No books or knowledge about above, but probably someone here will have, I have quite a number RA men missing on 24-3-1945, can some one tell me if any gliders with RA men were shot down, or any other info about them being killed on the 24th would be most welcome
Dear Phillip Yesterday I got a copy of the Royal Artillery Commemoration Book - 1939 -45 (printed in 1950). In the back are listed all of the names of RA personnel killed in WW2. They give name, rank and when killed, but not which unit. I looked for the names of all the men killed in my Father's unit and there was one missing, so not completely accurate. Any names I find for the date given, I will let you know and presumably they can be cross referenced against CWGC data for the unit they served in. I also found a piece on 4 Army Group Royal Artillery, which I told you about in one of your earlier threads. I will copy this also and send it to you. Regards - Robert.
A few links for you to look at whilst I strain my eyes looking for names of men in that book. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/20/a2213920.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/05/a3042505.shtml http://www.assaultgliderproject.co.uk/op_varsity_1945.html A couple of personal accounts.
Phillip Here are the names from A - E to check against the ones you may already have. ADAMS S.C GUNNER 24-3-45 BAILEY A.C. GUNNER 25-3-45 BAILEY D GUNNER 24-3-45 BAKER R.F. WOII 24-3-45 BALLARD S.A.G. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 BARNES F.W. GUNNER 25-3-45 BATES T.P. L/BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 BOWDEN M.M.J. BOMBARDIER 25-3-45 BRADFORD E.H. GUNNER 24-3-45 BUCKLAND J. GUNNER 24-3-45 BULLOCK J. WOII 25-3-45 CARR B.M. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 COOPER A. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 CULLEY G.W. (MC) MAJOR 24-3-45 DAVIES R.T. GUNNER 24-3-45 DAVIES S.T.F. SERGEANT 24-3-45 DICKENS H. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 DICKENSON M GUNNER 3-45 DIGGORY H.J. GUNNER 24-3-45 DIXON T.H.P. (MC) MAJOR 24-3-45 DOHERTY D. SERGEANT 25-3-45 DUKE E.A. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 ELLIS A.L. GUNNER 24-3-45 I've included the day after as well. Fog of war, dates get confused. I'll look through the rest tomorrow and see if there is anything about Varsity. Robert
Phillip And the rest of the men F - Z FELL J.E. L/BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 FINDLAY D L/BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 FURLONG P GUNNER 24-3-45 GODDARD F.W. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 GOSLAND A GUNNER 25-3-45 GOWER A.H. L/SERGEANT 24-3-45 GRIFFITHS I GUNNER 24-3-45 GUNNING F GUNNER 24-3-45 HARE L.R. GUNNER 24-3-45 HARRIS C.V. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 HARRIS F GUNNER 24-3-45 HAWKESWORTH R.C. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 HAWKINS E.J. GUNNER 24-3-45 HEATH H.C. L/BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 HEWITT J.S. GUNNER 25-3-45 HILL J GUNNER 24-3-45 HOWES P.W.J. GUNNER 24-3-45 HUME-SPRY J.F.H. LIEUTENANT 24-3-45 JOHSON E L/BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 JONES A.C. GUNNER 24-3-45 JURY R.P.D. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 KEELER R.A. GUNNER 24-3-45 KINCAID J.B.S. MAJOR 25-3-45 KNIGHT R.A. SERGEANT 24-3-45 KNOX-PEEBLES W.C. MAJOR 24-3-45 LAMB J.H. GUNNER 24-3-45 LANGSTON F GUNNER 25-3-45 LAWSON S GUNNER 24-3-45 LAY E.D. GUNNER 24-3-45 LEWIS B L/SERGEANT 25-3-45 LILLEY R.J. LIEUTENANT 24-3-45 LLOYD T.L. L/BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 LORD J.E. L/BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 LOW J. McN. GUNNER 24-3-45 LOWDNES E L/BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 LYSONS A GUNNER 24-3-45 McKANE G.A. SERGEANT 25-3-45 McKIE H LIEUTENANT 24-3-45 MOORE G.T. GUNNER 24-3-45 MOORE P.H.H. GUNNER 24-3-45 MUIR K GUNNER 24-3-45 NEWELL J.C. GUNNER 25-3-45 NICOLSON R.A. L/BOMBARDIER 25-3-45 OBEN A.W. GUNNER 24-3-45 ODDY P.R. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 OGDEN S GUNNER 24-3-45 OLIVER J.A (MC) MAJOR 24-3-45 ORMSTON J.J. GUNNER 24-3-45 PALMER F.G. GUNNER 24-3-45 PENMAN J.W. SERGEANT 24-3-45 PERRY G.H. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 PICKFORD F GUNNER 24-3-45 RAWLINGSON R.R. GUNNER 24-3-45 RICHARDSON D.F. GUNNER 24-3-45 RICHARDSON H.I. WOII 24-3-45 ROBERTSON J.J. BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 ROBINSON H L/BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 RYDER G SERGEANT 24-3-45 SHIELDS J.L. GUNNER 24-3-45 SHORT F L/BOMBARDIER 25-3-45 SIMPKINS E.W. L/BOMBARDIER 24-3-45 SIMPSON B GUNNER 25-3-45 STEPHENS J.J. GUNNER 24-3-45 STOTT E GUNNER 24-3-45 TAWN R BOMBARDIER 25-3-45 THOMAS A.R. GUNNER 24-3-45 THURSTING E.J. GUNNER 24-3-45 VALENTINE G.J. LIEUTENANT 24-3-45 VERVER C.M. LIEUTENANT 24-3-45 WENLOCK W.H. GUNNER 24-3-45 WHITE W GUNNER 25-3-45 WILCOX T.D. GUNNER 24-3-45 WILLIAMS E GUNNER 24-3-45 WYKES P.T. CAPTAIN 24-3-45 A sample of the names on the CWGC website indicates that men came from 53 Airlanding Light Regiment, 3 & 4 Airlanding Anti-Tank and few attending on HQ 6th Airborne. Others are from LAA, Medium & Field Regs R.A. One came from 658 AOP Squadron. Regards - Robert
Phillip Found an article in the RA Commemoration book which I will send you later. It describes the high casualty rate and should tell you what you want to know. It also confirms the types of artillery units which were part of the Operation and they were:- HQ 6th Airborne Division (Major JBS Kincaid was killed) 53rd (Worcestershire Yeomanry) Airlanding Regiment (210, 211 & 212 Batteries) Majors Culley & Knox-Peebles, c/o's of 210 & 212 were killed) 2nd Airlanding Anti-Tank Regiment (3, 4 & 6 Batteries) When I have recharged my camera batteries, I'll send the pages of the article. Pages are too large for the scanner. Robert.
Phillip The 3 pages on Operation Varsity. Let me know if you can read the article. Not the best quality I'm afraid. Robert
I've resized the images, they were huge, 2.75 MB. Philip, did you click them at least three times? Anyway here they are.
Ahh my mistake, only clicked them once. thanks Owen It seemed that they had the casualties coming in,so have to go for there WDs as they maybe mention some more about them.
Owen - Thanks for resizing the pages. I had to photograph them from a book as the pages were too big to scan. Not had to upload things like this to a site before. Do I resize the pics in my photographic software? Phillip - I note that the article has pointed you where to look next. Hope it was of some use. Robert
Do I resize the pics in my photographic software? Robert, I resized it so it was 800 megapixels wide uploaded it to PhotoBucket & pasted in the IMG code from there.
Owen Sorry, but you lost me after 800 megapixels wide. Could you tell me more. Do it on a PM if you like. Saves filling up space here. Thanks - Robert
Hi Buteman, I am interested in one of the men you list above LILLEY R.J. LIEUTENANT 24-3-45 as he came from our village. Are you able to tell me from your sources anything about his death on March 24th? I understand he was at Niedermormter and was killed in action but I am struggling to find which action. Any help, much appreciated.
14766268 Gnr. Edward John Thursting, 4th Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery KIA 24th march 1945 aged 18 buried Reichswald Forest War Cemetery
5059308 Gnr. William Henry Wenlock, 3rd Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery KIA 24th March 1945 aged 23 remembered on Groesbeek Memorial, Netherlands Staffordshire Sentinel 10th April 1945
