I'm trying to shed some light on my Grandad's army service. He served in 53rd Welsh Division, 285w Field Park Company, RE. I would really appreciate any advise anybody can give to find the following: 1) Is it possible to get buy a copy of his regiment group photograph? Sadly the original was destroyed. It would mean so much to get hold of another copy. Any pointers? 2) My brother has just managed to get my Grandads WW2 issue pocket watch working. It is made by Enicar and on the back is stamped GS / TP XX P3653 ^ (arrow pointing upwards) Does anyone know anything about the stamp Marks ? Grandad drove an AEC Matador, so maybe that's why he was issued with the watch? 3) I am trying to plot the journey of my Grandad and the Pocket Watch. Grandad wrote a very basic diary dated 3rd July to 4th Dec 1945, that plotted a course of Arromanches, Caen, Cheux, Grimbosq, Bois Halbout, Leffard, Falaise Gap. Then I get to three places that i so far, cannot find. i) Lecy ii) Vieux Villiers (cleared bridge of suspected mines) iii) Crossed River Seine to Marquerville The next places listed are Capelle-Fermont, Verquin, Lommel, then Nijmegan. Has anyone else come across the three place names listed? Any help would be greatly accepted. Many thanks, Chris
Hi Chris. I have a booklet found in my dad's papers, "Team Spirit", with his name (Thomas Ingle), sapper and 285 W field park company, RE, BAOR, written inside. It's subtitled "The administration of the 53rd Welsh Division during Operation Overlord. I wonder if your grandad was the "Taffy" he remembered? He was"Yorkie" (Yorkshireman, obviously), and I believe there was "Geordie", and Brummie", as well.
Chris, here is the unit journey post VE Day 8 May 45 285 Field Park Company RE Geesthacht south-east of Hamburg 9 May 45 – Hamburg-Ottensen 10 Jun 45 – Ratingen-Lintorf north-east of Düsseldorf 8 Nov 45 – Heilingenhaus north-east of Düsseldorf 26 Feb 46 – disbanded 21st Army Group later British Army of the Rhine (under construction)
Wow thank you very much indeed Steve. I do have photos of my Grandad playing football in Heilingenhaus, so that ties up. Did you manage to find that information from service records / war diaries ? I'll certainly have a read through the information on the link that you attached. Thank you very much again. Chris.
Hello Jingle, Thank you for your reply. I also have a copy of the Team Spirit book and a very hard to read typed letter that accompanies it. The letter mainly covers the atrocious conditions in the Reichswald Forest. My Grandad wouldn't have been "Taffy" though, as he was a Lancastrian ) I do have a photo with names signed on the back of it, and also a photo of a football team. I'll have another look through to see if there are any names that match. Thanks again, Chris
Do not have the unit war diaries information taken from higher command, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division/1st Corps District.
