Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by Christ0Stones, Jan 5, 2016.

  1. Tom pettifer

    Tom pettifer Member

    Do you have any information on Thomas Robert pettifer
     
  2. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hi Tom,

    Where are you - down in New Zealand? Your grandfather gets a few mentions in the Hobbs' book. I looked at those guys seated together a long time trying to figure out if it was actually the Three Musketeers. Fortunately I had forum member Guy Hudson to bounce ideas off and who kindly put up with my speculations. It's late in the evening here so I'll go through it tomorrow morning and gather the pieces.

    Regards ...
     
  3. Tom pettifer

    Tom pettifer Member

    I live in london england i showed the picture to my dad and he said they are not
    the 3 in the pictute. He will try find some photos
     
  4. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Tom,

    Ok that's not good if true which would mean major edits in certain posts to remove images. If you have other photos I would love to see them.

    To add:

    The only information I have on Tom Pettifer and the others comes from the book, 'No Secret So Close', the biography of Bruce Hobbs. There are several paragraphs devoted to their time together during Officers' training at Karkur and details on other incidents later in the war. If your father already has the book I can't imagine it would add much to what you already know?

    Did your grandfather have any tattoos on his arms?

    Regards ...
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2018
  5. Tom pettifer

    Tom pettifer Member

    098E7F66-1B27-4165-9CCD-8B88B0A58646.jpeg D9EE8B4F-B95E-433A-8795-C5FAC3FF9FB5.jpeg 57630FE8-E32F-432E-8F3F-7D1A9F8FF747.jpeg
    No my grandfather Didnt have any tattoos I will attach some photos of him now but can confirm that is none of the 3 men as my dad knew them all very well. They did however box and both bill and Tom won cups in that. I personally only met all 3 as old men. Yes we have the book my dad had more story's about them pre and post war than he has during. The last photos is about the military cross the 3 won together. Tom should be easy to spot it group photos on horse back as he was rather small but was on a exceptionally massive horse 17hands 4. The 3 where all mates before the war in the jockey trainer circle they hung out in. They remained friends right till the end. Hope some of this helps your search into the 3 musketeers
     

    Attached Files:

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  6. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Tom,

    Very good photos and thanks for sharing your grandfather's MC citation. The man on the left does appear to have tattoos so it can't be Tom Pettifer. Your father thinks as well the other two are not Bill Payne or Bruce Hobbs. Here are a couple of comparisons. There are not many photos of Bill Payne to work with unfortunately.

    Bill Payne Compare.jpg Bruce Hobbs Compare.jpg

    I will have to make adjustments in the previous posts on the subject. If I got all that wrong it's just mind boggling - a really weird coincidence.

    Added another compare:

    Compare 41-45-Large.jpg

    Regards ...
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2022
  7. Jake Holliday

    Jake Holliday Member

    Hello all,

    I've recently received my Great Grandad's army record from the MOD. He joined the QOYD with the TA in 1937 in Goole, was discharged in 1946 and then discharged from the reserves in 1954. He was transferred to the RAC in 1942 and was to put work at "No. 1 Protected Area". He then, like many of the others here, became part of the 9th KOYLI, but he was allowed to remain employed at "No. 1 Protected Area". I'm assuming that it was the dysentery and sandfly fever he contracted in the Near East that meant he was allocated to do home service. I cannot find anything about this area, does anyone know what this could be? Could it be D-Day related?

    Also, my Great Grandad said that he was 'in a bad way in Alamein' and my Great Grandma got a letter stating he was MIA, but I can't find any evidence of these things on his record.

    Jake
     
  8. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hi Jake,

    I'm a little confused, are you saying your great grandfather returned to England prior to D-Day? Would it be possible to scan and upload his service records here. Someone may be able to help with their interpretation.

    Regards ...
     
  9. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    No 1 Protected Area

    Sharing the Secret

    Caithness CWS - Wings Over Wick - Others - Charlie Simpson, East Kilbride
    Wick was a No 1 protected area and when writing home we had to post our letters unsealed to be censored and kisses were banned in case they were a code.


    Some WWII naval units
    The Second World War saw Duirinish being made a 'No 1 Protected Area'; part of the arable ground was dug out and was used by the Admiralty as an ammunition dump.

    Village of Duirinish | Plockton Community
    The Second World War saw Duirinish being made a ‘No 1 Protected Area’; part of the arable ground was dug out and was used by the Admiralty as an ammunition dump.

    Its out there somewhere
    TD
     
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  10. Jake Holliday

    Jake Holliday Member

    Hi, yes he returned in 1942 or 1943 I believe. I'll take photos of the service page when I'm at home.

    Jake
     
  11. Jmonkey

    Jmonkey New Member

    My Great Grandfather was ww2 queens own Yorkshire dragoons. Koyli. He died in Italy, anzio battle 1944. I have a few pictures of him and of him with a few friends whilst in Tel Aviv.
     
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  12. Jmonkey

    Jmonkey New Member

    Tel Aviv 1940
     

    Attached Files:

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  13. Jmonkey

    Jmonkey New Member

    If anyone has any photos of the 9th bn koyli regiment which was my great grandfather's regiment please could you let me know. Thanks.
     
  14. Jake Holliday

    Jake Holliday Member

    Hello all, sorry for the delay. Here are several pages concerning my Great Grandad’s service with the QOYD and the KOYLI
     

    Attached Files:

  15. Jake Holliday

    Jake Holliday Member

    Also here is my Great Grandfather with the QOYD (TA) in 1937/38
     

    Attached Files:

  16. Jake Holliday

    Jake Holliday Member

    Here is the transition from the QOYD to the KOYLI via the RAC
     

    Attached Files:

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  17. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Jake,

    I can't offer you much more than what you already understand with regards Pte W. Harling's movements. Your capture of his service records are cut off at the edges in a few places so I could be wrong on certain dates.

    Pte Harling remains with the Yorkshire Dragoons until his transfer to the RAC on 26/9/41.

    Afterwards he is posted to 61st T.R. RAC which appears to be some kind of training unit. The date of posting is cut off but could possibly be 19/10/41?

    His next movement appears to be embarkment to Protected Area No.1 and a transfer to "S" List RAC. I'm not sure of the date - May 1942?

    Afterwards he is possibly given leave while under HQ No.1 P.A. in July of 42.

    On 9/2/43 he is examined at the Dingwall Military Hospital and his Medical Category declared as "C".

    On 19/2/43 he is transferred to 9th Battalion KOYLI but remains in Protected Area No.1 possibly due to medical condition.

    Here's a description of Medical Category C from the document " Medical Categories for Other Ranks, 1943".

    Medical Category C.jpg

    Regards ...
     
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  18. Jake Holliday

    Jake Holliday Member

    Thank you for your reply! I’m afraid it wouldn’t let me upload photos of the full pages, as the files were too big. I assume the change of categories was because of his illnesses then, as another record states:

    Syria 1941 stomach
    Palestine 1941 dysentery and sand fly fever

    I know after the war he had a face mask and a canister of oxygen at home, because he had a serious trouble breathing at times.

    I wonder how and where he received the scars on his back. It must’ve been in the Near East

    Regards, Jake
     
  19. Jade monk

    Jade monk New Member


    My great grandfather was 9th battalion koyli
     
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  20. Jake Holliday

    Jake Holliday Member

    Hi Jade, did he serve in Italy or at home?
     

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