William Thomas Staerck Essex Regiment trying to track down his role at Gaynes Hall and RAF Tempsford

Hello everyone.

I am trying on behalf of a colleague at work to find out about the military service of her father William Thomas Staerck (Corporal, probably later Sergeant from the photo at Gaynes Hall). A photograph of him with his wife and also William at Gaynes Hall in what looks like some sort of NCO course can be found via this link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/116592606680368125174/WilliamThomasStaerck?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJGTsomppsr60gE&feat=directlink

He did his basic training at Warley Barracks in Essex in 1939.

I would be grateful if anyone could help regarding:

a) What was Gaynes Hall, Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire used for in the war and did it have a specific connection with the Essex Regiment?

b) What role did the Essex Regiment play at RAF Tempsford (which is of course famous for SOE, the family have from memory a souvenir which William had from the war of a pair of binoculars disguised as I think a cigarette packet (which check, will also try and get a photograph)? It would be great to give his daughter some idea of what his role might have been. If that is not possible (I have told her that the army records take about a year to arrive, I know from a recent letter from them advising me of the wait for my grandfather's records) what role the Army in general would have played at RAF Tempsford?

c) Does anyone recognise or know of any of the names of any other of the NCOs in the group photo (I know that this is very unlikely).

Any help given will be very much appreciated.

Thanks

Justin

 

Gaynes Hall was used as Station 61 by Special Operations Executive mainly as a packing station for supplies and equipment - it did not have a specific connection with the Essex Regiment, however army personnel from the Regiment would have formed part of the staff of the Station. Gaynes Hall was used for a while by the Norwegian and Polish Sections of SOE.

I would say that the role of the some of the staff at Gaynes Hall was moving supplies and containers to Tempsford ready for dropping to agents in the field.

 

Jedburgh 22

Thank you very much for this, it makes absolute sense and also explains how he came by the souvenir. I will now relay this on to his daughter who will be thrilled to know this as we literally only knew the names of the places, that he had served there (plus the role of RAF Tempsford overall) and a couple of photographs. I think she will now need to obtain his army record.

Best wishes


Justin

 

My dad was at gaynes hall station 61 from 42 to 44. Enlisted to the Yorkshire regiment, after basic training his record was marked 'not to be sent overseas' and he was then at station 61. During the month before Hiroshima he was in training for far east duty and then shipped to Ceylon and on to Sumatra. He did not tell about what he did at 61 except 'packing parachutes'. He said he was burying dead overseas but why was he in training before the end? Can anyone throw any light on this please?