colonel , Winston Churchill in attendance)
    Dec'46 Monfalcone, Our first Post-War New Year's Eve
    Jan’47Milan, Calais, Dieppe, London, Barnard Castle(Worst winter for years)
    Mar ‘47 Received notification of impending release
    Apr ‘47 Released from RAC Depot, Barnard Castle, York and finally demobbed at York !. Home is now Manor Rd., London N16
    Jul ’47 Transferred to Army Reserve

    Dates as per my Army Records:
    Joined up, Posted to 53rd Primary Training Wing 1st October 1942
    Bury St. Edmunds
    Posted to 52nd Driver Training Rgt RA, Whiby 11th November 1942
    Posted to 112 Lt AA Rgt.RA Hove 1st February 1943
    Posted to 228 Signal Training Rgt RA, Congleton 11th March 1943
    Embarked Draft REAYK (En route to North Africa0 10Th April 1943
    Disembarked (Algiers) 21th April 1943
    War ended in North Africa 13th May 1943
    Posted to 49th LAA Rgt RA 22nd May 1943
    Tunis
    Embarked Destination unknown 23rd July 1943
    Sicily

    Transferred to 93rd Gen Hospital 17th March 1944
    Naples
    Posted back to 49th LAA 30th March 1944
    Transferred to RAC Training Depot 13th December 1944
    [FONT=&quot] Rieti[/FONT]
    Posted to “E” FDS x (4) 19th March 1945
    Posted to 4th QOH 29Th March 1045
    War ended in Italy 8th May 1945
    Granted 28 days leave in UK 14/10/45 to 10/11/45 26th September 1945
    Detrained Milan ex leave in UK 18th November, 1945
    Mustered as Tech Storeman Class III 15th March, 1946
    Appointed unpaid Actg Lance Cpl 15th March, 1946
    Entrained Villach for leave UK 21st May, 1946
    Granted 28 days leave LIAP 23rd May, 1946
    Detrained Villach after UK leave 24th June, 1946
    Mustered as Tech Storeman Class II 15th June, 1946
    Promoted Unpaid Acting Corporal 20th July, 1946
    Granted pay of L/Corporal 20th July, 1946
    Entrained Villach for Regimental Duties (Churchill Dinner) 15th October, 1946
    Granted WS rank of Corporal 18th October, 1946
    Passed Driving Test Group I Vehicles 10th December, 1946
    Entrained Villach for UK PYTHON [FONT=&quot]17thJanuary,1947[/FONT]
    Arrived back in UK to be de-mobbed 18th January, 1947
    Received Notification of Impending Release 19th March, 1947
    Medically examined Pending Release 29th March, 1947
    Released from RAC depot at Barnard Castle 11th April, 1947
    Demobbed at York same day
    Home address: 105 Manor Rd., Stoke Newington, London 12th April, 1947
    Transferred to the Army Reserves 22nd July, 1947
    Taken off Strength as W/Bdr RA 22nd August 1953


    Ron
     
  8. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Ron,

    You'll be pleased to hear/read I copied all of your units war diaries today - Hopefully you'll recognise some of the names in them.

    PM me you address and I'll get a DVD in the post before the w/end hopefully.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
    4jonboy likes this.
  9. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Andy

    You Sir, are a toff (a word used in wartime England to signify a man of great integrity !)

    My address now sits in your private message box.

    Many thanks

    Ron
     
  10. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Well done Andy, I am sure Ron will be a very happy man!

    Lesley
     
  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Many thanks, but the forum members deserve credit to, if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be able to go as much as I do.
     
  12. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Thanks Ron - It was no trouble and a pleasure :)
     
  14. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I must say after copying Ron's war diaries and his wonderful comments I was expecting to be inundated with orders from the many Forum Veterans - But Sadly, Nothing.

    So far I have copied diaries for Niccar (sadly no longer with us), Sapper, DoctorD and Ron Goldstein.

    So just to remind you:

    I'm happy to copy your own units war diaries for the period of time you served with them for free. I am also happy to post up any citations for gallantry awards for free of any member of your unit, especially if you was near by when the deed was done. Hopefully you will be able to add further infomation to the citation if you was there.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  15. Gerry Chester

    Gerry Chester WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Drew,

    I have all the NIH citations for WWII. Will get them to you soon after completion of a 1200 page plus four year project which I will be taking to Belfast next month.

    Cheers,
    Gerry
     
  16. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Gerry - My offer was to look them up for veterans like yourself but it appears you already have them all.

    I'm assuming you will be seeing Miss Diane at some point on your travels to Belfast, please pass on my regards and if you want to scare her tell her I'll come and have a cuppa one day !

    Regards
    Andy
     

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