Hi this is my first post after finding this amazing site. I collect ww2 memorabilia (british and us airborne) and when I was in the ww2 battle re-enactment association we portraded the 1st a/b recce so got to meet a lot of the vets. Some 20+ years ago I was offered a box of stuff which I was told belonged to an officer in a/b recce. The officer in question is Lt J D Gray but cannot find out any info on him and the 1st a/b recce vets had never heard of him. In the box was this pennent and this booklet I think he must have been given it OR possibly been in 6th a/b recce ???? Also contained in the box was most of his traning pamflets see pic of intrest is his infantry roll book which is marked "Dept co NO 4 plt No1 Recce t.c. and has the names of the troops in his comand see pics Also with in the box was a memorial sheet for a LT Frank Howells And a map of NE Fance and Belgum dated 1943 One other nice peice is his map reading book written by H.R Wilcock of the recce corp which he has had signed by the writer in Dec 1942. There should be enough for you to look at so if anybody can shed any light on the owner it would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks in advance. Smudgger
The roll book is from No 1 Recce Training Centre which was in the Lockerbie area. In August 1943 the training centres were amalgamated and based at Catterick. The thread http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/recce/23086-reconnaissance-training-centre-catterick-photo.html features a photo of the training centre officers from Autumn 1943. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=47559&d=1300209722 taken from that thread is another version of the photo which is captioned and it includes a Lieutenant Gray. That might perhaps be your man. It would certainly explain all the training materials. The airborne connection is another matter. G.
Thanks grunson I thought that the airborne side was a bit tentertive but one never knows as amongst his bits was also a pegasus patch & airborne strip and his lanyard. The items came from a place in walthamstow east london and the woman who gave them to the person i got it from said it was her husbands who had reciantly passed away. When I first got the items sooooooo many people wanted me to sell them the pennant I even gat a call from somebody in the U.S.A. enquiring about it and I had only had it for 4 days.
Hello and welcome to the forum. Certainly not listed under the Officers of 1st Airborne 1st British Airborne Division officers -- G Regards Tom
Hi Smudgger and welcome. Interesting set of info, great find. I can find no record of a J D Gray on Paradata, but it is not a complete archive as yet. Good luck. Mike
Thanks grunson I thought that the airborne side was a bit tentertive but one never knows as amongst his bits was also a pegasus patch & airborne strip and his lanyard. Well if we assume he commanded a training platoon for a while there is of course no reason why he couldn't have moved on to the 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron, perhaps post Arnhem when it would have needed quite a bit of reinforcing to say the least. G.
As i said none of the 1A/B recce boy's had ever heard of him and they also stated that they never had any flags/pennents ever, thats what made me think poss 6th A/B Recce because of the pennant its about 2ft x 3ft big enough to be flowen on a tank/armored car.
Hi Smudgger, Lt Howells is 1 Recce Lieutenant FRANK HOWELLS 210350 Who died age 28 on 10 November 1943 Son of Thomas and Emily C. Howells. CATTERICK MILITARY CEMETERY U.B. Sec. Grave 122. Cheers Paul
Hi Smudgger, Have checked Dept Company No 4 Platoon No1 Recce TC names against my Recce ROH and only found 1 name Trooper ARTHUR SCOTT 6471641 Who died on 09 June 1943 BROOKWOOD MEMORIAL Panel 1. Column 3. Cheers Paul
I note that the Standing Orders booklet has the squadron name as '1st Air Landing Reconnaissance Squadron'. I believe that 'Air Landing' changed to 'Airborne' in 1944 so that might date the printing of the booklet to 1943 at latest. Not knowing anything about Standing Orders I wouldn't know if anything more than that could be inferred.
