Father in 61st AntiTank Regt RA

hi i'm trying to search my Dads WW2 footsteps.
my Dad served with 61st anti tank regiment RA, which i think was assigned with the 51st Highland Division.
my Dad's name is Thomas Baker and his army number was 1129998.
my Dad served throughout Africa, Sicily,France, Belguim, Holland and Germany.
he was injured in the battle at Caines in France.
he rejoined his division in Ehindoven in Holland and met my Mother (Dutch) in Enschede, where he later at the end of WW2, married my Mother in Enschede 1946.

i would live to know all his footsteps during WW2, Especially where he got injured in Caines and Enschede where he met my Mother.

 

Welcome Paul.
If you're interested in seeing the 61 Anti-Tank Regt war diaries they are available at the National Archives at Kew. Here are the references for them:


WO 166/1633, ROYAL ARTILLERY: ANTI-TANK REGIMENTS: 61 Anti-Tank Regiment. (1939 Sept.-1941 Dec.)
WO 166/7091, ROYAL ARTILLERY: ANTI-TANK REGIMENTS: 61 Regiment. (1942 Jan.- May)
WO 169/4721, 61 A/Tk. Regt. (1942 Sept.- Dec.)
WO 169/9619, 61 Regt. (1943 Jan.- Dec.)
WO 171/918, 61 Regt. (1944 Jan.- Dec.)
WO 171/4771, 61 Regt. (1945 Jan.- Dec.)
WO 171/9027, 61 Regt. (1946 Jan.- Mar.)

Lee

 

...

 

Hello Paul and welcome to the forum-Good luck with your research.

 

There may be some info of interest on this thread, also started by a relative of a 61 AT veteran


http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/royal-artillery/49229-61-anti-tank-regt-1944-45-a.html

 

Hi, I'm trying to trace my Dads WW2 footprints.
My Dad passed away in 2010 but never really spoke about the war only small parts in later years.

I'm 99% sure my Dad served as part of 242 Battery support unit (61st Anti-Tank RA) 51st Highland Division, although he did mention 193 Battery.

I also know my Dad served in North Africa campaign inc Tunisia etc (Desert rats)
He also served in Sicily campaign .
They returned from Sicily to UK and was stationed at High Wycombe where there prepared for D-Day


I'm sure My Dads regiment landed on Sword beach on D-Day+1

I know my Dad was injured during this time with shrapnel wounds from a. Mortar shell and was taken back to England to Hospital before he rejoined his regiment.

I'm not sure though about where or when my Dad was wounded although he told me it was at Caen and after treatment back in England he rejoined his regiment in Eindhoven ?
I still have to get this part confirmed.

My Dad met my Mom whilst billeted in Enschede Holland before his regiment pushed into Germany towards Bremen and later he must have returned back to Enschede because he married my Mom on 19-08-1946 in Enschede.

I would love to track my dads WW2 footprints so any help would be very gratefully accepted.

My Dad sitting centre on Photo, this photo was taken in. Enschede Holland 1945

Thank you.

 

51st Highland was involved in the battles for southern Holland (Oct/Nov); moved over to the Island (Nov) but was flooded out when the Germans breached the dyke near Arnhem on 2 Dec; then followed the Ardennes (Dec/Jan 45); Operation Veritable (Febr); they spearheaded the Rhine Crossing in the 30 Corps sector at Rees (March, see http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/50742-rhine-crossing-1945-the-rees-bridgehead-51st-highland-div-in-operation-turnscrew/); thereafter they were kept in 30 Corps reserve for some time and billited in the Enschede area, before moving up to northern Germany, where they took part in the capture of Bremerhaven (Apr/May).

A good divisional History is Salmond's 'The History Of The 51st Highland Division', which is out of print but still available here:

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=Salmond&sts=t&tn=The+History+Of+The+51st+Highland+Division

 

Paul, there doesn't appear to be any war diaries for the 242 battery, but here are the National Archives references for the 61 Anti-tank Regiment.
These can be viewed for free at Kew...

*** ARCRE WAR DIARY SEARCH RESULTS ***

WO 166/1633, ROYAL ARTILLERY: ANTI-TANK REGIMENTS: 61 Anti-Tank Regiment. (1939 Sept.-1941 Dec.)
WO 166/7091, ROYAL ARTILLERY: ANTI-TANK REGIMENTS: 61 Regiment. (1942 Jan.- May)
WO 169/4721, 61 A/Tk. Regt. (1942 Sept.- Dec.)
WO 169/9619, 61 Regt. (1943 Jan.- Dec.)
WO 171/918, 61 Regt. (1944 Jan.- Dec.)
WO 171/4771, 61 Regt. (1945 Jan.- Dec.)
WO 171/9027, 61 Regt. (1946 Jan.- Mar.)

(Downloaded from ARCRE War Diary Search Engine: http://www.arcre.com/wdsearch - 2014-06-30 14:50 GMT)


Although probably best to get a copy of his service record from the Ministry of Defence first.

Lee

 

Paul

Have recorded post May 45 movements for the 61st Anti-Tank Regiment RA command HQRA 51st (Highland) Infantry Division – near Bremerhaven – to Diepholz south-west of Verden – command to 50th Anti-Aircraft Brigade Jun 45
193 Battery – 241 Battery – 242 Battery – 243 Battery

Jun 45 – 50th Anti-Aircraft Brigade from 5th Infantry Division – HQ Hinzel Forest Camp Bremervorde west of Hamburg disbanded Apr 46
61st Anti-Tank Regiment RA from Divisional Troops – Abbenseth north of Bremervorde

As yet do not have a disbandment date for the regiment

Hope this helps
Steve

 

Dear Paul, I have sended you a personal message to get in touch with me. It is quit possible that your father stayed with my grand parents mits november 1944. Please contact me.

 

hi Steve

many thanks for your information, i will look into them.
all help is well recieved.

here is my update for my dads ww2 footprints.
My Dads WW2 footprints.

Thomas William Baker.

Dad’s army Service Number – 1129998

Overseas service - North Africa – Italy & Sicily – D-Day France – Holland & through to Bremerhaven Germany


Dad earned the following medals;

1. Africa Star with 8th Army clasp – awarded for serving in North Africa campaign inc El Alamein.

2. Italy Star – awarded for serving in Italian Campaign inc Sicily.

3. France & Germany Star – awarded for serving in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands

4. Defence Medal – awarded for service during WW2.

5. War medal – awarded for service full time during WW2 1939–1945

6. 1939-1945 Star - awarded for operational service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945 during WW2.



Dad joined the 61st Anti – Tank RA assigned to 51st Highland Division in Oct 1941
He did basic training in Buckie, Banffshire, Scotland with the Royal Artillery 21st medium & heavy regiment 193 Battery.

He was posted to the 61st Anti-Tank regiment 242 Battery in Feb 1942 in Buckie, Scotland
and then posted to serve in North Africa from 11 August 1942.

The regiment then arrived in Egypt and served there until 21 November 1942, when it crossed into Libya. From there it crossed into Tunisia on 17 February 1943 and served there until 8 July 1943.

They then went on to Sicily in June 1943 and remained in Sicily until November 1943, when they moved by sea to the United Kingdom and arrived there in November 1943 where he was stationed at High Wycombe, England.

They then embarked for France in June 1944 and landed in France on 7th June 1944 (D-Day +1)

Dad was injured with shrapnel wounds to his lower back area during the battle for Caen on D-Day +2, there where 3 of them that were hit by mortar shell that hit their bunker.

One was killed outright and dad carried the other guy to a 1st aid tent and only then did he realise he was injured himself.

Dad said his lieutenant that was killed outright and Dad was brought back to UK to be treated in an hospital in Liverpool before moving to a hospital in north Wales

Dad told me he asked to re-join his regiment and sailed from Southampton to re-join them in Eindhoven Holland, ready for the battle at Arnhem / Nijmegen.

I know he then pushed on through Holland (not sure what parts) but he got to Enschede early 1945.


This is where he met our Mom for the 1st time, his regiment was billeted on the school grounds of the Queen Julianaschool near Oustburgweg, Enschede, which was close to my Moms family house and they used to bring drinks etc. out to the troops.

Mom lived at 49 Oustburgweg, Enschede (my Opa and Oma's house)


The regiment were here then told to push into Germany towards Bremerhaven.

 

.

 

Hi Edward,

It will take some work to go through them, but I have the daily record entries portion of the regiment's war diaries. I've sent you links by "conversation" here on the forum. Do you have any idea which troop he was in?

My research has been focused on the "Archer" which the regiment began to receive in December '44, so my focus has been more on the last six months of the war.

 

Also you might look at Stolpi's thread about the division in the Ardennes. 241st Battery Archers (one of the three troops - the other two having towed guns) assisted in the advance at Lavaux. Ardennes 1945, 51st Highland Div

 

Hi Chris,
Thank you kindly for getting back to me I appreciate it. He was 61st Highland anti tank regiment ( battery 241 ). Some stuff I'm trying to find out. Where did they sail from when they arrived in Egypt and what route did they take? I've heard they sailed from Liverpool and came up the Suez canal but not sure. After my grandfather was injured in April/may 1943 he sailed back to London in December 43. He then rejoined his regiment in prep for d day landings. To my knowledge he arrived in France on the 7th or 8th of June but what beach did he land on. I believe he then took part in operation Goodwood the assault at Caen. After that I don't know where they went? However there is an entry here from the son of a man who was in 61st battery 242 and they went to Eindhoven holland then Arman/Nijmegen. Eventually ending up in bremerhaven or diepholz germany. I have some entries in his records but I can't read the handwriting. I will post here

Thanks
Ed

 

Hi Ed,

I'm not sure but it might be better to break some of your questions out into a separate thread, possibly in the "Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy" forum which I *think* is the place to post when researching individual people. I can't even tell you what ??/Sgt and PA/Sgt mean.

For an overview, you might want to get yourself a copy of The History of the 51st Highland Division by Salmond or (I haven't read this) None Bolder: the history of the 51st Highland Division by Richard Doherty. What I have is a paperback reprint of Salmond's book with an added postwar history of the veterans by Dr Tom Renouf MM. Richard Doherty is I think a good author and I imagine that his book would also be good. Either would give a general history of the division but not necessarily exactly identify your grandfather's exact route.

For instance in 1942, Salmond's book says that units left via the Severn, the Mersey, and the Clyde. So that would certainly match what you've been told but to be sure I suppose you would need the 1942 war diary. There are a couple of pages about the trip, and the book says that "the majority of the troops disembarked at Port Tewfik and Geneffa" both of which are south of the canal itself.

Knowing which beach they landed at in June 1944 is really outside my wheelhouse. Someone might know - you might want to ask a separate question about that.

 

Thanks Craig