51st Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery

Dear All,

im currently researching an Event that occured on June 1, 1945, where (among others) at least 2 Members of the 51 Heavy Regt. RA (51 (Lowland) Heavy Regiment RA (TA) - The Royal Artillery 1939-45) lost their lives.

Im looking for the units war diary for June 1945 and have tried a catalogue search at the National Archives at Kew but to no avail.
Does anyone here have the said war diary available and would be willing to share?

Regards
Emden

 

Emden,

You are the second member who is looking for them! Tom C. is the other.

 

Thanks again David! Ill send him a DM

 

TNA does have their 1945 War Diary, for an obscure reason Heavy has been shortened to Hvy

It is: WO 171/4876 See: 51 Hvy. Regt. | The National Archives Yes, it has now been digitised. Now the "bad news" that record is not trace here! Nor on the list for Ancestry (I do not use that).

There are a few medal notices from Belgium in 1944 and one, a MC, for an officer 1944-1945 which is digitised. See: Recommendation for Award for Russell, Alastair Lionel Rank: Captain, Temporary... | The National Archives A MM for an Acting Sgt. Recommendation for Award for Finlay, Thomas Carnie Rank: Paid Acting Serjeant,... | The National Archives digitised too.

I discovered that on 1/6/1945 ten RA members died, all were initially buried @ Oldenburg (Sage) British Military Cemetery and were reburied in 1947. Seven from 619 Regt. RA, and one 53 Medium Regt. and one is a CWGC mistake he died later 21/6/1945. See: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2073992/harry-moon/

The one from 51st was: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2073929/peter-lund/

This thread is one of three on the explosion @ Emden. Check Emden1945's profile for details.

 

Hello Emden,
I have downloaded the CWGC casualty list; filtering for the 51st Heavy Regiment, two names appear on the date you have given:

11254876 - Gunner GEORGE LLEWELLYN GARDNER - Age 28
1155744 - Gunner PETER LUND - Age 21

These are (according to the CWGC site), two of the 16 members of the 51 Hvy who lost their lives during the war.
EDIT: My Findmypast subscription has ran out - let me renew and I will search these two gunners for you, as casualty cards exist for both.

 

Hello Tom, thank you for your insight! I've also found the names of Gunners Lund and Gardner and was curious about any other casualties the 51st might have sustained that day. Thank you for looking up the cacualty cards. Thank your for your help!

Regards from the beautiful city of emden

 

Note these two names are deaths, I would be interested to see if anymore of the regiment were injured on the same day - I feel like we need to see the war diary for this day.

 

Yes, I think so, sadly Im in Germany, so ill see if I can order a digitalisation. 619. Rgt. RA reports 19 Injuries that day.

 

Update: Requested a Page Check today, June 4th, 2025

 

Tom,

I have since recieved and reviewd said War Diary for June 1st 1945: VECHTA, 1st June, Explosion occured at ammunition dump at EMDEN where each battery hat a working party. two ORs killed and two?? Vehc. were destroyed" - I PM'd you with the Details.

Regards Emden

 

Can help post May 45 with movements

51st (Lowland) Heavy Regt RA – 4th Army Group RA
16 Jan 46 – 105th Anti-Aircraft Brigade
27 Mar 46 – suspended animation

Missing the RHQ location for the 1 May 45 hoping researchers can help

21st Army Group later British Army of the Rhine (under construction)

 

Thanks Steve, appreaciated!