No 1 Army Tank Brigade RAOC

Discussion in '1940' started by CCWhitfield1, May 31, 2016.

  1. CCWhitfield1

    CCWhitfield1 Member

    My wife's grandfather, John Rollinson service number 7600895, was an army cook during WW2. He attested for service on 12/7/39 with the 55th West Lancashire Division and was posted to 3rd Tank Workshop RAOC. On 8/2/40 he was posted to No.1 Army Tank Brigade Workshop RAOC, arriving in France on 6/5/40 and leaving, via the Dunkirk evacuation, on 27-28/5/40.

    I have his service records but can anyone give me any advice as to how to fill in the gaps between his February posting and Dunkirk? e.g. the movements of the no. 1 Army Tank Brigade in France etc.

    Many thanks,

    Chris
     
  2. MarkN

    MarkN Banned

  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Here's a bit of the May diary but there's too many pages to post. I don't have a copy of the earlier one but feel free to drop me a PM if you'd like copies of both. You can have this one for free if you order the earlier one.
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    Some of the other pages appear to be missing or the account has been scribbled down on some message forms and not typed up.
     
  4. LondonNik

    LondonNik Senior Member

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    Last edited: Sep 16, 2017
  5. CCWhitfield1

    CCWhitfield1 Member

    Hi Nick,

    Many thanks for the information. Anecdotes from John's time in France 1940 are unfortunately scarce. However, he often told the story of his evacuation from Dunkirk, When he arrived at Dover, the ship's crew thought he was dead because he was covered in blood. But it was the blood of another man slumped against him on the deck who had sadly perished on the journey back, made all the more poignant by the fact it was his fellow Liverpudlian's 21st birthday.

    For my information Nick, how did a Tank Brigade workshop support the fighting units. e.g Were they allocated to a particular regiment or division? Were they close to the action in support? Did they have any guns / fighting capability?

    Cheers,

    Chris
     
  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Chris - Do you know who the chap is that died? I would imagine he'll be buried in the Dover cemetery along with the others that perished on the way across the Channel.
     
  7. CCWhitfield1

    CCWhitfield1 Member

    Hi Drew,

    Sorry, but I don't know his name, though it suggest his D.O.B. would have been around about 27th/28th May 1897 (born Liverpool?)

    Chris
     
  8. CCWhitfield1

    CCWhitfield1 Member

    Hi Drew,

    Following some research, I now believe the 21 year old to be James Walters Reg No 7599995. He was 21 at the time of the Dunkirk evacuation, served in the same brigade, was killed on 27th May 1940, and is buried in Dover. Moreover, he lived in the same/next Liverpool street as John and John's family. Whilst this was not his 21st birthday as generally thought, all the other pieces fit.

    Thanks,

    Chris
     
  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  10. LondonNik

    LondonNik Senior Member

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    Last edited: Sep 16, 2017
  11. LondonNik

    LondonNik Senior Member

    Deleted
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2017

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