1st Army Service of Thanksgiving

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Gerry Chester, Nov 15, 2007.

  1. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Lesley

    On investigating a bit further I find the following.

    The Regimental Diary of the 49th LAA contains the following entry:

    1943
    On 11 May the regt concentrated near Carthage less one tp 84 Bty in action at North La Goulette, one to 90 Bty on the Medjez - Tunis Road, 2 to 3 miles SW of Tunis and one tp 280 Bty in action south of Tunis protecting 17 Fd Regt gun area. On 12 May the whole regt was concentrated near Carthage

    I did not join the Regiment unti the 22nd of May (when they were then in Tunis) and so I couldn't have attended the Thanksgiving Service and probably was just given the pamphlet as a souvenir.
     
  2. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Thanks Ron :)
    Would be very interested to see where the service took place though. I may have to dig a bit deeper :wink: .


    Lesley
     
  3. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Just reviewing some of the war diaries and my Dad’s note, he noted that there was a service for the 78th Div RC lads held at Carthage Basilica (not sure if this was on the 23rd?)..About 150 from the Irish Brigade (also) attended a 11am service in Carthage on 23rd May - which might have been the one mentioned in the IWM link.

    My Dad remembered:
    “High above the city of Tunis, and dominating the skyline, were the twin white towers of one of the oldest basilicas of the Catholic Church. Close by were the ruins of a great Roman city. It had been built on the site of Carthage, Hannibal’s capital, which had been destroyed after the 2nd Punic war. The Catholics of the 78th Division marched to a Mass of thanksgiving and remembrance. Leading the division were the pipes and drums of the Skins, the Faughs and the London Irish Rifles. I again was the only colour sergeant from the battalion. To me, these parades were a duty I never avoided. It was both a pleasure and a privilege to march behind the pipes.
    My main prayers, apart from thanksgiving for survival, were for the repose of the souls of my many comrades and friends: Denis Griffin and Andy Gardiner, the gentle provost sergeants; George Rock and Ian Brooks; Captain Carrigan; Snootch McDowell, whom I escorted to his death, and Harry McRory. I thought of the hundreds of others from the battalion who had died, were missing or had been wounded. I also remembered those I had helped to bury, without due prayer, both friend and foe."

    but there was also other services held at battalion level both for the Catholics and also other denominations at battalion level on the same morning so suppose that each unit had its own arrangements and services were pretty widespread on that Sunday

    best

    (edited for grammar and specific details)
     
  4. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Thanks Richard
     
  5. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

  6. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Gerry, as an addition to David’s post I also have a copy of the 1st Army Thanksgiving Service but have an extra page, copies below:-

    1st Army Service 01.jpg 1st Army Service 02.jpg 1st Army Service 03.jpg 1st Army Service 04.jpg 1st Army Service 05.jpg 1st Army Service 06.jpg 1st Army Service 07.jpg 1st Army Service 08.jpg

    I believe that the badges around the 1st Army sign are, clockwise from top left:

    9th Corps HQ
    5th Corps HQ
    1st Infantry Division
    4th Infantry Division
    46th Infantry Division
    6th Armoured Division
    78th Infantry Division

    Hope that's useful.
     
    4jonboy likes this.
  7. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    Tony thanks for posting

    Cheers
    Paul
     
  8. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Tony, thanks for that extra detail and also to Lesley for that link - something to look out for next time I'm at the IWM.


    best
     
  9. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Thanks for posting Tony

    Lesley
     

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