1452295 William VALLANCE, 53 Field Regiment, RA: Information

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by Dnel19701, Jan 15, 2020.

  1. Dnel19701

    Dnel19701 Mad Builder

  2. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Reads that way to me, TAR Territorial Army Reserve?
    I also noted that he was shown as Dvr i/c which I assume would mean the driver (in charge) of a motorised artillery vehicle?
    As such, either running over a land mine, sniper or even a road accident could have caused fatal wounds?

    Brief history on t'internet
    The 53rd (Bolton) Field Regiment (TA), consisting of 209th and 210th (East Lancashire) Batteries served with the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) in France in 1940, in the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, along side the 51st Field Regiment, and was evacuated at Dunkirk. Later 438th Battery joined the Regiment and it served with the 7th Armoured Division during El Alamein in October 1942. Later it served with the 8th Indian Division in Italy, including the battles for Cassino. It returned to the UK in July 1945.

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    Last edited: Jan 18, 2020
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  3. Dnel19701

    Dnel19701 Mad Builder

    Thank you Kevin for the knowledge. I really appreciate it. Just waiting for the service records now.
     
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  4. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    It's not "knowledge" but ferreting out links that lead to more...
    There are many truly knowledgeable Pals on here, I just am one of many who try to help, even if just answering a thread with a "hold" comment, till the real deal comes along.

    EDIT TO ADD
    Err, this might come as shocking news, but it's likely that William was a Bolton Wanderers fan......
    Sit down after such a shock, but the evidence seems clear that he must have been a "Trotter".... July | 2015 | The Observation Post
    53 (Bolton) Field Regiment were the nearest thing in the Second World War to the pals or sports battalions of Kitchener’s Army raised in 1914. In March 1939 Hitler reneged on the Munich agreement and invaded Czechoslovakia. The following weekend the team captain of Bolton Wanderers football club, Harry Goslin, addressed the crowd and called for supporters to join the TA.
    and Wiki...
    The years of the Second World War saw most of the Wanderers' playing staff see action on the front, a rare occurrence within elite football, as top sportsmen were generally assigned to physical training assignments, away from enemy fire. However, 15 Bolton professionals, led by their captain Harry Goslin, volunteered for active service in 1939, and were enlisted in the 53rd Bolton Artillery regiment. By the end of the war, 32 of the 35 pre-war professionals saw action in the British forces. The sole fatality was Goslin, who had by then risen to the rank of Lieutenant and was killed by shrapnel on the Italian front shortly before Christmas 1943. 53rd Bolton Artillery took part in the Battle of Dunkirk and also served in the campaigns of Egypt, Iraq and Italy. Remarkably, a number of these soldiers managed to carry on playing the game in these theatres of war, taking on as 'British XI' various scratch teams assembled by, among others, King Farouk of Egypt in Cairo and Polish forces in Baghdad.
    Sorry to be the bearer of such news :)
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2020
  5. Dnel19701

    Dnel19701 Mad Builder

    I know from my Great Grandfather, William was a Millers fan and was sent to the 53rd by a recruiter. Ha-ha, I was nearly ill when you threw that out there Kevin.
     
  6. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    As you say Kevin unfortunately Harry Goslin didn't make it:
    Casualty

    Goslin 1.jpg Goslin 2.jpg
     
  7. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    And thanks for laying down your life:
    Goslin 3.jpg
     
  8. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    See what a nasty place the internet can be - nothing is safe! :)
    Glad you already knew that about him, a secret like that could bring strong men to their knees :)
    Yes, the taxman knows no bounds in the pursuit of your pounds!!
     
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