Great grandfather royal artillery 222 battery

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Shortyw1998, Mar 31, 2021.

  1. Shortyw1998

    Shortyw1998 Member

    Hi all! Really hoping someone can help me? I'm trying to find out more about my great grandfather Albert Edward Sharpe.
    All that I know is that he was Royal Artillery in the second world war and that in a group photo it's titled "222 medium battery". I've tried searching 222 medium battery but no real links I can find, other than possibly the 65th med regiment? My grandad was from Nuneaton in Warwickshire and my grandma seems to think he could have been Warwickshire or leicestershire reg but I can't find anything on that and whether they had a 222 battery? I don't know much about the royal artillery and all the terms unfortunately so can't seem to work it out, Other than I was told he trained or was based at Salisbury plain? And there is also a picture of him in Holland! We've found some documents but I can't make head nor tail of what all the writing means other than I can see a few med reg pop etc? I'll try and attach some photos! If anyone can help id really appreciate it as id like to make a display or portray him and reenacting events thankyou! Photos attached are the documents we found, the battery photo, and a picture of him and his mates in Holland
    thank you

    Screenshot_20210331_144711_com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox.jpg Screenshot_20210331_144711_com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox.jpg received_492997642111289.jpeg Screenshot_20210331_112028_com.facebook.katana.jpg
     
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    There might be some confusion here

    UK, World War II Royal Artillery Tracer Cards, 1939-1948

    Name: Albert Edward Sharpe
    Enlistment Date: 3 Jan 1941
    Discharge Date: 1954
    Regiment: Royal Artillery
    Military Unit: 285 Anti-Tank Bty RA
    Service Number: 1114108
    61820_0061916_0146-02706.jpg




    Name: Albert Edward Sharpe
    Enlistment Date: 3 Dec 1942
    Regiment: Royal Artillery
    Military Unit: 25 Trg Regt RA (Medium & Hvy)
    Service Number: 14377419
    61820_0061916_0146-02726.jpg



    222 Medium Bty 65 Medium Regt Sep 39 - Feb 46 From 56 Medium Regt Suspended animation


    Are you certain you have the right Albert Edward Sharpe - Service Number: 1114108 OR Service Number: 14377419


    TD
     
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  3. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

  4. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

  5. Shortyw1998

    Shortyw1998 Member

    Thankyou yes I believe so, it matches the number my grandma gave to me from his marriage certificate 14377419 so what is the 25 trg reg? Thankyou
     
  6. Shortyw1998

    Shortyw1998 Member

  7. Shortyw1998

    Shortyw1998 Member

  8. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    Before the War when it was a Scottish Territorial unit the men would have been local who did evenings, weekends and annual camps etc, but as soon as the War started they would go full time and men would be posted in and out as needed so it would end up with lots of men with no attachment to the area.
     
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  9. Shortyw1998

    Shortyw1998 Member

    Awesome thanks for the info! So do we think he definitely was with the 65th? What do the other med reg numbers on his papers mean?
     
  10. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    TRG = Training - I believe

    25 Medium & Heavy Training Regiment, Marske, Yorkshire

    TD

    Another member produced this site - Units - The Royal Artillery 1939-45 fill yer boots
     
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  11. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    They cost £30 + the cost of a copy death certificate (around £10) - they are HIS service records and will tell you what units he was with, when he was with them, and where in the world he was with those units. From the records you can then dig deeper by obtaining War Diaries for those units during the time he was with them

    TD
     
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  12. Shortyw1998

    Shortyw1998 Member

    Just searched this site it's brilliant! The evidence from that also points towards him being with the 65th! But as you say I think me and my brother will try and get his records from the MOD so we know for definite and know everything he did thankyou so much for the help! I really appreciate it!
     
  13. Shortyw1998

    Shortyw1998 Member

    Just if anyone's interested here are some more pictures of him received_550938506304507.jpeg received_5216383875103179.jpeg received_930770104348120.jpeg received_275089510755373.jpeg received_2273188192815426.jpeg
     
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  14. Shortyw1998

    Shortyw1998 Member

    Could you give me a link if that's okay just so I'm headed to the right place?
     
  15. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    I posted the link in my post at 4.25pm.......
     
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  16. Shortyw1998

    Shortyw1998 Member

    Oh yeah thankyou
     
  17. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    The way I'd read the service from his tracer card is,

    He joined the Army 3/12/42 and went into the General Service Corps for basic military training and for the Army to decide where best he would fit and/or where he was most needed

    They must have decided Artillery was the best option so he moved 25th Medium Training Regiment where he would receive further training which was more specialised to serve on big guns

    He was then posted to 56th Medium Regiment, they were part of 76th Division which was at that time a training Division and from Wikipedia men were often sent there after initial training for 5 weeks of more practical training

    After this he went to 3rd Reserve Regiment which I assume was a holding unit where trained men were kept until needed by an active unit

    He moved on from here to 65th Medium and he stayed with them initially in the UK when they would have been providing home defence and building up for going on the attack and later when they fought in North West Europe.

    A few months after the European War had finished he seems to have moved to 3rd then 11th Medium Regiments - once the fighting was done there was a lot of moving around as units were disbanded and men demobilised, I think a lot of this was basically killing time but keeping the men handy in case anything else kicked off.

    As mentioned above his Service Records are the things that will confirm the basic timeline plus add a lot of meat to the bones of his story.

    In the photos you have shown the guns are either 4.5" of 5.5" guns (others will be able to say which I'm sure) which would be typical for a Medium Regiment
     
  18. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    222 Battery has a brief mention in this link: 56th (King's Own) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery - Wikipedia

    Excerpt:
    56th (King's Own) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery was formed in 1938 by the conversion of the 4th Battalion, The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster), a Territorial Army (TA) battalion based at Ulverston in the Furness area of north Lancashire (now in Cumbria).
    It formed the anti-tank regiment of the TA's 42nd (East Lancashire) Division.
    The regiment comprised four anti-tank batteries: 221, 222, 223 and 224.

    Please read the link for full details and possible verification as to whether it is the Battery that you are looking for.
    It seems that 222 Battery became a Home Forces and Training Unit and subsequently re numbered.
     
  19. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    Thats an Anti-Tank Battery in an Anti-Tank Regiment though rather than Medium as per the tracer card and photos - if only the RA had done us all a favour and not duplicated numbers across different branches
     
  20. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Just about to correct it AB64, having a bad day I'm afraid!
    You guys are too quick on the trigger.
    Sorry to disturb you.
    My journey began researching Warwickshire's as the initial posting mentioned Nuneaton but I believe that the Warks RA TA became a Medium Regt Post war amalgamated with 267 Worcestershire RA TA for four years.
    If my memory serves me well Warks were 68th Field in WW2 becoming 268 post war, the same way as the Worcs 67th became 267 Field. After their four years humping the Medium Guns around they reverted to 25 pounders.

    The reference to Salisbury Plain would most likely mean (although not necessarily) courses at Larkhill School of Gunnery.
    It was and still is huge training area.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2021
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