Hi, I’ve just joined this forum in the hope of finding out more info about the RA landing on Gold Beach D day 6th June. My grandpa landed with the RA evening of 6th June and then headed to Arromanches. He told us where he landed but refused to talk about his experience, all I have is a photo when he joined up, no records, service number, nothing. I’ve tried contacting RA but no joy. I’m heading to Ouistreham for the 80th celebration and it would mean so much to me to retrace his steps as much as I can. Thank you in advance.
A number of Royal Artillery units landed on Gold Beach on D-Day, without knowing which unit your Grandpa was with it will be impossible to trace his movements. What you need is his service record. The following units were with 50 Infantry Division which landed on Gold. 90 Field Regt RA 102 Anti-Tank Regt RA 25 Light Anti-Aircraft Regt RA The following units were under command for the assault. 86 Army Field Regt RA 147 Army Field Regt RA 198 & 234 Batteries, 73 Anti-Tank Regt RA 322 Battery, 93 Light Anti-Aircraft Regt RA HQ, 394 & 395 Batteries, 120 Light Anti-Aircraft Regt RA HQ 113 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt RA A Troop from 356 Independent Searchlight Battery RA 152 Anti-Aircraft Operations Room. If there is anything else you can tell us it may help narrow it down. Derek
Thank you for your reply Derek, that is really helpful with all the units listed. I shall have to find his records, I’ve tried searching online but I’m just met with joining Ancestry, is that the recommended route to go?
Have a look here: Get a copy of military records of service Hopefully, someone who's done this recently might be able to offer further advice. It used to be straightforward, if painfully slow, from the MoD.
Thank you for your reply, I’ve just applied for access of records from MOD & had an email back informing me it would take 9mths!
We are just looking at the personal diaries of my father in law ... his unit was only CB on 22 May. As BQMS he was non essential for initial ladings and himself landed on Gold Beach Friday the 5th. We are fortunate to have heard him tell some of his stories and are now custodian of a substantial archive of personal end Old Comrades Association documents (Have posted on other threads). Despite this we only established somme details when we obtained his Service Record! Well worth waiting for.
Don’t join any genealogy sites looking for WW2 service record info. There is very little available online about WW2 era soldiers. Going down the MOD route is the only reliable way forward. Take 9 month wait advice with a pinch of salt. It may take that long but a forum member posted records recently that were sent out 3 weeks after he applied. If you hear nothing after 3 months start to chase them up. Steve
Thanks Steve that’s really helpful, I’ve withheld on the Ancestry sites as I’m not willing to get involved with membership etc. Hopefully I’ll be successful with MOD.
You will be very lucky to get a reply from TNA re chasing I like many others applied for records last year and are still waiting I have chased them up on many occasions they don’t reply Now that the MOD have passed the service records to TNA Who have then appointed Ancestry.com to do the digitising Its All gone tits up .as for the chap that got records in 3 weeks If I remember correctly the serviceman had been dead for over 113 years So his records were most likely already available online In my opinion Ancestry.com have bitten off more than they can chew. They have their fingers in many pies Regards Tim
Hi, Serviceman you quote hadn’t been dead for over 113 years…..he died in 1946. 14290550 Bombardier James HARRISON, 7 H.A.A. Bty. Royal Artillery Don’t know significance of your “113” either…perhaps you meant he was born over 116 years ago (correct) which is a significant date in that the applicant doesn’t have to provide proof of death - although in this particular example proof of death would be met by the CWGC certificate. If you are getting no response from TNA you need to escalate matters. Steve
i have escalated it to the point of applying again for the same records, to make sure they are still working on it then they emailed to say its a copy of my original application so we have cancelled it but rest assured we are still working on you original request and it wont affect the date of your original request we will next reply to you when it is has been resolved. they also stated the 6 month wait for records has now been increased to 9 months. they further tell me that they have my fathers service record name date of birth death service number etc but cant guarantee its his untill they order it form the acrhives to check; wtf i kid you not. not likely to be anyone elses is it; all this from the last email from them 4 months ago when they also stated we will no longer be responding to hasteners to applications to allow us more time to work on the digitising of records..since then no replies this is not TNA its Ancestry.com causing the backlog they are the ones doing the digitising cheapest quote! nothing to be done but wait, some will be lucky and get thier record quickly others like me wont it is what is. as for the other chap i did not quote a service number name just seemed to recall something but i stand corrected as im always happy to be Tim
