147th Essex Yeomanry RA - Battery Identification

Michel
Of course you are right! Thats what happens when an old boy goes from memory. A3 is Ardleigh.
But so is Aldham as confirmed in the picture below. Trouble is I cant quite make out which it is in Andy's photos. Presumably Ardleigh was damaged and replaced at some point

This picture is taken in the same location but I havent been able to work out where yet
Ian

 

Ian,

Thanks for the picture of ALDHAM. But it proves that you were right and ALDHAM was indeed A3, not A2, at least at the time the pic was shot (sometime near VE Day I suppose).

So we now have two A3 with different names...

It would seem that guns got renumbered/renamed some time between D Day and VE Day then. Or was perchance the first A3 (ARDLEIGH) lost and replaced by A3 (ALDHAM), not keeping its name to fend off bad luck?

As if things were not complicated enough already...

Michel

 

Ian,

Since ALDHAM is not the Sexton next to the Sherman in Photo 1 (there's another Sexton to the left of ALDHAM), I would think that the one in Photo 1 is ARDLEIGH as Gun A2 (the number does not look like it could be A1 or A4), which would make your penultimate post correct in all respects!

 

Does anyone know what happened to the Sextons / Shermans at the end of the war? Were they scrapped?

 

Hi everyone,
I came across these documents today, relating to details of places of embarkation and other stuff relating to the landing craft.
I’m assuming this has been discussed before.. but I’m assuming we have no copies of the landing crafts other than for 431 Battery? Nothing for 413 and 511?
Thanks
Andy

 

And this one also
Andy

 

Michel
I cant find any text accounts to corroborate A3 "Ardleigh", or what happened to it (yet) but this closeup version of IWM B5262 taken from Yann Magdelaine's 2012 booklet "GOLD - Target Bayeux" is clearer than the Marriott/Forty book and pretty conclusive, assuming there are no more Essex places beginning "ARD..". (I cant find any!)
I know "A" Troop lost at least 2 SPs, one on D Day (D4) and another on 29 July 1944, but I dont know the sub-section of the latter; the A5 in Andy's photos is probably a replacement vehicle that stuck around after repair of one of these, or another SP casualty.
Ian


We know from Peter Mitchell's blog LINK that the 413 Battery Gun put out of action in July '44 was "A" Troop

 

Great close-up of ARD(LEIGH) Ian! I could not find any other Essex place starting with ARD...

As for the rest of your post I believe you are mixing up "A" and "D" Troops. I do not see any Sexton A5 in Andy's photos.

I think it is not quite clear whether "A" Troop actually lost a Sexton on D Day, because Ron Davies says Sgt Wilb(e)y's Sexton (gun number not known) was destroyed (engine) whereas Pete Mitchell relates that this same (Sgt Wilby's) Sexton (taken over by Bdr O'Gorman) joined him two days later.

Michel

 

Sorry Michel. I was confused its not Andy's but another collection, Lt Woodworth "A" Troop GPO post Peter Mitchell

Ian

 

Thanks Ian! It does looks like A5, and the AoS 76 shows the pic was shot later in the war.

This supernumerary Sexton probably has the same history as D5 (vehicle presumed lost but rejoining later).

Michel

 

wrt whether it was D4, and whether it was lost or not on D Day I agree there is a contradiction.

1. Peter Mitchell says Bdr O'Gorman eventually rejoined them on Pt103 on evening of the 8th June with "No 4 Gun reporting, Sir". But 147 FD didnt reach Pt 103 until late afternoon 9th June. Which means it took 3 days+ to rejoin if the Gun had been recovered?

2. In Ron Davies' book "One Man's War" it is inferred that "Flash" O'Gorman is in fact the driver of the Sexton disabled on the beach (so probably a Gunner?) and he, Bdr Davies, assumes the No 1 role. I know some of Ron's account is mis-remembered and some imaginary (e.g. he states that Sgt Wilby his No 1 is killed when in fact he was wounded) but he is quite specific about the details of the hole in the engine compartment and going to the "Ordnance Depot" to be issued with a new Gun.

However I cant find any other account to confirm the Gun was disabled as opposed to stranded then recovered, and the official history just states 4 SPs "fouled underwater obstacles" although we know that wasnt the only cause (e.g. D Troop lost 2, 1 on the beach road and one inland) so I suppose it will have to be left open for now

Thanks
Ian.

 

Fascinating documents 431 battery loading tables. You don't happen to have B Troop - Brentwood? My Granddad might have been on it.

 

Which book is this list from?

 

Sadly not Chris.
Only the loading tables for C and D Troop seem to exist.

 

Pray that one day the others may be located

 

Further research shows my Grandad Ralph William Willetts was a permanently attached REME, to the 147th Essex Yeomanry. Probably an armorer helping to maintain and repair the 25pdr guns.

Does anyone have any information on REME involvements? Books, articles, personal accounts or resources they can share? I have the 147th 1944 war diary but sadly doesn't mention REME.

 

Fascinating read, guys, I've learned an awful lot !

I was looking at a Gunner who served with the 147th - Arthur Henry William COOPER (born 1920).

Would anyone have any information on him ?
I think he may have served with the 431st Battery.

 

Hi Stirrick,

Hard to tell: there's a "Cooper" (no initials given) in the 431 Bty Loading Table, in Sherman GC (in LCT 879 Serial 2142), plus a "Cooper A" in 431 Bty HQ2 Lorry (in Serial D5766). Other than that I haven't seen any reference to someone who could be him...

Michel

 

Thanks, Michek

There's also a Cooper, F in the crew of D-1.

I realise that it was a long-shot, but I was hoping that his name might ring a bell with someone.
He was inconsiderate enough to die too recently to get his Service Record. ;-)
But I believe that he was present at the D-Day Landings.