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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: DavidGreenall110 on Tuesday 22 November 11 20:09 GMT (UK)
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Antbody else here had a family member that served in the 64th Medium Regiment RA during WW2?
If so I'd like to hear from you, I'm trying to piece my Grandfathers war service together from Dunkirk to Arnhem and the Ardennes via North Africa and Italy.
I've found allsorts of information on-line but it would be nice to be able to speak to others.
David
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Hi there David
my grandad was also in the 64th medium regiment RA as a bdr and pt instructor. Like yourself I am trying to piece together what happened and where. I have only just discovered that the reason they were on crete was due to the destroyer they were travelling on running out of fuel! My grandad used to give us little pieces of info but not a full story so we are just trying to put it together now. I knew he was mentioned in despatches twice but he'd never tell us what for. I know it was hard for him to talk about alot of it. You are right that its not the same reading about it online but I've found that I have been able to understand alot more and attach the fragments he told us to events.
Karen
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Hi Karen,
Sorry for the delay in replying.
I'm looking at his early service around the time of the Dunkirk campaign at the moment (he was in 24th Field Regt RA at that time), I've contacted the Royal Artillery Museum who are sending me the pages of the War Diary for that period. They seem to hold quite a lot of records there and have a Reading Room that you can use for £10/day. I'm hopefully (work and small child permitting) to go down there later this year, I'll let you know how I get on.
I also contacted the Veterans Association and got hold of a copy of his service Record which gave me a few clues as to where he was (you'll need permission from the next of kin and a lot of patience for that one, it takes between 6 & 9 months to get it back due to demand) and since my last post I've come into posession of his medals he seems to have been everywhere in the Western Theatre.
If I find anything else out I'll let you know.
David
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:)Hi david, I saw your post about 64th medium regiment. I have some info on the regiment but from 212 battery viewpoint ,not sure if would be of interest to you . I may even have a photo of your relative you never know. all the best phil.
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Phil,
Many thanks for the reply.
Anything you have would be a help, I'm not sure which Battery in the 64th he was with all I know is that he was a driver.
I have his service record which only gives periods in time and specific details.
I've looked on-line at the 64th and come up with several hints and also managed to get hold of an old menu card for the reunion dinners. My Dad says he remembers driving Grandad to a couple of them.
Regards
David
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hi, david. if you give me his full name I can check if I have personal pics or any history of him. I have lots of info on this unit ,menu cards as you mention etc. i can always check in the unpublished regimental history for you. all the best . phil.
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Phil,
Gnr Charles Joseph De'ath No 893341 he transferred from the 24th Field Regiment RA to the 64th July 1942.
Dave
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Hi dave, will have a look tomorrow as off to bed for early shift in morning. all the best phil.
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Hi dave, can find no reference to de.ath in my documents on regiment. have you seen the dennis falvey book on the 64th ,I had a look in this also but name not in index.this book may give you some info though. all the best phil
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Phil,
Many thanks for looking
Dave
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Hi David, a very tardy reply to your post I'm sorry to say. Hope you are still wanting to be contacted. My dad was in the 64th Medium Regiment RA and was a POW in Stalag VIIIA after being captured in Salonika. I have quite a few photos from when the regiment was in Egypt and N Africa plus some from Stalag VIIIA if you are interested in having copies of these. I also have several menus from regimental reunion dinners during the 1960s if you'd like copies of those.
Gwen Nelson.
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Hi Gwen,
Thanks for your reply, I'll drop you a PM with my e-mail address and we can communicate by e-mail.
David
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Hi, my grandfather was also in 212 Battery, 64th medium Regiment, RA. And saw service in Africa and in Cassino. He fought alongside the Maori Battalion, which is why he immigrated to NZ after the war. I would love some more information on his Unit, as he very very rarely spoke about his service. We know he contracted Malaria in Egypt, and had several (?) stays in hospital. He was a sniper.
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Welcome to Rootschat.
My Grandfater was also in 212 Battery from 1942 to 1946.
I've managed to piece together some information from his service record and from some old menu cards sent to me by Gwen giving dates places and a few memories.
If you want to send me a Personal Message (PM) I'll send some information through that?
Regards
David
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I can't send a personal message until I've made three posts. So I'll get posting! Then message you. Thank you :)
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My father was a radio operator in the 64th Medium Regiment 212 Battery. He will be celebrating his 94th birthday at the end of the month. He has only relatively recently started to discuss his war years. I have some photos, some with names some without and a very brief outline of his personal campaign.
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Hi Andrea,
Thanks for your post good to hear from you, I have some information on the Battery but not much. I'm on holiday at the moment but I'll drop you a personal message when I get back with what I have.
Does your Father remember a driver called Charlie De'ath?
David
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I can certainly ask him. Looking at the list of names along the bottom of the post none look familiar from my notes. My dad is called Francis Smith. I have Vic Cohen, Len Crawt, Ron Baughan. I'll have to see if he can name anyone else.
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My grandfather was George AUGHTERLONY. None of his photos have names on them, which is really sad.
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64 Medium Regiment never deployed to France in during the France and Flanders Campaign of 39/40 so he wouldn't have been at Dunkirk with them. As with any research your best bet as a starting point is to apply for a copy of his service records from the MoD. Amongst many things they will tell you all the units he served with along with when he deployed overseas.
Here is a list of the units war diaries at the National Archives:
WO 169/1492 64 Medium Regiment 1941 Jan-Dec
WO 169/2006 64 Medium Regiment Signal Section 1941 Jan-Dec
WO 169/4651 64 Medium Regiment 1942 Jan-Dec
WO 169/5507 64 Medium Regiment Signals Section 1942 Jan-Dec
WO 169/9590 64 Medium Regiment 1943 Jan-Nov
WO 171/1059 64 Medium Regiment 1944 Jan-Dec
WO 166/15543 64 Medium Regiment Signals Section 1944 Jan-June
WO 171/2037 64 Medium Regiment Signals Section 1944 June-Dec
WO 171/5027 64 Medium Regiment 1945 Jan-Dec
WO 171/6023 64 Medium Regiment Signals Section 1945 Jan-Jun
WO 171/9160 64 Medium Regiment 1946 Jan-Apr
Cheers
Andy
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David I asked dad if he remembered you grandfather but he said he was with the signals section and did not get to know the drivers of the AECs - is that what he drove? He said he himself drove many interesting vehicles during the war (he actually learned to drive in Sicily) but he never got to have a go in the AECs and would have loved to.
All those posting on here seem to have different and interesting information. Is there an easy way to pool it without multiple emails flying back and forth such as a dropbox account?
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I'm looking at his early service around the time of the Dunkirk campaign at the moment (he was in 24th Field Regt RA at that time),
Ref the above unit here's the war diary refs up to 1942.
WO 167/478 24 Field Regiment 1939 Sept-1940 May
WO 166/1478 24 Field Regiment 1940 June-1941 Dec
WO 166/6976 24 Field Regiment 1942 Jan-Nov
WO 169/4579 24 Field Regiment 1942 Dec
Cheers
Andy
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Here's the diary entry covering the day your fathers unit left France just up the coast from Dunkirk
https://imageshack.com/i/kqxE9rQaj
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Also looking at the 64 Medium Regiments War Diary for July 1942 it looks like your chap joined the regiment at the beginning of July
https://imageshack.com/i/ey8sBivYj
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Thanks Drew,
My Grandfather joined the 64th on 20th July 1942 prior to that he was in hospital recovering from wounds recieved at Dunkirk then back to the 24th until posted.
I have the war diary for the 24th for the Dunkirk campaign and now understand how he ended up with a handful of grenade fragments in his back!!!
Do you have the war diary for the latter part of July?
Regards
David
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I have the whole file covering Jan-Dec 1942. Here's the page you requested.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/537/wBK2Sh.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/exwBK2Shj)
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https://imageshack.com/i/idch7Feoj
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That was a baptism of fire! Especially on 22nd, many thanks for that Drew
Regards
David
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Not relating to your relative personally but some background on the organisation of "medium" regts
http://nigelef.tripod.com/medregt44.htm
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You might like to look at Youtube 'From Holloway to the Western Desert-mpeg2video.mpg'.
It's a succession of stills from 64th Medium Regiment RA, fully captioned as to personnel. Photographs of the 6" howitzer they were equipped with until 1943. Accompanied by stirring martial music guaranteed to raise your spirits. Fine looking young men, no obesity there. Photo's of AEC tractor, a Matilda and Crusader III, latter just might have been a regimental artillery observation tank, don't promise though.
Probably in mid 1943 re-equipped with either the 4.5" or 5.5" medium gun.
At Arnhem September 1944. Major General Urquart, OC 1st Airborne Division rewarded 64th with Pegasus badge worn on lower left sleeve and retitled 64th as 64th Airborne Medium Regt. RA for it's fire support at Arnhem which saved 1st Airborne from being totally destroyed as against merely destroyed, it was not reformed. Of course, Urquart had no authority, and wearing of the airborne badge and change in title were cancelled.
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Hello Andrea first greetings to frankie on 94 I will be that in dec here are a few names he will
rember jimmy james. sid hascroft. stan letch. arthur cross. clift bastin. alf cameron.
bob walton . bill stoneman. sammy smith.just a few. hope this goes o.k. I am not all that
clever with this.
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Nice to hear from you Jim.
I will be going to see him tomorrow so will run those names past him. He certainly remembers Cliff Bastin of Arsenal fame and has mentioned Sammy Smith who was also a good footballer. Were you in the same regiment?
Andrea
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Hello
Sorry to but into this conversation at such a late stage but I have an interest in the 64th Medium Regiment also.
My father in law Richard Brown 7639284 served in this regiment during WW2. I am searching for information about his war service movements along with my husband (his son) and would be grateful to hear anything you could tell me about him and any possible photos.
I hope it isnt too late to get into this conversation and look forward to hearing from you
Kind regards
Anonemouse
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Hi
Without wishing to give too much away. If you contacted me back in November 2011 regarding another two units feel free to contact me.
Regards
Andy
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Hi
Just researching my late father's war record. James Arthur Saul 916215. I've got his service record which has his attestation on 8 May 1939, embodied 2 September 1939. 212 Battery, 64th Medium Regiment Royal Artillery. He became a POW in June 1942 and spent the rest of the war in camps in Italy and then Germany. I have many of the letters he sent to his parents (my grandparents), his medals and a few photographs. I remember dad telling me one of the photos was of his officer, something like Roncaroni? Any further information would be much appreciated.
Cheers,
John
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Hi John,
Thanks for the post, I don't have much for that period however, If you go to page 2 of this thread there's a Gwen Nelson who's Father was also a POW from 1942 onwards she may be able to help you more than I can?
My general interest starts when he was transferred in October 1942.
Cheers
Dave
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To all relatives searching for information on the 64th medium regiment and its soldiers I hope in the next few months to be in a position to get my uncles notes (from a 212 battery aspect) published . Its a really great read with a great deal of humour and dramatic action passages. I am trying to interest publishers at the moment. If no success will be self published as its ideal for relatives who want to know more on the unit. my uncle was William Holloway (holly or alva to fellow soldiers), his book covers enlistment at the start of the war, training at berkhamstead, deployment to Africa fighting the Italians, then breakout and escape driving over german lines heading for fuka then diverted to a place called alamein where 64th fired that tremendous barrage, on via operation overlord d day , attached to 30 corps under gen brian horrocks via villers bocage mont pincon, Arnhem, (this is where the 64 th were the unit to establish radio contact with johnny frosts paras , as prrviously mentioned by another contributor this lead to a request from gen brian urqhart to allow the 64th to wear the Pegasus patch on their uniform, shame to say not ratified by the war office. I have a Photostat of the letter to the 64th fom the general(sean connery in a bridge to far)! this is a terrific tale and I also have the regimental shield from the office (on my wall ) and battledress complete with 30 corps bull and elephant boys insignia. helmets medals etc . from the unit. anyway hope to be able to get this info out there as some really interesting stuff there.
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Put me down for a copy
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will do.!
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Have you approached Pen and Sword in Barnsley? They seem to be the military history publisher of choice.
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Hi all,
I am looking for more information or contacts to do with my granddad's service. Specifially I would like to find out if he is in war diaries or perhaps just read them to get an idea of his life then. It says I need to know theatre of war to get the right ones but I am not really sure what this means.
We are lucky enough to have a copy of a newspaper article written about his TA unit in March 1945 which I thought might be of interest to you all.
He was part of a TA unit based in Offord road in Barnsbury, Islington. It lists the places they had been in the war:Now in Berlin via Tobruk, Syria, Eritrea, Greece, Crete, Tripoli, Tunis,Sicily, Normandy, Antwerp and Nijmegen.
It also lists the names of soldiers in the two troops A and B. He was in A troop along with T.L Adams, Sgt. A O Paterson, Sgt F.J Arscott, Bdr. Ibbotson, Bdr. J E Rist, L/bdr Cox, Gnr R.H Batson, Gnr Arthur John Clements (also know as Clem or Art - my grandad), Gnr G A Nutkins, Gnr R J Salter and a couple of other illegible names.
The article also says:
Along the coast to Tyre, Sidon & Beirut, with Montgomery fighting Rommel close to Tripoli, inspected by Churchill and Monty. Meddenine, then Mareth, Gabes, Sousse, Enfidaville to Tunis. Then Cape Bon peninsula against Afrika Korps then with 8th army to Sicily then Italy supporting 1st Italian landings then had a rest at Christmas 1943. June 8th 1944 they landed at Normandy, then Holland to the Rhine at Nijmegen. 1st to get wireless contact with 1st Airbone division at Arnheim.
His leave certificate says Klenze Germany 4th Jan 1946 having joined 3rd May 1939!
He was injured in 1942 according to a search I have done but it didn't give me any details.
I know he had at least one operation/possible two whilst in the desert in North Africa and wondered if there would be any details on this anywhere.
Thanks - sorry about the long post!
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Welcome to Rootschat,
Your best bet would to be to apply for his service record from https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records this will give you some basic details, places, medical history, general conduct, medal entitlement, etc........ It will take between 3 and 6 months though!
Another source would be the war diary, you may be able to view this at the Royal Artillery Museum at Woolwich.
As for the newspaper article, does it mention a Gnr C De'ath?
Regards
David
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The RA Museum at Woolwich closed down sometime ago now.
War Diaries for this regiment will be at the National Archives in London covering the whole of WW2. I only have the Jan to Dec 1942 diary for this regiment.
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Thanks Chaps for the welcome and the info. I think my uncle has applied for his service record.
I will check the 'B' troop for De'ath for you when my uncle next visits.
To look at the war diaries: what information would I have to give? Is the regiment number enough?
Thanks
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Hi all,
I have gotten hold of a copy of the article from my uncle although as it is rather old it is hard to read in parts.
Andrea, I have found a L/bdr Smith, F.E living at 64 Packington Street Islington.
Could that be your relative.
He is part of 'B' troop who came out of the TA drill hall at Offord road.
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my uncle was William Holloway (holly or alva to fellow soldiers
[/quote]
Hi David
In the article I have there is s Gnr Holloway W.G living at 155 Halton Mansions N1. The article lists him as being in ‘B’ troop.
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my uncle was William Holloway (holly or alva to fellow soldiers), his book covers enlistment at the start of the war, training at berkhamstead, deployment to Africa fighting the Italians, then breakout and escape driving over german lines heading for fuka then diverted to a place called alamein where 64th fired that tremendous barrage, on via operation overlord d day , attached to 30 corps under gen brian horrocks via villers bocage mont pincon, Arnhem, (this is where the 64 th were the unit to establish radio contact with johnny frosts paras , as prrviously mentioned by another contributor this lead to a request from gen brian urqhart to allow the 64th to wear the Pegasus patch on their uniform, shame to say not ratified by the war office.
Hi I have checked the article that I have and it lists a W.G Holloway living at 155 Halton Mansions N1. Would this be your uncle? He was in 'B' troop.
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Hi , YES THAT IS MY UNCLE , AM TRYING TO GET HIS 64TH BOOK PUBLISHED . REGARDS PHIL.
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Hi,
With Remembrance Day just gone I thought I would share something pretty cool that I acquired a few years back. There is a reference to 64th Medium Regt RA maybe on a telegraph so after a quick google I saw this post and am posting it incase it is of any interest to you. There is also mentioned Sicily and was sent from Egypt so it is area relevant looking back.
The quick story is that back in my plastering days I worked on a house that was bought at auction including all its contents. I was instructed to clear a few rooms and skip a load of stuff to make room for work to begin. The son of the old man that owned the place and had passed away auctioned the house off with all its contents.
I kept quite a few things from that place but in one of the boxes I found this lot.
A bayonet, pictures of the gentleman (0n the left) who I think is his brother, his war time sweetheart in uniform, some pictures of their wedding and a picture of there first born and an announcing of baby card with names. Date and weight on it.
Most interestingly I got a copy of something called an airgraph that I expect is some kind of telegraph but it has some cool drawings on it too that we're done by the sender.
(http://campervanculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/23517947_1975395189153536_6898122889642873385_n-1.jpg)
(http://campervanculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/23435150_1975395045820217_5066467910837041689_n.jpg)
(http://campervanculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/23472751_1975395059153549_8427407739517493180_n.jpg)
(http://campervanculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/23518854_1975395129153542_5885332971882388764_n.jpg)
I hope this may be of some use.
There is text and dates on the back of some of the photos and the name of the baby, address of where she was born etc..
Jed
Jed
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Hi,
What a great find you have there. I don't think it is quite relevant to the 64th Medium regt however. It says 64 battery, 165 Field Regiment RA. I could be wrong though - the other people on this forum are much more knowledgable than me so should be able to point you in the right direction.
However I have tried to look up the two fellows on the letter and I can see that sadly the chap to whom the letter was written died in 1944. He was a flight engineer in the Royal Air force volunteer reserve. He is buried in Amersfoort war cemetery in Holland.
I haven't been able to find anything on the writer of the letter so hopefully he survived the war.
Thanks for posting-it is all very interesting.
Caroline
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Hi Caroline,
Yes you are correct. In all honesty I have no knowledge of this kind of history and just googled the 64th and this thread popped up so I figured I would just post it up. Since then I have had a search around and the brother Roy (on the right) did die on the return from a bombing raid in a Lancaster bomber to Germany and got shot down in Holland.
I now have a new interest in this sort of thing so will keep on with the search and follow up all the new leads I have discovered this evening. I am actually driving over to Holland next week on business and figured I would call in and check the grave site out in person.
All this is very interesting hey!
Jed
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Hi all,
My grandad who's 98 and still going strong and very lucid served with the 64th Medium Regiment. Still lives in Islington and might be able to help with any details.
Regards,
Richard
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Hi all,
I am looking for more information or contacts to do with my granddad's service. Specifially I would like to find out if he is in war diaries or perhaps just read them to get an idea of his life then. It says I need to know theatre of war to get the right ones but I am not really sure what this means.
We are lucky enough to have a copy of a newspaper article written about his TA unit in March 1945 which I thought might be of interest to you all.
He was part of a TA unit based in Offord road in Barnsbury, Islington. It lists the places they had been in the war:Now in Berlin via Tobruk, Syria, Eritrea, Greece, Crete, Tripoli, Tunis,Sicily, Normandy, Antwerp and Nijmegen.
It also lists the names of soldiers in the two troops A and B. He was in A troop along with T.L Adams, Sgt. A O Paterson, Sgt F.J Arscott, Bdr. Ibbotson, Bdr. J E Rist, L/bdr Cox, Gnr R.H Batson, Gnr Arthur John Clements (also know as Clem or Art - my grandad), Gnr G A Nutkins, Gnr R J Salter and a couple of other illegible names.
The article also says:
Along the coast to Tyre, Sidon & Beirut, with Montgomery fighting Rommel close to Tripoli, inspected by Churchill and Monty. Meddenine, then Mareth, Gabes, Sousse, Enfidaville to Tunis. Then Cape Bon peninsula against Afrika Korps then with 8th army to Sicily then Italy supporting 1st Italian landings then had a rest at Christmas 1943. June 8th 1944 they landed at Normandy, then Holland to the Rhine at Nijmegen. 1st to get wireless contact with 1st Airbone division at Arnheim.
His leave certificate says Klenze Germany 4th Jan 1946 having joined 3rd May 1939!
He was injured in 1942 according to a search I have done but it didn't give me any details.
I know he had at least one operation/possible two whilst in the desert in North Africa and wondered if there would be any details on this anywhere.
Thanks - sorry about the long post!
My father L/Bdr Arthur T.E.Clark M.M. Was in the 64th. I have all his photos from N.Africa through to The Ardennes . I am going to try to contact Clements Canonbury as I have a photo taken in N.Africa or perhaps Syria of his grandad Arthur Clements with my father !
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Hi
That is amazing news about the photo. if you want to send a copy. Once I see who your relative is, i’ll have a look through the photocopies of my grandad’s photos, to see if they are there.
You have made my day.
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Will send it now, when I saw the name Arthur Clements it rang a bell..I've photographed the reverse of the photo it's my dad's handwriting.
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It’s just the best surprise. Having the message on it makes it special. Thanks so much for bothering to send it
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I've got loads of his photos, I'll go through them to see if there are any more that would interest you. I have one of a glider landing mistakenly on their gun position at Arnhem. Cairo zoo, the pyramids and sphinx, crossing the Jordan, the snow in the Ardennes , Montgomery inspecting the troops...if there are any ones in particular that you'd like to see just say and I'll e.mail them.I have dad's pegasus cuff badge, original M.M.ribbon, his cap badge and cap, regimental tie, chrome artillery car badge, invitations to reunions etc. my brother has his medals. I even have a little Syrian (I think ) carving he brought home and a gold locket he got from an American soldier in exchange for a blanket.Lots of bits and pieces 😊
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Hello Nellie,
You can attach images to your RootsChat topics by clicking on the attach button ;)
Regards
Sarah
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Dear Normandy1944, I was wondering how you were getting on with the publishing of your uncles diary? This would be of great interest to me. My great uncle was a man called Major Denis Duke. He was in the 212 battery and was captured in North Africa at Mersa Matruh. He then became a POW in Italy before escaping and walking 400 miles south and rejoining the Allies. He then became battery commander of 212 battery for the DDay landings. Any further colour to this story would be great.
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Dear Normandy1944, I was wondering how you were getting on with the publishing of your uncles diary? This would be of great interest to me. My great uncle was a man called Major Denis Duke. He was in the 212 battery and was captured in North Africa at Mersa Matruh. He then became a POW in Italy before escaping and walking 400 miles south and rejoining the Allies. He then became battery commander of 212 battery for the DDay landings. Any further colour to this story would be great.
Dear hosr98,
As an interested bystander, did your great uncle happen to escape around the time of the Italian armistice in September 1943.
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Yes. I have a newspaper article stating that a Col. Mainwaring D.S.O had seen Denis and another officer on September 14th 100 miles north of Florence. I have looked up the POW camps in Italy of which there looks to have been about 26. A number of which are about 100 miles north of Florence! If I’m right in thinking 212battery were supporting a New Zealand division at Mersa Matruh before being surrounded by Romney’s army. I think the battery lost half it’s guns. On line one particular POW camp house a large detachment of New Zealander’s so I wonder whether it was that one he was in.
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Thanks for the information.