Find Out Which Regiment My Grandfather was In.

All of 145RAC's tank names began with the letter 'D' - Dad's half-squadron were Dobbin, Domino and Dolphin. At one point 145RAC captured a Tiger intact and promptly named it 'Deserter'.

 

Hi Malcolm,

Thank you for that name it is a new one to me. Here are some more 145 RAC Churchill tank names
A Sqn
Decisive, Defender, Destroyer, Diogenes (5 tp leader)
C Sqn
Dreyfus (OC), Dashing (HQ), Dolores (I tp leader), Dinosaur (I tp Sgt), Dynamite (2 tp), Dorothy (14 tp), Debutante and now Dolphin.
Also
Deserter (captured Panther).

Cheers

Kevin

 

For Uncle Target........Checked the war diary and on 24 April 1943 a composite sqdn under Major Reynolds set out to attack Guerriat Al Atach. The attack was successful. Two other ranks killed and two tanks were lost. 145RAC destroyed a Mk4. Then on 25/4/43 after re-supplying, the composite sqdn returned to the front line and were under constant mortar fire. See photo for more info.

 

Steve. I visited my brother today who told me that he and Dad went to Mount Oswald golf club in Durham sometime in the 70s. Dad and your grandfather spotted one another and had a long converstion. My bro said it was funny because they were almost standing to attention in front of one another.

 

Hi Kevin. I've heard most of the names that you quote. I know there was another called 'Dorchester'. It was mentioned in an account given to me by one of Dad's former colleagues. I've attached a photo of Dad (on the right) atop his Crocodile of 51RTR. It may be of interest.

 

Hi Malcolm,

Thanks for DORCHESTER that is another new name to me. Do you know the name of the 51 RTR Churchill that your father is sat on? I have over 40 named 51 RTR tanks nearly all matched to squadron and many with census numbers. I have tried to read the number on the front of his Churchill but can only be sure of the first 4 numbers being T2720 the next could be 3, 5, 6, 8 or 9 with the last I think being the number 2.

Cheers

Kevin

 

Hi Kevin. Sorry, I don't know the name of that tank. I thought the number was something like T252 (Possibly 'C' - indicating Crocodile) then 864. I'm pretty certain of the T252 but the other bit is indistinct. I've attached another photo showing 51RTR Crocodiles crossing the River Po near Pontelogoscuro.

 

Hi Malcom,

I just did a quick check and the number range that that Churchill falls into is T251505 to T252504. Many of the Churchill Crocodiles I have listed ended with the letter H, although I am not 100% sure that that applied to all of them.
Do you know which Sqn your father was in when in 51 RTR?

Cheers

Kevin

 

I can just imagine him doing that too.

 

Hi Kevin. Dad was in 'C' Squadron. They were attached to the 78th Division for a period of time and fought at Argenta. They then attacked the Po Di Volano at Contrapo (Near Ferrara) on 23 April 45 where he was awarded the Military Medal for his part in the action. His citation quotes 'C' Squadron 51RTR.

 

Kevin. I've just checked some of my e-mails and in one from Tom Canning (who was 'A' Sqdn 145RAC) says they had Decisive, Diogenes, Defender and Descartes. So, there's another one for you. Regards, Malcolm

 

Hi Malcolm,

Thank you for that new name.

Here are some C Sqn 51 RTR names from Italy, I am not sure if these were Crocodiles though.
CAMBRAI, CAWNPAW, CENTAUR, CETURION, CYCLOPS.

Cheers

Kevin

 

Kevin. Steve's initial question about his grandfather hasn't half renewed my interest ! So, once again, I've been reviewing my files and I've found some more stuff. Gerry Chester seemed to think the number of Dad's Crocodile of 51RTR was T252058 - I could run with that !
And, in the 'C' Sqn Battle diary for 145RAC there are the following references....
Lt Gompertz commanded 'Dolores'.
Hq trp had a Mk4 called 'Dashing'
Sgt Hepworth (Frank Wilson Hepworth) commanded 'Dinosaur' of 1 trp. My mother told me that Dad pulled Sgt Hepworth out of a burning tank, somewhere along the line.
'Dynamite' was a Mk4 of 2 trp

Hope this all help.

 

Thanks Malcolm,

I will add the crew names to my listing. The late Gerry Chester used to have a great site of the North Irish Horse, luckily someone managed to archive the site.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150801183653/http://northirishhorse.net/

Cheers

Kevin

 

Hi Malcolm, wish I had asked the name of his tank when I had the chance, my dad is gone now so cannot even ask him (if he even knew). Did not know if he was on a crocodile, but he did say an American GI was badly burned on his tank, but don't know if it was related to this.

 

Hi Steve. Sorry, I don't know. My dad served mainly in Churchills while with 145RAC but I do know that, for a short time, he also commanded a Sherman (On the Gothic Line, I believe.). It was not until he joined 51RTR that he was assigned to a Crocodile. He didn't really talk about the war, but he'd come out with the odd snippet when something triggered his memory. I remember taking him to the cinema when the film 'The battle of the bulge came out'. After the film, I asked him what he thought about it, and all he said was 'It wasn't like that' ! Like you, I wish I'd had the opportunity to ask more about his war service. He died in 1983, and it was many years later, with the advent of the internet, that I started my research. I keep hoping that others, who are relatives of these men, will spot these posts and join in with what they know.

 

He did tell me they were on exercise in Scotland on a night mission and some local came out of his house raising hell about all the noise so my grandad said he told his driver to turn 90 degrees and destroyed is garden! He also said in action there was a lot of swearing instead of using correct terms (as you can imagine)

 

Possibly Langholm. My brother, David, tells me that Dad and his crew wiped out the parapet of a bridge there. I wonder if they had protected NCD ?!
Here are a few of the snippets that I know......
Somewhere in the UK I believe, while training, one of the crews rolled their tank down a hill. When they got the crew out, the hair of one of them had turned absolutely white with shock.
In Tunisia, they would fry eggs on the body of the tank because it was so hot. When they encountered a scorpion, they would pour a ring of petrol around it and light it. The scorpion would then sting itself to death. No doubt I'll get a complaint from the protection of scorpions fraternity for that one !
I don't know the background, but Dad's tank must have been hit somewhere in Tunisia because he was found wandering naked and shocked. He also told me (again in Tunisia) that he 'went out' to rescue a downed American airman, and that the airman gave him his flying jacket in thanks. How I wish I had that.
Somewhere in Italy, they turned down a street/road to find a German 88mm pointing straight at them. He said he nearly s*** himself (the colourful language you mention). Fortunately the tank was burned out and of no threat.
His worst experience also happened in Tunisia after hostilities had ended, and they were laid up for several months. Dad was demonstrating a gun (not sure what kind) when it blew up on him. He was badly injured and temporarily blinded. He was rushed to a field hospital where he was told that if he got a headache, the intensity of which he had never experienced before, he would get his sight back, if he didn't he would be blind for life. Fortunately he got the headache and regained his sight. As part of his treatment, they popped his eyes out of their sockets to clean them. He said it was a funny feeling, facing straight ahead and seeing your feet. He then faced a court martial where it was determined that the gun had been sabotaged during its manufacture, hence the explosion when it was fired. His record (which I got from the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow) is noted to the effect that he sustained injuries of moderate intensity that might affect his future ability, and that he was on duty and NOT to blame.
I'm conscious that this is a thread about your grandfather and don't wish to go on too much. I have other photos of men in the regiment, but they don't include your grandad. I have also obtained photos of the ships on which they embarked for Bone in Africa, and Sicily. If you would like me to post any of them, I will do so. Regards, Malcolm

 

Please post as much as possible and any pic's you can as it is all relevant as they were all in it together sharing the same dirt. It is really interesting to hear different stories regarding the their regiment. One of the other chaps on here told me to look up the book "Strick" about their commanding officer E,V.M Strickland as it mentioned my grandad, so got it and so it does. Today I was looking through some documents and found a letter from Strickland to my grandad regarding a reunion in 1945. In has war record my grandad was said to be a strict disciplinarian, which probably means he was a bit of a nightmare!

 

Dad was the same, a loving father but very disciplined and he expected the same from us. We knew who was boss !
Here are a couple of photos, Strangely, in the first photo, there are more signatures than people. Dad is 4th from the left, front row. Taken in Langholm. The second shows SQMS Eric Pain standing (I've communicated with his son). Front left is Sgt Ronald Quin who is buried in Coriano Cemetery. Middle is Sgt Millhouse (I can't find anything about him. And finally, on the right is Dad.