3311120 Bombardier Hugh CAMPBELL, 90th Lt AA Regiment, Royal Artillery: 09/10/1944

I am researching family ancestry for myself and a friend and have found a relative who is (I think) buried (or commemorated) at Faenza, in Italy. He is listed as being killed in action on 9 October 1944. There are archive refs listed as WO 304/3 and WO 417/83 but I have no idea how to access these. I am interested to learn of the circs of his death - ie part of what operation. Can anyone provide any details? - thanks in anticipation.

 

Hello and Welcome

first port of call is his service records link here have a read very simple to apply but currently a long wait

Get a copy of military service records


He is buried there
You can download the cert here which is used in place of a death certificate
Casualty Details | CWGC

regards
Clive

 

BOMBARDIER HUGH CAMPBELL
Service Number: 3311120
Regiment & Unit/Ship

Royal Artillery

90 Lt. A.A. Regt.

Date of Death
Died 09 October 1944

Age 30 years old

Buried or commemorated at
FAENZA WAR CEMETERY

V. G. 2.

Italy

• Country of ServiceUnited Kingdom
• Additional InfoSon of James and Bridget Campbell, of Anderston, Glasgow.
• Personal InscriptionWE'LL MEET AGAIN. MOTHER

Download certificate




BURIED OR COMMEMORATED AT
FAENZA WAR CEMETERY
Italy
Number of casualties: 1152
View cemetery details




Bmdr Hugh Campbell (Unknown-1944) - Find A Grave...

 

Re the war diaries you access them by visiting the National Archives at Kew ,London
Currently closed
However there are a couple of members who offer a copy service at a reasonable rate.
Hopefully a forum member might have the relevant diaries to share.

regards
Clive

 

He was reburied at this cemetery, so hoping some kind member can help out to show where he was initially buried which may help focus the location



TD


I think his original burial spot was
Latitude : 44° 11' 36'' N
Longitude : 11° 46' 18'' E


90 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA(TA) - The Royal Artillery 1939-45

 

Can I just ask what the doubt may be? Do the names of his parents match?

Incidentally the service number 3311120 indicates that he enlisted with The Highland Infantry. If he is your man and you are interested in tracing his military career you must get his official service records (see Clive's post #2), as here, servicemen often changed regiments so you will need to know when he was with various units.

 

He was on the Palestine 36-39 medal roll with 2nd HLI, plus below his RA casualty card

 

UK, Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949
Name: H Campbell
Service Date: 1936-1939
Service Place: Palestine
Campaign or Service: Palestine
Regiment or Unit Name: 2nd Battalion The Highland Light Infantry
Regimental Number: 3311120



Looking at the list it reminds me of Evans or Jones in a Welsh Regiment - wonder how they would differentiate between them

TD

From the mix of Regts dying at the same spot I wonder if it was a hospital or medical facility

 

Thanks to Owen, for letting me know about this thread.

Only (two OR's) was killed from the 90 LAA Regiment of The First British Infantry Division. Poor chaps. The Division did not have much use for this regiment at the time in the Italian Campaign. I think they may have been used for other duties? I need to check..

I don't have any of the War diaries of the RA for this this period, but i do have all of the infantry regiments. I've got a funny feeling that Bombardier H.Campbell, was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Will come back with the pages from the history of the division.

Regards,
Stu.

 

Thanks tony56; the doubt was only whether he was actually interred there or was merely commemorated eg on a memorial plinth. I now see that he was re-interred. This is great information and really appreciated.

 

Thanks, Clive. Much appreciated. Might as well start the ball rolling. Cheers.

 

90th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - Wikipedia
Disbandment
By late 1944 the Luftwaffe was suffering from such shortages of pilots, aircraft and fuel that serious air attacks were rare. At the same time British forces in Italy were suffering an acute manpower shortage. As early as June 1944 the Chiefs of Staff had decided that the number of AA regiments in Italy must be reduced and their fit personnel converted to other roles, particularly infantry. 90th LAA Regiment was one of those selected for disbandment: it was withdrawn from the front on 7 November and replaced in 1st Division by 11th (City of London Yeomanry) LAA Rgt. (11th (CoLY) LAA Regiment only deployed one Bofors battery in AA defence of bridges while the rest of the regiment served in a variety of support roles.)[9][25][26][27][28]
90th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment was formally disbanded on 8 January 1945.[1][5] Many of the men would have been sent to the Infantry Reinforcement Training Depot.[29] In the case of retrained AA gunners, care was taken to post them to infantry battalions from their home areas, though there were few Welsh battalions in the Mediterranean theatre.[26][30]


TD

 

Anti Tank and Light Anti Aircraft Regiments: Page 119 from the History of the First Division Florence to Monte Grande. I'm really not best pleased at all. Whilst looking through the pages of this history that i scanned some time ago, i noticed (that i did not do TWO!) Should have put my specks on.

Throughout the campaign the Anti Tank and Light Anti Aircraft Regiments had little of their own work to do. The Anti Tank manned a few guns in most sectors, and the Light Anti Aircraft had an engagement at Monte Grande, claiming a hit; but on the whole their story of a precious store of men who were (sent to do all of odd jobs in the Division.) Road and bridge building, portering, smoke screens, line laying (and stretcher-bearing) are the most important and have been mentioned in earlier chapters. Here it only remains to say the Division would have found it hard to get on without their hard work, cheerfulness and bravery.

I will have to scan the pages (again!) How did i miss that? Would anyone mind if use a expletive? What a .... e..!

The following file is from page 145; Appendix 'A' SECTION 1 TOTAL BATTLE CASUALTIES. The above Division covered the least miles in action than any other division in the Italian campaign of which i (could be wrong.) I'm going to nick name them the stuck division. Can anyone provide a headstone of 90 LAA Reg, 11261445, Johnston R.? I think we should! Armitaa, i hope you don't mind that i ask this? They only spent twelve months in this ghastly campaign.

Below are the files from the History of which was a tough month for 3 Infantry Brigade ( more so for 1 DWR, & 1 KSLI.) A Victoria Cross was awarded to the the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, of which was the last of six that this division was awarded in WW2.

Monte Ceco, is Monte Cece. All of the maps will follow the pages. They are rather good in my opinion. Hats off to them.




Notice page 60. Plan for the Final Assault on Monte Ceco (Cece.) above.Lt Col Shiel, was killed by a burst of a medium gun? He was buried on the 11th October in the Divisional cemetery ( which by all accounts was just north of Borgo S. Lorenzo!) This is up for debate. Below is the citation for Private Burton, which is taken from The History of THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S REGIMENT 1919-1952. C.N.BARCLAY. Edit: a map will be shown of Borgo S. Lorenzo at the end. It's not of the sharpest quality when it comes to being able to zoom in. The cemetery may be able to be seen? The legend is in the normal place.



I would like to mention this is from the War diary before i forget. 15/10/44, WO 170-1416 1 KSLI. Lt. McGuire, 90 L.A.A. Regt, R.A., came over for tea ( has you do.) He is in charge of the 16 bearer party attached to us from the Div R.A., for portering, etc. An unorthodox role for them. Some chaps was attached to 1 DWR, from the Anti Tank Regiment. Info from the 1 DWR War diary for the same month.

Edited to complete how i wanted it. What a pain in the rear. Drat. Don't press the wrong key.

The Castagno Smoke Screen below.

Notice the chap to the left with a goosed umbrella. Poor mule. I can't pull them two out on my own. I'm off.




I think The Divisional Engineers did not like the "Bastard Bridge" (last paragraph page 65.)







Here ends the tale of 1 Division for the month of October, 1944. The following map shows the journey they undertook to Monte Grande. 1 November, 44 . Its another mountain they would be stuck on between- 9-17, January, 1945. The relief of the Division was by 85 US. Division.


.

,

 

Given that he was a Bombadier in Oct 44, it is likely that he had spent a while in 90 LAA Regt RA. That would place him at Anzio for the whole time that 1 Inf Div was there from Jan-Jun 44.

Regards

Frank

 

Will come back & carry on. A map is missing. Any one would think i was a Apprentice at posting on this forum... Not cricket.

Regards,
Stu.

 

If anyone has, or is getting, a copy of the 90th Light A.War diaries I would be interested in a copy, or paying towards it.

 

I've got January 1944 if its any use

 

What months are you looking for? I am going down to Kew in a couple of weeks.

 

Is there a chance of file sharing it?
antitank73@hotmail.com
Thank you

 

Actually seeking March 42 to end of war.
but if you could get any month Feb 43 would be great.
my email is antitank73@hotmail.com
thank you