After serving in the Expeditionary Force, and missing Dunkirk because of an early trip home with a broken leg, my father served in North Africa in 5 Coy, 7th Armoured Brigade, 8th Army. That is the way he told me of it. He passed away in July 2013 without ever telling me much of what sort of war he had. I do not really know in what capacity he served. He was a Staff Sergeant and seemed to do a number of roles. He told a couple of vehicle repair stories, one of a fuel convoy he was in and another of having to send his men in to salvage parts from destroyed tanks. He was in Italy after Africa, and he mentions going to Palestine before Africa. Later he landed on Gold Beach on 7th June 1944. Can anybody fill me in on more details on what he might of been doing in that time. I really must get round to applying for his Service Records, but I have been very busy since his passing.
Hi ronecc and welcome! Your first step is to get your father's service records - http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/army.html There are a couple of war diaries at the National Archives for No 5 Company RASC - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details/AssetMain?iaid=C1001265 - it's WO169/462: and see - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C1003031 - this one is WO169/2224. There should be others covering later years. But there appears to have been more than one No. 5 company - there's a No. 5 bulk petroleum storage company - http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=599691.0 - and a No. 5 water tank company etc etc - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res?_q=5+company+rasc&_sd=&_ed= The service records should help you narrow things down before ordering up the war diary. Given what your father told you about being in the 7th Armoured Division, I suspect it is No 5 company you want (and not one of the others) but the service records will tell you for sure. See here - http://www.desertrats.org.uk/orgothers.htm Good luck! Cheers Ian
