62 Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery

The picture most likely was taken on the same spot where Bill Cuthberson nearly skidded off the road, see http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/battle-specifics/31632-brits-ardennes-44-45-a-15.html#post393251

 

Hi. Just to introduce myself I'll give a brief outline of why I'm posting here.

Last year I discovered from British Army records that my late father-in-law was a gunner/driver with 248 Battery 62nd AT Reg and started the slow process of finding out what he'd done during the war.

Trawling through all the threads on other forums and various sites gave me an insight into what he'd done i.e landing on Juno beach in support of the Canadian Infantry but then I found Philip's website dedicated to the RA regiments and all the information that it contained.

The icing on the cake was when I found a picture of my late father-in law John "Jerry" Jerwood sitting on an M10 with the rest of the crew, when they were resting up in Ramsdonkveer in the winter of 1944/45.

Contacting Philip eventually resulted in me finding and meeting Wally Shea who is also pictured sitting on the M10 with Jerry.

The meeting with Wally at his home in Macclesfield last year was very emotional for my wife as you can imagine. Here she was talking to a man who'd spent some very dangerous times with her late father and who was prepared to tell her about the experiences good and bad, they'd shared.

We are still in touch with Wally and only today (Sunday) he emailed us (yes, he's IT savvy is Wally) to remind me that the following day is the anniversary of the D-Day landings (as if I'd forget anyway) and not to forget the sacrifices made by all the men who didn't make it.

Sorry for going on a bit but I hope you can see that I have a keen interest in the 62nd ATR and particularly J troop 248 battery and anything more I can learn about the wartime history of the men in that battery.

I believe someone on here mentioned there are are diaries for the regiment!

I did contact the curator of the RA Museum and Library in Woolwich, London but he was most unhelpful and I didn't pursue that line of enquiry, as it seemed as though he was engaged in more important things than helping someone research a bit of history.

If anyone has copied the war diaries at some time and would be willing to share what they have with me, I and my wife (and Wally for that matter) would be extremely grateful.

Wally did pass on to me some other photos he has in his collection that I copied and would willingly pass on to anyone who has an interest. They are mainly of Wally, Jerry and the crew of the M10 in various locations doing nothing exciting but they mean a lot to us.

Thanks for starting this thread Philip and to all of you that have contributed so far.

Roger

 

Hi Roger & welcome,

I have a few of the war diaries of 62 AT and will have a look later after work. I did some research recently on Norman Bowden, a Sergeant with 245 Battery, who Wally would probably be aware of. They used to call him the Brixton Tank Buster, who was sadly killed in Holland in October 1944.

Cheers - Rob

 

Hello Rob,

This is from an earlier post. When you check the diaries we you please have a look and see if any such detail is listed.

Cheers
Kevin

62nd Anti-Tank Vehicle Numbers
Some vehicle WD serials used by 62nd Anti-Tank Regiment

Crusader Gun Tractors
T124225, T125708, T126880, T127029

Unfortunately I have no further detail as to which Battery, 246 or 247, they belong to.

M10 3” Gun
S214726, S214793, S215990, S230990, S231069, S237808

In an earlier post it states that 245 and 248 Battery used 17 pdr’s so I need to do a little more research to confirm the gun type. Again no Battery details.

M10 17 pdr

S237786, S237811 “CHELSEA” 248 Batter J Troop, S290448, S290458, S290501, S290503, S290568, S290593, S290623, S290636, S290665, S290686, S290729, S290732, S290783, S290786, S290806, S290807

If anyone can add any further detail it would be appreciated.

 

Rob, reference Norman Bowden, I shall ask Wally when I next speak with him.

The nickname given to him as the "Brixton Tank Buster" must surely relate to the fact that the RA Barracks in Brixton is where he signed up to the 62nd which was where my father-in law also signed up in May 1939 as a Territorial member of the regiment.

 

Hi Roger,

This is a post I did about 3 men of 248 Battery (Pollock, Hall & Pethica) who were killed in October 1944. You can see my interest in researching this particular incident. I also posted what happened to men from the other 62 AT batteries in that October.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/searching-someone-military-genealogy/21194-royal-artillery-roll-honour-1939-47-a-178.html#post329778

and the same place where the 2 guys from my Dad's unit (Le Rue & Warburton) were killed the day before)

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/searching-someone-military-genealogy/21194-royal-artillery-roll-honour-1939-47-a-173.html#post329339

 

"!"

"!"

"!"

 

What's happening on 18 October? I need to check my work diary when I get back home this weekend and will let you know if it is possible.

I am also interested in January 1945 for 62 AT, since I saw the graves of Brown, Callan and Rapley at St. Annaland last week. Died 17 January 1945. Did not realise they were in Zeeland at that time.

Are you looking at this also, or just a coincidence.
I was there on friday as my uncle is one of those commemorated - Victor Rapley. We did learn what happened to the 3 soldiers who died and were taken to where they died. I would like to know how many men were deployed at the battery and when it was first put there. Also, when it was finally removed and when was the third island to the north of Tholen liberated.

 

What's happening on 18 October? I need to check my work diary when I get back home this weekend and will let you know if it is possible.

I am also interested in January 1945 for 62 AT, since I saw the graves of Brown, Callan and Rapley at St. Annaland last week. Died 17 January 1945. Did not realise they were in Zeeland at that time.

Are you looking at this also, or just a coincidence.
Further question - which battery was posted to Sint Annaland?

 

Hi Alamar and welcome.

I have the battery diaries and can tell you the information you require later today. I have to rush out now for for a short while. Been to St. Annaland myself and photographed the graves and memorial there.

Regards - Rob

 

Victor Rapley was in H Troop of 247 Battery, 62 AT Regiment when he was killed along with two other men from his patrol.

The attached pages from their war diary are situation reports for January 1945 with details of the map refs where each Troop were located, numbers of men in the Battery, under whose command they were each day, etc.

The Regiment arrived in the area on 13 November and were deployed on active patrolling against regular enemy incursions. This was the front line, as areas north of this, were still occupied until the end of the war.

 

Message also for "Rob" ref Sint Annaland - 247 battery -My uncle was one of the three men killed - Many thanks Rob - thi diary account runs counter to what we were infomed on Friday - that they had been stabbed to death by the German raiding party. Is there any further info on the following pages of the diary (pages 6 and following)?? Still doesn't answer yet the question as to how many men were deployed at St Annaland or when they arrived! Thanks for your help. I look forward to the "mystery" being clarified. I suppose the other question is, how many men were actually at the emplacement that night? The local Dutch community would really like further contact with any relatives/descendants of Callan. Are you aware of any??

 

Hi - I also had a post from "Rob" I think it was, but have lost the thread. I was at the cemetery in Sint Annaland on Friday and then attended a memorial service in Tholen in the evening when around 1,000 people from the community came to remember the fallen. I am still looking for some answers - how many troops were there from 247 battery stationed at Sint Annaland, when did they arrive and when did they leave? Also, how many were deployed at the gun emplacement on the night of 17 January '45? I was also asking Rob for pages 6 and following to see what else they said about the incident on the night of the 17th. If any Germans in the raiding party were killed, where were they buried?? I would also like to contact any of Callan or Brown's relatives as the local community would like some contact if there are any still alive. Our party (my sister, brother in law, my niece and my wife brought the number to have visited Sint Annaland to 17 over the past few years. I don't know what they were doing in the area, but another uncle, who was serving with the Desert Rats visited the grave of uncle Vic shortly after the event when there was still just a wooden cross to mark the graves. The local paper (Eendaachtbode) had a large front and inside page spread about the incident on the 17th, especially focussing on my aunt's visit along with two of my cousins and their wives. It was dated 28 April 2011. I look forward to learning more!



What's happening on 18 October? I need to check my work diary when I get back home this weekend and will let you know if it is possible.

I am also interested in January 1945 for 62 AT, since I saw the graves of Brown, Callan and Rapley at St. Annaland last week. Died 17 January 1945. Did not realise they were in Zeeland at that time.

Are you looking at this also, or just a coincidence.

 

Alamar,

War diaries rarely go into the sort of detail that you are seeking to find. The unit and troops of this Battery were constantly moving around on patrols and won't necessarily record every single movement and how many men were involved. The war diary clearly states though when they went to Sint Annaland?

I don't know of any relatives of Callan that the Dutch Villagers can contact, although people have been tracked down with some research. Can you ask one of them to contact me to see what we can do.

Rob

 

Many thanks Rob! I'd still appreciate the next couple of pages of the war diary for 247 (pages 6 & 7) if that's possible, or point me to the source so that I can investigate myself.

Just looked online at today's edition of "eendaachtbode" - local paper for Tholen and Sint Annaland and there are a couple of photos of myself and my sister and party at the Tholen memorial last Friday.

If I get further info on the Brown and Callan families, I'll let you know.
Kind regards.

Alan

 

-

 

Hi Rob, sorry to be so thick, but being new to the site, I've managed to "lose" the 5th page of the war diary you sent me for 247 battery and the photos you took of the graves at St. Annaland and wonder if you would be so kind as to resend them - along if possible with the following couple of pages from the war diary for 17 January. Is there a site I can look at the diaries for myself rather than keep bothering you with questions. Many thanks for your help to date - the family have appreciated being able to piece together what happened to Uncle Vic. Alan

 

Alamar,

You keep posting on two seperate threads about 62 AT. When I answer a question on one thread, you respond on the other one.

I've already posted a link to the 247 Battery January 1945 diary with all the headstone photos on the other one for you.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/royal-artillery/40176-62-anti-tank-regiment-royal-artillery-war-diaries-anything-related.html#post499868

and another link to the RA/RHA Rollof Honour thread where the details of all three men are also posted.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/searching-someone-military-genealogy/21194-royal-artillery-royal-horse-artillery-roll-honour-1939-47-a-190.html#post332452

If you also type Rapley into the search feature on the Portal page, this will list the threads where his name appears.

 

great read, thanks for putting online. And their typed. My grandfathers regimental diaries, (73rdAnti tank are mostly hand written. It's taking me ages to de cypher them..lol

 

Hi there,

New here today but I am looking for information about 62 Anti Tank, I believe My late Grandfather Herbert Bosworth 998245 Served with 62, I say believe because the scans I had of his demob book have been lost from my hard drive. Would there be any manning records out there that I could investigate?

Thanks,

Matt.

*EDIT* Found the scans of Grandad's Demob Book, He was serving with 247 Battery 62 Anti Tank Regt according to the stamps on the book, Would anyone have access to 247 Battery War Diaries?, would be very much obliged if anyone could point me in the right direction?.