Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment

AWS - I note that no one answered you query about mileage - the initials stand for

!) - Vehicle to Mile = 15

2) -miles to Hour = 15

 

I also have very fond memories of the Gross Glochner as later in '45 we were learning to Ski at the Kanzelhohe which was close to that beautiful mountain - happy days - your father's dislike of Tomatoes is understandable notwithstanding anyone's cooking
Cheers

This is a "Memories" page from a chap named Harry Mathieson who was RASC in the 78th.

WWII Memories

A mountain memory for Tom.

YouTube - Grossglochner

Grossglochner on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

Spidge -

Thank you for that memory - took me back a very long way and recalling the fantastic ski-ing all around there - what great times we had there in that beautiful country with such friendly people - notwithstanding that they were enemies just months before - can still hear us singing ' Sagbeim absechet liesse servus " or I think it went like that.....

Cheers

 

Spidge -

just went back to read Harry's experiences - typical of those days - the jeep ambulances did a great job - I was on one in the Gothic Line - from near imini back to the CCS at Ancona - I was on the top deck alongside a Quebecer who had lost both legs and his morphgine was wearing off - that was one long 50 mile ride - it is true that the small ton of Millsta in the Worthersee is beautiful as are all the other little plaves around there - Velden - Maria Worth - the NAAFI at Villach was haunting ground for us of the 6th armoured as we had an London Music hall tpyr in the squadron and he would sing Retorno di Sorrento like Jospeh Locke ever night - for a coup,d of beers - this went on for weks until some tone deaf Artillery Types started throwing things - then we had to buy our own beers !@

I was also demobbed from there - along journey to Udine - Padua - Vincenca - Milan - Geneva - Dijon - Paris - Boulogne - Dover - but wortth the trip !
Cheers

 

Spidge -

Thank you for that memory - took me back a very long way and recalling the fantastic ski-ing all around there - what great times we had there in that beautiful country with such friendly people - notwithstanding that they were enemies just months before - can still hear us singing ' Sagbeim absechet liesse servus " or I think it went like that.....

Cheers

Hi Tom,

I was going to send you a copy but the only access is this and you have to trade your email address and would get bombarded with ads.

Sag Beim Abschied Leise Servus

http://www.ez-tracks.com/register/registerV4.html?SongID=27184&EPID=4

I see it was a number one hit in 1936!

I am unable to find the "Beer Drinking version however try these.......

Got a tissue close by?

YouTube - Sag beim abschied

And a scratchy gramophone original!

YouTube - Sag beim Abschied leise Servus


Cheers

 

Spidge -
You are right about the tissues - it was a sad melancholy song - never did understand fully the words but it was a goodbye type of melody and as we had many dances in the various village -always the masken ball at the Ski resorts - this one aways came up as a sort of last waltz - the dances were a hoot and I'll dig out a link to the tale I wrote for the BBc later .....
Cheers

 

Spidge -
here is that link about the dances in the villages of Austria '45 -'47 - they were happy days as no one was shooting at us -the bad guys were all rounded up and in the slammer - many of the Officers - senior N.C.O's had all departed to the Uk as Time expired so we were virtually just waiting for our demob - and doing as little as we could get away with

BBC - WW2 People's War - Strassburg Pt.1

Cheers

 

I have just found a reference to another PLKR book that I haven't come across before.
Sadly I'm too poor at the moment to order a copy, they seem to be mainly on ebay in the US of A. I thought I'd post the description of one seller on this forum in case it is of use to anyone here...
The description says...

Title: "The Impossible Victory: A Personal Account of the Battle For the River Po."
Author: Lt. Harpur

The author was British, a 2nd Lt. in the Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment during the Battle of the River Po, April 1945. This was the final and climatic battle in Italy. A few weeks later the war was over. The book is the author's view of the battle while fighting with his men. Lt. Harpur also won the Military Cross at this Battle. There are 202 pages, maps and three picture sections.

 

Thank you for starting this thread. I had a uncle who was killed June 26, 1944 and he is buried in Orvieto Cemetery, CWGC :: Casualty Details.

I have been looking for information that follows his movements up to and including his death. His name is Private James Edwin Eyles, Middlesex Regiment, 1st Bn. Princess Louise's Kensington Regt.

I found this website. The Wartime Memories Project - The Second World War - The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own). I have not gone through it yet.

Thank you for this thread.

 

David - this might clarify the origins of the "Kensington's"

Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment (Territorial Army), originally the
13th County of London Battalion, The County of London Regiment was
affiliated to The Middlesex Regiment from 1916. In 1937, with the break up
of the London regiment, this unit adopted the title The Princess Louise's
Kensington Regiment, The Middlesex Regiment (Territorial Army). In common
with other territorial units the regiment was duplicated in early 1939 as
part of the doubling in size of the Territorial Army. The two parts were
known as the 1/7th and 2/7th Battalions, The Princess Louise's Kensington
Regiment, The Middlesex Regiment (Territorial Army). Both battalions saw
operational service in WWII.

From May 1945 the 2nd Battalion Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment (Machine Gun) command 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division the regiment was based in Schwerte just south of Dortmund guess until the division disbanded Oct 46
Cheers
Steve

 

The 2nd Battalion of 'Kensingtons' was in 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division - Often called The Polar Bear Division because of their Div Sign - a white polar bear on a black background. They landed in Normandy on about D+6 and took part in the battle for Fontenay-le-Pesil, Le Harve and on to Arnhem.

 

Hi Johnny Canuk

Saw your post only today 12th of April and can hopefully fill in your request for information regarding the death of Jimmy Eyles he was a fine soldier and I knew him pretty well I will never talk of heroics or anything about the war in general but his death was tragic in the extreme and I will make this an exception Jimmy was near a building with other men of the Kens Regt and being heavily shelled when a piece of shrapnel severed his jugular vein the other men tried to assure him he would be alright
but jimmy was no fool and he knew you couldn’t put a tourniquet around a neck so each time his heart pumped it pumped out the life’s blood Jimmy asked a couple of them to sit by his side against a wall until he slipped into the eternal dream I hope this is not too depressing but a tribute to a very well liked and brave soldier I was about half a mile away in another detachment and the news reached us like wildfire and gloom set about loosing such a fine comrade

RIP Jimmy Eyles 1st BaTT Kensington regt

Regards Niccar

 

hello, I don,t know if these are of interest to you, I had these on file. Both are in Kent .Derek

 

Niccar, thank you for your account. When did you serve with my uncle? In what town, city, villiage, was he killed? My mother always describe my uncle as a guy who was promoted a few times but lost his stripes for various minor inicidents. She always felt he was going to be a career soldier. My mother recalled that the letter said he was killed by shell fire. Any idea what his job was?
My parents left England in the 50's for Canada returning to England a couple years later then they returned to Canada to stay shortly after that. Jimmy's death was followed shortly after by his brother George, (a merchant mariner), was very devistating to my mother and her parents. I have photo of Jim and a few of his campaign medals.
Do you know where I can find more information. I plan to visit my family in England soon as well as visit the grave site in Orvieto.

 

Johnny Canuck-
After Rome was "liberated" the 78th Div was transferred to XIII corps along with the 6th Armoured Div - the 6th Sth African Div and the 9th Armoured bde - and joined the US 5th Army up the West side of the Appenines where they took part in the Battle for Chiusi - Lago Trasimeno etc which is close to Orvieto - before departing for Egypt for rest and reinforcement. Now the cemetery at Orvieto was not ready at that time and I suspect that he was buried where he was killed and later moved to the new cemetery- most casualties at that time were sent over the valley to Assisi for burial so if you can supply his date of death we might be able to pin it down a bit closer.....
Cheers

 

Johnny Canuck - just read that he was killed June 26th .....

just checked and I think your uncle was killed around the town of Castiglione and surrounding villages at the North end of Lago Trasemino - after which the 78th pulled out of the line and fell back to Taranto for embarcation to Egypt - the villages of San Fatucchio -Ranciano - and Pescia - also the River Pescia - are all mentioned so all around there was very heavy fighting with both 36th and 38th Bdes involved, and the Canadian 1st Armoured Brigade - the Sth Africans being on the other side of the Lago with the 4th British Div.

It's always difficult to know where anyone fell and the officers are always mentioned - but not the other ranks - but that will give you the general area of the fighting
at that time.
Cheers

 

Gentlemen, thank you very much for the information. There is so much information to gather. I don't know at the moment what to ask next. I am bit overwhelmed to have been told his story, by Niccar, in such detail, for this I am grateful. I have a large contingent of family in England, due to the size of my Fathers family, (14 kids, carless Prodestants, as my father would say!). However, I lost to uncles that I dearly would have wanted to know. I can't express my gratitude enough to histories greatest generation. My Father served in the British 2cnd Army as part of the Pioneer Corp. One of his brothers was taken prisoner at Dunkirk and made it home.
Is it reasonable to conclude that my uncle was killed in and around Chiusi or Castiglione. I guess its anyones guess.
I am sure this is only the beginning of the story, thank you again for your help.

 

Johnny Canuck -
You are most welcome to anything I have in the way of history of movements etc of various units in that campaign but I would recommend that you concentrate on the Castiglione area as this was where the 78th Div - both 36th and 38th Bdes - that means the Kensingtons also - did their fighting in that particular Battle.

Chiusi was in the 6th South African Armoured Div's sector and one of the incidents there was that their maps of the area - folded incorrectly showed that they were actually in Chiusi itself when in fact they were only at the Railstation - the centre of Chiusi was half a mile from where they thought they were - and that is where Jerry was waiting for them ....! ! A good map of the region will show that Chiusi is about 12 - 15 miles to the SW of Castiglione - look West of Perugia !

Cheers