147th Essex Yeomanry RA - Battery Identification

I hope you find more information on your grandfather soon, Susan

(Correction about Port en Bessin, which was 431 ... how many times can I mix up the two batteries!)

 

Steven,

Thanks for your kindness.
413/431 - I think I was the one to start that

Susan

 

I'm late to this thread but it is fascinating reading. My father, Peter Mitchell, was a young Lieutenant in A Troop, 413 battery of the Essex Yeomanry. He joined in early 1943, straight from training, and was with the regiment through the Day landings, until an ankle wound sent him back to England when the Trip was shelled near Tilly sur Sueille on June 29th 1944.
He died in 1997, but before he died, he wrote his memoirs. If you are interested you can read all about his experience in training and on Day and the battles afterwards here:
The Essex Yeomanry

Also attached is a photo from his album from that time - most likely a Sexton from A Troop - with the number S233693

 

Thanks for attaching a link to your fathers memoirs, I will certainly be reading. Also, thanks for the photo - this site now has quite a number of photos of 147th vehicles.

 

David, many thanks for sharing, that is another one ticked off.

I had seen your fascinating website before and commend it to the wider membership.

 

David

Welcome to the forum! Its great to see another Essex Yeomanry descendant on here.

I have referenced Peter Mitchell’s memoirs quite widely as I am writing a book about my own father’s life. He was a L/Bombardier in 431 Battery, “D” Troop on D Day, a Signaller. Your father’s account helped me a great deal, esp in the early days with its details about how the Regiment worked, but even today I refer to it from time to time. It’s a fabulous record and in fact I have cross-referenced it 5 times to date in my document, and there will no doubt be more as I proceed.

Your father’s photographs have also been of great value and I see you have referenced them in another post,LINK
The photo you attached to that post w ith your father ringed appears in the 1994 EY Journal and the caption includes “..also of the “A” Troop LCT – was taken on the evening of June 5th 1944 when the Regiment was sailing towards Normandy…..it shows many Essex Yeoman of “A” Troop and Battery HQ of 413 Battery…”

The photos in this series (and there is another one not on your father’s site in the EY Association’s collection below) are probably of the same sailing and have already received quite a bit of attention by one of the very expert contributors to this site (Michel Sabarly, whose thread you posted to above) who has studied them closely and confirms they could well be D Day.

He says “This is not on the Peter Mitchell website. Again, there is little to go by to date these last three photos. The weather and seas certainly look compatible with those prevailing on 6 Jun, and the craft apparently carrying her complete load points to a full-scale exercise. One detail may mean that this is not D Day: the presence of the three-plus drums on the starboard side would have been a no-no for an opposed landing if they contained flammable material. They may however have contained water, or just air...

Nevertheless, I think that the decisive item is what looks very much like the infamous Roly Poly just aft of the ramp. As far as I know it was not used during exercises, so this must be D Day after all”

This was a while ago so I will leave him to comment further for himself.

I have many other items that may be of interest including an article by your father for the EY 50th Commemoration booklet

Thank you for posting the picture of the Sexton which I see is from your father's site. Do you know any more about the context of the picture from his records? It does not carry a name and I had always thought that “A” Troop Sextons all had Essex place names, certainly that’s true for the only other “A” Troop Sexton picture I have (A3 “Ardleigh”, S233813) which I believe is also the only known (confirmed) picture of an EY Sexton on D Day. This is in the IWM collection. Link

Ian

 

Although having looked closer I cant see a name on the IWM D Day picture either & cant recall how I know its "Ardleigh". Perhaps the names were added post 6th June?
Ian

 

Very keen to chat to anyone who has primary source material on the EY. In conjunction with the EY Association, I am writing a new regimental history.
I have access to a vast amount of material from the archive but family stories are what really add to the history.
You can find me on Twitter or do message direct.
Thank you in advance.
Stephen Keoghane

 

Hi, Don't know if this is of any interest, My GF is pictured on the 'Doodle Oak'.

 

Nadine
Very keen to chat to you.
The new regimental history is progressing very well and will be ready in 2023/24.
Regards
Stephen

 

Hi, Stephen
My grandfather is Herbert Piper (Service number: 899903). I believe he was a L/Bdr and Signaller. Haven't yet figured out whether is was in 413 or 431. He didn't really talk much about his experiences apart from getting a goose drunk on brandy after D-Day, and drawing out his life savings from the Post Office in Beaulieu and spending it in the pub! Would love to find out more of what he got up to!
Regards
Nadine

 

The goose incident is exactly the sort of thing that adds so much to formal regimental histories. Can you recall when this happened ?

I will speak to the subject matter expert - ExPat Yeoman who is a key person in the production of the new regimental history.

Many of the members in the site have more in depth detail on crew lists which could help.

If you have any images, I would love to see them.

Thank you.

Stephen

 

Welcome to the forum Nadine!

Your grandfather probably was the Bdr PIPER who, together with Bdr FINCH, was part of the FOO Party of three with "C" Coy 1 HAMPS led by Capt Kenneth Andrew "Tiny" MUNRO 42124, Troop Commander "D" Troop 431 Battery and embarked on LCA Index Number 2061 off LSI(L) SS EMPIRE ARQUEBUS (G63). See the first page of 431 Bty Loading Table here: Artillery FOOs embedded with the Infantry on D-Day

'DOODLE OAK' T211978 was I believe Capt MUNRO's allocated tank (coded RD).

Please do post any images of documents you may have!

I attach Capt MUNRO's Recommendation for the Military Cross, the honour of which the other members of his FOO Party certainly deserve to the same extent.

Michel

 

Thank you Michel for your kind words, it has brought a tear to my eye and made my very proud. I have 'Pip's' Service Pay Book, Soldier's Release Book, Record and Certificate of Service and a copy of his Discharge Certificate, along with quite a few photos which I can upload. I also have a copy of the P W Gee - A History of the Essex Yeomanry 1919 - 1949 if that is of any help, happy to do look ups if necessary.

He was very reticent of talking about events and so this has all been quite a revelation!

 

Hi Stephen,

Have just spoken to my mum, all she can remember is him spending all his money at the pub in Beaulieu (now knowing what he was going to do I can't blame him!), and the brandy was home brewed from a French farmer so am presuming also the owner of the goose!

Will upload photos tomorrow. Some unidentified if they are of any interest?

 

D Troop - Doodle Oak by Nadine P posted Jun 26, 2022 at 3:27 PM

D Troop - Doodle Oak by Nadine P posted Jun 26, 2022 at 3:27 PM

 

Hi Nadine

Thanks for posting the fabulous photos. I know a little bit about 1 or 2 of them.

The picture of “D Troop Doodle Oak” is of Captain Munro’s OP (Observation Post) tank with “Pip” & Jack O’Leary who I believe was the Driver at one stage. I am in touch with his Grandson. I have another picture from the same location which also has “Pip” this time inside the turret (Attached – not sure of the other crew member on this one yet though) and my father has annotated it “Pip & Vic Bremen April 1945”.



Image 5 is of the captured German Army Barracks in Germany IWM LINK

Image 9, 11 & 12 are from Hannover 8th June 1945 on the occasion of Lt. General Dempsey’s inspection of the Regiment, and the handing over of their AFVs. Image 11 has Lt Gen Dempsey addressing Captain Ken Munro and Image 9 I think is “D” Troop HQ in front of the Sherman

Image 10 is annotated “Nr Bremen” in my father’s album

Image 1 I got very excited about as it is new to me and includes my father front leftmost. Do you have any idea of the occasion?

Ian

 

Sorry Nadine Image 5 should say "..in Bremen"
Ian

 

Image 6 is taken in September 1969 on a EY Reunion trip to the Netherlands (Nijmegen). The same picture is in the 1970 EY Journal complete with names (Attached). I may be wrong but I dont think Image 4 is on the same trip and is more likely to be the 1978 trip to Normandy, but I cant be sure. Ian