22 Liaison Regiment Royal Artillery

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by GnrGnr, Jul 11, 2020.

  1. GnrGnr

    GnrGnr Well-Known Member

    Anyone know anything about 22 Liaison Regt RA in 1941/42 or indeed any of the RA Liaison Regiments (National Archives lists diaries for five:http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C96808 all home forces.

    They don't appear in RA 1939-1945 and no sign on this forum as far as I can see. Came across 22 Liaison Regt RA on a tracer card. Diaries not digitised and NA closed as is well known.

    Max
     
  2. dml34

    dml34 Junior Member

    I suspect that these are the predecessors of the Allied Liaison HQs. I believe there were these five:
    2 Liaison HQ - Belgian forces
    4 Liaison HQ - Polish forces
    20 Liaison HQ - French forces
    22 Liaison HQ - Czech forces
    23 Liaison HQ - Dutch Forces

    In addition there was a 1 Liaison HQ with an unknown role, and a Liaison HQ (Special) with an unknown role but based in Brussels in 1945.

    More details of these units may be found here
    LIAISON, PUBLIC RELATIONS, ATS and PROVOST

    I had wondered whether these HQs were set up and staffed by the Royal Artillery in 1942, but 2 Liaison HQ seems to have been operational in 1940 and 1941.

    Maybe they have been filed wrongly?!

    Dave
     
  3. GnrGnr

    GnrGnr Well-Known Member

    Thank you. I had seen the Liaison HQs in the forum board you point to and looked at 22 Liaison HQ only to find the HQ was formed to liaise with the Czech Armoured Brigade in 21 AG. The Czech Armoured Brigade wasn't formed until September 1943 so I took the view, subject to firmer evidence appearing, that there is no connection between the 1941/42 war diaries.

    RA Museum are currently not taking queries until 21 July - my next port of call.

    Thanks for your time

    Max
     
  4. dml34

    dml34 Junior Member

    Obviously, seeing the war diaries of these RA Liaison Regts should give some answers. I will be interested to learn more about these mystery units! The numbers seem very coincidental!

    Dave
     
  5. GnrGnr

    GnrGnr Well-Known Member

  6. Aixman

    Aixman War Establishment addict Patron

    From the War Establishments:
    Units with "Liaison" in the title of their war establishments are a wide field. Here some details.

    I might not have all the war establishments, only a few more than TNA. ;-) I am currently working through the Army Counsil Instructions, so I will get a lot more titles (but sadly not always their corresponding war establishments). So it cannot be said that something did not exist. I am through to March 1943.

    No mention of "Liaison Regiments, R.A." at all in the titles (May 1932 to end of 1945).
    "Liaison Regiment" means invariably what we know as Phantom.
    There were Liaison Missions in the beginning, Liaison Sections (G.H.Q. Air, Polish Base, Egypt, ...) and several Liaison Staffs, some of which were combined in WE V/7F as Liaison Headquarters, Allied Contingents; this is a Home War Establishment, for U.K. Unfortunally, the first two versions could not be found. V/7F/3 is effective from 14.01.1942 and shows Nos.
    1 - Norwegian forces (8)
    2 - Belgian forces (8)
    4 - Polish forces (172)
    22 - Czechoslovak forces (26)
    23 - Dutch forces (10)
    Brackets are (all ranks).
    No mention of R.A. personnel (personnel are listed by staff, arms and services).

    V/7F/4 is effective 22.07.1942 and V/7F/5 04.11.1942. They bring in addition No. 24 - Greek forces (1). The remainder had grown (230 and 266 for the Poles, 39 for the Czechs, ...).
    I don't know yet the successor of V/7F/5 or if there is any. Later, there were more in different war establishments (ETOUSA, Australia, ...)
    Furthermore, there were several Liaison Staffs in Middle East (Army, Corps, Division, ...), of no meaning for the Czechs, or R.A, their strenghth far from a Regiment or its H.Q.

    Aixman
     
    dml34 likes this.
  7. GnrGnr

    GnrGnr Well-Known Member

    Thank you Aixman so although there are war diaries for five Royal Artillery regiments listed as Liaison Regiments, there are no establishments for them - is that what you mean? I had noted that the establishment listed under Liaison, Public Relations etc didn't seem to have any have any RA personnel.

    Max
     
  8. Aixman

    Aixman War Establishment addict Patron

    A look into the war diaries might reveal that they indeed existed and the corresponding war establishment were lost or that there were mistakes during the cataloguing process (TNA admits "Have you found an error with this catalogue description? Let us know"). At the moment, I can't imagine such a unit, but I might be wrong.

    Aixman
     
  9. GnrGnr

    GnrGnr Well-Known Member

    Hopefully the RA Museum (friends there!) will clarify. in due course

    Max
     
  10. GnrGnr

    GnrGnr Well-Known Member

    Sitrep - Query sent to RA Museum archives, query acknowledged, reply awaited - but Covid19/working from home/limited access/have patience .....

    Max
     

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