My grandfather was a gunner in the Royal Artillery. In the last years of the war he served with the Defensively Equipped Merchant Navy. From his service records I found he was with the 551 Coast reg and 4th reg maritime RA, and I think he was stationed at Narvik. When my father was a boy he remembers grandad having a certificate from the King of Norway to do with his service in WW2. Please if anyone has any info on these regiments, or Artic convoys, or what this certificate was for, it would be most appreciated. I never knew my grandad, as my father was 6 when his father left England in 1960 to start a new life in NZ, so anything we can find out means so much.
Originally posted by kat01@Jul 30 2005, 02:24 AM My grandfather was a gunner in the Royal Artillery. In the last years of the war he served with the Defensively Equipped Merchant Navy. From his service records I found he was with the 551 Coast reg and 4th reg maritime RA, and I think he was stationed at Narvik. When my father was a boy he remembers grandad having a certificate from the King of Norway to do with his service in WW2. Please if anyone has any info on these regiments, or Artic convoys, or what this certificate was for, it would be most appreciated. I never knew my grandad, as my father was 6 when his father left England in 1960 to start a new life in NZ, so anything we can find out means so much. [post=37046]Quoted post[/post] I recall reading many years ago that there were about 10,000 British Army gunners put aboard DEMS craft during WW2. Can anyone confirm the numbers placed and the numbers lost??
I have a relative (sadly no longer with us) who was in No 4 Maritime AA Battery, RA. His service records show he was with them from 29-4-41 to 4-4-42 when he was admitted to Western/Marston Hall Hospital and added to the Y list (any ideas?). After that he was a Light AA gunner around the UK, until being sent to the Med after the end of hostilities in Europe. He qualified for the Atlantic Star, so must have been out there somewhere, although unsure where, and unsure how to find out. I think 4 Regiment is later than No 4 Battery. Quite a good writeup of the Maritime RA can be found here http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/maritime/ Good Luck Mike
I have a friend who was a DEMS gunner, Bill Large, and he's the living personification of a sailor having a woman in every port. He ended up in America with a burst eardrum, saw Glen Miller and his Orchestra, the Harry James orchestra, Betty Grable and Frank Sinatra... the list goes on. He also went out to South America, Canada, and even on the Russian convoys (PQ17). After the war he was posted to Cape Town. But I would like to know if there is a DEMS association he could join? I'm looking up all of his old sships and finding him photos, but it would be good if he could find some of his old crew mates. If anyone can help let me know.
