My late father served with the 59th Anti-Tank Regt. RA (236 Bat.) in Operation Market Garden as part of the 43rd Wessex Div. and was killed on 10 October 1944 in Nijmegen. Does anyone know how I can find out more about his unit during this time?
Welcome to the forum. someone will suggest war diaries soon so I will suggest you buy this book. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tank-Alert-Personal-Antitank-Artillery/dp/0722332505 Tank Alert: A Personal Account and Brief History of 236 Antitank Battery, 59th Antitank Regiment, Royal Regiment of Artillery in the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division by Ivor Astley
Hi & welcome to the Forum Rhubarbman. Here is the page of the 59 AT War Diary covering the day your Father was killed. Not a lot of detail I'm afraid. This unit did not seem to mention details of casualties other than Officers, which is fairly common. There does not appear to be a War Diary for 236 AT Bty at the National Archives. Was your Father R.H. Nash, as he is the only 59 AT casualty listed for that day?
Here are the pages for September 1944, covering the start of Op Market Garden. I have the war diary for the rest of 1944, if you would like it.
Many thanks for the War Diary pages Ramacal. Yes my father was Gnr R H Nash and is buried at Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Nijmegen. I understand he was killed acting as a despatch rider at the time. I'm going over in October on the 70th anniversary of his death to visit the grave.
Try the Firepower archive who may have a copy of the battery war diary. Anti tank batteries were often detached from the parent regiment and placed under command of , say, an infantry brigade. When thus detached the Regimental war diary may nopt contain much about any detachments. for obvious reasons.
my grandfather henry (harry) stallard also served in the 59th AT 236 battery, unfortunately i never got the chance to ask about his service and would love to know more about where he was and any photos
