finding the battalion my father was in, Royal Scots Fusiliers 1945-47

If that's a '60' top right, that's 4/5 RSF in 52 Lowland Division. Top left looks like it might be the saltire of the div sign.

 

Very, very frustrating. When I'm able I will study the originals. If it is a 60, then that means it's 4/5 battalion? I guess I need to track their route and operations. See if anything tallies.
Thank you.

 

If you apply using your mothers details I understand they will be prioritised. Having said that the waiting time at the moment is very reasonable. Make sure you fill everything in correctly and provide as much detail from what you know already. Any queries about forms or process, just post on here.

 

Dawn, if your first picture you posted is the Regimental History of the 59th Medium Regiment, written by Lt.Colonel Crawford, then you've saved yourself at least £50 as that's the price of the only one going on the internet - and it would appear that the book includes a full war diary and a nominal roll - which is all very useful. If you can, try scanning the documents you possess rather than photographing them as the auto focus on most cameras isn't very good with close ups. Scanning will also mean you have a permanent record of them and won't damage them through handling. If you can't do it, then there'll be a local service who will do it.

I have some tiny enprints (they're small as they were usually taken straight from the negative and not enlarged - which cost more money) of my dad and some Belgian people he met in Dendermonde. I'm thinking there must have been some sort of rest camp or similar near there? Good luck with the records.

 

Brian,
please if you can, get the photos on here, I would love to see them. Yes the R.A. 59th book is intact and unscathed by the years. It has a brilliant diary of events, photos and my Dads name is there too. Because he spoke rarely on anything much, not least his war years, I would like to piece together the fragments of his end lf war days. He also kept the 'what to do if captured' booklet. Again in perfect condition because of the lack of handling.
We do have a scanner somewhere and in time I will scan everything. I just need to get round to it. Taking photos are just a quick fix at present.

 

Dawn - sorry, it sounds like I was being a little brusque - apologies. I only ever scanned in my dad's photos (and I haven't scanned the ones of Belgium!) after he died - I don't have his war records and he was a tough nut to crack. My brothers and I used to joke that he would have made a great secret agent as he would never tell you anything...on the odd occasion, towards the end of his life, after my mum had died, he would come over to our house a couple of days a week and going back through the Mersey tunnel, he would pipe up with a random memory - could have been anything, the name of his first drill corporal (Broombridge) or a joke someone told in the tank (he was an armoured engineer).

On the 60th anniversary of D-Day he was invited to Lion sur Mer to be awarded a medal by the French government. I arranged a house, relatives to come along, and planned the whole thing, but he still wriggled out of it. I ended up going with one of my brothers who isn't a WW2 enthusiast and we arrived on the beach at the same time as he landed - after getting through interminable raad blocks and police checks - and on Sword Beach? A couple of people walking the dog, going for bread and newspapers....my brother remarked that dad would have laughed - what did we expect, an armada of ships? Later we sat having a coffee in Lion, listening to a succession of middle aged men pester their dads to remember this or that and we kind of agreed that we'd have been the same and he would have batted us off as ever....it just never occurred to him that he'd done anything special - they don't make them like that any more.

 

Not at all Brian,
I thought my self I should scan everything but was in such a rush didn't bother. You are right. Anyway I've done the paper work. I now live a good 200 miles away in Plymouth so when I go back, next week I shall see if I can bring back the photos to scan then that will be all good.

I posted a booklet given to troops advising them on enemy tactics for getting information. I think both our fathers were too good at this!

The story of your brothers and yourself going back is a good one and illustrates perhaps the way we, proud children sometimes push too hard for information. It's a tricky balance, especially as with age, we become more interested and aware of their dwindling years ahead.
Sad.

Thankyou for your input and please don't feel any offence was taken.
Dawn

 

Dawn - glad to hear - and it was the booklet which made me think of my dad's silence under interrogation!

 

I have the RSF journals for 46-47.
send me a PM with an email address and I'll find a way of getting across to you.

might help!

Iain