3 RTR B Squadron

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by Frank Flattery, Feb 7, 2020.

  1. Roddy1011

    Roddy1011 Senior Member

    Hi Frank - Like the pic of the Lt Tk VIb - T.2250

    I currently hold details of this veh as follows:

    T. 2250 (EHX 908)
    Lt Tk Mk.VIB

    Contract T/3565 to Armstrong Whitworth

    D & M Wing, AFV School Bovington

    Engine No: S/9890

    1939/40 - Veh initially listed in UK - BTM Ledger 623.438(41)WD Nos/8

    When was your reli down there ?

    Roddy
     
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  2. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Hi Roddy, according to his tracercard, he was 'Y' listed from 24th Lancers to RAC from 3/6/42 to 22/7/42, which I'm assuming was when he attended the wireless instructor course, during which that photo was taken. Looking at the other 'class' photos, I believe it would have been at the end of the course.
    I hope it's helpful!
     
  3. S54

    S54 Junior Member

    Frank apologies l forgot you’d already posted something about those lock gates and there was me thinking l’d had a ‘Eureka Moment’ when l posted these pics over on ‘Faceache’ . . . . . . . DOH!

    [​IMG]
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  4. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    No worries, those 'Eureka moments' do feel good, don't they!
     
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  5. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Hi, going back over those photos of my grandfather on his wireless course and sat on the MkVIB, I think he's made a mistake with his notes.... as you can see under one of them, he wrote, "Wireless Instructors Course Bovington Dorset 1942. Passed with P.1." , which he did, however I don't think the photos are from then. The faces that appear in the photo are the same ones that also appear in the others, in which you can see more Mk VIBs, and with them a card with the names and regiments of his classmates. My grandfather lists his regiment as "4th CLY" (County of London Yeomanry, who he enlisted in), so this was before he was posted to 24th Lancers (which was on 16/4/41), and according to another annotation, he was posted to the Lancers after becoming an NCO i/c Signals at Catterick. Would they have had Mk VIBs at Catterick? Also, I know summer in Blighty isn't always very warm and sunny, but they sure look well-wrapped up for June-July, which is when I believe he did the course at Bovington.
     

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  6. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Hi all, hope you had a good summer! Bertin has asked me about this : service , where it mentions Tpr Willam Jones having billeted with a family in Aarschot. I'm guessing this is a mistake, perhaps mixing up with where they left their tanks, but just to confirm...did a part of the regiment end up not billeting in Poperinge?
     
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  7. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Frank

    3RTR were billeted in Poperinghe in late 1944, then got sent to the Dinant area during the Battle of the Bulge and then back to Poperinghe in January 1945 where they completed their conversion to Comet. After a period of final training etc, they then moved to the Aerschot/Aarschot area for about a week or so in late March prior to their final move over the Rhine etc which started on about 27th March 1945. I have some of dad's photos which show (photo souvenirs) the people he was billeted with in both Poperinghe and Aarschot.

    Steve
     
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  8. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Didn't realise they billeted in Aarschot as well, albeit for a week! Cheers, I'll pass that on!
     
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  9. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    In fact, I came across this:

    Eligius Geyzels 1895 - 1976 Registro de BillionGraves

    So it seems whoever compiled the biography had the names of the family in Aarschot, but obviously no reference to Poperinge.
    I've learnt something new today!
    Cheers!

    EDIT: Here's the link to the site where the biography appears, does anyone know Eric?
    Lots of interesting photos, etc! Might be an idea to drop him a line.

    3rd Royal Tank Regiment
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2020
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  10. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Never got round to making contact. The web site hasn't changed in years, not that that necessarily means anything. The photos include reference to A Squadron, there is an A Squadron triangle on the turret of one of the Comet photos and there is reference to a Bill Bourne. Bill Bourne was 1 Troop A Squadron (my father's Troop) and I have several of dad's photos which include Bill Bourne....except that the chap in the photo (on the website) doesn't really look like 'dads' Bill Bourne. Probably we should have a go at identifying the people - we've done it before!....and, as you know, I'm useless at facial recognition so could be wrong..... :)
     
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  11. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    I sent an email shortly after, which was promptly returned....looks like there's been no activity on the site for some 2 years... oh well.
     
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  12. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    I've sent a message via his main website: fingers crossed. It's had no update for some time but paradoxically has a 2020 Copyright date.
     
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  13. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    I've had contact a few months ago with the family my dad was billeted with in Aerschot - the Leers family. First contact with (Willy) Leers was in about 1998 when I visited Aerschot on a speculative visit (it was just a short side trip during a business trip to Antwerp) and we've had occasional contact since then.

    Edit: I also tried email but, as with you, it bounced straight back.
     
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  14. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Saw this on the Tank Museum page, about the exhibition updates, and the photo on the display caught my eye.. despite what looks to be a surprising museum mistake, 'Comet tank & crew 3rd Royal Tank Regiment North-West Europe1944', the photo looks like it could have been taken in Schwarmstedt, so probably B Squadron.... has anyone seen this photo before anywhere? I've looked (albeit hurriedly) on the IWM site with no luck.
    Captura de pantalla 2020-12-18 154820.jpg
     
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  15. AdamEdward

    AdamEdward Well-Known Member

    Frank, if we can get a better image I’ll ask Len Brererton. I would have seen that during Tankfest 19 but didn’t pay attention to the caption obviously!
     
  16. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    I get the idea from the blurb that it's a new display... maybe Len knows something
     
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  17. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    I'd ask the museum, but I'm still waiting for their reply regarding CESTUS, about 4 months or so :blank:
     
  18. AdamEdward

    AdamEdward Well-Known Member

    Len, earlier this year.
     

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  19. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    aahh- I didn't realise the display was from then....(and I remember you posting this photo before) and no-one noticed the mistake??!! Give Len a bollocking for not spotting it! The last time I was there was three years ago, not sure when I'll be getting back :(
     
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  20. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Replying to myself, I've just seen that the museum archive is still closed...bit of a bummer
     
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