62 Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery

Hello. New to this forum. I am doing a bit of personal research for a friend who's Grandfather was in 245 Battery 62ATR and wondered if anyone could help please. I'm looking for any info, battle reports, war diaries etc. His name was Herbert John Richards, possibly a Captain. Service number 204297. Any pointers gratefully received.

 

Hi, what battery was John Brown with as i have a photo of my Dad James Arnott and crew in holland 85 with only surnames on back of those in photo. My dad was a driver gunner with 245 battery 62nd anti tank, David

 

Hi, I'm trying to find out more about my Grandfather Leslie Mervyn Lee (Captain)
who was in the 62nd Anti Tank Regiment before joining the S.O.E

Any information would be appreciated!

A photo of the 62nd in September 1939

 

My Granddad served in Dutch Resistance groupt 'Orde Dienst -Tholen' under 247.Bty./62.A-T.Rgt.,RA on Tholen Island (Sector C ) and also deployed with
I-Troop as 9.Coy. /Netherlands Interior Forces , Commando Brabant from Roosendaal to the the Steenbergen Area (Sector B ).
First for XII.Manitoba Dragoons (18.CACR) untill 16.Dec.1944.
( On Januari 1.1945 OD-Tholen became part of 9.Coy. /Netherlands Interior Forces , Commando Brabant.)
Then Canadian Grenadier Guards (22CAR) untill 10.Januari 1945.
Then 1.Polish Armoured Division until Mid March 1945.
Initially only the small local Resistance Groups served with 62.A-T.Rgt.
Then they all became part the 5 Coys. Netherlands Interior Forces , Commando Brabant that served under 62.A-T.Rgt..RA.
It was roughly about 64 Km frontline on the outer tip of the Western Front.
My Granddad served for 128 days on that frontline since Oct.30 1944.
I'm unable to upload the pictures as each is more then 4.7MB.

 

My project to prove Dutch Resistance Group 'Orde Dienst-Tholen' fought 5 days 7Km behind enemy lines against a Company of Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6

On Oct.30 1944 the Orde Dienst-Tholen came under command of Canadian 4th Armoured Division and was ordered to secure the ferry at Oud-Vossemeer.
In the process they not only secured the ferry at Oud-Vossemeer but also the whole Isle of Tholen and several German POW's.
In their third fight they ambushed one third of a Company of German Parachute Regiment 6 and formed a small front behind the German Main Battle Line that formed a serious threat.
At a very unpleasant moment as FJR.6 was in the process to embark for the Walcheren Causeway, 5Km to the NW. at Beneden-Sas.
Now going around Tholen Island and close to Stavenisse coast in full view of the Observation Post (now in Resistance hands) and cross the Easter-Scheldt unseen, would become too hazardous for this precious Regiment.
Instead it was evacuated to Numandsdorp.
The remaining German Para Company at Nieuw-Vossemeer was forced to stay and make sure the Canadians wouldn't use the ferry to attack the Main Battle Line from behind in support of their attack on Steenbergen.
That German Battle Line held for 5 days and then moved to the north and gave Kampfgruppe Chill (including the rearguard III./FJR.6) just enough time to evacuate over the Maas River themselves on Nov.9 1944.
The Resistance Group Tholen then served for 4,5 months on the outer tip of the Western Front Line and was sent home in March 1945 after a brief parade never to hear from it again.
They never received any kind of recognition or awards nor any mentioning in history books. Not even the Dutch Resistance Cross.
To my surprise and unknown to us, my Granddad opened up for a short while and told me about this during the WW2 commemoration in 1994.
When I asked him about if he received any rewards he answered in shock; "That's not why we did it". "And no, I don't know who those German Troops were". "If you want to find out, you'll have to do your own research".
After that he didn't want to talk about it any more.
He didn't want to remember being a forced laborer in Cologne Germany, Escapee & Wanted Men by the Germans, a Resistance Fighter and a Stormtrooper.
Finally on november 2017 footage of the Resistance Group popped up with a lot of German POWs, which proved it was not just a story.
It was wrongfully edited after the war though and nobody could make sense of it.
Showing it to my Aunt she recognized her father in the footage.
Later I managed to get hold to the rest of the footage and discovered my Grandmother is in the footage too.
Took some time to figure everything out and put all the dates in correct order.
However there is no footage of the NBS Forces after that in this sector as far as I know.
After seeing this youtube series I hope you'll agree it's quite an exceptional story.

There are 9 episodes that are finished up to now.
From Beeringen to Reusel.
The Resistance Group will not come into view untill Oct.29 1944.
For historical purposes we put German Parachute Regiment 6 in the foreground.
To prove there is not such thing as a 6 day skrimish with German Parachute Regiment 6 for no reason.
Although counting hours it's 5 days.
Later the episodes will continue untill March 1945 of these sectors of the Outer Tip of The Western Frontline.
Where 5 Companies of Netherlands Interior Forces served under command of 62.A-T.Rgt., Royal Artillery for 18CACR, 22CAR and 1 Polish Armoured Div.

 

# 1 : FJR 6 (autumn 1944) - A regiment reborn
# 2 : FJR 6 (autumn 1944) - A blocking force at Antwerp
# 3 : FJR 6 (autumn 1944) - Beringen in the crosshairs
# 4 : FJR 6 (autumn 1944) - The retaking of Geel
# 5 : FJR 6 (autumn 1944) - A narrow escape
# 6 : FJR 6 (autumn 1944) - A Prelude to Market Garden https://youtu.be/xZ6T6nD3jpU
# 7 : FJR 6 (autumn 1944) - West of the corridor to Arnhem https://youtu.be/sR5-ptFuT4c
# 8 : FJR 6 (autumn 1944) - Green Devils at Hell's Highway https://youtu.be/dHnYiQJPc_s
# 9 : FJR 6 (autumn 1944) - Mini-Stalingrad in Reusel https://youtu.be/aGtIPWjo2Xs

Footage Orde Dienst-Tholen Oct.30 1944 :
Resistance Fighter M.Krijger was able to contact 4.Canadian Armoured Div. and convinced them to send a Scoutgroup to Tholen Island through German lines.
Upon arrival they give issued orders to report 4CAD HQs at Bergen op Zoom
https://youtu.be/xoiDgZF5bbk

Footage Orde Dienst-Tholen Nov.9 1944 :
+18 German POWs are ferried to Canadian lines at Halsteren and handed over.
Estimated German POWs 40 to 60 ( combined Reistance Groups).
OD losses 2 KIA, 1 POW/executed , 1 severely WIA, several WIA.
My Granddad is in the lower left corner on 0:34 in a group of 3 men facing his DC and CO.
https://youtu.be/OqsfvW_12Vc

 

Hi Everyone, new in here.
I have carried out some limited research on 62nd, specifically 246 Battery and have photos of the war diary pages should anyone want to see them.
I have attached screenshots of messages from a chap with whom I corresponded on another forum some time ago. Who knows someone may find them useful.

 

I'd be interested to see if there was any mention of my Grandfather Captain Leslie Mervyn Lee

 

I'll have a trawl through to see if I can spot his name.

 

Photo of my dad James Arnott and crew 62nd 245 battery somewhere in southern Holland in 1945. Names on back. would be grateful for any information on battery and crew

 

Sorry but can't find any mention of your Grandfather.

 

I know this is an old post, but I am currently researching Gunner Eric Gardiner (who would have been my great uncle), who was also in 246 battery and was unfortunately killed in the battle for Carpiquet airfield on the 4th of July.

We are lucky to have letters from his Commanding Officer and a fellow tank driver friend of his. I am blown away to see someone else looking into the 246 battery. Eric was in E troop, he was only 20 when he was killed.

Sarah

 

Hi Rob, 246 definitely landed on D+1 on what is described in the war diary as ‘Miln Red Beach’. I will post a picture of the first page as soon as I’m back home at the week end.