3rd Battalion IRISH GUARDS

Discussion in 'The Brigade of Guards' started by dbf, Mar 25, 2008.

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  1. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    These are the War Diaries for 3/IG for 20.4.45.

    [​IMG]
     
    Paul Reed, Oct 9, 2008
    #61
  2. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    next page:

    [​IMG]
     
    Paul Reed, Oct 9, 2008
    #62
  3. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    This will get you to the area of the fighting on Google Earth. Just cut and paste this ref:

    53°14'43.75"N 9°21'18.12"E
     
    Paul Reed, Oct 9, 2008
    #63
  4. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Sorry, I see Diane has already posted a transcript of the diary. I just wanted to post this to show that he did not die in crossing the Rhine. Hope it's of interest?
     
    Paul Reed, Oct 9, 2008
    #64
    Owen likes this.
  5. Kennedi

    Kennedi Junior Member

    im confused is there a casualty list then of where people died cause for the last 63 years we thought he had died where they told my greatgrandmother. which was crossing the rhine so how do you no for certain he wasnt there
     
    Kennedi, Oct 9, 2008
    #65
  6. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    No, but your relative died on 20th April 1945. I posted the war diary details above which shows they were in combat around Elsdorf that day, which is not on the Rhine. I suspect it may have been a family story; probably reference to the 'Rhine' meant more than Elsdorf?
     
    Paul Reed, Oct 9, 2008
    #66
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    It is most probaly a figure of speech as in " He died after we crossed the Rhine."
     
    Owen, Oct 9, 2008
    #67
  8. Kennedi

    Kennedi Junior Member

    o i see sorry im only 11 and im trying so hard to get this right. :)
     
    Kennedi, Oct 9, 2008
    #68
  9. Kennedi

    Kennedi Junior Member

    I have a photograph of my Greatgrandad outside checkers where i think the president stayed. would anyone no anything or have any pictures of the service medals or uniform badge around that time please
     
    Kennedi, Oct 9, 2008
    #69
  10. Kennedi

    Kennedi Junior Member

    and how do i get a copy of the war journals and would there be a record of where and how he died and if so how do i get a copy? sorry to be a pain
     
    Kennedi, Oct 9, 2008
    #70
  11. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    By 'war journals' do you mean War Diaries? I've posted some copies above. The rest of the diary for April 1945 is here, which you can download from my Flickr page:

    3 Irish Guards Apl 45 - a set on Flickr
     
    Paul Reed, Oct 9, 2008
    #71
  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    im only 11
    sorry to be a pain

    No way are you a pain.
    I wish I had this forum when I was 11.
    Ask away!
    .
     
    Owen, Oct 9, 2008
    #72
  13. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Owen,

    Lovely reply, its really great to see such interest from the youth of today.

    Regards

    Tom
     
    Smudger Jnr, Oct 9, 2008
    #73
  14. Kennedi

    Kennedi Junior Member

    hi again ty all so much for your help my dad has looked on the map and we can see maybe the route he took, from zeven to elsdorf he would have to cross the rhine so its seems owen and paul are right. Ty . Yes the war diaries i tryed to print the copy off paul but is blurred. It would knock my teachers socks off to see how much research im doing and any pictures of medals or badges anything would be fantastic, again ty all for your help:):)
     
    Kennedi, Oct 9, 2008
    #74
  15. Kennedi

    Kennedi Junior Member

    ive also put some pictures of my greatgrandad at checkers and where he was buried if anyone would be interested
     
    Kennedi, Oct 9, 2008
    #75
  16. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Would love to see your photos - and as Owen says, we very much appreciate you posting here. We all would have loved something like this when we were 11!
     
    Paul Reed, Oct 9, 2008
    #76
  17. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Owen, Oct 9, 2008
    #77
  18. Kennedi

    Kennedi Junior Member

    thanks i'm not sure if you guys now im not only 11 but im a girl too lol so can anyone help with the war diaries i did try and print them off but sadly they came out blurred help
     
    Kennedi, Oct 9, 2008
    #78
  19. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    ... now im not only 11 but im a girl too lol

    Well... that changes everything... :lol:

    But seriously, did you try printing them from the image on this post or the ones on my flickr page? The ones on flickr look ok for printing to me if you download them in their original size.
     
    Paul Reed, Oct 9, 2008
    #79
  20. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hi Kennedi and Lou,
    Going by the information given about Sidney I would guess that he was in the 1st Battalion initially. They saw service in Norway, North Africa and Italy. Without Sidney’s service records however, there is no way of knowing for certain if he was with them at any of the above places. As the 1st Bn’s numbers were severely depleted after Italy, those from the 1st, who were able, took part in NW Europe Campaign as reinforcements for the 3rd Battalion.

    Looking at one of your excellent photos and going by your account of his death, it could well be that Sidney was in the Carrier Platoon with the 3rd Battalion. I have accounts from my father about how they were involved in - amongst many other things - ferrying ammunition etc up to the front line during Operation Market Garden.

    On this thread there is a discussion about carriers.
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/general/9035-universal-carriers.html
    I posted this link to a nice site from someone who served with 3 IG Carrier Pl from '44, so the same time as Sidney. He was a veteran of 1st Battalion, so in this way he may have something more in common with Sidney. There is a very moving account of the Guards in the Norwegian Campaign. I suggest you try and contact the owner of the site to see if they can help. Grandads War: 5. France & Germany Have a look here first Grandads War: 5. France & Germany and see if you can spot Sidney here - it would give some confirmation at least.

    In your account you said that you had a photo of Sidney with another man who died. I I checked your album, great photos by the way. I did a search for you for the 20th April 1945 and the only other Irish Guardsman who died that day was a Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, O’Brien, who is buried in Reichswald War Cemetery.
    http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=2040771
    Looking at the facts as they stand, he is very unlikely to be the man. What I do think may have happened is that someone may have died later from injuries received on the same day. Unfortunately, there is no way of telling who from the small bit of information. Because of the way this War diary has been recorded, it is impossible to tell anything about numbers of casualties.

    What I can say for certain is that on the 20th it had been raining after a week’s good weather. The battalion HQ was in Sittensen and 100 prisoners of war were taken that day.

    Now to your photos, and the unknown men. This is a site which might just get you some information. It was started by an ex-Mick and is now run by his son. http://www.irish-guards.co.uk/_New_Site/index_new.html If you contact him, he can put up them up on his site with a message from yourself. It is then a matter of waiting to see if anyone recognises a relative in them. This way you might just get some more information about Sidney.

    As to medals, it is hard to guess what Sidney would have been entitled to not knowing his service details and dates; he may have also served in North Africa or Italy. He would however have been entitled to at least the following medals, War Medal, 1939-45 Star, and the France & Germany Star. Is the photo up in your album of Sidney’s actual medals? If not, do you know if your grandmother received his medals? An enquiry can be made to the MOD if you are not sure. You could ask them what his entitlement was and this may then let you know more about where he served.
    http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/ContactingTheMedalOffice.htm

    Here is an explanation / description from MOD of WW2 medals and the criteria under which they were awarded.
    http://www.mod.uk/defenceinternet/defencefor/veterans/medals/worldwariimedalsummary.htm

    This is a rather nice little leaflet here showing all the medals, page 4 being the most illustrative.
    http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F094AB02-070D-4D93-A15C-EDA1694A1591/0/Medals_Booklet.pdf

    Other sites dealing with Irish Guards history and research:
    http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regiments/6316.aspx
    http://www.irishguards.org.uk/

    Hope this goes some way to dealing with some questions. Let me know if you have any other.

    Best wishes,
    Diane
     
    dbf, Oct 10, 2008
    #80
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