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.
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.....
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
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
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.
A very serious event that day was the death of Brigadier Robert Loder-Symons, who was C.R.A. of the Division. Before resorting to bombing that morning, he had asked General Mansergh for permission to fly over the city to see what was happening. When taking off his aircraft failed to rise, and both he and the pilot were killed. Anthony Brett-James. Ball of Fire. Fifth Indian Division in the Second World War. 1951. Chapter 32. Epilogue. Appendices.
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
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.
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
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.
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! 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
A link to MilitaryTimes with details of the citation for the DSC (USA). Valor awards for Robert Guy Loder-Symonds | Military Times Hall of Valor
A short biography about him from the Pegasus Archives website. Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Loder-Symonds
Excellent post from the 92LAA WD......I seem to recall also that he was in the Western Desert with the RHA......
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 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. 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 DSO 24.02.1942 Middle Eas (Egypt and Libya) DSO 13.08.1942 Middle East (Egypt and Libya) MC 08.07.1941 Middle East 12.40-02.41 (Egypt and Libya) MID 30.12.1941 Middle East 02.41-07.41 MID 30.06.1942 Middle East 07.41-10.41 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
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.....