77th Field Regiment - RA

Bruce.

Gus's research puts paid to what I have just written. There were lots of Light Anti-Aircraft Regiments at Cassino so we will need his Service Record to discover exactly which one. Almost all of the Light Anti-Aircraft Regiments were disbanded from Aug 44 onwards and the men sent to other Arms and Services. A lot of them became infanteers. With no air threat and a dreadful shortage of infantryman, this was no surprise.

The LAA Regt RA that supported 4 Infantry Division was 91 LAA Regt RA. They were disbanded in Nov 44 - presumably as the Division got ready to go to Greece. He may have served in 91 LAA Regt RA but only his Service Record will tell us.

Regards

Frank

 

Bruce.

He was at Cassino but did not arrive until 15 May 44. The Monastery fell on 18 May 44.

He was posted in to 91 LAA Regt RA. See below:



Regards

Frank

 

Bruce.

According to the WD for 91 LAA Regt RA, Lt MJ Stewart joined 316 LAA Bty RA on 15 May 44.

At the time, the Battery was just to the east of Cassino providing protection to forward supply dumps and traffic routes for 4 Infantry Division.



Regards

Frank

 

Hi Gus
Thanks so much for this. 1 query specific to this reply - the service number I have from all the letters is 126916, not.......26. is the typo yours?
Regards
Bruce

 

Hi Bruce.

Yes it was a typo.

Gus.

 

It sounds like I need to get his service records - your info, Gus and Frank, has overcome the inertia of digging into the archives. I just wish I'd done it a few years ago - About 7 years ago I went out to Cassino on a Staff Ride with the Royal Wessex Yeomanry (RWxY), with whom I served for 17 years, badged D Sqn - Royal Devon Yeomanry; descendants of 142nd (Royal Devon Yeomanry) Field Regiment, RA, as was, when they supported the Canadians at Cassino. I need to plot some pins on the map to see where my Regimental and Maternal antecedents were when they were both manning their guns in support of the same, overall, battle!

What's more, Malcolm Stewart was a Yeoman - City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) (which is where, I think, my mother gets the impression (may be true) that he spent some time riding between units on a motorbike, carrying messages).

I have 63 letters from him to his wife, and a similar number in reply. The writing is difficult to read. When I have dipped into them they've offered up an interesting alternative to WWII, but I'm starting to think these cover an interlude / a rest period, or more likely a series of them.

As you say, I need to request his service record.

One last q, for now - is there a similar page as this for the RAF? My paternal grandfather was stationed at a Sunderland base in SW Scotland and then i/c an Italian POW camp in Scotland - again, my knowledge of his war time activities are minimal.

Very many thanks again

Bruce

 

If I were to type up the letters, would they be of interest to the RA museum?

 

So I finally got the service records. Turns out he started attached to the 12RTR (ACC/RASC) and was transferred to the 77 Fd Rgt RA in August 1943 and spent the rest of the war with them.

Requesting the records was the best advice, so thanks to all who urged me to do it.

Can I be really cheeky and ask if anyone has any War Diaries they are willing to share for the 77th Fd Rgt. RA from August 1943 to October 1945?

 

So I obtained a copy of the War Diary for the 77th Fd Regt RA for the months relevant to my grandfather's time attached to them, and I'm just coming to the end of transcribing them. It's been quite a slog and some of the handwriting was terrible, especially during the Monte Cassino campaign, but that's understandable. Chaps aren't sitting around practising their penmanship in the thick of it. Thanks to everyone who gave me advice, I can now put together a decent history of my grandad's time during the war, and begin reading around the events to really understand what it must have been like for him.