176 HAA Battery 146 HAA Regt. Research for my grandfather Gunner 14378089 Arthur Winter

Hi Russ, I sent my reply accidentally. However all it said was my dad's gun team! He was hospitalised at 105 General Hospital which was military and in Brussels I believe. He did visit the V2 rocket facility which was in Peenemunde. On 22 October 1945 the 146 HAA was disbanded and he joined the 66ATK regiment.
At some point, most likely just before embarkation, he was at Cove in Hampshire, a good base for Portsmouth.
Finally as far as the photos are concerned, my dad is bottom left in the big group and far right in the gun crew.

 

Hi Jan

Your dad looks a happy chap! Perhaps a little older than my dad - born March 1923, so 21 in June 1944.
You do have a lot more detail than my fragments.

Dad also went to Peenemünde. It seems that our dads were together for a long time - at least until Lubeck/Peemunde. I am still looking for his photos......

Dad joined 146 HAA on 28/04/43 (after enlisting at 18/03/1943 recorded at Ossett W. Yorks - despite living in Swindon Wilts) until he seems to have joined 98 Field Regiment RA, but I am not sure of the precise timing because of the way that his tracer card is laid out. Then a series of Anti-Tank regiments. I think I need to start a thread for Dad to get into his tracer card etc.

Cove, Hampshire does look handy for Portsmouth. I looked for Sturrington, Kent but no luck. I did find Storrington, W Sussex (sometimes locally spelt Sturrington) which had plenty of WW2 activity including being a DDay transit camp.

We seem to have somewhat hijacked Dom Winter's thread, but hopefully it is helpful.

I am planning a trip to the National Archive to photograph the Regimental War Diary, and I am happy to look for anything else if it helps. I have not been able to find the War Diary online, although whoever has edited the regiment's Wiki page appears to have had access to it. The Routledge and Ellis books look useful as well.

146th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - Wikipedia

Do you have more photos or dates and places? Keen to see the photo with Lofty. DM if you would prefer.

All best

Russ

 

Hi Russ, thanks for the reply. Despite all the horrors my dad went through during the war, he was a person who was always full of fun. Glad it shows on the photograph. He was born in January 1914 so quite a bit older than your dad. He joined up in 1940 and was posted to the coastal batteries protecting the Tyne. I believe this RA regiment was the forerunner of 146 HAA. He was demobbed in April 1946 and returned home although his colonel wanted to sign him up to the regular army.
Attached is the photograph of my dad and "Lofty" on SS guard duty. Never knew what Lofty's name actually was.
Good luck with your visit to the NAtional Archives.

 

Hi Jan

Pleased to hear about your dad.

i have hit a bit of a block. Looking at Dad’s tracer card again I wonder if he was with 146 HAA when he was in Normandy. His journey certainly matched your dad’s through Belgium and across Germany but I am now not sure if they were together until later. I have sent off for his records from the National Archives, so I am hopeful that will shed some light.

The photo you shared is extraordinary. “SS Cage” is so literal. What a moment to be involved in. I wonder who was in the cage and whether they received justice?

All best and will be back once I have Dad’s records.

Russ

 

Hi Jan and Russ - not been on here for a while as you can see but seems there are some gaps in my earlier post as the links to the book I did for mt Granfathers letters to my dad as broken - I have uploaded a compressed PDF - he joined in 1943 Russ - I have sent you a link to the 146 HAA regiment diaroes and Jan if you want ot ping me a message I will send a link as well - and anyone else who wants it. It's much more detailed that his war records