Hi Peaty, I think that the Tank Museum has digitized all of the RAC war diaries, at least the daily reports, and these are available as relatively inexpensive PDFs. You might try writing to their archives to see if they can help you. I think they might also have a card for each person who was in the RAC but I'm not sure on that. (Someone correct me.) Cheers, Chris
Here goes with the journey in NWE post VE Day up to disbandment 147th (Royal Hampshire) Regiment Royal Armoured Corps of 34th Armoured Brigade 30 May 45 – handed in tanks and converts to Occupational War Establishment 26 Jun 45 – 30th Armoured Brigade 30 Nov 45 – disbanded Hope this helps 21st Army Group later British Army of the Rhine (under construction)
Thanks. Ill get onto the tank museum and thanks for post Ve day info. That shows to me he was in Germany then? (my parents thought for some reason he had been to Malta)
Hi Peaty. Just seen your post. My father was in 147 RAC in NW Europe in 44/45 and I have studied his activities there. I also have a copy of the 147 war diary if you should want a copy. Regards, Stag
Hi I've been trying to find out more about my grandfather who was a tank commander in the 147th RAC. My grandfater is listed in your dad's log under wounded. Harry Shipman. ( he survived) i have a couple of photos of the regiment prior to the Normandy campaign if you are interested. Thanks Paul
Hi Paul. Thanks for getting in touch, it’s great that you found your grandfather’s name is listed and better still that he survived. I’d love to see the photos you have if that’s possible please? I’ll have a look to see if I can find anymore info for you.
So here is one of the photos, my grandfather "Harry" is 3rd from left front row. I know that the chap to the right ( his left) was his superior... My dad says he was named after him, Brian is all I have on that. maybe some other people will be able to name some others (it's a digital photo i was sent so no names or info I'm afraid.)
Great photo! Thanks for posting. Some of the faces look familiar and similar to ones I have. It’s odd but the man fourth from the right back row looks like my dad but I can’t be 100% sure which is frustrating. I’ve had a look at all the names on the photos my dad gave me but I can’t see your grandfather’s name. They must have known each other or he would not have written his name in his notebook saying he was wounded. Do you have more info on what squadron he was in etc. I have spent about 5 years researching my father’s campaign and I now know where he was most days in 1944/45.
I'm a little late to this thread, but I have an account from Lt Reg Francis, 3 Troop A Sqn, published in 1990. In it he gives some valuable clues as to exactly where he went on his way through the marshalling area and to the embarkation area at Gosport. As Andy's pictures of the war diary show, the regiment was split between camps A7 (the old grounds of Stakes House, now bisected by the A3(M) and largely covered in housing here) and A19 (the Victorian Fort Gomer, now a housing estate here). Francis states he drove from Hindhead, down Portsmouth Road and then onto Hulbert Road. This means that he and the rest of A Sqn went to A7 (he also mentions walking 2 miles to visit Emsworth (it's actually about 3), which confirms it). After a few days in camp, his group drove to Gosport. He mentions passing Drayton Lane and Portchester, which all fits with the road routes allocated for convoys from the marshalling area to the embarkation area (mapped here), so his route can be mapped thus (mapped as a walking route to follow roads that are now dead ends!). Francis only says he embarked at Gosport, but he also states it was a Landing Ship Tank. There was only one embarkation facility in Gosport that could handle LSTs and that was Hardway, or GH hard. There are still remains of the hard visible and it is used today by a sailing club. So A Sqn went that way, but I don't know if they were accompanied by B, C or HQ Sqns, or if all 3 of them were at Camp A19. Whichever units were at the latter, they will almost certainly have embarked at the four Landing Craft Tank hards to the south east at Stokes Bay.
