RA Service records help

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by Aaron Simmons, Jul 3, 2017.

  1. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    It is unlikely (but possible) that your great grandfather landed on Gold Beach on D-Day. That date was when the Infantry and immediate supporting units went ashore. In the case of the Royal Artillery, the 50 Div had the 86th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment and the 147th (Essex Yeomanry) Field Regiment attached for the landings and immediate aftermath. These were not usually 50 Div units. More-so they were special units with self-propelled guns; rather than the then towed 25-pounders found in the 74th Field Regiment.

    That said, the 74th would have been ready to move, first, to a landing table and second, should the Infantry have advanced quickly and need them in Normandy. Therefore they would likely be somewhere in the Solent ready and waiting to go.

    I was going to add a link to the Gold Beach landing tables so you could see when the 74th landed, but the site is down... :unsure: Edit: Site now working: D-Day : Normandy 1944 - GOLD BEACH : British Troops

    The first wave on the east of Gold Beach was the 69th Infantry Brigade (5th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment, and 6th & 7th Bns Green Howards) and their usual Arty was the 124th Field Regiment, RA. The landing table shows mainly the 86th Field Regiment landing with the 69th Infantry Brigade, but with some of the 124th Field Regiment woven in.

    The second wave on the east of Gold Beach was the 151st Infantry Brigade (6th, 8th & 9th Bns Durham Light Infantry) and as previously mentioned, their usual Arty was the 74th Field Regiment, RA. The landing table shows mainly the 86th Field Regiment landing with the 151st Infantry Brigade, but with again some of the 124th Field Regiment woven in. However, at H+6 (six hours after the first scheduled landing on Gold Beach) some of the 74th Field Regiment start to land.

    It is therefore possible that your great grandfather landed on Gold Beach on D-Day, but we currently have no evidence of fact. Did he leave any memoirs, notes, family letters, etc. that discuss his service and may help?
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
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  2. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    No I haven't, I was going to take a camera and use that and then convert them to PDF.

    I have requested a photo table to assist, have you got anymore advice for Kew?
     
  3. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

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  4. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    New information added at message No. 21 (above).

    Gold Beach landing table link now working: D-Day : Normandy 1944 - GOLD BEACH : British Troops See H+6 on linked page.

     
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  5. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    Hi Steve, thanks for that, he did not leave anything really and diddnt really like to talk about his time during the war
     
  6. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Found these War Diary transpositions on a forum member, Philip Reinders, website: 74 Field Regiment

    Extract here: "30 November 1944: 1020 - Red smoke fired to cover wood and engaged by R/P Typhoons. 1520 - G-o-C visited regiment to inform them they were no longer part of 50 (N) Div. This was indeed a sad day for the regiment and all were heavy of heart after hearing the news from the G-o-C that 50 (N) Div was to be no longer a fighting unit, but a training unit in England. This regiment was now to become part of 49 (WR) Division in place of 185 Fd regiment which will be broken up and disbanded. 90 Fd passed to 1 Corps and 124 disbanded."

    The 50th (Northumbrian) Division divisional sign/arm patch was as per my Avatar. The 49th (West Riding) Division's divisional sign/arm patch was a Polar Bear. When the 74th Field Regiment, RA, left 50 Div and joined the 49th Div (around 4 December 1944) they adopted the Polar Bear, but were allowed to show a smaller double T on the same arm patch; see example in above link. Your great grandfather would have worn these...
     
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  7. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    Steve once again you have amazed me!! I will have to keep an eye out for some as I am going to make a frame up with all the items I have of his
     
  8. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    looks like I'll be off the the national army museum too, the have a photo album of close to 1000 pictures taken by Frank Tomlinson of the 74th field regiment and it documents there time during 1944 to 1946, you never know I may find more picture of my great grandad and it will be a fantastic insight into what they saw
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2017
  9. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Enjoy...

    Another couple of links that you may find interesting: Search Our Collections | Imperial War Museums

    Northumbrian Gunner: 150th Anniversary 3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery - South Shields
     
  10. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    Thanks Steve, that is fantastic
     
  11. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Thought this link might be useful, Aaron.

    Oliver Perks' Wartime Photo Gallery

    It relates to Oliver Perks who first served with the 72nd Field Regiment, RA and then the 90th Field Regiment, RA.

    The 72nd Field Regiment was the sister regiment to the 74th in 50 Div, and supported the 150th Infantry Brigade (4th East Yorkshire Regiment, and 4th & 5th Bns Green Howards). It and the 150th Infantry Brigade were lost during the Gazala/Knightsbridge battles in the Western Desert in June 1942 and never reformed. Oliver was not with them (I believe through injury) at the time.

    He was later transferred to the 90th Field Regiment, RA. The 90th supported the 231st Infantry Brigade (1st Bn Hampshire, 1st Bn Dorsetshire & 2nd Bn Devonshire Regiments), which permanently replaced the 150th Infantry Brigade in 50 Div at the end of the fighting in Sicily (August 1943).

    Although not about the 74th Field Regiment, RA, it will take you on similar travels (as he was present for the most part where 50 Div were located) and show you the type of kit used, etc.

    Oliver died peacefully in his sleep on the 3rd November 2012, aged 92.
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2017
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  12. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    Hi Steve, thank you very much! That is some very interesting pictures and information
     
  13. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Another couple of links that you may find useful, Aaron.

    The Garrison | The Regimental History of 124th Regt RA

    124 th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment Royal Artillery (TA) By Keith Brigstock. - ppt download

    They concern the 124th Field Regiment, RA, which was the duplicate regiment of the 72nd Field Regiment, RA, 50 Div. They supported the 69th Infantry Brigade (5th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment, & 6th & 7th Bns Green Howards), 50 Div. Like attempted with my previous post, hopefully it will provide good background.

    The first link also has a section in the 'units' tab concerning the 25th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA, also of 50 Div post El Alamein...
     
  14. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    Thanks Steve, i will check them out.
     
  15. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    Steve and Steve, can you please explain to me what the battery are, i understand that he was in the 74th and they were part of the 50th until later in 44 when they we transferred to the 49th but what is 296 battery and 228 battery of the 113 field regiment.

    Its probably something very simple but I've been trying to find out and drawn a blank.

    Also i haven't actually put my great grandads name on here, its Earnest Frederick Water William Cox
     
  16. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    I'm no RA expert but IIRC Field Regiments after 1941 (1940 BEF FR were composed differently) were made up of 3 batteries (+ HQ "battery" that wouldn't have guns?) so the batteries you mention were 2 of the 3 batteries in 113 Field Regiment.

    I haven't reviewed the service records but I think he was attached to HQ battery in 74 FR?

    Apologies if I've got it wrong but if I have more informed members will correct my post.

    Steve Y
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2017
  17. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    Just got home from a day at the national archives, got so much information to read through! Even had some photos of the regiment in action in the war diaries!

    Time to convert pictures to a PDF!
     
  18. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    Hello all,

    Thank you for your help with this thread and the map help one.

    I have a question about the duplicate 57th field regiment, it looks like the 57th went to France in April 1940 and were evacuated at dunkirk, i am unable to find any information about the duplicate 57th, i have the war diary for the 57th but April and May 1940 are missing.

    Is there a chance that the duplicate 57th also went to France? if so do you think my Great grandad also went?
     
  19. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    OK I think I may have worked it out! i have missed a but of the 57th war diary, please see attached file and at the bottom it say they the 57th were split and a duplicate unit was formed and that is the 113. Also it shows he was in C battery and that make sense that that is 227 battery as the 57th has 225 and 226 and the 113 had 227 and 228 so to me A= 225 B=226 C=227 and D=228. I'm just re-reading the 113 war diary now
     

    Attached Files:

  20. Aaron Simmons

    Aaron Simmons Member

    Well that has answered my question! April and May 1940 113 were still based in Shoreham By Sea, My family still live in that area, I have quite a few map references to look up, i would like to visit some of the sites they set up on!
     

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