Lieutenant D.F.A.T.Baines and Lieutenant Colonel Peck Royal Horse Artillery.

Discussion in 'Postwar' started by Pike, Oct 24, 2009.

  1. Pike

    Pike Senior Member

    I was'nt quite sure where to stick this as my research subject begins before World War 2 and continues in post war Germany.

    A close relative of mine is writing his memoirs for the family of his time serving in the Royal Horse Artilary beginning in 1948,where he became Batman to the above gentlemen post war.

    Whilst awaiting the memoirs iv'e decided to find out a bit of information on the war service of Lieutenant D.F.A.T. BAINES and Lieutenant Colonel PECK,where they served,and which battles they had experienced if any,then i'll have an understanding of what they'd been through before my relative enters the picture.

    My relative loved his Army years and has given me a bit of information,unfortunately i hav'nt managed to turn up anything apart from the very interesting history of Dodesheide Kaserne whos name was changed to Mercer Barracks.

    My relative being Batman subsequently moved to Colonel Pecks house in Osnabruk to full fill his duties.
    5TH Royal Horse Artilary moved to Germany in about December 1951 and was previously based at Larkhill Barracks near Stonehenge.

    So any information on the World War 2 years of Lieutenant D.F.A.T. Baines and or Lieutenant Colonel Peck would be gratefully appreciated.thankyou.
     
  2. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Hi Pike and welcome to the Forum.

    I assume your Lt Col Peck was in 5 RHA. If so, some details of where they served in WW2.

    This link will tell you a little of where they served:-

    RA 1939-45 5 RHA

    Cheers - Robert
     
  3. Pike

    Pike Senior Member

    Thanks Ramacal,all information appreciated and adds to the story.

    I'm not entirely sure if Lt Col Peck served in 5 RHA during ww2 but i'm assuming so at the moment.When my relative served as his Batman he was definately Commanding Officer of the regiment,according to my notes,by the time the regiment moved to Osnabruk the Lieutenant had been dropped and it seems he was a full Colonel.
    Looking on the internet i keep getting information on an American officer of the same name,i'll get there in the end,hopefilly.
     
  4. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    Pike
    A bit of history on 5th RHA
    Rob


    5thRegiment Royal Horse Artillery fought in the Fall of France, as part of 3 Corps, losing E and F troops in the process. When it was reorganised CC Battery was created out of G and K Batteries. The Regiment then served in the UK until it sailed to the Middle East as part of 8th Support Group of 8th Armoured Division. Upon arrival the Regiment supported units of 1st Army Tank Brigade until the end of August 1842. It the served with 8th Armoured Brigade from El Alamein to Libya and Tunisia, when the Brigade took over from 22nd Armoured Brigade in 7th Armoured Division, while it re-equipped, in November 1942. The Regiment then remained with 7th Armoured Division after the return of 22nd Armoured Brigade in February 1943 and served with until the end of the war. After the end of the war in North Africa the Regiment remained there with the rest of the Division, until going to Italy in September 1943. At the end of November 1943, the Regiment was taken out the the line, with the rest of the Division and started back for the UK in December, arriving at Gourock, Scotland in January, 1944. In February and March 1944 it was re-equipped with Sexton Self-Propelled Guns so that it could better support the armour on the move. It the served with the Division until the end of the war, supporting 22nd Armoured Brigade in actions such as Villers-Bocage and The Battle of the Brigade Box, where it fired over open sights at the advancing Panzer Grenadiers and German armour. When the Division moved to Berlin after the end of the war the Regiment and took part in the Victory Parade through Berlin in July 1945. During the period the Colonel in charge of the Regiment referred to 'G' Battery as his 'Good Boys', 'K' Battery as his 'Bad Boys' and 'CC' Battery as his 'Children'. The latter was evident when 'CC' Battery suffered such heavy casualties at El Aghelia that the Colonel almost cried!
    Brief History;
    The unit was formed in March 1901 as the 11th Brigade Royal Horse Artillery, comprising of G Battery & O Battery stationed in South Africa., but by 1903, G Battery in Bangalore, India & O Battery in Lucknow, India. It was renamed 5th Brigade Royal Horse Artillery, in October 1906.
    It returned to the UK in 1911 and by 1919, it comprised of E, G & O Batteries all stationed in Aldershot. It served in India in 1920, before returning to the UK in 1922. It was then disbanded in October 1926.
    It was reformed in November 1939 as 5th Field Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, with 'G' Battery and 'K' Battery, and after service in France, in late 1940 'CC' Battery formed from 'G' and 'K' Batteries.
    1942-45 The Regiment saw service in Middle East, Italy and North West Europe initially with 8th Armoured Brigade and then the 7th Armoured Division which it joined in November 1942 until the end of the war.
    In 1948 it returned to the UK.
     
  5. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

  6. Pike

    Pike Senior Member

    Thankyou so much for putting that up Rob,

    I bet theres a chance Lieutenant D.F.A.T. Baines or Lt Colonel Peck are in that photo,
    Interesting to see they returned to the uk in 1948,my relative joined The Royal Artilary in 1948 and after first basic training at Oswestry,then trained on the 25 pounder,before moving to Larkhill,,near Salisbury.
    Rocket and Mortar training,3 inch and 4.2 inch Mortars and 30 Barrel rocket trailer.

    I'm not familiar with the military terms myself,but he next moved to Mercers Troop,and shortly after became Batman to Lt D.F.A.T Baines.

    Some time shortly after my relative became Batman to Lt Colonel Peck and the 5th Regiment Royal Horse Artilary moved to Germany around December 1951 to Dodesheide Kaserne which was soon renamed Mercers Barracks.

    I began searching for information over a year ago and i'm afraid i hav'nt got very far,though like i said previously i did find a German site on the history of Dodesheide Kaserne,some superb photos.
     
  7. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Mercer's Troop was G Battery.
    Sometime in 1946, it looks like 5 RHA left 7 Armd Div and came directly under command of I Corps (the next level up from the Division).
    When they went back to Germany in 1951, they joined 6 Armd Div. At that time they had C, G & K Btys. I'm not sure whether C Bty was the original C Bty or a renamed CC Bty.
     
  8. Pike

    Pike Senior Member

    Thanks idler for that information,i'm going to try and google Dodesheide Kaserne and see what i can find.
    Iv'e found out my relative was at one time around 1950 in A Troop.GBTY.Mercers Troop,5th Regiment.Royal Horse Artilary

    I'm not sure what GBTY stands for so if anyone can tell me i'd be gratefull.

    The last pieces of information i have at the moment concern Colonel Pecks house in Osnabruk,where my relative lived and served Colonel as Batman.It was a big old house with the names of every month of the year carved in wood over the ground floor windows.
    One window had i presume the previous German owners family tree in coloured glass as a window.It was a big tree and names of the family on the branches,the window was at the foot of the stairs.A couple of locals my relative mentioned were the female cook who had served during the war on a German Armoured train,and her boyfriend,a local Policeman who'd served in the SS.
     
  9. Pike

    Pike Senior Member

    A bells just rang in my head.......Stupid Boy,

    GBTY,....its got to stand for G Battery........thanks again idler.
     
  10. idler

    idler GeneralList

    GBTY is G Bty, short for G Battery. A Battery was a group of eight guns, 25 pounders in their case.

    Another place to look for information on the careers of Peck and Baines would be the London Gazette as this should list their commissions and promotions and may indicate former regiments.

    Here's Baines' promotion from 2/Lt to Lt. If you do a search on 269518 (his number) that should give you his promotion history; but it doesn't tell you which regiment he was with. And he got an MBE? Does anyone know if/where citations might be held?
     
  11. Pike

    Pike Senior Member

    Thanks idler i'll check out the links when iv'e been to the Chinese.
     
  12. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

  13. Pike

    Pike Senior Member

    Brilliant detective work idler and dbf,thankyou,the story becomes more real as it progresses,

    Lieutenant Temporary Captain...David Fitzroy Alan Baines,

    74 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment

    Non- Combatant Gallentry

    Awarded the George Medal.....

    ----------------------------------

    Lieutenant David Fitzroy Alan Talbot Baines.

    Royal Regiment of Artillary.

    Non-Combatant Gallentry..

    Awarded the Order of the British Empire.

    -------------------------------

    Hope iv'e got the information correct guys,cheers......a letter will be winging its way North to see if my relative can provide any more information.
     
  14. Gerboa

    Gerboa Gerboa Desert Rat History

    Pike
    A bit of history on 5th RHA
    Rob


    5thRegiment Royal Horse Artillery fought in the Fall of France, as part of 3 Corps, losing E and F troops in the process. When it was reorganised CC Battery was created out of G and K Batteries. The Regiment then served in the UK until it sailed to the Middle East as part of 8th Support Group of 8th Armoured Division. Upon arrival the Regiment supported units of 1st Army Tank Brigade until the end of August 1842. It the served with 8th Armoured Brigade from El Alamein to Libya and Tunisia, when the Brigade took over from 22nd Armoured Brigade in 7th Armoured Division, while it re-equipped, in November 1942. The Regiment then remained with 7th Armoured Division after the return of 22nd Armoured Brigade in February 1943 and served with until the end of the war. After the end of the war in North Africa the Regiment remained there with the rest of the Division, until going to Italy in September 1943. At the end of November 1943, the Regiment was taken out the the line, with the rest of the Division and started back for the UK in December, arriving at Gourock, Scotland in January, 1944. In February and March 1944 it was re-equipped with Sexton Self-Propelled Guns so that it could better support the armour on the move. It the served with the Division until the end of the war, supporting 22nd Armoured Brigade in actions such as Villers-Bocage and The Battle of the Brigade Box, where it fired over open sights at the advancing Panzer Grenadiers and German armour. When the Division moved to Berlin after the end of the war the Regiment and took part in the Victory Parade through Berlin in July 1945. During the period the Colonel in charge of the Regiment referred to 'G' Battery as his 'Good Boys', 'K' Battery as his 'Bad Boys' and 'CC' Battery as his 'Children'. The latter was evident when 'CC' Battery suffered such heavy casualties at El Aghelia that the Colonel almost cried!
    Brief History;
    The unit was formed in March 1901 as the 11th Brigade Royal Horse Artillery, comprising of G Battery & O Battery stationed in South Africa., but by 1903, G Battery in Bangalore, India & O Battery in Lucknow, India. It was renamed 5th Brigade Royal Horse Artillery, in October 1906.
    It returned to the UK in 1911 and by 1919, it comprised of E, G & O Batteries all stationed in Aldershot. It served in India in 1920, before returning to the UK in 1922. It was then disbanded in October 1926.
    It was reformed in November 1939 as 5th Field Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, with 'G' Battery and 'K' Battery, and after service in France, in late 1940 'CC' Battery formed from 'G' and 'K' Batteries.
    1942-45 The Regiment saw service in Middle East, Italy and North West Europe initially with 8th Armoured Brigade and then the 7th Armoured Division which it joined in November 1942 until the end of the war.
    In 1948 it returned to the UK.

    Nice to see my website being put to use :).
    If any needs a better resolution of the CC Battery photo let me know?

    I have a passion for 5 RHA as this was my fathers Regiment, serving in CC Battery, so I have many of the War Diaries of 5 RHA and will see if any of the Officers are mentioned.

    I can confirm that the post war C Battery was formed out of the Cadre of CC Battery, as recorded in the report for the period ending 31st December 1946 [National Archive Ref - 267/309] on 22nd November 1946, just over six years after its creation, CC Battery ceased to exist and all personnel and equipment remained in the Regiment known as C Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. The title was received from 21st Field Regt (S.P.) R.A., late 4th RHA and it was hoped that the title (Campbell's) which had been provisionally granted to this Battery during the war would be confirmed and granted later to the new Battery.
     
  15. Gerboa

    Gerboa Gerboa Desert Rat History

    I have had a look at the War Diaries and these and the Cols listed as Commanding 5th Regt RHA until end 1944

    Oct 1940 to 1943 Lt.Col. Rawdon Hoare, D.S.O., M.C.
    1943 to at least April 1944 Lt Col G P Gregson DSO MC RHA
    September to at least Dec 1944 Lt Col M D Moore RHA.

    No info for 1945

    4th Jan 1947 Lt Col N H Kindersley RHA, who signed the report for July to December 1946 on the Regt on this date.

    The rolls of officers for December 1945, do not mention any Officer called Baines anywhere in the Regt at that time
     
  16. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    Hi Gerboa + welcome
    Nice to see a Four Wheeled Hussars man here!
    Rob
     
  17. op-ack

    op-ack Senior Member

    I know David Baines, he finished his career as a Brigadier, having commanded 1RHA in Aden.

    Phil
     
  18. Pike

    Pike Senior Member

    Thanks for the input.
     
  19. alexbaines

    alexbaines New Member

    Pike,

    Sorry I have only just come on here. The Lt David Baines you ask about is my grandfather, who became a brigadier and commanded in Aden, and is very much still alive. What may be of interest to you is that he also wrote a diary of his war experiences after d-day and there are some pictures.
    I only saw this post because we were discussing the Internet and he bet me we wouldn't find much on him on there, eventually I saw your post. If I can help or you have any questions please let me know.

    Regards,
    Alex
     
    Owen likes this.
  20. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Hello Alex

    Pike has not been on the forum for 2 years
    if you send him a private message it should alert him to your post.
    please post anything you have within this thread forum members will be most interested.

    regards
    Clive
     

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