Great Uncle Ron 138 Fd Regt RA 78th Div

Frank,

Very kind of you to offer to loan me John Horsfall's book. believe my aunt has a copy of the book but if not I will definitely take up your offer.
Thank you

Andrea

 

Hello everybody,

Having read in a post above of the association between the Artillery units and Brigades of 78 Infantry Division, I am currently researching Lt. George S. LeFeaux RA who, it says on the CWGC website, was attached to 6 Royal West Kents. Which artillery unit would he have belonged to?

Thanks in anticipation,

Vitellino

 

Casualty Details

I suspect he may have been a FOO (Forward Obs Officer) attached to them. I only have the Jan-May 1944 war diary and he's not listed in the Officers Field Returns so probably became attached to the battalion after this date. He should be listed in the other 1944 war diary.

He doesn't get a mention in the QORWK Regiments history by Chaplin either.

 

Not sure this helps or hinders

George Sutton Lefeaux in the UK, Electrical Engineer WWI and WWII Rolls of Honour, 1924, 1949
Name: George Sutton Lefeaux
Death Date: Abt 1939-1945

Which would lead me to think he was in the REME, however

George Lefeaux in the UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
Name: George Lefeaux
Given Initials: G S
Rank: Lieutenant
Death Date: 24 Oct 1944
Number: 320989
Birth Place: Kent
Residence: London SE
Branch at Enlistment: Royal Artillery
Theatre of War: Italy
Regiment at Death: Royal Artillery
Branch at Death: Royal Artillery

Maybe member Guy Hudson can help as he has RA details

TD

 

TD,
All his casualty record states is that he was from a Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment. I wonder if his HAA unit had been disbanded and he had been posted to the Infantry?
Guy

 

Thank you everybody.

He is actually remembered on the Cassino Memorial. If he was a FOO officer that would explain a lot...

He may have been the soldier found on Monte Spaduro - see my thread. I learned yesterday that the two possibilities from 1 London Irish Rifles have been ruled out by DNA testing. The MOD are intending to test two others who are on the memorial but are NOT listed as missing by their regiments - one is a fusilier from 1RIrF and the other a rifleman from 2 London Irish Rifles.

The area where the soldier was found was, we read in the 2 Inniskillings' War Diary, liberated by them in the early hours of the 24th October " under heavy opposition from Pt. 387".

6 RWK went into the attack from a point to the east and their FOO could well have been moving from Casa Spinello (liberated by 2LIR on the 23rd) through this area - either killed by fire from this "heavy opposition" from Point 387 or as a result of stepping on a mine.

Vitellino

 

I'm still pondering...the person who found him tells me he was 'travelling light' - his only weapon was a hand grenade. Were FOOs normally armed and if so with what?