Just received my father's service records from the Guards Depot, and am curious of 2 entries during his service with 3rd Bn. There is reference to 51 RHU, & 34 RHU. Could this be Regional/Regimental Holding Unit ? Dave
Hi R.H.U. - Reinforcement Holding Unit http://ww2talk.com/forums/page/Databases/abbreviations.html/_/rhu-r458 I've no idea what's contained in these Holding Unit diaries, haven't seen a copy, but might be of interest to you: War Office: Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe (British Element): War Diaries, Second World War. REINFORCEMENTS. Holding Units. 51 Unit. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4443818 Reference: WO 171/3712 Description: 51 Unit Date: 1944 Mar.- Dec. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4448330 Reference: WO 171/8224 Description: 51 Unit Date: 1945 Jan.- Dec. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4451042 Reference: WO 171/10936 Description: 51 Unit Date: 1946 Jan.- Apr. War Office: Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe (British Element): War Diaries, Second World War. REINFORCEMENTS. Holding Units. 34 Unit. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4443801 Reference: WO 171/3695 Description: 34 Unit Date: 1944 Jan.- Dec. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4448314 Reference: WO 171/8208 Description: 34 Unit Date: 1945 Jan.- Dec http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4451035 Reference: WO 171/10929 Description: 34 Unit Date: 1946 Jan.- June
Thanks for that, I would presume that 51 RHU was a rear holding area, & 34 forward. The reason being that he was at 51 between 08 June 44 - 14 June then 34 RHU on 15 June ? Dave
Good morning have some detail on 51 RHU Reinforcement Holding Units were formed in March 1944 in total there were 28 of them by 1945, the HQ for 51 RHU was 105 Reinforcement Group, East Hampstead Park Camp, Bracknell the commandant was Colonel AW Valentine CBE DSO, Devonshire Regiment, in September 1944 the HQ moved to France, later Belgium and ended up in Bulow renamed Ripon Barracks Bielefeld and disbanded late 46 or early 47 The RHUs were battalion size with a Lieutenant Colonel as Commanding Officer, the task was to receive troops from basic training, hospital after war injuries or from disbanded units and assessed them for postings to new units, in 1946 ladies from the Auxiliary Territorial Service joined the 105 Reinforcement Group Have the information from “Come and Go” magazine of the 105 Reinforcement Group, published in October 1946 after disbandment of 51 RHU but it does get a mention Quote from the magazine “Figures Speak 378,984 Reinforcements have passed through 105 Reinforcement Group. 16,332 Infantry from UK have been put through selection procedure since we came to Germany 125 Cups and 602 medals have been won by Reinforcements in our sporting events 500 Officers and 11,500 Other Ranks was the total strength of the Group during peak periods in Bruges” Hope this helps
Lt.Col.A.W.Valentine was C.O. of the 2nd Battalion from the out break of war untill 1943 when in the build up for D-Day he and many others of the Battalion were regarded as being to old for the Normandy campaign ( even though he had taken the Battalion through the siege of Malta, invasion of Sicily and the invasion of Italy, with the 231 Malta Brigade).
