Not forgotten: my dad's cousin Ralph from Norfolk. 850548 Bdr Ralph Seymour Howell, 1st Regiment RHA, killed in action Tobruk on this day in 1941, aged only 21. Pat Casualty
That's fantastic, thanks Drew! No idea how I came to miss it until now, but I hope my lack of acknowledgement didn't seem to be ingratitude. I don't know which battery he was in, unfortunately, and in fact what you've posted here represents almost the sum total of what I do know beyond the CWGC. I've done a fair amount of researching my Uncle Don's RAF service, and WW1 family members, but I'm still a bit lost with the WW2 Army; will put some effort into it when I get time and will hopefully be able to build on what you've kindly provided. Cheers, Pat
Hi Pat I have written a bit about the breakout here: http://rommelsriposte.com/2010/11/30/not-a-good-day-at-the-office-–-1-rtr-and-the-first-day-of-the-tobruk-breakout/ and here: http://rommelsriposte.com/2009/08/15/the-tobruk-breakout-from-the-other-side-of-the-hill/ All the best Andreas
Thank you, I'll have a good read of them tonight. Much appreciated - apart from recognising the name "Tobruk", a bit of reading about Alamein and the odd war film in my youth I realise I know very little about the N African campaign. Great to have pointers like these. Cheers, Pat
I've read through all this now and boy, there's some very interesting reading here, very informative indeed. With regard solely to Ralph Howell I see from the War Diaries that 1 RHA had only two fatal casualties on the 21st; I believe the other fatality was perhaps Gnr Henry Higginson from Belfast, also 21 years old. Don't know what caused the two deaths, although one might reasonably assume counter-battery shellfire I guess. With regard to the breakout itself, what a fierce day that must have been especially for the Black Watch and the tanks. Thanks again - a real eye-opener. Pat.
Hi Pat I think the Black Watch got as close to a WW I battle experience as any regiment in the desert in the whole war that day. They lost the equivalent of more than 14% of the UK casualties in 10 years in Afghanistan in the space of just an hour or so. All the best Andreas
Pat an excellent book to catch up on the desert Campaign can be found with Barrie Pitt's " Crusade of War " it is in three volumes now and the one pertaining to the break out at Tobruk is in Vol One on Wavell's command - local library can get it for you… Cheers
