I'm blogging photographs and any other information left by my husband's Step-father, JJ Farquharson who served with 133 LAA Regt. RA He served in 444 battery so most of it refers to them (and, indeed, to H Troop!) The link is my signature.
Welcome and thank you for the offer I for one would be very interested in any information you have on the movements/location of the Battery/Regiment post VE Day 1945
Just for you, I'll take a look further along in the book of photographs (which, incidentally has "Sport Logbuch der Marine Flak Abt.813" as its title!) later on today.
I have a wonderfully drunken set of photos of VE day labelled "Barneveld" The next pictures are undated but located " 's Gravenzande" - then my book runs out. I'll look through the other stuff I have.
Thank you for this information It looks as if the Regiment was part of the British component of 1st Canadian Army operating in Southern Holland at the time of VE Day
As I can't find it recorded anywhere else, I wish to put it on record that 133 L AA regiment called themselves "The Pisspot Fusiliers". I have this first hand from JJ Farquharson, who left the stuff going into my blog. If you look at their badge ... http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/badge/page35.html ...you will see why.
Hi campfollower, I know this is an old thread and you haven't been around since January, but I hope this post gets trough to you. Do you have any information on Lieutenant William Michael Morgan? He served in 444 Battery, 133 LAA Regiment as well. He died on 11 May 1945, a week after the end of hostilities, and is buried in Den Haag (The Hague), the Netherlands. Buried next to him are Captain George Peter D'Arcy and Bombardier John Lewis King. Both served in 133 LAA Regiment as well, but the CWGC website does not mention a battery for them. D'Arcy died on 11 May as well. King died on 17 May. The deaths of one or both of them might have something to with the same incident/accident.
I just had a look at your blog and it boasts several photos of Morgan and D'Arcy. King is on one of the group pictures.
Here are photos of the headstones of D'Arcy, Morgan and King at the Westduin Cemetery in Den Haag. Captain George Peter D'Arcy Lieutenant William Michael Morgan Bombardier John Lewis King
Thank you for pulling me back to this topic - I'll take a look at the information I have and get back to you. In any case, I shall return to the blog.
I have just spoken to my husband. His Step-father, JJ Farquharson, spoke often about those deaths - a vehicle drove over a mine. This really upset him as he felt three lives had been lost with no reason.
Thank you so much for your reply. Was King involved in the accident as well? Did he die of his wounds six days later? Do you know the exact location where it happened?
The unit details for D'Arcy on this headstone are therefore incorrect, as the war diary of 113 LAA Regt shows that he never served with them in the month of his death, or any month going back to June 1944. He either transferred prior to that month or this is a complete transcription mistake. One worth investigating.
Hi Rob, I was going to bring the topic to your attention as you are the Royal Artillery expert and I thought you might find the topic interesting, but I was in a bit of a hurry this morning so I only had time to reply to campfollower. What you point out regarding to D'Arcy is indeed worth investigating. I believe he was on the group photos on campfollowers blog, but I will check that as soon as I get home. I am posting this from a mobile device so I can't have a proper look now.
I don't know the exact location - I only have photographs with captions and my husband's memory of JJF's conversations. The certain facts are 1) they drove over a mine 2) Peter D'Arcy was not killed outright but died rapidly afterwards. They were at Barneveld on VE day and, I think, at s'Gravenzande soon afterwards JJF parcelled Peter D'Arcy's effects to send to his family. Oh, and, as for the headstone, it is an error - he served with 133 LAA regt. If you look at my blog and compare with that list the officers are all different.
Hi Pieter, Believe me when I say I'm not an expert on the Royal Artillery, far from it in fact. One of my particular interests is in casualty details and getting them corrected on CWGC if I believe them wrongly recorded. I'll add 133 LAA Regt to my list of war dairies to copy to get copies of the Officer's returns for confirmation that he served in this unit. Regards Rob
The official burial registers in the archives in Den Haag mention 444/133 L.A.A. Regt. R.A. as the unit for all three men. There is no mention of 2nd/5th Bn. Durham Light Infantry for D'Arcy.
I just looked at the CWGC details and they record him as serving with 133 LAA Regiment, so it's a headstone inscription error. The war diary of 113 LAA Regt does not even record D'Arcy as being attached to 133 LAA Regt. I've just sent an e-mail to CWGC to investigate.
The war diary does not mention Morgan either. There is a D R Morgan among the officers listed, but no W M Morgan.