78th British Infantry Division - "The Battleaxe Div"

Discussion in 'Higher Formations' started by Ron Goldstein, Nov 4, 2010.

  1. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Thank you... of couse, you would have been with 4th Hussars.. perhaps you were still guarding the PoWs in July '45. No doubt you and your mates were on virtual parade at Spittal given your 18+ months of service with the the Battleaxe Div in Tunisia and Italy.

    best wishes
     
  2. Gill Eustace

    Gill Eustace New Member

    I’m very proud to say that Sgt J Eustace is my grandad, Edward Eustace my dad, is one of his 7 children. I take great pleasure in being able to pass this information on to my family because grandad didn’t talk about what happened in the war, I’m assuming it was to traumatic for him to recall. I’d like to thank you for this information and would be more than grateful to hear anything else that could be shared about him and his colleagues like Owen Jones & Gunner Deans.
     
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  3. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Gill.

    I will post Sgt Eustace’s original DCM citation tomorrow.

    Frank
     
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  4. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

  5. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Gill.

    Here you go:

    upload_2020-10-23_11-34-56.png

    Regards

    Frank
     
  6. Gill Eustace

    Gill Eustace New Member

    Thanks Frank.

    Regards
    Gill
     
  7. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    The annual reminder of what the 78th Divsion were up to on 6th July 1945 - now 76 years ago.

    IMG_4799.PNG IMG_4802.PNG IMG_4798.PNG
     
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  8. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

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  9. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    A follow up to the Victory Parade mentioned above, taken from 56 Recce diary:
    Diary.jpg
     
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  10. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist

    Don't know what function it served in wartime, but Drip Rd was an RE bridging training camp until they demolished it about 15 years ago.
    Think I've got an old Google Earth aerial view of it.
     
  11. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

    great to see a thread about the division. Does anyone have war diaries/information for the 6th royal west Kent? Any paperwork of the battalion ? many thanks
     
  12. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Which period during their time in Italy are you interested in?

    Regards

    Frank
     
  13. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

    Thank you! I’m interested on the 25/11/42 and then centuripe and cassino. When looking at the archives does any document give a names list of the battalion? Many thanks
     
  14. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    78th Division Operational Order dated 24/11/42, 6 Bn Royal West Kent were part of 36 Inf Bde:
    78th 1.jpg 78th 2.jpg 78th 3.jpg
     
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  15. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    G man.

    I have a lot on the Div’s time at Cassino - they were there for the Third and Fourth Battles.

    Start a conversation with me and I will see if I have what you need.

    Regards

    Frank
     
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  16. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

  17. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

    thank you fans, do you mean here on the comments or in a message? first I was hoping to find out which companies were out and which was kept reserve. any mention of the battalion snipers, my great uncle one of them. I think they were with battalion hq. I've never been to the archives and I wonder how the information is typically spread out. many thanks
     
  18. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

  19. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    War diaries will probably give the most detailed information on the regiment, unfortunately it is rare for ORs (I'm assuming he was) to get a mention. The diaries may well describe the actions of the individual companies, regimental histories may do as well. Diaries often have appendices attached, these sometimes give the names of ORs if they were promoted, got an award or transferred between companies etc. The other post that you started seems to indicate that you have seen them and the information is presumably not there?

    QRWK-Queen’s Royal West Kent

    In that post you also suggest that he was 5th Bn, you now say 6th Bn?
     
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  20. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

    Thank you! I’ve done lots of family searching and found photographs and got the 6th battalion. Thanks for your help
     

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