Searching for soldier

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by from faroes, Feb 13, 2016.

  1. from faroes

    from faroes New Member

    I will bee very greatfuel if somone will help me find some information about Albert Harry Thomas who serv in Klaksvik Faroe Islands 1943. I know that he was living not so far away from London and he come to Klaksvik in mars 1943. Someone has told me that Albert Harry Thomas was driving a lorry. Too other soldier was in Klaksvik at the same time and they were called Mr Miller. And Fraser. IMG_1235.JPG
     
  2. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Hello.
    Unless anyone recognises the names or photo it will difficult to find out much about Albert, unless you can find out more about which unit or battery he was in.


    Are you certain that he was in the Royal Artillery?

    A Albert Henry Thomas died in 1944
    possible not the same man but often harry and henry are the same name and march 43 to Sept 44 is approx 18 mths.
    Rank:GunnerService No:1709702 Date of Death: 12/09/1944 Age:33Regiment/Service:Royal Artillery 5 Searchlight Regt. Panel Reference:Column 32.Memorial:SINGAPORE MEMORIAL
     
  3. BrianM59

    BrianM59 Senior Member

    I didn't see any reference to artillery in the OP? The original regiment forming the garrison of the Faroes was the Lovat Scouts, replaced in 1942 by the 12th Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). The garrison was reduced after 1944. The National Archives has a war diary:


    WO 176/84

    Description:

    FAROE ISLANDS: Infantry: 12 Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).


    Date:

    1942 June - 1943 July

    There are people on the forum who can photograph the document for the OP.

    From Wikipedia: The author Eric Linklater, an army officer, was part of the British garrison. His 1956 novel The Dark of Summer was set in the Faroe Islands during the war years. He also wrote The Northern Garrisons: The Army at War (HMSO, 1941) and the foreword to Kenneth Williamson's 1948 book The Atlantic Islands: a Study of the Faeroe Life and Scene.

    From The Telegraph - obituary of an officer from 12th Cameronians:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1929634/Major-David-Liddell.html

    And an item about a soldier from the Cameronians who married a Faroese woman:
    http://www.cameronians.siteiscentral.com/1901/people/mahood
     
  4. BrianM59

    BrianM59 Senior Member

    And I assume this post on Scottish Military history website is linked?

    "Looking for any information on how to trace a relative to Harry Thomas who served in Klaksvík, Faroe Islands in 1943
    Comment by: Mariann Poulsen
    30 October 2015 - 21:38:18"

    I also found this reference in the National Army Museum:
    http://www.nam.ac.uk/inventory/objects/results.php?shortDescription=&event=&campaign=&associatedName=&unit=army&placeNotes=&productionNotes=&keyword=&flag=1&page=57

    Three journals: The Faroe Islands Force Magazine, Vol 1 Nos 3-5, November 1942-Christmas 1943; contains humorous and topical articles; printed by Prentsmidja; associated with World War Two (1939-1945).\

    There were also soldiers from 465 Coastal Battery and 2 Maritime Regiment RA as well as elements from the RMP and Pioneer Corps as there are CWGC graves to that effect on the Islands.
     
  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  6. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    BrianM59.
    This was on faroes' Blog. Hi I will be very greatful if somone will help me find some information about Albert Harry Thomas who served in Royal Artillery
    in Klaksvik, Faroe Islands 1943.

    Here's a chap from 465 Coast Battery.

    On 5th January 1945 my brother Terry and myself became war orphans.
    My father William James Mustin was only 35 years old, and was stationed in the Faroe Islands (Army no. 1720216) 465 Coast Battery, Royal Artillery.
    Five battalions attended my father’s funeral and a full regimental service was held. The Padre wrote a very long letter to my mother describing the whole funeral service. He was buried in a local private cemetery in Thorshavn, grave number 255.

    At the moment it is difficult to know exactly where to search as so many units were in the Faroe's at the time.

    If we can determine that Albert was in fact in the RA then it will be much easier to find out which Battery or unit was in Klaksvik in March 43.

    If in fact he turns out to be in the RE or even the Pioneer Corps it may even be easier to find.

    Interesting fact "The Pioneer" magazine was started in the Faroe's
    During the fifty years the magazine had 180 issues published. It started off as a magazine for 30 Group Pioneer Corps in the Faroe Islands and was sold for 50 ore a copy.
    http://www.royalpioneercorps.co.uk/rpc/mags.htm
     
  7. BrianM59

    BrianM59 Senior Member

    Ah, I hadn't seen Faroes blog - that should narrow it down a bit?
     
  8. from faroes

    from faroes New Member

    Thanks for info from you all. I am very grateful
     
  9. Tony BARNES

    Tony BARNES Member

    I've made a comprehensive study of the British Army on the Faroes in WW2, the Faroe Islands Force (FIF). The following RA units were in the FIF:
    • 178 HAA Regt and
    • 537 Coast Regt.
    As far as Klaksvík was concerned, the following elements of 178 HAA Regt RA were stationed there on the dates shown:
    • Detachment 56 LAA Bty - Aug 1942 to early 1943.
    • Detachment 11 LAA Bty - Early 1943 until withdrawn in Mar 1944 and not replaced as the FIF was being drastically reduced in size at that time.
    No elements of 537 Coast Regt RA were ever based in Klaksvík. This means that Albert Harry Thomas would have been member of either 11 or 56 LAA Bty of 178 HAA Regt RA.
     

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