The Essex Regiment 1929-1950 History

westwired, when you find out which battalion your Grandfather was in , then please do come back. I do have the War Chronicles for the Ox & Bucks- 42 to 44 Vol. III.(Along with Vol.II-1940-42.) Large parts of Vol III are scanned.

Stu.

 

Hi Stu,

Thanks so much for your offer of help. Some of the documentation regarding regiments is quite convoluted, it appears that my grandad is on the regimental rolls for Queen´s Royal West Surrey which stated a transfer to the Essex Regiment, however, in his ID booklet that mentioned OBLI. All quite confusing. However, I think that he could have only been in the OBLI for a matter of weeks...

I've attached a photo of the regimental roll, just in case my explanation is confusing.

Dropbox - Screenshot 2019-06-13 10.26.47.png - Simplify your life

Richard

 

To be honest it will be until you have sight of his service records, especially as you are suggesting three regiments. Records are really the only place to start.
https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records

 

Hi Westwired

I'm writing a book on 8th Indian Division in Italy and I can tell you, if your infos are correct, that your Grandad was wounded in Villa Grande near Ortona, the second day of the battle.
Essex Regiment lost a lot of men from november to december 43, so it received many reinforcements from Ox and Bucks and also from Cameronians.
I send to you a private message.

 

Sorry - just replied to you before reading this

 

Given that this is the only place where 18th Indian Infantry Brigade's action at Deir el Shein is discussed, I'll add this--a perspective from 4/11 Sikhs, who held the NW Corner of the box (with 2/5 Essex in the NE and 2/3 GR roughly the East):

Extract from Saragarhi Battalion: Ashes to Glory By Col Kanwaljit Singh, Maj H S Ahluwalia (pp. 102-111)

 

I would be grateful for any information on 1/4 battalion TA ilford members-also1 in particular William henry Booty-a cook in the essex regiment. I am new to research so any information on mr booty would be appreciated. Thanking you in advance

 

Hi Charley, I'm researching my Grandfather (William Fail) who served with the 2/5th Essex, and was taken prisoner 1st July 1942 (based on casualty lists). He never spoke much about he's experiences, but I assume this must have been at Deir el Shein. Do you have anything on the 2/5th, and in particular what they were doing prior to 28th June 1942? All I know is that 2/5th were moved from Iraq via Palestine to El Alamein. I found a post on another forum, quoting Crisis in the Desert May - July 1942 by J.A.I. Agar Hamilton and L.C.F. Turner which suggests that Deir el Shein was the first time 2/5th had been in battle, so perhaps they were just garrisoned at Iraq or training there (?)

I have a photograph of my Grandfather (which I've attached) labelled Iraq 1942, but also - confusingly - labelled 1/5th. I'm still waiting on his service records in case he was transferred, or perhaps its mislabelling on my Grandmother's part. Also linked to below is an unlabelled photo of what I assume must be his company in either 1/5th or 2/5th.

As an aside, my Grandmother later wrote down the very little of what he told her; of his capture it simply says that he was at El Alamein, and his battalion were left behind to cover a retreat when British tanks approached their rear, but German soldiers got out. It's not clear if that "retreat" is reference to the allies general retreat to El Alamein or whether there was some withdrawal from Deir el Shein that the 2/5th Essex covered.

Part of 1/5th (or 2/5th?) in Iraq 1942: https://s3.amazonaws.com/stephen.harris-public/iraq-1942-essex-1-5.jpg
Unlabelled company(?) photo https://s3.amazonaws.com/stephen.harris-public/essex.jpg

 

The battle at Deir el Shein was indeed their first experience of battle.

2/5th Essex started the war in England, moved to Freetown in Sierra Leone with 161 Infantry Brigade right at the start of 1941, had a while in Egypt before moving to Palestine and Iraq, and finally were sent at short notice to the try to hold up enemy advance.

I'd be happy to help discover the specifics, and I know I have some material you'll want to see, but I have just arrived in a new house and many of my possessions are still in boxes.

If you could send me your email address via message and give me a day or two, I'll get back to you soon.

I'm no expert on Prisoners of War, so perhaps one of the other regulars would be kind enough to search the requisite paperwork for your grandfather's name.

Edit: your grandfather's name sounds familiar. I may have something about him, but I can't say for sure--just a hunch. It could be a witness statement for a missing man...

Edit 2: the 1/5 Essex were in Iraq at the time of that photograph, so the caption is likely accurate.

 

There is a WH Fail, Essex Regiment in the WO392/21 file at the National Archives. This file is for POWs held by the Italians as of August 1943. It must always be stressed that this file has been known to contain errors. WH Fail is stated as being present a Camp No. 70, which was Monte Urano near Fermo.

 

Thank you, I'll be in touch!

Thank you! That's him; he was at PG-68 initially (which operated from July 1942-January 1943). I have no official records of him being there, just a telegram from in November. When that closed he must have been transferred to PG-70 (I have seen the Italian directive for closing the camp & PG-70 is listed as one of the camps POWs would be transferred to). He briefly escaped with a few others when the Italian guards abandoned the camp and hid in a barn, however the Farmer spotted them, locked them in and turned them into the Germans. He was taken to Stalag IV-G where they were made to work on the railways.

 

This came up for auction recently with a suggested date of 'c.1945'. I thought it may be helpful to somebody here.

A-Coy, 1st Battalion, The Essex Regiment.





Pashan Camp, Poona January 1946.



36 Infantry Division patches?

The origins of this Division are as the Army component of the Combined Training Centre in India at which time it wore a badge later adopted by 33rd Indian Corps. As a field Division, it was raised in early 1943 as an Indian formation. It initially comprised two brigades, 29th British and 72nd Indian, the Divisional badge being a combination of the two brigade signs, the white circle of 29th, and the red circle of the 72nd. At the end of April 1944 72nd Indian Infantry Brigade was redesignated a British brigade, with all British battalions. On 1 September 1944, the Division was redesignated a British Division. The formation received a third brigade on 14 December 1944 when 26th Indian Infantry Brigade was flown in from India. This Brigade was redesignated a British brigade on 6 April 1945, when it had all British battalions. The Division took part in the operations in the Arakan in 1944, being withdrawn in May. It then moved to Ledo and came under command of General Stillwell's Chinese-American Army and fought around Myitkyina and Mogaung. In January 1945 the Division crossed the Irrawaddy and advanced into the Shan States, coming under command of 14th Army. The Division returned to India in June 1945 and was disbanded along with 26th Brigade in September. 29th and 72nd Infantry Brigades became independent but it is not known whether they readopted their old signs.

Source:
badge, formation, British, 36th Infantry Division

 

One final one has appeared.

 

Thanks for putting these up on here CF. Banked for a rainy day.

 

There are four UK libraries that have the official history, 'The Essex Regiment 1929-1950' by Thomas Alexander Martin (pub. 1952): The British Library (London), National Army Museum (NAM Accession No: 54188), the Imperial War Museum and the Essex Regiment Museum @ Chelmsford.

Added 21/8/23 There is a thread on the battle involving 2/5th Essex @ Deir el Shein, on 1/7/1942. See: Deir el Shein sources - July 1942

 

Hi Charley, would it be possible to get a copy of the 1/5th Essex section you have scanned please ? Thanks, Scott

 

I messaged you yesterday.