1st Army, Algeria/Tunisia - The Not So Forgotten Army.

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by bexley84, May 24, 2012.

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  1. Jack_Goulding_info

    Jack_Goulding_info Junior Member

    I thought I'd post actual records of Jack as well.

    Not having much luck with tracking the 3rd RTC, I've been able to track his Regiment from the twenties, 5/7th Hampshire, which turned into the 128th partially I believe and they were part of 46th Infantry Div.

    The 46th did seem to follow the timelines which paralleled Jack's record, but I'll have to have a harder look at it though to confirm. The thought was that he may have been attached to his old unit, slim chance I should think.

    Cheers,
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    TTH

    the main reason for the Irish to be better represented in 1st Army as opposed to the 8th was the fact that 1st Army was an ALL British Army whereas the 8th was a Commonwealth Army with three Indian divs- 2- Canadian divs - New Zealand Div - and one European Div from Poland alongside the seven British Divs and six of those from 1st Army

    Cheers
     
  3. bugleboy2323

    bugleboy2323 Senior Member

    Hi Richard Love your pics,and your comments. I hope you keep on posting many, many more of them.keep up the good work.quis separabit,B/B2323
     
  4. RAF1940

    RAF1940 Junior Member

    hi,please do you have a contact address or number of the first army association,thanks.
     
  5. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    RAF1940,

    I assume you have direct family connections with 1st Army, either yourself or someone within your family.

    Address PM-ed to you.

    The 1st Army Assn is run by Patsy Browring, daughter of Major John Dickson, and her family. They do a grand job, all in all, with a nominal annual sub - monthly journals are sent out. You would have seen some of the veterans marching at the Cenotaph in Nov. My Dad's mate, Sgt Charles Ward (class of Oct 1939 - and attendant at Bou Arada/Stuka Farm) was in prominent close order - splendidly coutured in caubeen and hackle.

    The next "meet up" for the 1st Army Assn is at the Arboretum on June 27th 2013..for a 70th anniversary pause for reflection at their plot - which is shaped as the Med Sea.

    I'm planning on my own visit to Tunisia in early April - the Bou, Medjez, Beja, Terbourba, Djebels Mahdi, el Ahmera and Tanngoucha on the agenda. An opportunity to give thanks to the many who lie at peace and those that returned to your family...

    If any one fancies a meet up there..

    best,
     
  6. 52nd Airborne

    52nd Airborne Green Jacket Brat

    RAF1940,

    I assume you have direct family connections with 1st Army, either yourself or someone within your family.

    Address PM-ed to you.

    The 1st Army Assn is run by Patsy Browring, daughter of Major John Dickson, and her family. They do a grand job, all in all, with a nominal annual sub - monthly journals are sent out. You would have seen some of the veterans marching at the Cenotaph in Nov. My Dad's mate, Sgt Charles Ward (class of Oct 1939 - and attendant at Bou Arada/Stuka Farm) was in prominent close order - splendidly coutured in caubeen and hackle.

    The next "meet up" for the 1st Army Assn is at the Arboretum on June 27th 2013..for a 70th anniversary pause for reflection at their plot - which is shaped as the Med Sea.

    I'm planning on my own visit to Tunisia in early April - the Bou, Medjez, Beja, Terbourba, Djebels Mahdi, el Ahmera and Tanngoucha on the agenda. An opportunity to give thanks to the many who lie at peace and those that returned to your family...

    If any one fancies a meet up there..

    best,

    Rich,

    Please could you possibly PM me details of 1st Army Association, I'd be very much interested in joining.

    Thanks.
     
  7. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Giving this thread a bump, following my contribution on posting No.40, as I've just had further correspondence with the MOD regarding entitlement specifications for a 1st Army Clasp to the Africa Star.

    In anticipation of a river cruise next year to the Normandy Beaches which includes a visit to the WW2 British & American Cemeteries I went online and bought some miniature medals that duplicated my existing full size group of 5 medals.

    Unfortunately the group included a clasp on the Africa Star that said "North Africa 1942-1943" and this threw me as I didn't recognise the inscription.

    I wrote to the MOD and quoted my earlier record which enquired about the 1st Army clasp and asked whether or not the recent clasp would cover my own service.

    Not so, I was promptly told, quoting:
    "The North Africa 1942-1943 clasp is awarded to those who served with the 18th Army or on Maritime Ops between 23 Oct 1942 and 12 May 1943. I regret to inform you that your records to not show any service with either the 18th Army or Maritime Ops" and so a friendly local jeweller cut the offending clasp off the medal bar and I now have an exact copy of my own full size bar, all completely in order ;)

    Ron
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2016
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  8. HAARA

    HAARA Well-Known Member

    Interesting one, Ron. I attach a sketch by one of the members of 76th HAA Regt RA in a letter home (August 1945) describing the ribbons that he was wearing at the time of writing, and you'll note that the NA ribbon clearly shows and describes a "1st Army clasp". He was in NA from Nov 42 (Operation Torch) through to July 43 (Operation Husky). ribbons-web.jpg
    The full set of medals that replicate these, however, does not carry the clasp (would I assume if this had been present that this would have been pierced through the ribbon?)
     
  9. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Forgive my complete ignorance about medal and clasp entitlements, but am I correct in the supposition that only a single clasp may be awarded for a service medal - even if an individual meets the requirements for two?

    I enquire out of pure curiosity, my grandfather having served first in 8th Army and then 1st Army when Monty transferred 4th Indian Division, 7th Armoured Division and 201st Guard Brigade to IX Corps under Horrocks.
     
  10. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    HAARA

    You are competely correct, pierced through the ribbon on the full-size issue.

    On the miniatures however, the clasp to which I referred, was engraved on a narrow circular bar which was threaded onto the ribbon and which I had to have cut off.

    Like your sketch of the ribbon :)

    Ron
     
  11. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Charley

    Yep !

    Regulations clearly state that only one clasp shall be worn on a ribbon

    Ron
     
  12. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Ron,

    Thanks - thought as much.
     
  13. chrisgrove

    chrisgrove Senior Member

    While I can quite understand that only one clasp can be shown on a ribbon, General Service medals are only awarded once and additional entitlements are shown by additional clasps. Certainly my father's GSM carried three clasps.
    Chris
     
  14. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

  15. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    From Illustrated London News 13 January 1945
    Illustrated London News 13 January 1945.png
     
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  16. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    From Illustrated London News 06 January 1945
    Illustrated London News 06 January 1945.png
     
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  17. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    one more of Macnamara in 1942 before he relinquished command of the the 1st Bn London Irish Rifles (1 LIR) - they left for Iraq in August 1942...just as a reminder and in the case the thread title slightly misleads, 1 LIR didn't quite make it in time to join the fighting in North Africa...they made up for it later, of course.
    photo 5 (4).JPG
     
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  18. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    My father remembered attending the 1st Army Victory Parade in Tunis, 75 years ago today, on 20th May 1943:

    “I insisted on joining it as I was one of the few survivors of the company that had landed at Algiers the previous November and was the only colour sergeant on parade. As we approached the saluting stand, we could see Eisenhower, Alexander and the Free French Commander General Giraud. An American film cameraman shouted: ‘Getta load of this!’ as he saw our saffron kilted pipers and the caubeens with their green and blue hackles. The detachment of London Irish wore the only hackles that could be found among the few hundred survivors from the Tunisian campaign.”

    A link to a Pathe news clip here:


    IMG_5362 (2).JPG
     
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