Question about the war diary April 1945 the 61st Medium Regiment states they with 5th Division Yorkshire that's been pulled from the Italian front and go on recce with them I'm trying to work out what Regiment they are with is it a Yorkshire regiment or 5th Reconnaissance Regiment? Please see the bottom of the diary hope some one can help please
The 5th Infantry Division had a divisional symbol of the letter Y. Only three of its infantry battlaions were from Yorkshire regiments. The recce parties of medium artillery do not usually work with the recce regiments, as artillery recce is about movement and deployment. If a medium regiment deploys under command for movement of an infantry division it cannot deploy wherever it feels like; it goes where the CRA of the Infantry Division wants it to go. I would read the entry as meaning that 61 Medium's recce parties went with the recce parties of the 5 Div artillery regiments. The regimental 2IC is typically in charge of the recce parties from the batteries, which is why the author met Hugh Dewhurst, the 2IC of 156 (Lanarkshire Yeomanry), one of the three 5 Div field artillery regiments. (There was no 56 Field Regiment)
Thank you for replying so it could been the 156 Lanarkshire Yeomanry? I've got a photo that I've been trying to figure out and confused with my grand dads init and was part of the 61st medium regiment but the gentleman at front right had y badge on hes uniform which is the 5th infantry division could some of them be the Lanarkshire Yeomanry?
It could be from any 5th Division unit. The soldier looks like an inter unit football match. 61 Medium Regiment were the Canarvonshire and Denbyshire Yeomanry until 1938. They may even have retained their Yeomanry cap badge. Their parent formation was 8th AGRA. A history of 61 Medium Regiment was published in 1950.