5th Grenadier Guards War Diary Feb to Apr 1943

Owen dbf

Thanks for your comments. I'm happy to have him listed on the nominal roll thank you, digital data will last longer than I will!

On Walters service record, the section which shows his movements (attached), I understand tha D will be Depot, so the barracks at Caterham. What about TB and HB, any idea what they may mean? Under the HB there is a symbol that looks like the number 4 , but it could equally be a cross.

His record does not specify that he served with the 5th, though the covering letter from the Regimental Archivist states 5th Bn. This would tie in with dates of service abroad, which is when the 24th Brigade moved to North Africa, and the date of his wound ties in with the action at Bou. It could be that the Regiment hold other papers which they have not let me see, possibly medical records?

Regards, Steve

 

Thanks Owen,

I should have thought a bit harder about those!

Regards, Steve

 

Owen,

Thats brilliant, thank you, it adds a lot of detail about what Walter would have got up to before going to Africa.

Thanks,

Steve

 

Sorry to derail this thread a little. My father was a Gunner with 4 Med Regt RA. Seems he was attached to (I'm assuming) 5 Bn Grenadier Guards at the end of April '43 as an OP.

 

Hi Steve, I just found your messages while researching my father Fred Attwood, who was also in the 5th Btlln Grenadiers, wounded at Jebel Bou Aoukaz on 28th April 1943, a mortar attack which killed his pal next to him. Many similarities with your Gt Uncle, my dad joined up in 1939, sailed to Tunisia in Feb '43. Discharged '44, he got the Kings Medal for his wounds, but he was disabled by the injuries. It's unlikely that you would see this post as it's ten years since you were last on it, but you never know! My wife and I are going to Tunisia in holiday 19-29 April and will visit the Bou and war cemetary to visit his fellow Guardsman, Attached photo of mum and dad in 1942 in uniform on their wedding day, mum was in the WAAFS
best wishes Derick Attwood

 

Hi Derick,
Thanks for your post, a lot of people on here shared some very useful information which was really helpful and I am sure you found it to be useful as well. I wonder if the two men knew each other? My Gt Uncle was from Mossley, Lancashire. I was able to get the service papers for my Gt Uncle which really helped with the research. I would be interested to see photos of the ‘Bou’, would you post some on here after your trip? Safe travels.

Regards, Steve.

 

Hi Steve, thanks for your reply! I certainly will post photos etc. I have one that I can post now I think it was taken at the time but not too sure