F Troop (H.A.A. Royal Artillery) 78th (Battleaxe) Infantry Division

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by englandphil, May 16, 2011.

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  1. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Can anyone help locate the place where this Photo was taken and which Regt it shows. I have asked for a higher resolution photo so this is all we have at the moment.

    It is possibly a H.A.A. Regiment (153 Battery)
     

    Attached Files:

    englandphil, May 16, 2011
    #1
  2. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    England Phil
    Most of them have the Africa Star so it would have to be Italy somewhere probably over on the East Coast - odd looking Tank though - might be a Sherman with an AA 50mm Browning - main gun looks like a longer barrel than normal 75mm.....
    Cheers
     
    Tom Canning, May 16, 2011
    #2
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Owen, May 16, 2011
    #3
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    From 78 Div history page 231, might have been taken then.

    On July 6 a Divisional Ceremonial Victory Parade was held at Spittal. The large area formed by the Drau Valley in the surrounding hills made a wonderful setting....

    ....64 Anti-tank Regiment had their self propelled guns on parade.
     
    Owen, May 16, 2011
    #4
    englandphil likes this.
  5. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Cheers Tom / Owen, info duly passed on with a link back to the thread

    P
     
    englandphil, May 16, 2011
    #5
  6. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    The background suggests Austria to me, it was also the first time after the war to take such Regimental photos, we had one taken in May '45 of "A" Squadron 4th QOH.

    Ron
     

    Attached Files:

    Ron Goldstein, May 16, 2011
    #6
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Regards the diamond on their sleeve I mentioned earlier, I've just looked it up on page 21 of Osprey MAA 187, British Battle Insignia 2 1939-45 by Mike Chappell.
    It says in a caption to a photo of them ...

    The divisional anti-tank regiment of the 78th Div , the 64th had originally been Glasgow Yeomanry . The sergeant in the foreground wears the battleaxe sign of the 78th Div, red and blue Royal Artillery arm-of-service strip , and a diamond-shaped regimental flash halved grey and black with yellow letters 'GY' superimposed.
     
    Owen, May 16, 2011
    #7
  8. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Owen
    You have more of a resolution than I have as I can't see any other marks on anyone - but thinking about it - the trees look more Austrian than Italian so Spittal it would be..
    Cheers
     
    Tom Canning, May 16, 2011
    #8
  9. newkid90

    newkid90 Junior Member

    Hello Owen
    Can you tell me where the info "78 Div history Page 231" came from. Thanks
     
    newkid90, May 17, 2011
    #9
  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Hello Owen
    Can you tell me where the info "78 Div history Page 231" came from. Thanks
    From their Div history called

    Algiers to Austria a History of 78 Division in the Second World War

    Cyril Ray

    Lots here...
    austria algiers - ray - AbeBooks
     
    Owen, May 17, 2011
    #10
  11. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Hello Owen
    Can you tell me where the info "78 Div history Page 231" came from. Thanks

    Newkid, welcolme to ww2talk it's amazing what the guys here can bring to the party. I'm sure you now know a lot mire than you did a few days ago.

    Was your father a glaswegian ?
     
    englandphil, May 17, 2011
    #11
  12. newkid90

    newkid90 Junior Member

    Boy you guys are good!!!! I just found documents from my mother. The photo was.....wait for it......Taken 25th August 1945 in......AUSTRIA. Right on the money aaaand i did some further research and that is definitely a Wolverine. I cannot thank you guys enough.
     
    newkid90, May 18, 2011
    #12
  13. newkid90

    newkid90 Junior Member

    No he was a Londoner but from what i can see, the 78th joined the 64th which explains the sign on the Wolverine.
     
    newkid90, May 18, 2011
    #13
  14. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Newkid if your mother us still alive she can apply for a copy of his service record free of charge
     
    englandphil, May 18, 2011
    #14
  15. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    A less scientific and sadder way of tracking the movement of 64 AT Regt using Geoff's search engine.

    2 casualties buried in Italy in April 1945 (Faenza & Argenta Gap) and then 1 in May 1945 in Klagenfurt, Austria.

    If you want to read about 64 AT in more detail, their war diary references for 1945 & 1946 are shown below and are located at the National Archives at Kew.

    WO170/4690 - Jan to Dec 1945
    WO170/7897 - Jan 1946 (Disbanded)
     
    Buteman, May 18, 2011
    #15
  16. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Exactly as Owen stated in his post. They were in Austria and Spittal.:)

    [​IMG]
     
    Buteman, May 21, 2011
    #16

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