6th Battalion Seaforth Higlanders books

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by jdchisim, Jan 18, 2022.

  1. jdchisim

    jdchisim New Member

    Hi,

    My GGrandfather was in the 6th Seaforth Highlanders from 1941 - 1945.

    I think he was maybe in another battalion of them in India during the 1920/30s.

    I am just wondering, is there any books or war diaries for this battalion which would be worth reading?

    Bonus question: His records say he was 3rd Class Dagshai in 1928. Does anyone have any idea what this is?

    Thanks for any help.
     
  2. JITTER PARTY

    JITTER PARTY Well-Known Member

  3. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    6 SEAFORTHS were in 17 Infantry Brigade who were themselves part of 5 Infantry Division.

    They landed at Reggio di Calabria in the toe of Italy on 3 Sep 43 and pressed northwards. They were heavily involved in the crossing of the Garigliano on 17 Jan 44 before being rushed to Anzio to prop up a collapsing bridgehead. Here they stayed until the breakout from Anzio on 23 May 44 when they pushed up the coast to Rome.

    I have a lot of information on their crossing of the Garigliano operation if that helps.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  4. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I did some poking around on worldcat but didn't turn up any useful books about the battalion or division per se. I know the division went all over the place from a book I read by an anti-tank gunner in the division (Gunners on Tour).

    Looking at wikipedia, it seems like your great grandfather would also have participated in Operation Ironclad, the invasion of Madagascar in 1942, and in February 1945 5th Division transferred along with the Canadians from Italy to northwest Europe.

    edited PS - I know that an author named Russell Phillips published a book last year on the Madagascar campaign called A Strange Campaign but I have not read it and cannot vouch for its quality.
     
  5. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    The only book as I know that is connected with 6th Seaforths is "Seaforth Highlanders: a Fighting Soldier Remembers" by Jim Stockman but that is a personal account of service in the battalion during the war.
     
  6. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Are you sure that he wasn't in 5th Battalion? I am pretty sure I looked at this with respect to actions in January 1945 in the Ardennes (51st Division).
     
  7. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    I don't know if author ever served in 5th Battalion, but he did served in 6th Battalion in France, Madagascar and Italy. Description for one of the copies available on Abebooks

    Account of the author's WWII experiences with the 6th Battalion.

    Some pages from another copy available on ebay
     

    Attached Files:

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  8. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    2nd Seaforth were in India and North West Frontier 1919 to 1932.
    6th Battalion went to France 20th January 1940. Madagascar March 1942.June 10th 1942, after 4 weeks in Madagascar they moved to India. September 1942 to Iran and Iraq. January 43 to Egypt and then toook part in the Invasion of Sicily as part of the assault troops. 43/44 Italy. March 1945 they landed at Marseilles and moved through France to join the advance into Belgium. Their last operations were the advance into Germany finishing their war at Lubeck.
    The page in the book (above) mentions 2nd Camerons, 2nd Camerons were never in France.
     
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  9. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Content page of the "Seaforth Highlanders: a Fighting Soldier Remembers"

    IMG_0027.jpg
     
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  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    He's not the first , or last , person to confuse them with 2nd Cameronians .
    :)
     

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