Royal artillery - service records help

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by cherlh, Aug 26, 2012.

  1. cherlh

    cherlh Junior Member

    stuck with what to do now i have records
    [​IMG]

    Stuck

    Got records back but they are confusing. Have put them in an album

    Def not at arnham from what I can gather he started no 51 Anti Tank regt RA then went to 66AT then the 102 A/TK. Then 7GH. before the 7KOSB , and the 4thKOSB , 5th RHO and then the 2nd Bn of the Northamptons.

    Looked like he was temp promoted as well as two hospital visits.

    We would like to know more about where exactly he was and about hospitals etc. Thought I might get these from regiment stuff but i dont know which one to apply to

    Any help much appreciated.
    Thanks
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    If you list the units and dates he was with them I'll list the units war diaries held at the National Archives for you.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  4. cherlh

    cherlh Junior Member

    Thanks
    From what I can gather he started with the 66 Anti tank Regt RA 29.11.42.
    Then 102 ATK 16.07.44-2.01.44.
    Where it is 7GH think it was for training as he then got Airborne pay.
    24.03.45 to the 7KOSB
    till the 4.12.45 wher he went to the 4KSOB.
    then 5H RHO 6312.45
    4KOsB 12.12.45
    Then 2bt Northamptons fro 9.07.46 till 31.12.46


    Dont understand how to load pics to thread itself
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  6. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Hello cherlh,

    The 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment, were divisional troops of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division, until the latter was returned home as a training cadre in December 1944. The 102nd then joined the 15th (Scottish) Division for the duration.

    Is 7GH, the 7th Bn Green Howards? If so, these again were with the 69th Infantry Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division, but I cannot see how he would have qualified for a return 'Home' - it only went to those with a long service overseas - or Airborne pay - they were not Airborne.

    Let me know if you require any further information in this respect.

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  7. cherlh

    cherlh Junior Member

    Hi Steve

    he did come back in Dec 44 so that all fits,
    Then i have a few lines i cant make out
    Then it def say 7GH in the unit column with what looks like taken in p/attached strength 7 Green Howards 2/01/45
    then what looks like addmitted CRS Clacton Hall 22/01/45
    before going to 7KOSB authy ACI 626/39 and Gtd Add pay (airborne)@1/- per diem
    Then Norway
     
  8. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Hi Cherlh

    I've tried reading the service record in your photo collection and it's too small for me to see the details.

    If he was in 102 (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regt, then on the day he joined them, the remainder of the Regiment's rear party arrived in France on 16 July 1944, the same day. The bulk of this unit landed on D-Day and just after.

    Here is a copy of the page from the war diary of 102 AT.

    Regards - Rob

    [​IMG]
     
  9. cherlh

    cherlh Junior Member

    going to try and make the pages bigger as owen has kindly gave cme instructions. He was in NWE from 14th of July so diary is great thanks.
    It does look like he got extra pay for being a cook or at least thats what i think it says would this be normal?
     
  10. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    3 days was roughly the time it took from leaving the UK to arriving in France, so 14 July leaving the UK would fit and 16 July arriving.

    He was probably sent as a replacement, as from the 6th to 30th June, 102 AT had already suffered 16 killed and 48 wounded. AT units (especially one as experienced as 102 AT), were normally in the thick of the fighting.
     
  11. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Hi Steve

    he did come back in Dec 44 so that all fits,
    Then i have a few lines i cant make out
    Then it def say 7GH in the unit column with what looks like taken in p/attached strength 7 Green Howards 2/01/45
    then what looks like addmitted CRS Clacton Hall 22/01/45
    before going to 7KOSB authy ACI 626/39 and Gtd Add pay (airborne)@1/- per diem
    Then Norway

    Hello cherlh,

    That's a strange posting to the 7th Bn Green Howards.

    First he was with the 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regt, which was at the front with the 15th (Scottish) Division when he was transferred.

    Second, the 7th Bn Green Howards were returned home as a training cadre in December 1944 after service overseas with the BEF in 1940, Middle East - Cyprus, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Western Desert (incl. Gazala, El Alamein, Mareth, Wadi Akarit), Sicily, D-Day assault brigade on Gold Beach, NW Europe (incl. Operation Market Garden). The long serving troops had earned a return home after many hard war years overseas. But he had only been overseas for five months...

    Was there a trawl for soldiers willing to join the Airborne - after all the 1st Airborne Division lost 3/4 of its men at Arnhem - and his posting to the 7th Bn Green Howards was just a convenient stopping off point? I don't have an answer to that question! They did retrain troops that had served in other branches of the armed forces as Infantry; maybe this is a connection?

    However, the 7th (Galloway) Bn, Kings Own Scottish Borderers were in the 1st Airlanding Brigade, 1st Airborne Division between 10 December 1943 and 31 August 1945. This would explain his Airborne pay. They did not see any fighting after Arnhem.

    The 7 Bn KOSB were disbanded on 28 November 1945 and this would explain his transfer to the 4th Bn KOSB on 12 December 1945.

    The 1st Airborne Division was based in Norway - Operation Doomsday - helping to take the surrender of German troops there, and keeping law and order. They were based in Oslo.

    There is a book about the 7th Bn KOSB: Off at last : an illustrated history of the 7th (Galloway) Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers, 1939-1945 (Renkum : Robert Sigmond, 1997).

    I trust this assists. Ask if you need any further assistance.

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  12. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I've just woke up (thats my excuse) and I hate abbreviations - who are RHO?
     
  13. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Andy
    It says RHU not RHO (I think!)
    Reinforcement Holding Unit

    Lesley
     
  14. cherlh

    cherlh Junior Member

    Got the documents onto ancestry no problem but as i'm not great with computers still trying to get them sorted to attch to the thread.
     
  15. cherlh

    cherlh Junior Member

    Thats great thanks also trying to get info on hospital visit and what looks like a temp promotion would i need to get regimental diaries for this info.
     
  16. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Hi Cherl,

    You won't find anything on his hospital visit or promotion in the war diaries. The service records are as detailed as you are going to get.

    Regards - Rob
     
  17. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    He maybe listed in the Other Ranks Field Returns if he is in a Hospital - I do however stress the word 'May'
     
  18. cherlh

    cherlh Junior Member

    whats other ranks field returns?
     

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