Royal Engineers: North Africa 1940 - Italy 1943

Discussion in 'Royal Engineers' started by stubbsyswade, Jan 13, 2022.

  1. stubbsyswade

    stubbsyswade Member

    Hi

    I have been researching my Grandad wartime service and hopefully there are people who can help me , I posted last year and this has more detail. I have included a picture of my Grandad pipe and the place’s he etched into the pipe.

    2063346 Charlie Mitchell Enlisted into Royal Engineers TA on 19 Oct 1938 and posted to 27 London Electrical Engineers (LEE) Search light (S/L) regiment that was part of 27 Anti-aircraft Battalion

    2 Sep 1939 Embodied

    Between these dates i believe he was stationed in Southampton

    5 Oct 1940 2 AA Bde was warned out that, it was earmarked for overseas service.

    Winston Special (WS) convoy WS4 left Liverpool on the 1st November 1940 it reached Freetown on the 14 November, Cape of Good Hope 22 November and finally Egypt in December. (These fit the arrival date in Suez)

    Arrive in Suez 16 Dec 1940 it was the only searchlight regiment in Middle East forces, and frequently had detachments serving over a wide area.

    February 19 1941 was qualified Motor mechanic Group B class 3

    Tobruk siege

    April 1941 two Troops of 306 Battery were serving with 4 AA Bde in the defence of Tobruk,

    The 306 battery were assigned protection to the harbour area.

    After Tobruk not to sure what he did between Nov 1941 and July 1942

    In July 1942 attached to 26 LAA Regiment under 9th Army most probably their to rest and refit. This was in Haifa Probably got there using the Palestine railway main line ran from Suez to Haifa.

    In Aug 1942 XXX Corp, 7th Armoured Division, 51st Highland Division arrive In Egypt this was the Division that he stayed with until he returned to UK

    Attached to 51st Highland Division Oct 1942

    306 Battery under 2 AA Bde in tripoli on task with XXX Corp

    Jan 1943 30 XXX tasks included 306 S/L battery, 40 AA 105 Battery

    4 April 1943 Posted to reinforcement and transit camp 155 (Tripoli)

    16 April 1943 Posted to 105 Battery part of 40 LAA Rgt

    40 LAA regiment came under command of 51st (Highland) Infantry Division on 1 May 1942 and served with the division for the rest of the war.

    40 LAA were in

    Egypt until 21 November 1942,
    For a period of time in January 1943, the regiment was on loan to 2nd AA Brigade in Tripoli, Libya.

    Libya until 17 February 1943

    May 1943 40 LAA were part of Divisional LAA

    North Africa until 8 July 1943

    At sea until 10 July 1943

    Landing at Sicily OP Husky part of 40 LAA rgt 105 battery Beach defence

    Sicily until 7 November 1943

    At sea until 26 November 1943 and then in the United Kingdom.

    27 Nov 1943 Time in Italy stopped returned to UK


    My Grandads pipe (order they are inscribed)

    Suez Egypt 1940
    Beni Yusef Egypt
    Beni surf
    Matruh Egypt
    Tobruk Libya Siege April 1941
    Suez Egypt
    Haifa Israel
    Tripoli Libya
    Gabes Tunisia
    Mareth Tunisia
    Sfax Tunisia
    Enfidiville soused Tunisia
    Messina Sicily
    Catania Sicily
    Taranto Italy mainland
     

    Attached Files:

    dbf and Thistle746 like this.
  2. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    Hi, welcome

    Do you have the movements of 306 battery indicating that they moved out of Tobruk? The siege only ended in December, and while there was a bit of peace and quiet for a short time, from February 42 onwards Tobruk was again very much in need of air defence.

    So they may have stayed there?

    All the best

    Andreas
     
  3. stubbsyswade

    stubbsyswade Member

    Thanks Andreas

    That makes sense i am still keen on getting 306 troop diaries so hopefully that will confirm that.
    Darren
     
  4. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    I just checked the AA command war diaries for Middle East Command, kindly provided by Tom. 306 Battery did not just operate ten searchlights, but also detached a troop to 69 Heavy AA Regiment to operate seven captured Italian 102mm AA guns.

    Cannon 102/35 Model 1914 - Wikipedia

    These were the same guns that tore into 22 Armoured Brigade at Bir el Gubi.

    All the best

    Andreas
     
  5. Steve49

    Steve49 Boycott P&O...

    Reference Tobruk, 306 Battery had been moved prior to the Battle of Gazala and replaced by 305 Searchlight Battery.

    At start of battle, 305 battery was deployed as follows- 2x Det (7x Officers and 218 OR and 12x S/L) attached to 68 HAA Regt in Tobruk perimeter, 1x Det (?x OR and 1x S/L) with 2nd Regiment Botha at No1 airfield, northwest of Gazala for coast defence support and 1x Det (3 Officers and 147 OR and 9x S/L) at Gambut landing ground. On 16th June BHQ and 6x Searchlights (4 Officers and 124 OR) were withdrawn from Tobruk, leaving behind a detachment of 3 Officers and 94 OR and 6?x Searchlights. This detachment subsequently being captured when Tobruk surrendered.

    Regards,

    Steve
     
  6. stubbsyswade

    stubbsyswade Member

    Thanks Andreas much appreciated regards Darren
     
  7. stubbsyswade

    stubbsyswade Member

    Thanks Steve
     
  8. Thistle746

    Thistle746 Active Member

    That pipe is amazing!
     
  9. stubbsyswade

    stubbsyswade Member

    Thanks it is in great condition and amazing what it has been through, has helped me to understand what he did in WW2
     
    Thistle746 likes this.
  10. Uncle Jack

    Uncle Jack Member

    That was WS4A with either Stirling Castle or RMS Scythia. I can explore the details in Archie Munro's book and perhaps see which it was

    Regards

    Robin
     

Share This Page