6th Battalion Lincs Regiment.

Hi Frank,

My apologies for not getting back to you in a much more timely manner. I have recently been flicking through some of my Grandfather's papers and learnt that he was registered as being in E Coy Carrier Platoon. Are you able to enlighten me on his role?

It appears that he was sent overseas on 10/03/1943 when I believe he was transferred from the Royal Artillery to the 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment.

Regards,

Barrie

 

Hi Barrie,

Jonathan METCALFE (Service Number 1720519) was transferred into the Linconlshire Regiment in 1944. His details were transcribed into Book No REGI 3-25 (Odd Nos) now held in the Lincoln Archives. In mid to late 1944, there was a shortage of replacements across all theatres of war serving in Infantry Regiments. In particular, men from LAA Regiments were retrained and posted to infantry.

His service number originates from this block of service numbers:- Royal Artillery (Field, Coastal & Anti-Aircraft) 721001 - 1842000.

His details show he was demobbed to Class Z (T) Reserve on 5/4/1946 from the Lincolnshire Regiment.

In the History of the 6th Battalion, there was an "E" Company at the end of hostilities in Europe.

I recommend you now apply for his service records from the MOD.

You can buy a copy of this booklet from Naval & Military Press for £10.



Regards

Rob

 

Thank you so much, Rob, this is very useful and most interesting information. My Grandfather's service number and name match the source you present. I have since found within his 'Soldier's Service and Pay Book' that he left, that he undertook Rifle, T.M.G, 2 " Mortor, Piat and Grenade weapon grading during July 1944, so your information also confirms with those dates of his transfer to the infantry.

I have no information about his service in the Royal Artillery at all, other than that he reported to CD & AA 52nd AA Driver Training Regt. on 14 Nov. 1940. I will pursue a course of contacting the MOD to find more detail on that. Are there particular contact details that you are aware of that would help me start my investigation - who or where should I contact?

Thank you once again for your help and kind guidance, it is very much appreciated.

Regards,

Barrie

 

Hi, My uncle served in the 6th Bn Lincolnshire regiment, A Company (4806870 F Austin). Do you have a record of him? Sadly I believe he died of his war wounds some years after the war (1964). I just have a couple of microfilmed letters from him to my Dad.

 

DShore.

If you want to find out more about what he got up to I recommend that you buy a copy of the 6 LINCOLNS book that is mentioned earlier in this thread.

The battalion had a pretty grim war.

If your uncle served in A Company at Salerno in Sep 43, Cassino in Feb/Mar 44 and the Gothic Line in Sep 44 then I take my hat off to him.

What he endured at Gemmano on the Gothic Line was quite a feat.

Regards

Frank

 

Ok thanks

 

i would love to see full book i believe my great uncle will be in it . thank you

 

"Hi, My uncle served in the 6th Bn Lincolnshire regiment, A Company (4806870 F Austin). Do you have a record of him? Sadly I believe he died of his war wounds some years after the war (1964). I just have a couple of microfilmed letters from him to my Dad."

I missed this post in January. Demobbed to Class Z (T) Reserve 9 March 1946.

 

Hi I am seeking help on tracing what I can of an Albert Johnson who served with the 6th during WW2. Sadly he has just passed away aged 103 whilst living in Perth Australia.
I am helping his family put together his exploits to include in a book I am compiling to commemorate all those who were still alive for the 80th Anniversary 2022 of Dunkirk. Yes he was at Dunkirk and was evacuated on one of the last Destroyers that managed to get near enough to take on survivors. I have read about the 6th in North Africa, Italy, Greece and Austria. I have seen the photograph taken in North Africa so I can only assume he is there somewhere, I would love to obtain a high quality copy in order to send to Alberts Family. I can be contacted on chridunhamataol.com or 07545094909. Much appreciated. Chris.

 

the 6th were in France and were evacuated from Dunkirk ???

 

6th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment (T.A.)


138th Infantry Brigade – 3 September 1939 to 31 August 1945

The battalion was raised from the 4th Battalion on May 11th, 1939 (F.O.C. on May 2nd, 1939). It had HQ Company at Grantham and Sleaford, ‘E’ Company at Lincoln, ‘F’ Company at Spilsby and Alford. ‘G’ Company at Horncastle, and ‘H’ Company at Holbeach. It left the United Kingdom on April 26th, 1940 and embarked for France, where it arrived the following day. It served in France and Belgium until evacuated at Dunkirk on June 2nd, 1940. It returned to the United Kingdom and remained there until January 5th, 1943.

The brigade embarked for North Africa and was at sea until January 17th. It served in North Africa until September 4th, 1943. It was sent by sea and landed at Salerno, Italy on September 9th, 1943. It served in Italy until March 16th, 1944, when it was sent to Egypt to rest and refit. It arrived in Egypt on March 20th and moved to Palestine on April 5th. It served in Palestine from April 6th until June 2nd and in Syria from June 3rd to 17th. It then returned to Egypt on the 20th and embarked for Italy on June 27th. It landed back in Italy on July 2nd and served there until January 28th, 1945. It was then sent to Greece by sea and arrived on January 31st. It remained in Greece until April 10th, when it embarked for Italy. It arrived on April 13th and fought there until April 19th, when it crossed into Austria for the remainder of the war.

 

Best of luck with your effort, Chris.
In the meantime, take your full email off the site by substituting the @ with at, otherwise you might get some unwanted messages.

Vitellino

 

just received an email from Australia, Albert went to India and Myanmar Burma. Then after 4 years sent to India. He moved to Australia in 1969.

 

This is quite harsh reading as my grandad George Lovely 6th battalion was in most of that. I have seen the image of the battalion in Africa and presume he is on that. Thank you for sharing information

 

6th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment
Hi, I am researching my Fathers role in the Italian campaign. He was originally in South Staffs but then was transferred to 6th Battalion Lincolnshire.
I believe he set sail on 16/05/43 on RMS Franconia (believe from Plymouth) to North Africa but I believe whilst sailing to North Africa they were diverted to Italy on approx 27/05/43?
My Father sent a letter home on 01/07/4 and he states he was in HQ Coy Carriers B.N.A.F, which also makes me think he may have actually gone to North Africa first as I would of thought he would have but C.M.F if in Italy?
I do not know were and when he landed in Italy or what battles he was personally involved in initially, (I have requested his Service records, which I am hoping will help).
I do know he had been trained on a machine Gun and operated a Vickers.
I have some draft letter notes that for a letter he sent to Lieutenant Colonel F C L Bell (Major Bell at my Fathers time in Italy). In approx 1980 trying to find out what had happened to his Sergeant, H V Rodgers.
The original draft notes were not in any real order and it is clear that the he has described some of the instances more than once. I am hoping that I have manged to consolidate all the draft notes into a correct order. I have attached.
I believe they capture much of the horror and difficulties faced in the day/ days prior to him being injured on 09/02/1944. It is possible that some of the paragraphs in the attachment may be in the wrong sequence.
I believe the same battle is also described on Pg 28 of "The History of The Sixth battalion The Lincolnshire Regt." book, also attached.
The 2nd to last paragraph describes how Sergeant H V Rodgers was killed by the same Shell that wounded my Father.
I also have a letter from Lieutenant H R Hughes, E Coy, 6th Battalion Linc's, C.M.F to my Fathers Mother informing her of my Fathers injuries, dated 12/02/43. Which would also confirm that 6th Battalion Linc's had an E Company.
I also remember my Father talking about the Pill-Box hill battle against what I believe was a German Paratrooper Regiment? I know he said it was Men against Boys, with his unit being the Boys!
I have seen the references to Able, Baker, Charlie & Dog Companies (A,B,C&D) but I am not sure if my Father was directly aligned with one of them, as he only references HQ his Lieutenant references E?
If anyone can enlighten me with further information from my Fathers Company leaving the UK, up to when he was sent home, (arrived back in the UK 02/03/1944), I would be very grateful. Thank You.

 

Sadly this year we lost Private Stan Jackson 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment who passed away at 102 years he was from Spalding Lincolnshire.
He was in the defence of Calais & sacrificed in the rear guard being a Bren Gunner with little ammunition he was left behind so others could escape.
He was captured & spent the next 5 years as a POW in & around VlllB Lamsdorf Poland
My friend made a few video interview recordings of Stans story including his volunteering before the war, his capture, the POW work camps & his escape attempts before his walk to freedom in the Long Death March. There are 4 different videos & Stan tells it like it was so they do contain some colourful language including some distressing war time stories.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=59sZzsc6WjQ&list=LL&index=8&t=6s




.

 

There was an E Company is 6 Lincolns which was the support company (often called S Company in other battalions).



Interestingly they did have an MG platoon which I'm not sure was part of the official TOE (it wasn't present in September when they landed at Salerno).

Another point is that I'm not sure the British referred to their companies as Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog, although I stand to be corrected. Certainly, the report that is in the war diary which is word for word the same as the book extract, always refers to them as A., B, C, D so the names may be a publisher liberty.

 

Thank you Gary. Interesting to see Lieutenant H R Hughes on the Officers list as in charge of the Machine Gun Platoon. On the letter he wrote on 12/02/44 to my Father's Mother to tell her of my Father's injuries, he states that he is E Company, Carrier Platoon. From what you have said the Machine Gun Platoon may have been a later addition. I am still confused to the exact role of E Company, Carrier Platoon?
On reading the History of the 6th Battalion booklet I presumed the constant references to Able, Barker, Charlie and Dog
was just the way they referred to A, B, C & D Company but I could be completely wrong. I am hoping his Service Record which I have applied for will give me more clues has to when he arrived in Italy either directly on RMS Franconia or via North Africa, once I have more date information I will hopefully be able to get copies from of the relevant War Diary pages.
Thank you again, all information gratefully received.

 

David.

E Company is another term for Support Company. In an Infantry Battalion of the time, there were four Rifle Companies, a Support Company and a Headquarters Company. Support Company provided all the heavy weapons to the Rifle Companies and Headquarters Company provided all the administrative functions - signals, motor transport, clerks, chefs and stores.

The Carrier Platoon was the sub-unit that provided reconnaissance, route marking, boundary picketing and some observation posts. They were mobile so these tasks perfectly suited them. OC Carrier Platoon, whilst in Support Company, mostly reported direct to the Battalion's Commanding Officer.

Regards

Frank

 

Thank you, Frank.