Welcome, Guest. Please login or register for free.
Did you miss your activation email?
Saturday 28 November 09 08:26 UTC (UK)
Welcome Home Help Surnames Library Shop Search Login Register

+  RootsChat.Com
|-+  Some Special Interests
| |-+  Armed Forces
| | |-+  World War Two (Moderator: scrimnet)
| | | |-+  RASC in Alfreton WW2
« previous next »
Pages: [1] Print
Author Topic: RASC in Alfreton WW2  (Read 756 times)
LG_
RootsChat Extra
**
Posts: 10


Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
RASC in Alfreton WW2
« on: Friday 19 September 08 07:27 UTC (UK) »
G'day people,

Does anyone know anything about the RASC in Alfreton during WW2?
Why and where etc.   Was Alfreton a training base or something like that?

Doing my family research I discovered that my grandparents were married and lived in Merton, Surrey.
My Aunts were all born there /births registered there. 

However my mother, being the 'odd one out' as usual, was born in Alfreton, Derbyshire in January 1945.

A little bit of digging and I discover that my  grandfather, Reginald Stanley Craddock, was a RASC member.
Driver 1st class / Cabinet maker.   I assume he was posted to Alfreton during 1944/45.

I've heard rumours that the 'Dam Busters' movie is based on events that occurred in Alfreton. 
So of course I made the connection that my grandfather must have been involved in some way
(yeah I know, not likely, hehehe).

However it did get me curious to know more about the RASC and Alfreton connection.
Advice on where to find more information would be great - links to websites etc

Regards
LG   -  West Oz
Logged
kyt
RootsChat Veteran
*****
Posts: 701


www.cfww2.com Commonwealth Forces of WW2


WWW
Re: RASC in Alfreton WW2
« Reply #1 on: Friday 19 September 08 10:19 UTC (UK) »
Afraid I can't help with RASC deployments (they were spread all over the place, providing services to other units) but I know that Swanwick POW camp was in Alfreton. It was most famous for being the camp from which Luftwaffe pilot Franz von Werra tried to make an escape. von Werra would later beome famous for being the only (though some dispute him being the only) German POW to make a "home run" (ie escape and successfully return home).


K
Logged
Flakdodger
RootsChat Member
***
Posts: 241


Bo.... Odd eyes - odd brain
Re: RASC in Alfreton WW2
« Reply #2 on: Friday 19 September 08 20:15 UTC (UK) »
...And then to loose his life a matter of months later.
Dave
Logged
ptl
RootsChat Pioneer
*
Posts: 1


Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Re: RASC in Alfreton WW2
« Reply #3 on: Friday 28 November 08 21:40 UTC (UK) »
My father was based at Alfreton during WW2 and was a member of the No 9 Training Battalion RASC.  I have a photograph of the whole Battalion taken at Alfreton.  I have further photographs that my father took when he (or the whole Battalion) was attached to the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division supporting the push through Northern Europe after D Day.  I intend to get the group photograph across to the historical society at Alfreton so that locals might identify the individuals.  Alfreton library has a very small amount of information too.  So far as the Dambusters are concerned, the Lancaster bombers were situated generally some 35 miles or so east of Alfreton in the county of Lincolnshire.  They did however practice prior to the bombing raids on the Mohne, Sorpe and Eide dams, over the dams in the Derwent Valley, which is not too far away from Alfreton.  Other than that there is to the best of my knowledge no other connection.  See www.dambusters.org.uk Regards

(*) Moderator Comment: e-mail removed in accordance with RootsChat policy,
to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please use the Personal Message (PM) system for exchanging personal data.

New members must make at least three postings before being allowed to use the PM facility.
See Help-Page:  http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php
« Last Edit: Thursday 02 April 09 20:18 UTC (UK) by aghadowey » Logged
LG_
RootsChat Extra
**
Posts: 10


Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Re: RASC in Alfreton WW2
« Reply #4 on: Monday 01 December 08 03:19 UTC (UK) »
Hi Peter,
I would be very interested in seeing photos of Alfreton during WW2.
I will contact the local library to see what they have in stock. 
Thanks for the tip    Smiley

One of my Aunts managed to find my Grandfathers 'Release Leave Certificate',
On this granddad's Unit, Regt or Corps is   No. 6 TNG BN (D) RASC

Although the certificate says he is a "Driver 1st Class - all types of vehicles", I don't think he did much driving.

He enlisted in July 1941 and his trade on enlistment is Cabinet Maker and Joiner.
From the comments at the bottom of the page it sounds like he spent most of his time building things.
Quote -  Exemplery Conduct - This NCO has done invaluable work throughout the BN.  He is a first rate craftsman and has carried out building repairs and erections, plumbing, heating and carpentry jobs in an excellent manner
He is energetic, willing and conscientious and will do good work in any job he may hold. He can be thoroughly recommended with every confidence.

This testimonial appears to have been given at Yeovil in June 1946 - shrug



Mum found her birth certificate, So I now know that Granddad was living at (and Mum was born at)
    3 Parkin Street,  Alfreton

Granddad's occupation is given as  Driver 274024  RASC  (Cabinet Maker)


Guess I have to give up any hope of connecting Granddad with the Dam Busters - unless of course he was building boxes for the pilots to stand on to climb into the planes   Cheesy  LOL

Regards
LG
Logged
gig
RootsChat Senior
****
Posts: 270
Re: RASC in Alfreton WW2
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 02 December 08 23:54 UTC (UK) »
hi lg
the connection with the dambusters and alfreton are barnes wallace
the inventor of the bouncing bomb lived on butterly hill ripley ,about 3 mile away from alfreton  during the war troops were also trained/staitoned at hardwick hall derbyshire ,the parachute regiment bieng one
http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/
the above link has many photos of alfreton
gig
Logged
Day/staffordshire/warwickshire/birmingham
Cottrill/cotterill warwickshire/worcestershire/redditch
williams  foleshill/ warwickshire/derbyshire
fletcher farnsfield/nottinghamshire/derbyshire
kinder / derbyshire
Vardy /derbyshire
ball /derbyshire/nottinghamshire
dooley /derbyshire
littlewood/nottinghamshire/derbyshire/canada
mortimer/ ireland kildare
Hill derbyshire/nottinghamshire
LG_
RootsChat Extra
**
Posts: 10


Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Re: RASC in Alfreton WW2
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 03 December 08 07:20 UTC (UK) »
Thanks for the dambusters info and the  'photo' link  gig - will check it out pronto !!!
Logged
ADM199
RootsChat Member
***
Posts: 112


Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Re: RASC in Alfreton WW2
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 07 January 09 10:08 UTC (UK) »

My Father was called up in 1940. His first posting was Sutton in Ashfield and then in his Home Town of Mansfield.
Darley Dale was his next posting and then Sedburg. He sailed from Liverpool in February 1941 on the Nova Scotia with the 5th Reserve Motor Transport Coy, later to be 97 Coy R.A.S.C.
Logged
Prisoners of War. North Africa,Italy and Germany
littlee
RootsChat Pioneer
*
Posts: 1


Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Re: RASC in Alfreton WW2
« Reply #8 on: Monday 06 April 09 16:10 UTC (UK) »
I am also doing my best to trace the movements of my grandfather,unfortunatley he passed away in 1986 and so I only have his military records which are,at times,difficult to decifer,but I came across your posting when I was chasing up one entry stating he was posted to No 9 Trg Bn RASC Alfreton on 30/12/42 he was there until he was posted to 22 corps troop composite coy East Kirkby 10/4/43
It would be interesting to know when your father was there and if there is a chance he is included on the photo you have
Logged
Pages: [1] Print 
« previous next »


[Copyright] [Shrink Link] [About Us] [Terms of Use]
All Census Lookups are Crown Copyright, National Archives for academic and non-commercial research purposes only
RootsChat.com cannot be held responsible directly or indirectly for the messages or content posted by others. Inline images in messages are the copyright of the respective linked sites.
RootsChat.com, Europa House, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 5BT

In loving memory of Eric George Davies, 1934-2009, the father of RootsChat.com































Powered by SMF 1.0.7 | SMF © 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC
0.742:22