78th British Infantry Division - "The Battleaxe Div"

Discussion in 'Higher Formations' started by Ron Goldstein, Nov 4, 2010.

  1. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Wendy

    Looks like your father missed out with the push through the liri Valley as i note he went sick on the 8th May '44 - then missed out with the Egypt rest session in the July - and again in October '44 with another spell in Hospital which accounts for lots of TOS- SOS - X(ii) - X(iv) but managed to get back to his unit each time so he did well for his 5 plus years of service- from Algiers to the Alps
    Well done
    Cheers
     
  2. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Wendy,

    I'm probably not adding much here

    One section says he was in North Africa for a number of years, but the details say that he sailed both to Sicily and Italy.

    a couple of questions:

    It might be self evident (somewhere) but

    i) How do you know he was associated with 11th Brigade ?

    ii) Did he get his Italy Star (update - now spotted) ?

    I'm sure I've missed something.

    best regards,
     
  3. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Bexley QUOTE

    How do you know he was associated with 11th Brigade ?

    It is written on his service record- CJF2 Line 6 page 1

    Lesley
     
  4. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Ok and thanks. Dim today.
     
  5. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Richard / Lesley

    Quite right 11th bde is mention along with 57 Coy RASC- plus didn't spend years in Africa but it is 223 DAYS = 7 months which is about right then one had to sail to Sicily and the Straits from Messina to Italy note the short sailing time - and all the dates are right also...
    Cheers
     
  6. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Richard / Lesley

    Quite right 11th bde is mention along with 57 Coy RASC- plus didn't spend years in Africa but it is 223 DAYS = 7 months which is about right then one had to sail to Sicily and the Straits from Messina to Italy note the short sailing time - and all the dates are right also...
    Cheers

    Hi Tom
    It looks like the busy clerks were having a bad day again;).
    Do you remember they had my dad down as still in North Africa until July 44 (1 year and 271 days)?!!! Funny how there was a picture of him in Sicily in August 43:lol:

    Lesley
     
  7. Wendy

    Wendy Junior Member

    Thank you everyone for your replies, the service records are beginning to make sense. At the moment I am reading Jordans Tunis Diary by Philip Jordan. Page 65 shows Philip Jordan in Tebourba on Nov 30 the same day my father mentioned he was there!
    Thanks again for all your input it is very much appreciated.
    Wendy
     
  8. Wendy

    Wendy Junior Member

    Reading through the 78th div posts again I came across one by Combover posted on 26.11.11 enquiring if there were any newspapers for the 78th. I have 2 they are called Battleaxe Weekly. One dated 10th March 1946 No10 Vol2 and one 30th Aug 1946 No35 Vol2 so there must be more out there somewhere! I also have Eighth Army News Mar 19th 1946 and The Tunis Telegraph "First British paper in Tunisia" dated May12th 1943, this is just one page. As they were in my fathers belongings I'm assumming he brought them home with him after the war.
    Wendy
     
  9. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Hi Wendy
    Could you post the newspapers if possible. There are quite a few of us who would be interested in seeing them.

    Lesley
     
  10. Wendy

    Wendy Junior Member

    I'll do my best! the papers consist of 12 pages each, rather brown in colour and a bit dog eared The one dated 30th August 1946 is the "Farewell Number" Apparently the 2nd Lancs Fusiliers won the last cup final beating 316 Medloo C Transit Camp by 3 goals to 2. Names of the 2nd Lancs team which may be of interest.
    A.Stowers
    Cpl J Connor
    Cpl W Oates
    J. Jones
    Sgt A Holmes
    L/Cpl A.Olive
    L/Cpl J.Halpin
    Sgt F.Lennon
    Sgt F. Cox
    Cpl H.Dixon
    J.B.Wilcox
    Names of the Medloc C Transit camp (along with reg numbers) are also included if anyone is interested.
    Its snippets like this that make interesting reading.
    Wendy
     
  11. Kent Si

    Kent Si Junior Member

    I know this is very long shot, but I'm trying to find out which batallion of the the Buffs my Grandad was in. He was at El Alamein, Anzio, Cassino. He may have ended up in the 5th, but not started there, as I remember him telling me how many of his mates were captured in the North Africa campaign while him and a pal were in Cairo on r and r. His name was James (Jim) Percy Stafford, from Gillingham in Kent. as I said a long shot..but anything would be great.
     
  12. RickGlanvill

    RickGlanvill Junior Member

    Hello again Rick
    I think this is the best place to post as it is in the 78th Div thread.
    My dad sailed from the Clyde on 15 October 1942 to Algiers, so I imagine your grandfather was probably due to go around this time frame. Have you any more details on him or any photos you can post so other members can help you more?

    Lesley

    Hello Lesley,

    There isn't much I can add about his army career until I check his full service record. his full name was Percy Horace Boddington, born 1907, conscripted as a private, Driver I/C, R.A.O.C. Regiment, 78th Infantry Division O.F.P., in 1941, army no. 10565288, rose to rank of Sergeant in 1942.

    He was around 5'5" tall, from the East End of London and a printer by trade.

    I will add more when I can.

    Rick
     
  13. RickGlanvill

    RickGlanvill Junior Member

    As requested by some forum members, here are two photographs of my maternal grandfather, Percy 'Skip' Boddington, and R.A.O C. driver.

    He was conscripted in 1941 and the European theatre uniform shot is stamped 1 Nov 1941.

    The second photo, in his N Africa uniform, has 'Aug 7 1944' handwritten on the back.

    Any observations gratefully received.

    Rick Glanvill
     

    Attached Files:

  14. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Rick

    A point you might like to know is that the uniform you refer to as his "N Africa uniform" was actually know as KDs (short for Khaki Drill) and was worn both in North Africa and in Italy during the summer months.

    Looking at my diary I see that on August 7th '44 78 Div was still in Egypt as we did not sail back to Italy until September '44

    September 1944

    Friday 1st. September 1944
    Swimming in an adjacent dock, very enjoyable. Read & finished "Crowthers of Bankdam" by Thomas Armstrong. Very little discipline on board. Wrote letter to folks. Heat pretty deadly, stripped to the waist.
    Saturday 2nd. September 1944
    Ship still in docks. Last night whilst I was on 4-6 stag there was a bit of trouble & the ship was 'boarded' by U.S. Military Police, the ship's carpenter was taken off. Swimming was very oily today. Handed in 85 Piastres.
    Sunday 3rd. September 1944
    Ship sailed out of Alexandria at 9.30 am. Balloon was brought out to us by motor boat, already inflated! Convoy formed up about 5 miles out. Our present course N.W.

    Ron
     
  15. RickGlanvill

    RickGlanvill Junior Member

    Rick

    A point you might like to know is that the uniform you refer to as his "N Africa uniform" was actually know as KDs (short for Khaki Drill) and was worn both in North Africa and in Italy during the summer months.

    Looking at my diary I see that on August 7th '44 78 Div was still in Egypt as we did not sail back to Italy until September '44

    September 1944

    Friday 1st. September 1944
    Swimming in an adjacent dock, very enjoyable. Read & finished "Crowthers of Bankdam" by Thomas Armstrong. Very little discipline on board. Wrote letter to folks. Heat pretty deadly, stripped to the waist.
    Saturday 2nd. September 1944
    Ship still in docks. Last night whilst I was on 4-6 stag there was a bit of trouble & the ship was 'boarded' by U.S. Military Police, the ship's carpenter was taken off. Swimming was very oily today. Handed in 85 Piastres.
    Sunday 3rd. September 1944
    Ship sailed out of Alexandria at 9.30 am. Balloon was brought out to us by motor boat, already inflated! Convoy formed up about 5 miles out. Our present course N.W.

    Ron

    Many thanks, Ron. I'm an experienced genealogist but as must be obvious a novice when it comes to the military.

    It is a privilege to have information such as yours passed on.

    I don't suppose you can enlighten me about the badges and such on the uniform? Also how the R.A.O.C. was organised within the 78th Division, ie whether my grandfather would have been attached to a specific brigade or sent wherever transport was required?

    I'm reading 'Battleaxe Division' by Ken Ford at present.

    Rick
     
  16. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Rick

    The simplest thing for me to do is to give you the link below which will take you to a thread already on this site:
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/other-services/28514-royal-army-ordnance-corps.html

    Cap badges here:
    https://www.google.co.uk/search?tbm=isch&rls=ig&hl=en&source=hp&biw=893&bih=430&q=raoc+cap+badge&gbv=2&oq=RAOC+&aq=0&aqi=g2g-S3g-sS1g-S4&aql=&gs_l=img.1.0.0l2j0i24l3j0i10i24j0i24l4.1054l2597l0l5427l5l5l0l0l0l0l215l667l0j4j1l5l0.frgbld.

    I also have a copy of Ken Ford's book so ask away if you have any further queries.

    Ron
    ps
    It was unlikely to have individual RAOC men posted to specific regiments as the normal drill was to have someone like me in a unit, (I was known as Tec Corporal) who could indent for stuff from the nearest RAOC depot
     
  17. RickGlanvill

    RickGlanvill Junior Member

    Thanks again, Ron.
     
  18. Wendy

    Wendy Junior Member

    Phaethon.. I have been trying to send you a message to say thank you for the link you sent across on PM I think I have replied with a PM but not sure it went (you may have received 2) So a big thank you on this thread!
    Wendy
     
  19. RickGlanvill

    RickGlanvill Junior Member

    Rick

    I also have a copy of Ken Ford's book so ask away if you have any further queries.

    Ron



    Ron,

    I will be in touch again shortly as my mother has ordered her father's service record file from the MoD –Xthanks to my reading your blog post on the subject.

    Like you, my grandfather learned to drive only after being conscripted. He was quite a small man so I imagine they thought a lorry would get the best use out of him!

    Will be fascinating to read the service history but I imagine I may need some help deciphering parts of it if that's okay. It is a privilege to be able to communicate with someone who was actually there.

    Rick
     
  20. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Hi Rick
    I too have been tracing my dad's army career as a "D-Day Dodger" with the 78th Division.
    You would do well to get a copy of Battleaxe Division by Ken Ford-you can pick up a copy for a few quid.
    Also the book Algiers to Austria by Cyril Ray is a great book about the 78th as well-a bit more expensive at around 20 quid.
    They are great reference books to add to your collection.

    Lesley
     

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