10601286 Trooper John (Jud) DOWSON, C Squadron, 56 Recce

Hi. I am looking for information on my grandfather Tpr John Dowson, 10601286. There is a photo with me and my grandfather in Ron Tee's book at the 1999 reunion. I am fairly certain he was in C Squadron. With Frank Barrett. Nobby Clark and Abe Bates. Major Jackie Forshaw was the squadron commander. He joined the Regiment in Scotland 1942 and was still with them in Austria. I have a few photos I will up load when I work out how. Including 1 of him in the 78 div football team. Any information gratefully received.

 

Gary.

56 Recce would place him at Monte Cassino for the Third and Fourth Battles - Mar-May 44. 56 Recce started out in 56 Inf Div until Aug 42 when they were switched to 78 Inf Div.

Regards

Frank

 

I am looking for information on my grandfather Tpr John Dowson, 10601286. There is a photo with me and my grandfather in Ron Tee's book at the 1999 reunion. I am fairly certain he was in C Squadron. With Frank Barrett. Nobby Clark and Abe Bates. Major Jackie Forshaw was the squadron commander. He joined the Regiment in Scotland 1942 and was still with them in Austria. I have a few photos I will up load when I work out how. Including 1 of him in the 78 div football team. Any information gratefully received.

 

Hello Gary, my father was 15 troop, C Sqn, 56 Recce, welcome to the forum. First you should send off for his service records, ONLY available from the MOD:
Get a copy of military service records

Look forward to your photos, when you create a post, look at the 'upload a file' box at the bottom RHS, this will enable you to select files from your computer, just make sure they are less than 2MB.

Make sure you search the forum for associated posts, ie:
56th Recce War Diary
http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/56-recce-short-history.28958/

 

Welcome to the forum. Great to have another 56 Recce on board

 

Hello Gary

A warm welcome to the forum. My father too was in 56 Recce, C Squadron, 15 Troop. There are quite a few of us 56 Recce descendants here!

The photo in your avatar shows John Gowan (2nd from left at the back) who was a great friend of Frank Barratt. Frank's son, Neil who you may be aware of, has joined the forum so I am sure he will be posting here soon.

Look forward to seeing any photos you may have.

Lesley

 

Hi Lesley. The avatar is lifted from Ron Tee's book. Abe Bates and my grandfather John Dowson are left and right in the picture. I am in the original. I caught up with Frank's son, Niel on here yesterday. I last saw him 20 years ago at the 1999 56 recce OCA reunion. I have some photos I will up load when I work out how. Thanks for the welcome.

 

Hi Gary

Take a look at my album if you haven't done already

56 Recce | WW2Talk


Lesley

 

I think the group photo is Adrano, Sicily, August 1943
I think the photo leaning on the wall is Rome
1 think the football team is the 78 Div team, he gets a mention in the war diaries as playing for them.More than happy to be corrected and any additional information gratefully received.

 

56 Recce reunion.
1999 Reunion,
Back row,
Killer Catchlove, Simon Barratt, John Gowan, Frank Barratt, Neil Barratt, Richard Doherty
Front row, Gary Payne(Dowson),Abe Bates, John (Jud) Dowson, Nobby Clarke.

reun3
Back row, Second left
Burt Crutch, Jack Forshaw, Frank Barratt, miss one, Abe Bates, Nobby Clarke
Front left seated
Dave Smith, miss one, Killer Catchlove

Reun2 1996
Second left
Jon(Jud) Dowson, Burt Crutch, Ron Tee, Frank Barratt

Any one got any other names?

 

Yes Gary that group photo is Adrano, Sicily.
Your grandad must have been in a different troop to my dad (15) as I don't recognise any men from that troop in the photo I have attached:
56 Recce | WW2Talk

I will leave it to Tony56 to comment further

 

This should be the restored one.

 

Hi Gary

That is so much better. I will try to get the mods to put it on the other thread so we don't all get confused!

 

This one, ta
10601286 Trooper John (Jud) DOWSON, C Squadron, 56 Recce

 

The plate is on by Nobby Clarke. Did he do any others?

 

Gary.

Your grandfather leaning on the wall is indeed in Rome. The building behind him is the King Victor Emmanuel memorial and the tomb of the unknown soldier. Piazza Venezia

Regards

Frank

 

Thanks for getting back to me. My wife told me so. Not sue I will hear the last of that.

 

Naturally I agree with Lesley, the group is at Adrano, here is C Sqn 15 troop taken 22 August 43:


As Frank said, leaning on the wall is Rome, a 56 Recce outing:

Sgt Gilbert (Tony) Anthony

James Thomas

Various

Taken from here:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8957198,12.4848898,3a,75y,216h,87.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sxHGu71lYoqn87_IhIqubGQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Yes:-
56th Reconnaissance Corps