Family Soldiers: 1/4th Essex (WW2) & 25 Field Regiment R.A.(Post-War)

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Charley Fortnum, Mar 21, 2015.

  1. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Charley,no problem. You did not express your self poorly. I mentioned other people, just covering my back. I'v read your very kind Pm, & I'm sure are exchanges will be of use to each other.
    Regards.:cool:
     
  2. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

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    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
  3. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

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    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
  4. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

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    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
  5. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Here's a taster of what I'm working on - feedback gladly received. Having had a warm up in transcribing the 1 Field Regiment R.A.'s diary for Cassino, I'm now attempting the main course: 1/4 Essex Diaries for the war. I've hacked around and pottered with the formatting more than any sane man should and now have a prototype for the early pages (they change format soon).

    Original page attached:
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Oct 9, 2016
  6. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    And my version:
     

    Attached Files:

    CL1 likes this.
  7. Joanne B

    Joanne B New Member

    Hello Charley,

    I came across this forum by chance after googling the name Maurice Meen.

    I purchased his family home in 2004 after his wife sadly passed away and have come across a photo of him in uniform that I would love to give back to his family.

    I know that he was previously a councillor for Thurrock borough council and he had two daughters who lived in the Thurrock area around the time we purchased (from memory I believe one was called Christine).

    If you have any luck locating any of these relatives please could you let me know, likewise I will of course tell them about this thread, should I be lucky enough to locate them beforehand.
     
    sam everett likes this.
  8. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Most grateful for the post, Joanne. I've sent you a message with my email address and look forward to hearing from you.
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2016
  9. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    A interesting little minor documentary about the Battles of El Alamein here. Contains contributions, among others, by Leonard Stephenson, a 'mortar man' of 1/4th Essex:



    Took his first parachute jump aged 92:
    92 years young, so Leonard goes skydiving

    If anybody has any more on him - I cannot find any evidence of his having passed on - please do get in touch.
     
  10. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    If there's one ship it might be unwise to dive bomb, it's probably this one:

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    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
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  11. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I've just been going through the scraps and ephemera my grandfather kept. I don't know what, if any, significance this had - unless it was written by one of the battalion (most of the other papers are connected to them). It's quite an acidic little ditty and may raise a smile:

    20161114_015143.JPG

    Hair to our shoulders, beards to our knees,
    Bully and biscuits, and over-ripe cheese,
    Water that's salty, and slimy, too,
    Grit in the saucepan and sand in the stew.

    Miles we have travelled, months we have spent,
    Prowling the desert, weary and bent.
    Stop here today, go on tomorrow,
    We've nothing to spend, and hang all to borrow.

    Once we pushed up and said, "Thank God, at last,"
    Only to turn round and run back twice as fast.
    Arrived at Map Ref:-- "Tired as Hell,"
    Six chaps were missing, cookhouse as well.

    We are now close to Christmas, how happy we be,
    No beer, no luxuries, we won't half have a spree.
    But ours is no hardship compared with the blokes
    Camping in old Blighty, away from their folks.
    Even J. Priestly complained of the trials,
    Far from a pub--at least thirteen miles.

    So, tomorrow, we'll pray for the boys back at home,
    Away from their girls, and so "All alone."
    But we've solved all our problems, we know what to do,
    Spend all our Christmas, just weeping for you.

    Er... If the cap fits, WEAR IT!

    ------------------------------------------------------
    Does it ring any bells with any of the veterans here?

    Pushing up to Mersa Matruh and then legging it back to Ruweisat with chaps missing also fits the picture.

    Cf.
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    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
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  12. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

  13. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

  14. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Have been researching Monarch of Bermuda, the cruise liner that transported 1/4th Essex from the UK to Sierra Leone [Voyage: August 5th to 31st 1940 - W.S. 2 Convoy].

    20161229_221756.JPG 20161229_221741.JPG


    Does anybody know whether A1-sized scanners exist? I need to use one for this:

    20161229_221841.JPG

    And here she is on the eve of being brought into service:

    'Monarch of Bermuda leaves New York on the evening of 5/9/39 with no shipping notice of departure listed'

    Monarch.JPG
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
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  15. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Coincidently, I've just been talking to a Burma veteran's daughter who returned to the UK aboard the Queen of Bermuda in December 1945. I see they were sister ships.
     
  16. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Yes - the differences between them were trifling. There's an awful lot available about their pre- and post-war work, but little apart from listings of voyages for '39 to '45.

    One of the two - I forget which - was part of the convoy that transferred the British gold reserves to Canada.
     
  17. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

     
  18. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I hoped that somebody might enjoy this. (Then Maj-Gen) Francis Tuker's sketch of 4th Indian Division at Mareth:
    4th Indian at Mareth 01.jpg 4th Indian at Mareth 02.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
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  19. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I've just received a belated Christmas present in the post:

    First impression is that the poems are of uneven quality, although there are no shockingly poor ones. One or two stand out, and all 'ring true' to anybody who has read enough accounts of the Desert War. In language and structure, they veer towards Kipling with less of Tommy's cant and perhaps Newbolt without the jingoism:

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    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
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  20. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    There's a lot of specificity in some of these poems: names, battles, events, and this is one such - a slightly longer poem or shorter divisional history if you prefer:

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    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
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