2nd Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery and Associated Batteries

Taken from the link below and identified by May 1940 (Andrew) and Rich Payne and the rest of the 1940 gang.

BEF Vehicle Markings Thread Post Number 6.

Now that vehicle units are being successfully identified I thought I'd pull any pictures out of the above thread that can have further information added to them from the war diaries I already have.

Whilst the Thornycroft below has been identified as having the 2nd Searchlight Regiment formation sign its not possible to identify what battery it belonged to so I have attached all of the likely entries available for the units war diaries.


WO 167/677

 

5th Battery-No diary for May

6th Battery


7th Battery-No diary for May

8th Battery

 

BEF Vehicle Markings Thread Post Number 9.

Either of the two battery pages posted could fit in with this vehicle.
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachments/1940/39923d1288958881-bef-army-troops-vehicle-arm-service-markings-others-lorry-dunkirk-49-bar-below-cropped-jpg

 

My Father in Law was in 5 battery/2nd Searchlight Reg

 

I like to think this Thornycroft maybe somewhere hear Hondeghem belonging to the troops that fought with K Battery, 5 Royal Horse Artillery but it's impossible to say.



Posted by Rich Payne and thanks to Andrew's book the unit was identified in the BEF Army Troops thread - see post No.6. War diary details below in the next post with possible locations. Moeres is a good posibility in my opinion.

 

From WO 167/677 2 SL Regt War Diary

 

From WO 167/685 6 Bty 2 SL Regt War Diary

 

From WO 167/687 8 Bty 2 SL Regt War Diary

 

Another 2 SL Regt vehicle-a impressed civilian Bedford three tonner abandoned in Dunkirk. See the BEF Army Troops thread Post No.13 for the original post.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachments/1940/39923d1288958881-bef-army-troops-vehicle-arm-service-markings-others-lorry-dunkirk-49-bar-below-cropped-jpg

 

My Grandfather was a driver/mechanic in the 2nd Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery. On 19 May 1940 his regiment were driving through French Countryside when they were bombed and ambushed by the German's with machine guns. I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who has more information regarding this incident. Many thanks in advance.

 

Hi LaineyB,

My grandfather was a Gunner in 6 Battery, 2nd Searchlight Regiment. He was captured around the same time, 20th May 1940 at Abbeville and later at St Omer 10 days later.

Do you have any more information? What battery was he in?

 

Hi Laineyb,

My Grandmother's childhood friend was in the 2nd Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery. He was killed circa 19th May 1940, presumably in the incident you have detailed below. I visited his grave a few weeks ago and have photos of the other graves if you are interested.

kind regards

Martin.

 

My great grand father was in the 8th battery 2nd searchlights and was captured around the dates said above aswell he was killed along with another person on the 22 May 1940. They were killed and buried near Phien Les Guines. If anyone else has any other information I would love you hear what they were doing at that point ? His name is Robert Mills Holt

 

Casualty Details

A copy of his service records may help as he may not have been with 8 Battery. Their war diary as them near St. Omer on the 22nd May 1940.

 

Hi Laineyb
I have noticed your comment above re the incident on the 19th May 1940 and the 2nd Searchlight Regiment and am wondering if you have managed to obtain any further info on this. I am researching for a friend his father who served in the same unit and returned to the UK on the 19/20 May 1940 which may mean he was also involved in the same incident. Thank you
Trevor

 

UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947
Name: Robert Mills Holt
Age: 29
Birth Date: abt 1911
Death Date: 22 May 1940
Cemetery: Pihen-Les-Guines War Cemetery Fr 373
Burial Country: France
Father: Richard Grimshaw Holt
Mother: Christina Holt
Regimental Number: 805861
Region or Memorial: France

Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current
Name: Lance Serjeant Robert Mills Holt
Death Date: 22 May 1940
Cemetery: Pihen-les-Guines War Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place: Pihen-les-Guines, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
Has Bio?: N
URL: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-...


Lance Serjeant
HOLT, ROBERT MILLS
Service Number 805861
Died 22/05/1940
Aged 29
8 Bty., 2 Searchlight Regt.
Royal Artillery
Son of Richard Grimshaw Holt and Christina Holt; husband of Dulcie Holt, of Farnborough, Hampshire.
Casualty


A search of this cemetery for May 1940 (Results) shows a variety of dates, units and services (all 3 in fact) so was it possible this cemetery was near to a hospital at that time??

TD

 

I belive having done extensive research into the matter I believe that the Thornycroft belonging to 2nd S/L Regt
might well be

Hi all
After doing a lot of digging and research I believe that the Thornycroft truck in the photo most likely belonged to 6 Btty or 8 Btty. In the diary for 8 Btty they are located with parts of 6 Btty at a location given as Moeres at a grid reference H 413835 which is a location approx. 3 km south of De Panne.

The photograph below is a Google image for that location and clearly shows a very similar location. This was the last location for the unit and what remained of them were ordered at 15 mins notice to Dunkirk for evacuation.

 

Good morning very interesting post. My uncle served with the 2nd searchlight regiment royal artillery before he was captured at Dunkirk and transported to 2 pow camps where he sadly pereished on his voyage home with a pint of his own blood. I get so confused with regiments and battery’s he was a gunner.

 

Hello, Thank you for your response. Sadly I do not know anything else as my Grandfather is now deceased.

 

Hello Trevor, As yet I have no more information. I do know that my Grandfather did not return to England until 1943 as he was a POW until 1943. Thank you.