Gunner 12th Field Malta and 17th Med Africa

Hi to anyone reading this and the hope that you can offer any information which may help me to try and piece together details of my late dad's service history during WW2.

Unfortunately, although I have his service book it does not give me the name of the regiment in which dad served so I originally started my search going by a piece of paper which my late mum had written that he was originally in the 52nd Royal Artillery Field Regiment and then he later went on to join the 17th Med Regiment in North Africa.

I haven't had much luck finding anything out about the 52nd Reg but when I tried a different route ie places, dates etc I noticed that the 12th Regiment went on to become the 17th Med and when I explored that regiment things seemed very coincidental, so now I'm left wondering if the 52nd was just an error on mum's part and it was the 12th?

I do know.......

He was a Gunner in the Royal Artillery Field Regiment

He enlisted at Deepcut on 29th November 1939 and was demobbed at RAC Range Tichwell, Kings Lynn, Norfolk on the 17th April 1946

He talked about going on the Louis Pasteur - which I believed sailed from Liverpool to Malta
He was in Malta when the bomb came through the roof of the church at Mosta

He also spoke about being in - Algiers, Sicily, Rome, Naples - but I am not sure about the order of the last four yet as I still need to look for details regarding the 17th Med Reg in Africa

Sorry that this is so long winded, and doesn't really provide much to go on, but it would be great if there's any help out there that can maybe tie in some of their knowledge?


Suzq

 

Hi and welcome to the forum suzq , good luck with your research. Have you applied for his service records from the MOD in Glasgow they cost £30. But they are really worth it, the information you get obtain from them is very useful.


https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records

Hope this helps

David

 

I can tell you 52 Field Regiment went to France in April 1940. Most of the regiment were lifted off the Dunkirk beaches on the 30th May with only one battery staying behind (205 Field Battery) until around the 2nd June.

 

In January 1943 52 Field Regiment moved from Tahag in Egypt to Kifri in Iraq. By August 1943 they were back in Egypt with a bit of back and forth to Syria. They sailed for Taranto in Italy on the 20th September 1943 and they are still in Italy at the end of the year.

 

Thanks for replying and sending the link David. I did try searching for his records on the net but his name and service number wasn't bringing in any results, so I'll definitely send off the application and hopefully they'll be able to send me the details.


And thanks for your info too Drew, that level of detail backs up the theory that my mum had indeed written it down wrong as the 52nd, because Dad was never in France.

Fingers crossed the waiting time for records isn't too long and the mystery will be solved!

 

Hi SuzQ & welcome.
The 17th Medium Regt RA, 252 Bty & 253Bty
was formed from the 12th Field Regt RA between Nov 43 & Feb 44.
They were GHQ Troops in N Africa with 8th Army & in Italy were a regt of 10AGRA & 7AGRA (Army Group Royal Artillery) respectively, untill their disbandment in May1946.


Best
Rob

 

Hi Suzq, the waiting time can vary from a few weeks to a couple of months.
Please keep us updated if you don't mind.

David

 

Suzq.

10 AGRA were in direct support of IV (US) Corps moving up the left side of Italy from Jul 44 and were then, in Mar 45, absorbed into 7 AGRA who spent their time in direct support of US Fifth Army also moving up Italy.

Regards

FdeP

 

Thank you all so much for helping me to unravel my dad's time during the war.....it really is appreciated as I am such a newbie to all this!

That's really great info Rob and FdeP......that definitely ties up with the info I found in mum's memory box and my memories about all the stories which dad used to tell us about the places he went to and he did mention that he had spent time in a US Military hospital, so that could tie in with the US Fifth Army?

His service book states that he had vaccinations Nov 1943 and more done in Feb/March 1944 which also fits in.

So I guess that my next step now (while waiting for his service records to be sent) would be to try and get details about the 17th Med Field regiment, BTY's 252 & 253 - 10 & 7 AGRA's......help again please....which way would be the best to do this?

In the meantime, I have started going through the old photo's and have found one of Dad that says Naples 1944.......and there is also another one of him and you can see a badge on the arm of his uniform....I don't know when it was taken (it may have been 1943 when he was in the 17th Med reg, or if in fact it is anything do with a regiment....but it might be from the his first 'mystery' regiment.....are there any sites who have pictures of these so I could maybe check it out?

many thanks again....it really is so great to have a site like this with so many expert helpers

Suz

 

thanks Owen, that would be brilliant if you could help.......hope it come through OK?

 

Hi again....just noticed something written in pencil in dads hand-writing in his service book and just did a 'google' but doesn't come up with anything so I wondered if it rang any bells with you experts?

It say ATPD RAC DET and then looks like DRAMCASTER or BRAMCASTER and then Chester?

thanks agains
Suz

 

Best if you post it up here so we can see the text

ATPD RAC DET Would think it was Appointed RAC Detachment?


Lesley

 

Hi Lesley, I'm afraid that as dad wrote it in pencil and it's so old and faint it won't scan

I have printed off the service record request to send out (thanks again David) so will be interesting to see if it's on there

Hope you are doing well with your quest

Suz

 

Hi good luck Suz, hope you do not have to wait to long for his records. You will be amazed just how much info you can find out once you have them, and it will be worth it.
Still researching into the picture you posted.

David

 

Suz.

You need to PM Drew5233 with a request to sort you the War Diaries for 17 Med Regt RA. He only charges 10p per page and sends you a CD with everything on. He provides a brilliant, painless service.

Regards

FdeP

 

Hi Owen, could it be the 2nd Infantry Division Patch, it looks like crossed keys? Is it possible?
If not I'll keep looking.

David

 

Many thanks to you all for your recent replies and so grateful for the help and advise your all taking the time to provide.

Re the badge Owen, it is on his upper right arm (midway between elbow and epaulette)

I have sent off the forms for Dad's records, so it is just a question of waiting (wish I could say patiently now!!) but in the meantime, I have had a bit of 'EUREKA' moment while going through all the photo's and memory boxes for more clues.

Amongst them I have found (what can only be described as an open letter - postcard size - that my aunt sent to my dad on Sunday the 3rd September....(thanks to google, the year would have been 1944)....and it was addressed to him in -

253 MED BTY
17 MED REGT
R.Q.
C.M.F....(or that could be a G??)

So, at least now I know definitely which regiment dad was in in Sept 1944.....so yes, FdEP...I will definitely need to contact Drew with regards to the diaries, but having read the posting about the archives - (the brilliant hard work that he and his wife have put in to compiling all those documents is utterly amazing) - I clicked on one which opened up a spreadsheet and WOW??...mind boggling.....so I just have to try and work out what I need to ask for?

Thanks again everyone

Suz