unit 69 (wr) please help me.

Many thanks to everyone for all the information, much more than expected! Makes very interesting reading.

From my post May 45 research
1945 – 49th Artillery Brigade – HQ Dortmund disbanded Jul 46
69th (West Riding) Field Regiment RA – West Riding Barracks Dortmund
CO: Lieutenant Colonel R Hudson TD to Jan 46 then Lieutenant Colonel TH Hardy DSO
273 Battery – 448 Battery – 189 Battery
All the best
Steve

 

Thanks to all who contributed to this very interesting. I have recently started to research my Grandads war service. I know he served with the Royal Artillery and was a bombadier and I am pretty sure it has to be the 69th by a process of elimination. He definitely served in Iceland and then returned to train in Wales where he met and married my Gran in 1943. I also have the polar bear patch passed on from my Dad from the period in Iceland. After that it is a bit sketchy. He never mentioned being in France, but as a kid he gave me French war money, which sadly I cannot find now, but I have found the money on various sites and they do appear to be money given to those who set off for Normandy. He was definitely back in Civvy Street as a motor mechanic when my Father was born in late July 1945 so may have been discharged early for some reason. He didn't really speak much about the war, and sadly I never really asked many questions before he passed away when I was in my teens.

I'm not clear what is in the service records in terms of detail, but for those who know more than I do, could I assume if I can get them that these would show me whether he was involved in the post Normandy campaign with the rest of the 69th which is the part that intrigues me?

Thx

 

From my limited experience of such things the answer could be either way. Some of the records I have seen are very detailed and others are extremely sketchy. Having said that I would say go ahead, pay your £30 and wait the 12 months it is likely to take for them to come through. There is bound to be some details of his training, postings etc and even if it does not give you the answer you are after you will end up knowing more than you do now. This could give you one or more leads to follow?

 

Interestingly, last month I got a full set of service records of a man who died in 1943, in 4 months from the MOD Historical Disclosures. Wonder if this was a one off, or they are catching up on the backlog of work. Good news if it is.

 

Thanks, I'll definitely be doing that, as you say it may provide some answers or leads.