4th Indian Division Royal Artillery

Hi I posted this another topic I think I put it in the wrong one, Im looking for information and hopefully pictures of my grandfather Donald Beric Davies he was a Battery Sergeant Major in the Royal Artillery 4th Indian Division primarily in the Italian Campaign and alongside the Gurkhas he was on the 35pdr Guns.

He survived the War but died when I was young, he moved a lot after the war with his family and in the process lost photos and even a medal I would like to get some information and if possible and I know its a long shot some photos of him during this time.

I told a story in the other thread that when he and his friend were taking a break behind the lines he suddenly felt someone touch his boots and say (not sure iv got the spelling right) "Te-ki Jonhhy" it turns out the Gurkhas were in the area and the way they would find out if you were British or German without giving away there position was to feel the laces of the boot.

If anyone has information and pictures of my granddad it would be most appreciated.

Thank You.

 

Hi JayUK84

4th Indian Infantry Division were in Greece 1944-1945.

I have already attached their official history in Greece at http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/44422-a-little-help-finding-personal-memoirs-etc-please/

Just scroll halfway down and you'll find it.

Happy reading

Gus

 

Hi thank you for replying I have been pestering my family to make sure if it was 4th Indian division Royal Artillery and they keep telling me he was and in Italy at monte cassino and Greece but apart from the odd battle name and the odd story here and there I don't know much about what he did or went through I did find out he was one of the main lorry drivers for the unit iv been told that he was sometimes put in front of a convoy with no lights on at night when the German planes were overhead.

Thank You for adding more information on the 4th indian division iv got a bad feeling there isn't anyone left that might have served with my granddad but im still looking for more info on the division and my granddad.

 

hi Jay

If you need anything else about Greece, just ask

Gus

 

The Tiger Triumphs: The Story of Three Great Divisions in Italy. Published by His Majesty’s Stationery Office for the Government of India 1946
"The Fourth, Eighth and Tenth Indian Divisions will forever be associated with the fighting for Cassino, the capture of Rome, the Arno Valley, the liberation of Florence and the breaking of the Gothic Line".
Available to read online in two versions

http://www.ibiblio.org/britishraj/Tiger3/index.html Transcribed by Chris Gage
http://www.ourstory.info/library/4-ww2/Tiger/triumphsTC.html ourstory.info AFS (American Field Service)

Cheers
Maureen

 

Thank you to everyone who has replied iv already started to paint picture of the 4th indian division also any more pictures of the division especially on the royal artillery body of the 4th indian division all I need now are people who may have served with my granddad.

 

A quick check of the order of battle for Italy seems to indicate the Divisional artillery of the 4th Indiian division in Italy included 1st, 11th & 31 Field Regiments 57 LAA and 149 Atk Regiments. There are only 3-4 batteries in each regiment and the BSM is the senior solider in each, and it should be quite likely to find a mention or a photo in the unit records. .

The field regiments of 4th Indian Division were all from regular pre war units, so their traditions histories etc should be held somewhere - probably Firepower. All of these are disbanded. The last battery in the RA to carry the red eagle or "shitehawk" badge was 42 (Alem Hemza) Battery which was only placed in suspended animation recently as part of a restructuring of the UAV batteries. The history of 31 Field Regiment is excdllent and contains lots of photos and accounts of the experiences of the 4th Indian Division's artillery group.

149 ATk was a TA unit formed from the Lancashire Yeomanry. They are still in existence and will have regimental history and archives. 57 LAA were another TA unit formed from an infantry battalion of the Kings own Yorkshire light infantry.

 

thank you to everyone for the help I've always been very proud of my granddad's war achievements in the royal artillery 4th Indian Division it does feel at times a forgotten division as I could only find the odd bit of info on them im still trying to fond a picture of my granddad during his time in the service and if anyone else knows where to look that would be fantastic (hopefully a site that doesn't need payment to look at its documents like certain genealogy sites).

Many, Many Thanks.

 

Iv done so much research on the 4th indian division still cant seem to find him it looks like I might have to go to the MOD and ask for his service record the problem is they want his service number and I don't know it neither does my mum or her sisters.

 

Jay my father John Reid was in the 4th Indian Division, 11th Field Regiment R.A., 187 Battery, F Troop. He died October 2016 and until shortly before his death still moaned that there were few references to the history of the Division and Regiment compared to others. He lost most of his friends at Monte Casino. If you get more information it might be possible from the photos mum has to see if they were ever pictured together. Got a good one of dad entering Rome.

 

I agree with your late father that the 4th Ind Div artillery has not been very well-served by the historians: considering the very large number of actions the they were involved in, there is little beyond the divisional histories--and even those tend to refer to 'the guns' as an amorphous blob instead of describing them individually. 31 Fd Regt has its own published history, mostly culled from the war diaries, but 11 Fd Regt has only Gunfire Target: Six Years with the Royal Artillery by Edward A. Oates and 1 Fd Regt has nothing whatsoever that I know of.

My grandfather's battalion (1/4th Essex of 5th Brigade) were most often supported by 1 Fd Regt, but 11 Fd Regt were certainly doing the job at times. I'd be very interested to see anything you might be able to upload of your father and his mates.

 

My Dad served with the RA in the 4th Indian Div. He was at Casino and then ended up in Greece, although not sure what Regt he was with. Strangly enough refering to the intial post in this thread my Dad also told me about having his boots felt by a Gurhka.

 

Just dug through some of his papers and found he was with 80 Battery 1st Field Regt

 

David... There is a good chance that your Father and mine were serving alongside each other...

I have my Father's 'Army Book' and plenty of reminiscences but like so many from that campaign he didn't like to talk about the war, too, often...

In brief, Major Robert Surridge served with the 1st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, 4th Indian Division, Eighth Army in North Africa and Italy 1943-44...Underneath Casino, he positioned his four 25lb guns along Route 66, and gave covering fire to what he always called his 'wonderful little gurkhas' ... as they went into action, and covering fire as they returned...

He then told this story that he found himself, by pure chance, to be the most senior officer in Athens and so want to the National Bank and chawed the cheque so that he could pay 'the troops'...just his gunners, or all the 4th Indian Division I don't know...

I will be posting his story later today and I will be seeking any help I can glean from other members in tracking down his movements.....think he arrived in North Africa, in Bone, on 21st January 1943 on Convoy KMS.8G..but thereafter I cannot track his movements...

 

You're in luck.

See here:
1 Fd Regt RA at Cassino - March 44

 

Dave Caddy ..'Just dug through some of his papers and found he was with 80 Battery 1st Field Regt...'

And this week, Dave, I have discovered that my father, Robert Surridge, was also with the same regiment and the same battery at Monte Cassino....you can follow my exchanges with the very knowledgeable contributors in these forums ..

 

Mark.

Route 6 rather that Route 66!

Regards

Frank