Royal Field Artillery - help in locating info

[MaxD]

Aircraft recognition course an absolute must for anti aircraft gunners!

ARB - don't know, another aircraft recog course incorrectly transcribed or scruffily written?

OK - 65 Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Armoured Corp (TK) (x4)  Now clearer, he was transferred to some tank unit from 65 LAA Regiment and was X 4 listed while awaiting posting.  (The tank unit would be spelled out somewhere on his record)

This may well have been at the back end of 1943 when the need for LAA in N Africa was lessening and a number of AA units were converted to other things for service in Italy mostly.

He was released in 1946 but the norm was that men were retained on the reserve in case war broke out again.  They went home and resumed civilian life but this commitment to possible recall remained until their 45th birthday when they were discharged.

When with LAA he commanded the detachment of four men:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bofors_40_mm_gun#Army_and_RAF_Regiment_versions

When with the Royal Armoured  Corps he was in command of one tank.

MaxD

[vapcq45]

At last my cousin has sent me just two snaps of Edward Martin's service record which I'm hoping contains enough detail to get an overview of his career (why are there always so many abbreviations!!).

Any help would be very gratefully appreciated, bearing in mind also the info above.

Hope everyone is well!

[vapcq45]

The images above are only showing half I think but if you download you can then view whole document.

[MaxD]

Here is the first part up to going overseas which is pretty much as already deciphered!

He was called up to the  Royal Artillery for the D of E Duration of the Emergency on 2 Nov 1939.  Call ups for the war only joined the Territorial Army not regular army.

Posted to 83 Battery in 16 Light Anti  Aircraft (LAA) Regiment Royal Artillery (at Sittingbourne Kent)

16 Dec 1939 16 LAA became 43 LAA Regiment RA in Southampton so he was posted to 148 Battery 43 LAA Regiment RA.  27 May 1940 posted out of 43 LAA to 137 Battery 35 LAA Regiment RA.  It then looks like another reorganisation with 137 Battery going to 46 LAA  Regiment RA on 22 Aug 1940.  14 Sep 1941 posted to 65 LAA Regiment.  He then goes with this regiment overseas with effect 15 Sep 41.  This was Malta.

MaxD

[MaxD]

Amending what I posted just now.  From the earlier info we know he was already in the Territorial Army before the war.  The change in November 1939 was that he now became full time for the war rather than part time.

The record finishes:
In March 1944 in  Malta he attends an aircraft recognition course (as an LAA Gunner, he may have been on earlier ones not recorded)
Om 17 August 1944 he is still with 65 LAA Regiment but the formation the unit belongs to is in British North Africa Force .  I need to check the movements of the regiment if I can, this is either a move to N Africa or simply a change of higher level command.  The war diary titles are not much help, as some use (Middle East (Malta) in the title. I referred to the different commands earlier but would want to check them.

Whatever, in November 1944 65 LAA Regiment was to be disbanded as were a number of LAA units at that time.. Probably as a part of that, he was posted (that is the significance of the X 4) away from the Royal Artillery to a tank regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps.  His rank by now is (War substantive) Bombardier (two stripes)
He returns home  29 August 1945 until released to the reserve (this was the norm)  in April 1946.

There is nothing here about his service with the RAC and the period Nov 44 to August 45 apart from the service dates. A big blank until we see some more!

MaxD

[vapcq45]

Thank you very much Max, I can now understand his career!  You are a star!

Sadly that's al the info I can get from my cousin.  Her father had conversations with Edward (Ted) about his time 'working with tanks' so we will just have to be happy with that.

I shall get started with writing this one up and I think I have one more to go....unless of course I discover more.  I'm very proud of all these men and very pleased they are my ancestors.

Thanks again.

[MaxD]

You are welcome.  I have posted a query elsewhere about whether 65 LAA Regt were in Malta throughout.  I'll let you now if I get some sort of answer. (hate a loose end!)

MaxD

[vapcq45]

Thanks Max!