CRA 1st Airborne Div September 1944

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by lancebombardier, Aug 13, 2011.

  1. lancebombardier

    lancebombardier Junior Member

    Hi Everyone, my first post as just found the site.

    Been reading a book on Arnhem which says the CRA was Loder Symmons.I thought it was Loder-Symonds.Has anyone got a document from the time showing his right name?

    Looks like a good site and nice to see an airborne section.
     
  2. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Welcome to the Forum.....

    Had a look in Wilkinson The Gunners at Arnhem and both Middlebrook and Urquhart....all give his name as Loder-Symonds...looks like someone has made a regretable error......

    Sorry don't have any official docs but one of the other 'airborne nuts' may have.....
     
  3. TomTAS

    TomTAS Very Senior Member

    Again Welcome to the Forum..

    And AM is right I should have a look at some point do have a few war dairies...

    Cheers
    Tom
     
  4. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Lance Bombadier

    Sorry nothing from the War Diaries etc, everything is signed on his behalf, but see attached from London Gazette (top right hand column)

    John
     

    Attached Files:

  5. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Do we know when L-S died?
     
  6. tmac

    tmac Senior Member

    His name was Robert Loder-Symonds. From September 1943 to January 1944, he was a lieutenant colonel commanding 92nd LAA, before moving on to the Airborne. I believe he died in an air accident in South East Asia shortly after the war.
     

    Attached Files:

  7. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Do we know when L-S died?

    11th November 1945 in an aircraft accident in the Far East

    John
     
  8. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

  9. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    He is buried 5.F.2 Jakarta War Cemetery

    John
     
  10. TomTAS

    TomTAS Very Senior Member

    Hi John,

    Yep I wonder if we have anyone on the forum can get this one for us

    In Memory of
    Brigadier ROBERT GUY LODER-SYMONDS

    D S O and Bar, M C

    56606, Commands and Staff, General Staff
    and, Royal Artillery
    who died age 32
    on 11 November 1945
    Son of Capt. Robert Francis Loder-Symonds, formerly The Cheshire Regt. and of Agnes Muriel Loder-Symonds; husband of Merlin A. Loder-Symonds, of Hindon, Wiltshire.
    Remembered with honour
    JAKARTA WAR CEMETERY

    Cheers
    Tom
     
  11. lancebombardier

    lancebombardier Junior Member

    Thanks to everyone for their help.

    Glad to see my thought that the book I was reading was wrong was correct! Not going mad well not today!

    Lance.
     
  12. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Lance

    The sad thing is that if such a simple error has been allowed to get past proof reading what other errors are in the book? The risk is that once it's published it will be accepted as factual and quoted as such by those that know no better.

    John
     
  13. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    War Diary of 92 LAA Regt RA. Loder Symonds interviewed for the position of CRA 1 Aiborne Division on 19 January 1944 and left for the job on the 26 January 1944. This comfirms the spelling of his name in the war diary of the Regt he commanded.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    wtid45 likes this.
  14. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    He was also awarded 2 MID's and a DSC (US).
     
  15. AndyBaldEagle

    AndyBaldEagle Very Senior Member

    Hi John,

    Yep I wonder if we have anyone on the forum can get this one for us

    In Memory of
    Brigadier ROBERT GUY LODER-SYMONDS

    D S O and Bar, M C

    56606, Commands and Staff, General Staff
    and, Royal Artillery
    who died age 32
    on 11 November 1945
    Son of Capt. Robert Francis Loder-Symonds, formerly The Cheshire Regt. and of Agnes Muriel Loder-Symonds; husband of Merlin A. Loder-Symonds, of Hindon, Wiltshire.
    Remembered with honour
    JAKARTA WAR CEMETERY

    Cheers
    Tom


    This one it will be then!:lol:

    may also have details of the DSC and MIDs somewhere- if I can dig them out I will post them in due course but next 3/4 weeks I am a bit busy!

    Andy
     

    Attached Files:

  16. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

  17. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

  18. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Excellent post from the 92LAA WD......I seem to recall also that he was in the Western Desert with the RHA......
     
  19. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Excellent post from the 92LAA WD......I seem to recall also that he was in the Western Desert with the RHA......
    He sure was, Loder-Symonds,
    Robert Guy
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Son of Capt. Robert Francis Loder-Symonds, formerly The Cheshire Regt. and of Agnes Muriel Loder- Symonds.

    Husband of Merlin A. Loder-Symonds, of Hindon, Wiltshire. [​IMG]
    01.03.1913
    -
    11.11.1945
    (aircraft accident)
    [Jakarta War Cemetery 5.F.2]
    Cadet
    ?
    2nd Lt.
    31.08.1933 [56606]
    Lt.
    31.08.1936
    A/Capt.
    07.04.1940-06.07.1940
    T/Capt.
    07.07.1940-07.07.1941
    WS/Capt.
    08.07.1941
    Capt.
    31.08.1941
    A/Maj.
    08.04.1941-07.07.1941
    T/Maj.
    08.07.1941-21.10.1942, 02.02.1943-17.12.1943
    WS/Maj.
    18.12.1943
    A/Lt.Col.
    18.09.1943-17.12.1943
    T/Lt.Col.
    18.12.1943-28.03.1945
    WS/Lt.Col.
    29.03.1945
    A/Col.
    29.09.1944-28.03.1945
    T/Col.
    29.03.1945
    A/Brig.
    29.09.1944-28.03.1945
    T/Brig.
    29.03.1945
    [​IMG] DSO
    24.02.1942
    Middle Eas (Egypt and Libya)
    [​IMG] DSO
    13.08.1942
    Middle East (Egypt and Libya)
    [​IMG] MC
    08.07.1941
    Middle East 12.40-02.41 (Egypt and Libya)
    [​IMG] MID
    30.12.1941
    Middle East 02.41-07.41
    [​IMG] MID
    30.06.1942
    Middle East 07.41-10.41
    [​IMG] DSC(US)
    14.11.1947
    Arnhem 09.44 (full citation)
    ? ?
    17.10.1946
    Freedom Cross (Norway)
    Education: Royal Military Academy
    31.08.1933


    commissioned, Royal Regiment of Artillery
    (01.1937)


    22nd Field Brigade RA (Shorncliffe)
    (01.1939)
    -
    30.04.1940
    1st Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (Bulford) (UK, France)
    01.05.1940
    -
    07.04.1941
    Adjutant, 1st Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (France, UK, Egypt)
    08.04.1941
    -
    summer1942
    Battery Commander, 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (Tobruk, Alamein; wounded)
    23.09.1943
    -
    26.01.1944
    Commanding Officer, 92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA
    01.1944
    -
    summer1945
    Commander Royal Artillery (CRA), 1st Airborne Division (Arnhem [evacuated], Norway)
    summer1945
    -
    11.11.1945
    Commander Royal Artillery (CRA), 5th Indian Division (Burma)
    World War II unit histories & officers
     
  20. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Lance

    The sad thing is that if such a simple error has been allowed to get past proof reading what other errors are in the book? The risk is that once it's published it will be accepted as factual and quoted as such by those that know no better.

    John

    Agree it's a shame such silly errors don't get picked up......as you say is the book riddled with other errors?
    An 'Arnhem' book I read recently said the South Staffs had a VC winner by the name of McCain!

    Hopefully Lance will post up title.....
     

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