Operation Crusader 1941

Nicks, Ian

I would be very interested in additional information on this.

All the best

Andreas

 

the last battle he (Rommel) ever won was at Kassrine in Tunisia before he was fired after Medenine


Actually Rommel was fired on 26th January, 6 weeks before Medenine, but he ignored the Commando Supremo. Eventually replaced by that well known soccer hero, Gen Giovanni Messi.

 

Hello All,

My name is Mark Kenyon, my grandfather (deceased) was in the 31st Field Regiment RA he was Driver Mechanic/Gunner 952263 Andrew Hayes (Bolton Lancashire) and he was captured at this battle... his Army records state reported missing 15th Dec 1941 any information about what life was like and about the 31st Field Reg would be welcomed he was originally posted to 1st Field Reg arriving in Africa on the 29th August 1941.

Many thanks to all

Mark

 

There's a fair few files at the National Archives on Op Crusader:

Detecting your browser settings

A few of war diaries exist to that maybe of interest:

WO 169/1452 31 Field Regiment 1941 Nov.- Dec.

WO 169/2624 31 Field Regiment 1941 Feb.

WO 169/1452 1 Field Regiment 1941 Nov.- Dec.

WO 169/2624 1 Field Regiment 1941 Feb.

It would also be worth checking to see if he filled out a PoW questionnaire when he was liberated-these are at TNA too.

 

Drew many thanks for that initial information looks like a trip to Kew coming up soon then..... the next question is as follows:

In his Army Service records there is a column marked as Order Number, now then is there such a record to discover/decipher the orders?

I also know he didnt start any active duty until August 1941 although he joined up in November 1939 he was sent for training in Hampstead (London) and later on Manchester.

Many thanks

Mark

 

Both 1st and 31st Field regiments RA were with 4th Indian infantry division in North Africa, and were involved in the fighting around Tobruk etc. can you post a scan of his service record?

 

If he joined up in 39 I suspect there will be other war diaries available. IMO the 'Home Forces' diaries are often the best ones, ceratinaly can be the most interesting, in attempting to find out about an individual man as they are often mentioned in standing orders and the like.

 

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/LondonGazette/38177.pdf



Despatch -Auchinleck 41/42. Comprehensive (long)


http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/LondonGazette/37638.pdf Wavell Despatch 1941



http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/LondonGazette/37628.pdf Wavell Despatch Western Desert

 

Despatch -Auchinleck 41/42. Comprehensive (long)

Thanks for the link - most interesting.

 

31 Field Regiment - A Record

That's the book you want to get. Your grandfather was captured during the first battle on the Gazala line, when a counter-attack by the remnants of the Afrika-Korps and the Italian Ariete Division overran elements of 5 Indian Brigade, primarily The Buffs infantry battalion, but also a good part of 31 Field Regiment.

Some more info on how this developed here:

First Taste of Gazala – 13 Dec 41 « The Crusader Project

At Gazala the Axis forces made an intermediate stop on their retreat to El Agheila. The initial intent was to hold the line, but when it became clear that they were too weak for this, they retreated, giving up the whole of Cyrenaica.

All the best

Andreas

 

Ok,

Somebody asked for my Grandfathers war records...

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz150/theeviljam/Andrew%20Hayes%20956623%20War%20Records%201939%20t0%201946/AndrewHayesArmyRecords010.jpg

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz150/theeviljam/Andrew%20Hayes%20956623%20War%20Records%201939%20t0%201946/AndrewHayesArmyRecords009.jpg

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz150/theeviljam/Andrew%20Hayes%20956623%20War%20Records%201939%20t0%201946/AndrewHayesArmyRecords008.jpg

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz150/theeviljam/Andrew%20Hayes%20956623%20War%20Records%201939%20t0%201946/AndrewHayesArmyRecords007.jpg

Note he wasnt just in Italy! He ended up in Germany Stalag IV-B and later on until the end of the war Stalag IV-D.

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz150/theeviljam/Andrew%20Hayes%20956623%20War%20Records%201939%20t0%201946/AndrewHayesArmyRecords003.jpg

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz150/theeviljam/Andrew%20Hayes%20956623%20War%20Records%201939%20t0%201946/AndrewHayesArmyRecords002.jpg

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz150/theeviljam/Andrew%20Hayes%20956623%20War%20Records%201939%20t0%201946/AndrewHayesArmyRecords001.jpg

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz150/theeviljam/Andrew%20Hayes%20956623%20War%20Records%201939%20t0%201946/AndrewHayesArmyRecords0.jpg

There is only one remaining page which I will not link to which gives his then address and physical attributes etc...

I would fully appreciate anyone's help in making sense of the codes and order numbers within the Army Service Record.

I also have two or three postcards sent from Italian Pow camps and One German one sent from Stalag IV-B before he was moved on to Stalag IV-D.

I also know that after the Italian armistice he was free in Italy for two months between Sept 1943 and Nov 1943 when he was recaptured and dragged off to Eastern Germany!

Many thanks

Mark Kenyon

 

Nicks in 2009 posted in Post 8 on the action @ Alem Halfa or Alem Hamza or Point 204, on 15th December 1941:

Nick's post is the conclusion, not the action description and appendices.

Today I discovered the full paperwork for a battle honour on a public Facebook group for The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) Commemoration in a post in 2019 and now attach it. It includes The Buffs War Diary and the German diaries for the Afrika Korps and 15 Panzer Division.

I have added all the units involved to enable searching:

42 Light Air Defence Battery or 42 LAA Battery
22 Light Air Defence Regiment or 22 LAA Regiment
31 Field Regiment with:
105 Battery (referred to as 105/119 Battery)
119 Battery
116 Battery (referred to as 116/118 Battery)
118 Battery
73rd Anti-Tank Regiment or 73 Anti-Tank Regiment
4th Indian Division
11th Indian Infantry Brigade
5th Indian Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
Central Indian Horse (One Squadron)
18 Field Company, Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners
32 Army Tank Brigade (With Matilda infantry tanks present, not under direct command)
4 Royal Tank Regiment (presumably the Matilda unit)

It is the first time such an application and is remarkably detailed, it is also 46 pgs. It is a good read and the application for a battle honour for the 42 LAA Battery was made twenty-nine years afterwards - in 1970.

Having checked Royal Artillery in World War 2 - The Royal Artillery 1939-45 once again 42 Light AA Battery at the time was part of 15 LAA Regiment. I can only assume 22 LAA was their successor unit. See: Battery Finder - Batteries 1 - 149 - The Royal Artillery 1939-45 and 15 (Isle of Man) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA (TA) - The Royal Artillery 1939-45

 

Great find. Rather overegging the pudding though and somewhat unpleasant towards the Italians, but I guess being beaten by a force including Ariete might have been detrimental to the effort to get a battle honour.

1) The Axis forces didn't retreat from the Gazala position because they overran the Buffs and attached forces at Pt. 204, that's just a flight of fancy. They faced impending envelopment from the south, and the order to prepare the retreat had been given BEFORE the attack on 15 December. The attack at Pt. 204 did what it was supposed to do. Punch the pursuing 13 Corps in the face to get rid of what the DAK war diary called 'the putrid abcess at Bir Temrad'.

2) The DAK war diary also gives credit to the Italian contribution.

3/10

All the best

Andreas