Overview of armoured vehicle delivery? Forward Delivery Squadrons, etc

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by Chris C, Jan 22, 2019.

  1. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Thanks for that!

    In retrospect, I should have photographed the entirety of the report by 2 Armoured Replacement Group instead of just the section on SPs. :-/
     
  2. Tanker13A

    Tanker13A Member

    Chris C, regarding the archives for the Tank Museum. Is it the Bovington museum? I did a quick search but see no ability to do any online research, did I miss something ?
    Another question regarding the ADR's. Looking at the end of the war when they started taking vehicles back a Army Backloading Points. I am looking for one specifically 15 ABP, can anyone assist where to look or actually know where?
     
  3. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Hi Tanker13A,

    Yes, I meant the museum at Bovington. The report is filed there as E2008.773, I think.

    P1060396.JPG


    I also photographed their war diary from June '44 to May '45, if you want it.

    Cheers,
    Chris
     
    dml34 likes this.
  4. Pak75

    Pak75 Member

    HI Chris
    256 Army Delivery Squadron was operational until end of war.
    WO171/884 is war diary for 1944 which i have copies of for Normandy campaign.
    WO171/4727 is war diary for 1945.
    Reference you saw might have meant closure of Rear Maintenance Area (RMA) including vehicles at beachhead as fighting advanced.
    Tanks began to be shipped through Ostend and Boulogne from 26th September and B vehicles were not delivered from RMA from start November until Antwerp was opened. Tanks left in RMA had to be transported by road to new advanced bases.
    Admin History 21st Army Group is quite good on all this.
    Cheers
     
  5. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Hi Pak75,

    In retrospect it was 1 SP Training Detachment RA, which had been attached to 256 ADS, which was disbanded 11 Oct and then reformed actually only two weeks later on 26 Oct. I misread a note about the early work of that unit.

    What do you mean by "Admin History 21st Army Group" please? (Would this have anything on the 21 Army Group War Establishment Committee?)

    Thanks,
    Chris
     
  6. Pak75

    Pak75 Member

    Chris
    There is a post war publication, The Administrative History of the 21st Army Group.The member TRUX here is/was involved with it and left us the unit TOE/WE for 21st Army Group units on line, etc. I may be wrong but admin history did not make it onto this site. Try googling this document and text (sadly not diagrams) comes up on WayBack machine or for purchase....

    Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun:)
     
    Chris C likes this.
  7. Pak75

    Pak75 Member

    HI Chris et al
    Have been looking for report that goes with this contents page for some time... is it a match to report in yr post?
    Thanks
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I believe that IS the contents page, yes.

    I was so focused on RA stuff - and to be fair to myself had somewhat limited time to take photos.
     
    Pak75 likes this.
  9. Pak75

    Pak75 Member

    Great!
    So what parts of the report do you have?
    Thanks
     
  10. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I think I just have the RA section. I'll send you a link to the files.
     
  11. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    From post #4 above with -

    27 Armoured Brigade - 266 FDS

    And... 27th Armoured Brigade - Wikipedia

    Which has...

    Disbandment
    After 'Goodwood' Second Army's emphasis switched away from the Caen sector and on 27 July 1944 27th Armoured Brigade was broken up, its three regiments being distributed to other formations


    I wondered what occurred next with the 266 FDS?

    When the 24th L were disbanded at the end of July 1944 there are a number ref'd as going to the 266 FDS...

    24th Lancers Regimental Nominal Roll and Postings August 1944

    Sergeant (1) - Deering, C.F.

    Lance Sergeant (1) - McAuslane, P.J. - later wia with the 4th/7th RDG

    Corporals (5)
    Cunningham, J.M.
    Hovells, J.C.L. (later MM with 5 RTR)
    Ratcliffe, K.C. D/M (HQ)
    Warriss, D.R.
    Worth, L.

    Lance Corporals (1)
    Capnerhurst, W.J.

    Troopers (27)

    Anslow, A.
    Bendall, W.P.
    Burrows, S.
    Dale, J.
    Drake, S.G.

    Drodge, J.L.
    Fensome, D.W.
    Granger, J.
    Herbert, B.
    Kinnett, R.J.

    Ledward, J. - Later wia - 19d11m1944 - in "A" Squadron of the 4th/7th RDG.
    McGuire, G.E. - D/O (HQ)
    Metcalfe, A.G.W.
    Mustey, I.C.
    Patterson, T.

    Price, H.E.
    Russell, D.
    Scull, G.J.
    Stebbing, F.W. - later 5 RTR.
    Stewart, R.

    Stockford, L.F.
    Strank, G.A.
    Spears, J.
    Turner, H.
    Walker, J.P.

    Watson, F.W.
    Wheston, C.H.

    Edit: 266 Forward Delivery Squadron | The National Archives

    has...

    Reference: WO 171/895
    Description:
    266 Forward Delivery Squadron
    Date: 1944 Jan.- Aug.
    Held by: The National Archives, Kew
    Legal status: Public Record(s)
    Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

    Which, possibly, means that they were disbanded too at the end of August'44...
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2021
  12. Mikkel Plannthin

    Mikkel Plannthin Junior Member

    A Lieutenant Ratcliffe - in some sources referred to as K. C. Ratcliffe - is part of a 2FFY/Cheshire force liberating a POW camp south of Lubeck on 2 May 1945. Would it be possible to trace, if this man could be 7928064 W/Cpl. K. C. Ratcliffe listed above?

    Mikkel
     
  13. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    It was worth asking, however currently at least I'd suspect not.

    Corporal K. C. Ratcliffe -
    7928064 Driver / mechanic in "HQ" Squadron of the 24th Lancers. An unposted reinforcement attached to 266 FDS on the disbandment of the 24th Lancers.

    The London Gazette sometimes gives an officer Cadet's prior Service number along with their later officer number - and I currently can't see an entry listed for a K. C. Ratcliffe - 7928064... against a later "officer number"...

    Notices | All Notices | The Gazette...


    FB_IMG_1634895004169.jpg

    Edit : There is an example here - Trooper, later officer Bloxham...

    24th Lancers - Roll of Honour
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2021
  14. Mikkel Plannthin

    Mikkel Plannthin Junior Member

    Thank you. It was exactly this list from another thread that made me wonder about him.

    Mikkel
     
  15. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    In reference to a few prior mentions of 256 Army Delivery Squadron (above) in this thread...

    I wonder if this event.... when "the Germans broke through in the Ardennes"... was much marked by them? "Hastily formed scratch units" etc.

    IMG_20211223_125835.jpg

    And see - 24th Lancers transferred to 256 Army Delivery Squadron
     
  16. AntonHack

    AntonHack Member

    A connected question if people don't mind.

    I don't know how commonplace it was, but my father chopped and changed units quite a bit over the course of the war, in between action in N. Africa and Monte Cassino he managed to get married to an Italian in and from Piedemonte D'Alife near Caserta, in 1944, and on the marriage certificate his address is registered as 250 Forward Delivery Squadron (see image). 250fds.jpg

    My question is, I wonder if this would just have been convenient to put down as an address for the records, or does this pretty much conclusively mean he was with the 250 Forward Delivery Squadron? It's the only mention I have seen of a Forward Delivery Squadron in all his military records - most of which he spent with the 16th/5th lancers as a Trooper, also once listed as Driver. I have tracked down the 1944 War Diary for 250 Forward Delivery Squadron in the National Archives and will hopefully visit soon to have a good look at it.

    Thanks, Anton.
     
  17. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    This is extracted from the History of 23rd Armoured Brigade REME Workshops, which I found in their 1944 War Diaries.

    It may give you some context.

    upload_2022-2-13_12-1-2.png

    Hope This Helps
     

    Attached Files:

  18. AntonHack

    AntonHack Member

    FTDS being Forward Tank Delivery Squadron I guess?
     
  19. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Yes I believe so.
     
    AntonHack likes this.
  20. Mikkel Plannthin

    Mikkel Plannthin Junior Member

    In reference to post #33 I return to the identity of Cpl K. C. Ratcliffe (7928064). I my initial question, I referred to Ratcliffe being a Lieutenant. This is possibly an error. He was the driver of a Humber scout car that reached the POWs at Trenthorst on 2 May 1945. The commander was a Lt H. S. Ash (unidentified).

    If indeed he was not an officer, is it not a possibility that Cpl Ratcliffe transferred from the 24th Lancers to 266 FDS in July 1944, but was later transferred to 2FFY/1 Cheshire at the disbandment of 266 FDS? Could the War Diary of 266 FDS possibly give an indication if this was the case (WO 171/895)?

    Please excuse my ignorance on army matters. I have researched Danes in the RAF for more than 20 years, but only sporadically entered the army world.

    Kind regards
    Mikkel
     

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