78th British Infantry Division - "The Battleaxe Div"

Discussion in 'Higher Formations' started by Ron Goldstein, Nov 4, 2010.

  1. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Steve,

    Marvellous photos. what always strikes me is the quality of the photographs - I think the paparazzi were out in force in Rome as I've got several of my father from the Spanish Steps, July 1944.

    As you say, you're well ahead of the game on your father's service details. My father, Edmund, was also in the 78th from March 1943 (6th Armoured before that) and obviously travelled the exact same route - I have his five medals next to me now.

    On 4, I can only quote some notes that my father made in his memoirs:

    QUOTE

    "We disembarked at Port Said and were taken by carrier, truck and jeep to Quassassin near the Suez Canal. The transport was driven by Gurkhas and I was fortunate to be seated in the front of my vehicle. We passed through the outskirts of Cairo but missed seeing any sights of import.

    Our camp in the canal zone was a peaceful tented town. The tents were large marquees and every man had his own ‘charpoy’ with a straw mattress. It was luxury for those who had survived the mud of a Tunisian winter, the heat of an Italian summer, and the snow and bleakness of the icy mountains of the Appenines. We had endured the dangers of the campaign from Cassino to Trasimeno and normally slept under the stars, seldom with any cover. But there were not many left from those who had landed in Algiers in November 1942 to enjoy it. Within the battalion perimeter were a NAAFI, a central sergeants’ mess and a cinema with a frequent change of programmes. Men were given seven days leave in Cairo. The brigade’s first leave party returned to camp and told how they had been ‘rooked’ by their hosts. The second contingent decided to do something and a well-organised riot was arranged with considerable damage to vehicles and installations. There were many arrests but not of a single London Irishmen. Colonel Bredin had the battalion paraded upon their return from Cairo and officially congratulated them on staying clear of trouble.

    It may have been because of the Cairo riot that the division was broken into brigade units. The London Irish went to Sidi Bishr to the east of Alexandria and into another tented camp. Leave was resumed. I had an excellent seven days in Alexandria but I would have dearly loved to have seen the Sphinx and the Pyramids at Giza. Stealing was rife and practically everything had to be closed down or tied down. The rifles were locked around the massive tent poles. One morning, a section awoke with no canvas above them. During the night, the tent had been removed by thieves who had stolen the poles and the rifles. Rifles had an easy market, particularly in Palestine. A South African officer named Lieutenant Bruckmann had all his kit, tent and even blankets stolen as he slept.”

    END QUOTE.
    best
    Richard
     
  2. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Hi Steve- I don't really think there is an easy way to find his service number. I still would apply for his records without his service number-just put his date of birth on the form and the address where he was living when he enlisted if you know. That's all I had and I got my dads records. Good luck!

    Lesley
     
  3. kenwootton2

    kenwootton2 Junior Member

    Please have a look at my thread titled 5 th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment as this research is still going on and now is being followed by 2 other Families who lost relatives in the same incident.
    Some of you who served with the Div. around Catenanouva may be able to add a bit to our findings.
    In Memory of my Uncle ( his pic is my avtar)
    Regards,
    Ken Wootton
     
    Micheal likes this.
  4. leccy

    leccy Senior Member

    Just had a request on another site ref the the '64th Anti-Tank Regt. RA, 78th Infantry Division' during WWII in Italy.

    Were they equipped with or did they use the Humber MkII armoured car?

    I could see them using the Humber Scout as a liason vehicle but would an AT Regt have Armoured Cars?
     
    Howard Keetch likes this.
  5. Thankfull

    Thankfull Junior Member

    Hello. I was wondering if you could help? I am trying to find information on my grand father, he would tell us many stories of the war, when we were young, his name was Ralph Whitfield, his division was the 78th, in the Royal artillery, on the 25 pounders, he spoke much of africa and italy, this unfortunatly is all I know. Thank you
     
  6. Combover

    Combover Guest

    Ron,

    Could you tell me if the 78th Division had a Divisional newspaper? If so, what was it called?
     
  7. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Ron,

    Could you tell me if the 78th Division had a Divisional newspaper? If so, what was it called?

    Combover

    Sorry, but don't seem to remember one.

    We had of course the 8th Army newspaper and I have vague memories that my fellow Driver/Op Larry Fox still has the odd ones.

    Will check and come back here to report.

    Ron
     
  8. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Not a newspaper but a piece of 78th history, undated but obviously 1945. At that stage I presume that the 'new arrivals' resulted from units being disbanded or reorganised at the end of the war.

    View attachment 78th New arrivals message.pdf
     
  9. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    This is a more complete OOB for 78 Div. Some units added from 78 Division Victory Parade.




    Order of Battle – 78th Division

    Headquarters 78th Division

    11th Infantry Brigade

    2nd Battalion The Lancashire Fusiliers
    1st Battalion The East Surrey Regiment
    5th (Huntingdonshire) Battalion The Northamptonshire Regiment

    36th Infantry Brigade

    5th Battalion The Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs)
    6th Battalion The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
    8th Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

    1st Guards Brigade (until March 1943)

    3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards
    2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards
    2nd Battalion The Hampshire Regiment

    38th Irish Brigade (from March 1943)

    6th Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (until August 1944)
    2nd Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (from August 1944)
    1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers
    2nd Battalion The London Irish Rifles

    56th Reconnaissance Regiment

    1st Battalion Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment

    Royal Artillery

    17th Field Regiment
    132nd (Welsh) Field Regiment
    138th (City of London) Field Regiment
    64th Anti - Tank Regiment (Queen's Own Glasgow Yeomanry)
    49th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (until November 1944)

    Royal Corps of Signals

    78th Infantry Division Signals

    Royal Engineers

    214th Field Company
    237th (Highland) Field Company
    256th Field Company
    281st Field Park Company

    Royal Army Medical Corps

    11th Field Ambulance
    152nd Field Ambulance
    217th Field Ambulance
    47th Field Hygiene Section

    Royal Army Ordnance Corps

    78th Infantry Div Ordnance Field Park
    56th Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit

    Royal Army Service Corps

    57th Company Royal Army Service Corps
    127th Company Royal Army Service Corps
    294th Company Royal Army Service Corps
    328th Company Royal Army Service Corps

    Royal Electrical& Mechanical Engineers

    11th Infantry Brigade Workshop
    36th infantry Brigade Workshop
    38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade Workshop

    Royal Army Pay Corps

    14th Field Cash Office

    Corps of Military Police

    78th Infantry Div Provost Company

    Intelligence Corps

    88th Field Security Section

    Postal Unit

    78th Infantry Div Postal Unit


    Cheers
    Paul
     
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  10. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Paul !

    Thanks for the latest info on 78 Div !

    What some folk on the forum may not have completely grasped, is the fact that individual units were often transferred willy-nilly from one Div to another if the requirements of a campaign made this necessary.

    When I was in the 49th LAA we were always part of the 78 Div and that is why I have chosen to use the battle axe as part of my Avatar.

    After I'd joined the 4th QOH I thought I had seen the last of the Div but was delighted to find myself back with them again for the end of the Italian campaign and our move into Austria.

    See the Rgtl Diary here:
    14/5/1945[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
    Regtl Camp started on WEISZEN SEE.[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
    15/5/1945[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
    Verbal orders received from 78 Div to establish PoW camp at FERNDORF for 500 PoW.[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
    21/5/1945[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
    C Sqn tracks arrived MOLZBICHL.[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
    26/5/1945[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
    A Sqn tracks arrive FERNDORF.[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]27/5/1945[/FONT]
    Regt came under command CRA 78th Div. The Div Comdr, Major General RK Arbuthnot CBE DSO MC, took the salute at the Victory Thanksgiving Service. The Regtl Band was in attendance under the direction of the Bandmaster CH Jaeger.[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
     
  11. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    78 "Battleaxe" Division

    Since this thread is all about 78 Div, I am posting details of two books I have been reading which follows the campaigns of the division. Maybe new forum members whose relatives were in this division don't know about these excellent books.

    Battleaxe Division by Ken Ford

    Algiers to Austria by Cyril Ray


    Lesley
     
  12. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Well since I am a 78 Div admirer (my dad was in 56 Recce) I will add my twopennorth to the thread:D
    I have just finished reading the excellent book Algiers to Austria by Cyril Ray which follows the campaigns of 78 Div.
    Ron- I notice that your unit-49 L.A.A. was disbanded in November 1944. There is a paragraph in the book-quote "This unit turned its hands to many jobs. It had fought as infantry in North Africa, provided stretcher-bearers at Cassino and elsewhere, to say nothing of mine-lifters, road-builders, and smoke-screen operators. It had furnished diversionary fire with its Bofors guns at the Trigno crossing, and its final and crowning achievement was to build an Air O.P. landing ground near Castel del Rio in heartbreakingly difficult positions.
    Ron-If you left early November did you miss sampling the "delights" at the rest camp at Castel del Rio ie drinking tea at Wally's Bar or go to the "Golden Chopper" canteen??!!!:lol:

    Lesley
     
    Ken P likes this.
  13. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Lesley

    I went back to the Regtl Diaries and found this:

    [FONT=&quot]..[/FONT]On 6 Nov the relief of the regt, in its multifarious tasks, started, apparently with less difficulty than had been expected. On 7 Nov the regt left 78 Inf Div after serving with it for 2 years and 5 months of which two years, to the very day, had been spent on foreign soil in Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy and Egypt. During this period 9.546 rounds had been fired in action, resulting in the confirmed destruction of 43 enemy aircraft and one tank.



    I'm sorry, but the delights you mention above are all strangers to me :(

    Best regards

    Ron
     
  14. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Ron-Thank you for replying to my posting.

    I presume you have read the book I mentioned-do you think it gives an accurate representation of YOUR units war?

    Lesley
     
  15. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

  16. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    Tony thanks for posting

    Cheers
    Paul
     
  17. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Leslie

    Haven’t read the Cyril Ray book but I have the Ken Ford “Battleaxe Division” and occasionally dip into the pages.

    Tony
    With regard to the Longstop Hill & Tunisia I have to remind you, and others, that I didn’t arrive in Algiers until the 21st of April and then kicked my heels in a transit camp until the war finished on May 13th, not joining my unit until 22nd May just in time to guard a pile of human waste whilst my unit marched past King George.
    I first arrived in North Africa on April 13th 1943 but didn't join my unit (The 49th LAA) until the 22nd of May.

    On the 17th June, the King, George VI, flew to Tunisia to inspect the 78 Div and my unit proudly marched in front of him through the streets of Tunis.

    As a comparitive newcomer it was deemed appropriate that I, and the other re-inforcements, should guard the vehicle park to ensure that the local citizens didn't make off with sundry parts, including all the tyres.

    When we were being given our instructions as to the exact perimiters of the sentry beat it was also pointed out to us that we should be keeping a close eye on the latrines.

    When I queried this last point it was explained to me that it was common practice for the local gentry to steal the by-product of bodily functions which were in great demand for spreading on the nearby fields.

    To this day I can proudly claim, that whilst my comrades-in-arms marched in triumph through the streets of Tunis I guarded a pile of sxxt !


    The timetable below might help to clarify the dates.


    Joined up, Posted to 53rd Primary Training Wing 1st October 1942
    Bury St. Edmunds
    Posted to 52nd Driver Training Rgt RA, Whitby 11th November 1942
    Posted to 112 Lt AA Rgt.RA Hove 1st February 1943
    Posted to 228 Signal Training Rgt RA, Congleton 11th March 1943
    Embarked Draft REAYK (En route to North Africa0 10Th April 1943
    Disembarked (Algiers) 21th April 1943
    War ended in North Africa 13th May 1943
    Posted to 49th LAA Rgt RA 22nd May 1943
    Tunis
     
  18. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Tony,

    Some pretty good descriptions here - in another thread there was some discussion about the "accuracy" of various written accounts over the years but thought that the two articles about the Tunisian campaign and the fighting near to Lake Trasimeno (described here as "the big push from Cassino") are extremely well written.

    Due to the restrictions of full reporting, the regiments involved in the report on Trasimeno are not named and it's worth being reminded that the "force of a county regiment" was 2 Lancashire Fusiliers, the "celebrated battalion of the Division" was 2 London Irish Rifles, and that "the tanks from a Canadian armoured regiment" were from 11 Canadian Armoured Regiment.

    best,

    Richard
     
  19. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Tony-thanks for posting

    Lesley
     
  20. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

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