Keith, I was hoping someone with artillery knowledge would come along and fill us in on the role of each man in a 6 Pounder gun crew (I think the proper term is detachment?). For Normandy there were two platoons of four guns each for each Airlanding Battalion. The Trux section on here has some info which I find confusing. Look under "2 X Anti Tank Platoon ": http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/23806-air-landing-and-parachute-battalions/ I assume "20 X gun number" would mean 20 men which divided between 4 guns would be 5 per gun. Also some general info here on the Airlanding Battalion: http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/British/Airborne/british_air_landing_battalion%201943%20to%201945.htm There's shot of a crew on a pre-D-Day exercise driving away from a horsa with 6 men including driver here: http://www.battlefieldhistorian.com/detail.asp?id=4386 Regards ...
Thanks guys, I looked at this picture a while ago and counted the 6 Devon's but then discounted the chap with the Bren gun at the front as I thought he may just be infantry filling the front line. Very hard to get any real accurate info on this subject. Thanks again for your help.
HI Reddevon I don't mind if you copy the photos and Dad is very pleased that you like them. If you have any problems with copies let me know and I could send them by email. Regards Carole
Carole, Are you sure that isn't actually Clark Gable ... You wouldn't by any chance have a bigger more detailed photo of "The Famous White Truck" at Touques? The best I've come across is the smallish pic on the Jim Corbett page. Keith, You could always try posting in the RA Forum for questions of a technical nature regarding a 6 Pounder gun and crew. http://ww2talk.com/forums/forum/76-royal-artillery/ Regards ...
Hi Cee You are not the first to say that about Dads picture This is a copy of Dads photo of the white Truck, not sure if it's any bigger. Carole
Hi all, been busy writing my book about Vic. Over 70 pages so far, he's just been in action at Ranville on 9th June, two days after his 20th Birthday. Attached a photo of Vic's wedding day in October 44. He's got his second stripe. 7 weeks later he will be back in the thick of it fighting in Belgium....
Just had a look at Mark Hickmans Pegasus archive site on the Rhine crossing section there are 2 photos of 25 Platoon Anti/tank i think that Vic Drewitt is in one of these photos http://www.pegasusarchive.org/varsity/frames.htm
What can I say Reddevon. Many Many Thanks. Pictures of Vic in uniform are so rare for me. Excellent work.
Tuesday will see the 70th Anniversary of the Airborne Assault as part of the Rhine Crossing. Varsity would be conducted in daylight and again the Devon's would be part of history. looking out into the Spring sunshine today we should not take for granted what these brave boys did without hesitation for their and our future. As in June boys "Go to it", good luck and thank you.
Hi all, It is a couple of years since I last visited this forum. However, I finally made the trip to visit my uncles grave at the Reichswald Cemetery near Kleve in Germany. In fact, I went last week. It was a very humbling experience. So many young brave men. I went then as it was the 70th anniversary of my uncles death. He was killed in action at the start of Operation Varsity. Part of the 12th Devonshires, A Coy I strongly believe. I took pictures of his grave but am not sure how I can post pictures on here. I have them saved to my computer and also uploaded to my Photobucket account which is how I would normally post photos to a forum. I also have his service records, medals and an old cornet that he used to play in a brass band before the war. I took the cornet and the medals with me to the grave. He would obviously not have received his medals. They were sent to his mother after the war. My dad, (his elder brother) kept them safe. In the time I have been researching, I have found quite a number of things out about both my uncle and his regiment. As I say, I have a copy of his service record and also copies of the war diaries for the 12th Devons From June to September 1944 and also March to May, 1945. My uncle was shot and wounded on 21st August 1944 and sent back to England for a month to recover. There is a mention on that day in the war diary of the action and mention of just one casualty. That must have been him. I do have a couple of questions. How can I post pictures and sections of documents? And secondly, and this would be the icing on the cake; Is it possible to find out the exact circumstances of my uncles death? Glider borne, I suspect its quite likely that it may have crashed. His details are: Private Owen Arthur Hillier: 5628401. Almost certainly A Coy.
Hi Zimmerframe, Is there any chance your uncle went by the name "Nick" Hillier? See my PM for help attaching files. Regards ...
Hi Cee, Thanks for the pm. I doubt it but could not be sure. All my dad's side of the family are now sadly gone so nobody to ask. I cant recall my dad or his sisters ever refering to Owen as Nick but he may have had that "nickname" in the Army.
As per my earlier post. This is my uncles grave. The cornet was his when he was younger. The medals My dad kept safe. I only found them very recently in an old metal moneybox. It was fitting to finally present them so to speak. My dad and his family never knew where their brother was buried, only that he was "over there somewhere". So it was nice to finally see his grave. Someone had already planted a wooden cross. It did not have any inscription. I took one too. Mine is on the right. I'll post up some of his service record too.
