78th British Infantry Division - "The Battleaxe Div"

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

  1. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

  2. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    Hi Collette welcome to the forum. Find attached Sgt John Eustace's DCM Citation

    Cheers
    Paul
     

    Attached Files:

    Ken P and 4jonboy like this.
  3. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Well done Paul-I knew you would be able to find it:)
    She will be thrilled

    Lesley
     
  4. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    I have all the 373 files on my computer. Just takes a bit of time to find citation.

    Cheers
    Paul
     
  5. Collette Eustace

    Collette Eustace Junior Member

    Thank you so much Lesley
     
  6. Collette Eustace

    Collette Eustace Junior Member

    Thanks so much Paul
     
  7. Collette Eustace

    Collette Eustace Junior Member

    Really appreciate your help, thanks again, everyone's
    So helpful, great forum
     
  8. truebritmega

    truebritmega Junior Member

    Just came across this thread by accident, and, Im not 100% sure, but I think my uncle might have been part of this? My uncle was William Harry Smith, 2nd Batallion Lancashire Fusiliers, he died, from what I now know, on or in or crossing... the river Trigno, 28th October 1943.... tho apparently he didnt begin as a fusiler, he began in the west yorkshire regiment after basic trainign in the pioneer corps.

    Sadly... I didnt know him personally, He was the eldest in a family of 10 in 1915... My dad didnt come along till 1933 lol... but he did tell me just the barest of details... so now Id love to know as much as i can :)
     
  9. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Hello,

    Your Uncle Harry was most certainly a 78th Division man -

    SMITH, WILLIAM HARRY
    Rank: Fusilier Service No: 13021533
    Date of Death: 28/10/1943
    Age: 28
    Regiment/Service: Lancashire Fusiliers 2nd Bn.
    Grave Reference II. A. 33.
    Cemetery SANGRO RIVER WAR CEMETERY
    Additional Information:
    Son of W. T. and Ethel Smith; husband of May Smith, of Wolverhampton.

    best
     
  10. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    The hard fighting was north of the Trigno river. 38th (Irish) Brigade (Faughs/Irish Rifles) attacking San Salvo town on the night of 27/28 October and the Lancs Fusiliers on the right attacked towards San Salvo station.

    Heavy rain had caused the ground to be pretty much impassable and the Brigadier (Russell) of 38 Brigade tried to get the attack called off - without success and with grim results (11 men from 2 LF, 51 from Irish Brigade were killed on 27/28 October).

    I shall be at San Salvo in three weeks time, and thence to the Sangro CWGC cemetery to visit some of my Dad's friends and comrades, and shall look out for Fusilier Smith and his LF comrades.

    best
     
    4jonboy likes this.
  11. Ken P

    Ken P Active Member

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  13. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Hello Steve

    I can answer one of your queries at least.
    You don't need your uncles service number to apply for his service record. Make sure you put his FULL date of birth on the form; they usually find the records from that-they did with my father's records. Worth a try if nothing else as they don't usually cash the cheque until they find them. If you apply today you should receive them in 2 to 3 weeks-go for it:)

    Lesley
     
  14. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member


    Hi Lesley,

    I think the new member had just copied and pasted a post of mine from several years ago.

    I've completed my research.

    I've sent John Whitehead a PM

    Regards

    Steve Y
     
  15. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Thanks for that Steve. I didn't notice the signature at the bottom, silly me.

    Lesley
     
  16. sanchez

    sanchez Patron Patron

    Hi all ,
    i found a good book in bhf shop the other day which has several mentions of the 78th which i will post in due course in the meantime ive downloaded a photo with its description showing the london irish rifles . There was also a photo of 56th recce which i posted on the 56th recce thread . The book is "last days of the reich " by james lucas .
    cheers
    dave
     

    Attached Files:

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  17. sanchez

    sanchez Patron Patron

    hi all ,
    thought id share this article from "battleaxe weekly" 16 12 45
    wars most dashing troops - the answer

    they say the spectator sees most of the game . and there were spectators who perhaps saw more of our Mediterranean game than we intent on our own 78 division business , were able to notice . such an onlooker was lionel s.b Shapiro , one of the war's most distinguished correspondents . the following extract from his book "they left the back door open" is worth reading . "men in battle" it is popular legend that the britisher is a good soldier particularly in diversity , that the American is a dashing warrior in a battle of movement , that the Canadian is a rollicking cowboy in any kind of fight , that the Italian has no heart for physical suffering and that the german is the best allround soldier in the world . so far as I have been able to observe on the battlefields of the meditterranean , popular legend in this instance seems to be founded in fact . "there are of course exceptions and limitations of course . the most dashing troops I have seen in action belong to the british 78th division , and perhaps the most courageous suicide action of the war was undertaken by a combat team of an American paratroop regt that dropped on the main german concentration point at Avellino during the salerno crisis ". now mr Shapiro was assigned as war correspondent to the "montreal gazette " , and later accredited to 5th army hq . so he can hardly be accused of writing with bias , or for effect . furthermore , he made a point of writing about things he had seen and felt , as an eyewitness , hearsay evidence was not good enough for his dispatches or his book . so , as an unsolicited testimonial his pat on the back can be reckoned as one of the best the division has yet received . thank you , mr Shapiro !

    cheers
    dave
     
  18. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

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  19. Ian Taws

    Ian Taws New Member

    hi everyone I've just discovered a load of pictures and paperwork of my grandad as he didn't talk much about the war I'd be interested to know if anyone knew him I'll try and post some pictures of him and a few others I've found his name was John (jack) williamson and he was in the Royal signals, 78th battleaxe. he was from Blyth northumberland. I do have names of some of the others which I'll attach to the photos if I can. 20161205_212204.jpg
     
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  20. Ian Taws

    Ian Taws New Member

    hi everyone I've just discovered a load of pictures and paperwork of my grandad as he didn't talk much about the war I'd be interested to know if anyone knew him I'll try and post some pictures of him and a few others I've found his name was John (jack) williamson and he was in the Royal signals, 78th battleaxe. he was from Blyth northumberland. I do have names of some of the others which I'll attach to the photos if I can. View attachment 185116
     

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