I'm looking for some more information on the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, and a Corporal in there in particular. There were some chaps on here with link to the 8th Hussars, but they don't seem to have been active for a number of years. Has anyone conducted any in-depth research on the regiment?
NikToo Please post any further information like name and what info you would like then we maybe able to help you, also look on the National Archives website for their war diaries and if you are close to London go to Kew and cfopy them
If you want general information on the 8th Hussars exploits i recommend the book 'Troop Leader' By Bill Bellamy. I have a brief bit of information and some photos in the following link http://daimler-fighting-vehicles.co.uk/DFV-File%20Part%20D003c-RAC-COL%20Hussars.pdf
Niktoo - as always there is a dead spot when it comes to the NWE campaign but the 8th Hussars also played a deadly game in the desert from the very beginning- mainly with 4th Armoured Bde of the 7th Armoured Division and aquitted themselves heroically at - especially - Sidi Rezigh amonsgt many battles in that campaign -before coming home to attend D Day with the Desert rats - so get hold of the 4th Armoured diary - it will be all in there in spades ! Cheers
Thanks all. I've ordered Troop Leader at the library. The War Diaries would be good, but the Tank Museum wants £61 for them. Although at 247 pages, it's quite substantial! The chap I'm looking for more information on is 549517 Cpl Leonard Charles Beere. I've applied for his service records under the FOI and they should be with me in about a month.
Niktoo - Can't blame you for jibbing at 61GBP's for 247 pages - 4GBP's per page ?perhaps it's written in Olde Englishe on parchment by quill ? But if it's just an electronic copy - I should ask them to hang on to them for the next enquirer... Cheers
Tom, it's a shade under 25p per page. Still quite expensive. I think they hold them as electronic copies as I've been sent extracts previously. However, they would lose any control of them if electronic copies were available as there'd be no reason to buy it from the museum as people could just e-mail them to each other.
About this Regiment, as Tom said, they fought during the Crusader operation with courage and those little Stuart tanks. But is anywere explained what happened to them on the first day of the Gazala Battle in May 1942. It seems that they were destroyed by "surprise". They were equipped with one squadron of Stuarts and 2 of Grant tanks and it appears that meanwhile the Stuarts were active the Grant tanks were eliminated with relative ease because they were surprised someway. Thanks
Sorry for reply to a very old thread! 8th Hussars were the most southerly regiment of 4 Armd Brigade and were indeed late in deploying to their battle positions as 15 Pz Div attacked as part of Rommel’s initial sweep around Bir Hacheim and headed north. C Squadron, equipped with Stuart tanks responded quickly followed by A and B Squadrons with Grants. This was the first full action involving Grants. Their relatively good armour and 75mm gun was an unpleasant surprise for the Germans and the Grants accounted for perhaps 30 panzers. As usual the 88mm a/t guns were highly effective and every Grant (22 in all) was knocked-out except for a single tank from each squadron.
