RootsChat.Com

Hi,

My granduncle served at El Alamein in the 9th Queens Royal Lancers and was awarded a medal for his service. The citation for the medal in the London Gazette reads:-

"No. 317557 Sergeant (acting Squadron Quarter-Master-Sergeant) Arthur George Harriss, 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, Royal Armoured Corps. This N.C.O.'s troop leader was killed at an early stage of the Battle of Alamein, and at a critical time Hariss took command of the troop and handled it thereafter with outstanding courage and ability.

On 24th October, 1942, Hariss was troop sergeant of the second troop to pass through the enemy minefield.  his tank was brought to a standstill through the driver being hit.  However, he calmly continued to fight his tank and use his field glasses under intense fire, destroying three enemy tanks and spotting two 88-mm. guns which the troop destroyed by shell fire.  On this day this N.C.O. displayed outstanding courage and ability in a situation when much depended on the few tanks which had forced a bridgehead.

On 2nd November, 1942, his squadron was attacked by seventeen enemy tanks.  Hariss had just lost his operator, but he continued to load his gun, use his wireless and at the same time command the troop.  He fired eighty rounds in this action, scoring many hits on the enemy, who were eventually compelled to withdraw.  His own tank was hit repeatedly."

From what I have quickly read (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_El_Alamein)
would he have been serving in X Corps in Phase I of the 2nd Battle of El Alamein (under New Zealand command) and been amongst the first twelve tanks into the assault? And then in Phase 4, Operation Supercharge, been in the 9th Armoured Brigade attached to the New Zealander Brigadier Currie which Montgomery had said of "he was aware of the risk and has accepted the possibility of losing 100% casualties in 9 Armoured Brigade to make the break, but in view of the promise of immediate following through of 1 Armoured Division, the risk was not considered as great as all that."!!!

Or am I totally confused? If anyone with more knowledge of El Alamein can help explain what he experienced it would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

Hi,

I have been given a photo of one of my rellies in army uniform. I think the person is Augustus Edward Chambers b. 1855 Faversham, Kent. Two of Augustus's sisters married drivers in the Royal Artillery so I think there is a good chance that he himself was a driver in the Royal Artillery. He must have thought it was a dating service for his little sisters;-)

Anyway I might be wrong so can anyone confirm what unit the guy in the photo belonged to, what the medals are and what the other insignia mean?

I know little about uniforms but it looks like a WW1 unfiorm to me but Augustus would have been 59 in 1914 so I don't think he would have been on active service. Perhaps he was a trainer or something? In 1871 and 1881 he was a groom in Faversham but then he is missing from censuses in 1891 but reappears in 1901 as a publican. Perhaps he joined the army around 1891 and reenlisted in WW1 as a trainer?

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Thanks