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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: kevthompson13 on Tuesday 02 February 10 19:52 GMT (UK)
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I thought I would share some picture my grandad took during his time in WW2.
Comments very welcome to anyone who could tell me more about whats in the pics.
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The best pic ever.
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My Grandad is on the right.
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Don't know how he got this pic. Tally ho!
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Excellent pics...
Very "Jons Two Types" ;D
He was a Staff Sgt, who was promoted to WO1.
The tank is an Italian Carro Armato M14/41
The first and tank pics seem to be taken on the same day....
RASC
I'll look at the other wagons later...
Have you his service record??
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Great photos. There's a mention of the "Tobruk Arms" in I was an Eighth army soldier by Driver Robert John Crawford RASC. The book was published during the war so won't have great insights or history, but it maybe of interest to you. It's readily available on Amazon, for as little as a couple of quid.
K
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Got his service record somewhere will scan it in.
Thanks for looking.
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Service Records
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Thanks for sharing this with us - really nice set of pics! My Dad's are all at http://www.grimdetermination.co.uk/#/photos/4537082636 for anyone who is interested. Paul
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Hi Paul
Great pics and also a great web site.
You have answered a number of puzzles I have had. I have a photo of a relation in uniform wearing a side cap but there are no badges. I knew he was a driver who was in North Africa. There is a tale that when he went to get a drink at the NAAFI his sister was there to serve him. I also know he was in Sicily/Italy and as a driver as it was said if he could get through with his lorry then the rest could. Your photo's are the first ones I found with men wearing side caps.
He had been promoted to Corporal but kept taking his stripes off as he wanted to be as the rest of the lads.
I found a Desert Rat badge behind a photo in a frame that I was given which confirmed his area of war service.
Also your Dad's voyage on the Queen Mary is interesting as another relative who was Merchant Seaman before the war started and was employed as a Bedroom Steward on the QM during the war. So he may well have met your dad. It probably made a great change from ferrying the Americans to Scotland.
The photo of Winston Churchill would have most likely have been taken during the voyage to America travelling under the name of Colonel Watkins (I think) certainly not under his own name.
Jean
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Thanks for that interesting bit of backgound Jean - some nice anecdotes. I'm not however sure my Dad would have met up with your bedroon steward relative - the troops did not have bedrooms - my Dad records "We each had a hammock and were rather crowded, but there was plenty of room on other parts of the ship. " I guess this chap loooked after officers. Anyway, glad Dad's photos and site helped you out.
Bye for now
Paul
Hi Paul
Great pics and also a great web site.
You have answered a number of puzzles I have had. I have a photo of a relation in uniform wearing a side cap but there are no badges. I knew he was a driver who was in North Africa. There is a tale that when he went to get a drink at the NAAFI his sister was there to serve him. I also know he was in Sicily/Italy and as a driver as it was said if he could get through with his lorry then the rest could. Your photo's are the first ones I found with men wearing side caps.
He had been promoted to Corporal but kept taking his stripes off as he wanted to be as the rest of the lads.
I found a Desert Rat badge behind a photo in a frame that I was given which confirmed his area of war service.
Also your Dad's voyage on the Queen Mary is interesting as another relative who was Merchant Seaman before the war started and was employed as a Bedroom Steward on the QM during the war. So he may well have met your dad. It probably made a great change from ferrying the Americans to Scotland.
The photo of Winston Churchill would have most likely have been taken during the voyage to America travelling under the name of Colonel Watkins (I think) certainly not under his own name.
Jean
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Judging by the number of replies to this post, this is a popular subject so here is a very short extract from my dad's diary about the RASC ...
What lay ahead of us, nobody knew, but we were most surprised to learn that we were going by road back to Egypt, [From Tunisia, after the battle of Wadi Akarit] a journey of about two thousand miles taken in easy stages to minimise wear and tear on the vehicles, especially for the benefit of those conscientious chaps of the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC), whom I don't believe ever received the credit they deserved for the demanding work they did during the war years.
Paul
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Please allow me to add this photo to your thread as it also shows another unit of RASC, but also shows ATS/EFI girls or ladies in Alexandria.
Ask your fathers if they have ever heard of two sergeants getting married to each other during WW2.
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What a super pic - thanks for sharing it with us.
Sadly Dad died in 1999 so can't ask him your question - there is so much I would love to ask him now I've studied hos memoir so closely!!
Paul
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The photo above shows the wedding reception in Alexandria for sgt spencer RASC/EFI to sgt Radway ATS/EFI
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I think the second sergeant from the left back row is my Dad, he was in N. Africa with RASC, I have done facial reccognision check between this photo and my christianing photo in March 1946 and it's a 94% match although the guy in the desert has a few more pounds on this may be due to the injuries Dad suffered since N. Africa and the three meals a day he got there. Anyway, I like to think it is him.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Ukhozi/Daddad.jpg)
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Please allow me to add this photo to your thread as it also shows another unit of RASC, but also shows ATS/EFI girls or ladies in Alexandria.
Ask your fathers if they have ever heard of two sergeants getting married to each other during WW2.
I believe that the man on the back row is locally recruited Egyptian with the name Gabriel. I have a photograph of him and his little daughter with my dad in a park in Alexandria. The man third from the left standing at back.
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To Sapper59, I hope that it is and I have many more photos which I shall put on soon. I do hope you might see another pic with him in to make it a 100% I.D.
Everybody, please feel free to add anything which could make all of our paths cross.
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Sapper59, heres another pic of your Dad.
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Some more.
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They even took in the sights.
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Anyone you know?
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Later life at Chetwyn Barracks.
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I think the second sergeant from the left back row is my Dad, he was in N. Africa with RASC, I have done facial reccognision check between this photo and my christianing photo in March 1946 and it's a 94% match although the guy in the desert has a few more pounds on this may be due to the injuries Dad suffered since N. Africa and the three meals a day he got there. Anyway, I like to think it is him.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Ukhozi/Daddad.jpg)
Unfortunately not him, just conformed he didn't make A/U/Sgt until after the war, best would be L/Cpl or Cpl
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I know that is now a long time ago, but search your lofts
and your relatives photograph albums before it is too late.
There will not be many men and women still living who served in North Africa during WW2.
It would be interesting to know how many women served in North Africa.
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Sapper59, heres another pic of your Dad.
Do you know who the other people are in the photo? I am looking for any information on Stanley Plummer. The only info I have is T.73296 Pte. R.A.S.C. a Lorry Driver
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These are some lovely photos.
My Grandfather was in the R.A.S.C. and served in North Africa, Sicilly and Italy. He was involved in the planning of the landings in North Africa. I rescued a good amount of documents after he passed away and I even have his pass to the AFHQ at Caserta.
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My father Joseph Powell, known as Roy was a Driver Mechanic in 612 Company. He served from 1940 to 1946. He is middle row, second from the left of the pic.
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Id love to know more about R.A.S.C deployment as my great grand father was in the regiment in ww2
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The best pic ever.
Would anyone know the name of the soldier on the end right?