5th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment

Can anyone help me please?

On behalf of the family I'm trying to trace 2 nd Lt Adrian Redman Collingwood's (Army number- 97659) early army career. He joined the 5th Bttn. in September 1939 and went to France with the BEF early 1940.

The questions I would like answers to are as follows-
How did he get his commission?
Was he a member of a College OCTU?
What Company in the 5th Bttn. was he O.C. of?
Is there a War Diary showing specifically the battles the 5th. fought as part of BEF?
Where after Dunkirk did the 5th. locate in England as part of the anti-invasion defences?

The rest of the story is that he went to North Africa;was captured at Mersa Matruh; POW in Italy;escaped via France and finished his Army as a Major @ an OCTU in North Wales.

Any help gratefully received!.

Roger R Brown

 

Hi Roger

If you have not already done so, the very first move on your part [or the family's] is to obtain his service records - if you need the link to the forms its - Request records of deceased service personnel once you have these you will be able to accurately follow his career path and research the War Diaries etc that will be pertinent, rather than red herrings

TD

 

On the 1st April 1939, Colonel The Lord Middleton, M.C., T.D., was commissioned to raise the 5th Battalion The East Yorshire Regiment, T.A., and early in June the Battalion came into being. Headquarters of the Battalion was established in East Hull with Companies placed in various parts of the East Riding. The 2nd in Command was Major (Brevet Lieutenant Colonel) Curtis, ex Indian Army, the Quartermaster, Lieutenant J.W.Scott. The first five officers to be commissioned on the 8th July were 2nd Lieutenants T.L.Ward, J. Fillingham, F.Durrant, A.Collingwood and G. Taylor.

On the 23rd April 1940 he is listed as Adjutant



Hull Daily Mail 29th July 1942

Search results: "WO 166/4283" | The National Archives

From the 22nd June 1940 Wimbourne, Dorset
Moved to Swanage, Dorset in July 1940
On the 27th September 1940 relieved of coastal defence duties and moves to Poole in Dorset.

'The Story of the 5th Battalion The East Yorkshire Regiment T.A.' L.M. Garwood Highgate Publications 2002

 

Very many thanks for the information you have supplied. I'm now getting a clearer picture of 2lt Collingwood's early day in the East Yorks Regimen

 

This has been fascinating as he was my great uncle

 

Collypool,
I have passed your details onto my friend and she asks "can you tell me the name of your father or mother so that she can 'plug' you into the family tree?"
Do you want to do this via the forum or by email to me?
Roger Brown

 

Hi

My dad is Adrian Collingwood son of Cecil who was one of Adrian's older brothers

 

Good evening Collypool,

Your distant relation would like to contact you; can you email me?

 

Hi Roger

My email is collypool@blueyonder.co.uk

 

Thank you,

I have forwarded your post on to my friend and she will contact you.

Roger Brown

 

Thanks Roger