1st Hampshires September 44

Hi Sarah



I see where it tells us he was Wounded in Action (NW E) during his time in the Hampshires but thats all it really says. Do you know anything about any injuries he received??

TD

 

I know he got shrapnel in the right knee which severed or ruptured a ligament ant that it required surgery whilst he was back in England, and that he was never fit enough to serve again, had a big scar down the outside of his right knee!

 

Unfortunately there is sometimes, no actual way of knowing the exact events and the order they happened, we can only surmise using the best available information

TD

 

On one of the photos above (third one down on the left I think!) it says wounded in action and then I THINK cast/casl 90/535 hamps/007111.

I assume hamps refers to the Hampshire regiment but do the numbers mean anything to anyone?

I’ve also spotted that he was reclassified as B7 after his injury which I believe means: unfit for general service but fit for base or garrison service at home or abroad -limited duties!

 

The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum | Winchester Hampshire they might know

TD

 

Hi,

Does the official casualty list on FMP not give a date of the incident in which he was injured?

Steve

 

This one's a rather massive diary and May is missing. It covers an 11 month period and contains 810 various pages so at my usual rate of 10p per page the cost of the donation would be £81.00

 

I don’t know, where is it? Find my past? That’s the only site I know with those initials

 

Yes Drew, would it be possible just to have 7 June to end of September? If so how much would that be?

 

That’s correct.

Findmypast has a full run of the WW2 official casualty lists so he should be on it with a date of the incident.

If you are in UK you may find that your local library has free access or as an alternative you could sign up for a free 14 day trial?

Free Trial for 14 Days - Explore your Family History | findmypast.co.uk


Steve

 

I shall look at FMP. in the meantime can anyone make out where my grt grt uncle Henry was serving in this letter? He evacuated from Guernsey with my grt grandad...

 

The list of FMP says DNR for Papa where other people have a date, does that mean date not recorded maybe?!

 

That would be the normal interpretation of DNR

TD

 

Hi,

DNR will mean date not recorded unfortunately.

In respect if your other post I can make out ??? Armoured Brigade Middle East Forces. If you post a better quality image it might be possible to decipher the missing numbers.

Steve

 

Sorry all I have is a photocopy of the original and that photocopy has been torn! I THINK it says 74th, and putting that together with Armoured Brigade Wikipedia tells me this!

 

Dang it! The book arrived (the Royal Hampshire Regiment by David Scott Daniell) and whilst its great, all it has for 18th September to getting to Nijmegen is defending the corridor from counter attacks... so on the 27th, the day papa was injured by shrapnel, they were ‘just’ defending their position as far as I can tell...

 

How much would it be from 18th September to 4th October? I’ve managed to narrow down the dates I’m looking at to then!

 

Sarah,

I do have a bit more that covers the start of your interest, but there are multiple references to appendices which would contain sitreps and patrol reports which might give more of the detail that you are looking for.

18 September DE GROOTE BARRIER
0600 There was a certain amount of confused activity on the 9 DLI rt. Flank and mortaring the factory area (3695) where our A Echelon was situated. SEE APPX C – 21.
1530- 231 Bde was relieved of guarding the bridge and now moved up to guard the rd DE GROOTE
1600 BARRIER – VALKENSWAARD. 1 HAMPS handed over to 6 DLI and left old location at 1530 hrs crossing into HOLLAND and taking up new positions around HEIDE. Contact patrols were made during the night and had nothing to report. SEE Trace 6 APPX J
2000 There was considerable air activity over the area but other than 4 cas to ‘A’ Coy no damage was done in Bn area. Patrols during the night had NTR. SEE APPX C24.
SEE OP ORDER No 44

19 September HEIDE
Bn remained in same positions – patrols were sent out during the day and night but had nothing to report. SEE Appx 25-26, 27-28.

20 – 22 September HEIDE
Bn in same posns while 43 Div started to pass through after GDS ARMD DIV.

23 September HEIDE
0600 Bn moved off in TCVs to occupy village of LIESHOUT 4730. The role of 231 Bde was to guard the rt. Flank of the Army while it regrouped. Appx E OP INSTR No 47/48 – dated 22 & 23 Sep.
0900- As nothing was known about the enemy posns there – the Bn halted at 452260 while 2
1300 Carrier patrols went forward to see if there were any enemy about and to recce tracks suitable for TCVs to follow. In order to save time before the carriers returned B & C Coys moved fwd and occupied OLEN 482271 and HEIKANT 479284. The carriers returned and reported that 52nd Recce were in the village and there was a track that could be followed by TCVs although windy and sandy. The Bn then moved fwd, picking up B & C Coys en route and occupied LIESHOUT. Patrols were sent out. All had NTR except a carrier patrol to BEEK which reported being mortared just outside the village.

24 September LIESHOUT
1000 Bn moved forward in TCVs to VECHEL 4837 and harboured at 495370. While 61 Recce
1400 Regt sent out patrols to BOEKEL 5735 and 32 GDS ARMD BDE were moving on the village.
1700 Carrier patrols were also sent out & contacted 32 GDS ARMD BDE in the village. The Bn then moved fwd in TCVs and occupied BOEKEL. Patrols were sent out but failed to make contact with enemy. The local resistance movement provided valuable information re enemy dispositions. Appx C29, C30

25 September BOEKEL
0315 The village was heavily shelled from 0315 – 0700 hrs. Patrols during the night had nothing to 0800 report. Civilians stated that the enemy had withdrawn in an Easterly direction and patrols
sent out to villages known to be occupied yesterday found them free from enemy. Appx C31.
Bn HQ moved from the school in the village to a field at 569361. A school in the village had been heavily shelled during the night, and information may have reached the enemy we were occupying a school. If this had been the case it was exceptionally accurate shooting. Appx C32.

26 September BOEKEL
Bn remained in same positions. Appx C33. Appx E Op Instr No 49.

27 September ST HUBERT
0640 Bn moved in TCVs to ST. HUBERT, and established defensive position. Local patrols were sent out during the night but had NTR. APPX C34/35

28 September ST HUBERT
0945- B Coy were ordered to move to HAPS 7045 and were in position at 1230 hrs, contacting Sqn
1230 of 61 Recce Regt already there. APPX C36 The remainder of the Bn were ordered to occupy HAPS and moved off at 1530 hrs. TCVs were sent back to ST HUBERT where A Ech remained. APPX E OP INSTR No 50 Dated 28 Sept. Two large patrols were sent out during the night to ST AGATHA 7347 and OEFFELT 7545. See Patrol report Appx ‘J’. Both villages had been occupied by a tp of 61 Recce Regt. Local patrols had NTR.

29 September HAPS
1230- A & B Coys were ordered to search OEFFELT 7546 and ST AGATHA 7347. Comd Post was
1600 est at 733451. In sp of each Coy were a sec of carriers and sec of mortars. Both villages were thoroughly searched but no enemy were found. The carrier sec at OEFFELT investigated a civilian report that 7 enemy were hiding in a dyke at 765462 but found nothing. Both Coys withdrew after searching and contacting each other by carrier patrol, and left 1 Pl in each village. Carriers and mortars withdrew at last light. The Pl of A Coy at OEFFELT shot
1830 up a German patrol of 5 men in a dyke at 764462 killing one man and scattering the remainder.

30 September
0230 Again at 0230 hrs an enemy patrol was observed in the same dyke – fire was opened and the patrol scattered at 0315 hrs. The enemy pt in two burst of schmiser [sic] from near the railway at 765455 and withdrew. The standing patrol pl. of B Coy at ST AGATHA had nothing to report during the night. At first light both pls withdrew to their main Coy locations having handed over to a Sqn of 61 Recce Regt.

Incidentally, Appendix 'A' of the war diary which is a daily situation report with locations, strengths, casualties, weather, any POW taken, etc only reports casualties on 19 Sept (1 officer and 9 ORs). Does that fit in with what you know?

An example of one of the appendices (which is why I recommend you go to Kew yourself!):

From: Main HQ 231 Inf Bde 191245A

To:- (for action)
Main HQ 50 (N) Div

To:- (for infm)
2 DEVON 1 HAMPS 1 DORSET 9 DLI 14 Hy Mortar Pl C Coy 2 CHESHIRE
90 Fd Regt RA 288 A Tk Bty 138/25 LAA Bty 295 Fd Coy RE 200 Fd Amb
CCP 200Fd Amb B Ech 5 Gds Armd Bde 32 Gds Bde Gds Armd Div
69 Inf Bde 151 Inf Bde Comd

SITREP 461.
SECRET. Locns unchanged. First light patrols. 2 DEVON. Patrol to VALKENSWAARD reported rd quite clear. Patrol to WESTERHOVINSCHE 3705 encountered no enemy and continued to WESTERHOVEN 3706 which was reported clear of enemy. Patrol reported SCHAFT 4002 clear but whilst continuing to GEITENSCHOOR 4002 were informed by DUTCH policemen that this village was occupied by enemy. Patrol withdrew. 1 HAMPS. Patrols to 362012 and 369034 reported no enemy seen. Contact patrol to coy at 3700 and 9 DLI at 3698 NTR. 2 DEVON patrol now out with task of ascertaining whether GEITENSCHOOR is occupied by enemy. Air OP is going into air to look for signs of enemy activity in areas 420010 sta 419998 and 424990. Otherwise NO enemy activity in bde area. 3 (Br) Div attacked across canal 4394 – 4294 at midnight 18/19. At first light two bns had gained a crossing with fwd line of brhead approx 438946 – 437950 – 426950 – 424948. LEFT bn was strongly counter attacked during night but posns were held and stabilised by first light. 53 Inf Div posns at first light today. 1/5 WELCH area 3101. 160 Inf Bde. Bns at 3003 2704 and 3001. Wireless intercepts at 1200 hrs today indicate brhead of 53 Inf Div now larger than these posns indicate. GREN Gds now reported in NEERBOSCH 6760. 3 (Br) Div reached line of rly. All infm.