Author Topic: Battalions, etc.etc.  (Read 793 times)

Offline majm

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Re: Battalions, etc.etc.
« Reply #9 on: Saturday 08 August 20 05:30 BST (UK) »
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=829275.msg6936432#msg6936432

and

Can anyone help me?  I am trying to find the actual records of a soldier in WW2.  He was at one stage a Rat of Tobruk and later was called out of this unit to join his brother in another.
I am keen to trace the battles in which he fought, what life was like.  I believe he put his age up to join up.  I can find his basis record but need help In tracing the other information.  His name is Walter Charles Horsfall  NX 11278. enlisted at Paddington NSW.  He apparently was 'a last man standing' in one particular incident could not get a citation for it as there were no officers still alive - or so I am led to believe.  Any help would be greatly appreciated as his family know nothing of his time in the Army and we now feel it is time to find. out more.  Thank you.



Re your uncle ...
Perhaps you could look up the nominal roll for his brother's unit - afterall, he too would be your uncle? and then check to see if that brother's service file for 2nd AIF service has been digitised.    That would likely go a long way towards determining the unit they both served in together. 

Walter's NSW birth registration is indexed online at the free to search index of the NSWBDM :
Walter C HORSFALL, parents as William H and Sarah, registered Parramatta District.  Ref 11874/1920.   His date of birth drills down to 2 December 1919 at the online link :  https://www.nsw.gov.au/topics/family-history-search  So I do not understand any concern about him adjusting his age to enlist.

The B883 Series at the NAA are for the Second Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947. Their website notes : The National Archives will digitise all records in these series by June 2023. Records will be progressively added to RecordSearch as they are digitised and will be available free of charge. If you wish to digitise a record in advance, please select ‘continue’ to order an online copy. We aim to make that copy available within 30 business days of receiving your paid request.

https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/defence-and-war-service-records/army-world-war-ii-1939-45

I have paid for the digitisation of several 2nd AIF files in that series.  All are very detailed and I would expect both your Uncles' files will be worthwhile for their family history value, not just for WWII service.

JM 
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Offline Nanna52

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Re: Battalions, etc.etc.
« Reply #10 on: Saturday 08 August 20 05:59 BST (UK) »
I agree with JM the information contained in their service files is both detailed and informative.  Well worth the cost of having them digitised.
James -Victoria, Australia originally from Keynsham, Somerset.
Janes - Keynsham and Bristol area.
Heale/Hale - Keynsham, Somerset
Vincent - Illogan/Redruth, Cornwall.  Moved to Sculcoates, Yorkshire; Grass Valley, California; Timaru, New Zealand and Victoria, Australia.
Williams somewhere in Wales - he kept moving
Ellis - Anglesey

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Offline majm

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Re: Battalions, etc.etc.
« Reply #11 on: Saturday 08 August 20 06:30 BST (UK) »
Re knowing what your Uncles were doing daily/weekly etc
Official War Diaries :
2nd AIF
Unit War Diaries 1939-45. – specifically for 2/12 Batt. 

https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/understanding-military-history/unit-diaries then to

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1359733  then to

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1360970   (I chose that option because 2/12 Batt was INFANTRY.    Then from there :
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1359938  (Battalions,) scroll down to
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1361028 which is the 2/12 Infantry Batt.   Scroll down further as see that basically it is in Chronological order, in sets, sometimes two or three months, sometimes one month at a time.   You can download the diaries, or read them online. 

So for example here is the live link for 2/12 Batt in December 1943. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1365050   …. There’s 92 pages just for that live link

Re Mention in Despatches
https://www.awm.gov.au/articles

Many Australian Defence Force personnel were Mentioned in Despatches during the First and Second World Wars. Their names were published in The London Gazette and also the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/
and
https://www.nla.gov.au/blogs/trove/2017/03/02/commonwealth-gazette-1901-to-1957


JM
The information in my posts is provided for academic and non-commercial research purposes. 
Random Acts of Kindness Given Freely are never Worthless for they are Priceless.
Qui scit et non docet.    Qui docet et non vivit.    Qui nescit et non interrogat.   
All Census Look Ups Are Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
I do not have a face book or a twitter account.

Offline iwccc

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Re: Battalions, etc.etc.
« Reply #12 on: Monday 10 August 20 00:23 BST (UK) »
Majm,, Thank you for your very helpful posts.  The other soldier is actually my father and his details are also not digitised as yet.
The other contact sites are very helpful - a lot to go through but what I have found so far are very interesting.  I appreciate your insights into this subject.


Offline iwccc

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Re: Battalions, etc.etc.
« Reply #13 on: Monday 10 August 20 00:24 BST (UK) »
Nanna 52, Thank you for your help. It looks like I may have to pay for the records to be digitised. I appreciate your suggestion.