Hi all, and hello from this brummie ;o)

Just thinking that: Dunkirk, D-Day and the Imjin!

 

Just thinking that myself Idler!

From what i can gather so far he was in the BEF (possibly Wormhout)
Then later in the D-Day landings of Queen beach( Sword beach)..

then section b reserve until he went to korea..
On 25th August 1945 he was transferred and posted to 2 Glosters..

Even if not at Wormhout and not with the Gloucesters in Korea it's still an impressive record. Wonder how many others shared the same operational experience?

Sorry - forgot my manners - welcome Rachel, see the guys here are treating you royally! Please post as much info as you can (scans or photos of Service Record would help) and this bunch will go to the ends of the earth to help in your research. Not surprised you are proud of your Old Man.

Mike

 

Welcome to the forum

Cheers
Paul

 

Thanks for the welcome all ;o)
Really glad i found this place, the posts and stories are really moving. It brings it all to life.

Hi Smudger, yes i got a few sheets on the abbreviations but they don't cover all the abbs that appear on the service sheets. NWE wasn't even on there and i've since found out it means North West Europe.. The sheets are helpful for the many others of abbs though.
There are a few more bits and bobs on the papers which i'm very vague on. As i go along i'll be sure to ask when i get stuck which you can bet on ;o)
Thankyou Smudger
Kind regards
Rachel.. ;o)

 

I've just found my disk to get the scanner to work. I have two photo's of him here and he is with a fellow soldier on both. Maybe someone will know the other men.

Is the Imjin Korea?

As the story goes , I'll keep it short. ;o) I started my family tree and found my elderly Aunty over in New York(my dads little sister Violet)..
I had always known of her but never had contact. It also turned out that my dad had a brother which i never knew about.
Anyway Aunty Violet told me a few stories about my dad. (he died when i was 6 so didn't know a great deal about him until quite recently)..
She told me he went to war and served at some point with Monty (who she made a cake for )
She also said that he took his job very seriously and actually was very proud that he helped to save this country in the war. However it was different when he went to Korea, as he hated it , she said he didn't see it as their war or something.
I don't know too much about any war to be honest i'm still learning, but i also know he had shell shock at some point.

When he finished with the army and it's reserve, he joined something called the RAOB..
I think it means the 'Royal Antedeluvian Order of the Buffalos..'
He did a lot for charity in this and although i've wrote to them , they can't help me with any details.
It was on a charity walk from Birmingham to Southend (he had lots of mates in Southend) that he was taken ill and died shortly after.

I've gone from only snippets of stories about him (he and mum were separated) to finding his war number and slip and ordering his service papers to finding out what a great man he was.. He is becoming more and more real to me and now i've got things to tell my daughters about their grandad.. Fantastic !!! .

Anyway.. i'll try and scan these pics..
Would it be really rude if i scanned his papers too?
Kind regards
Rachel.. ;o)

 

On 2nd October the Battalion arrived at Achiet le Petit (Pas de Calais). They spent three days in the area digging trenches.

On 5th October the Battalion moved to Rumegies on the Belgian border. The billets at Rumegies were rather good and the Battalion dug more trenches, laid wire and built bunkers. They continued this work until mid-November.

On 5th December the Battalion was visited by King George VI. The Battalion was also visited by Duke of Gloucester, Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, Andre Maurois and Noel Coward.

 

Thankyou Andy..

Thats really good of you ;o)
I'm going to mooch for some maps and then i can pin point his actions.

I've got a photo here now. I'll upload it into this area so it links up with this thread. If it's in the wrong place though i can move it later can't i .. My dad is the one on the left.. The pic might be a bit big but i don't know how to re-arrange it. I'm lucky i've got it here lol I've had to open a photobucket thingy too. Technology hey..

 

The pictures fine Rachel.

Ref maps try Google Earth

 

Inscription on the back says 1945.. It looks like another card sent to my Aunty Violet.. My dad george is the one sitting down. Not sure who his mate is, it would be nice if someone recognised him as theirs.

 

Ref your pictures: They are wearing the Gloucestershire Regiments badge and you can clearing see the division flash in the second picture of the Polar Bear which is the 49th West Riding Infantry Division.

The Div's Orbat shows them to be the 2nd Battalion in 56th Brigade

Order of Battle

 

Available on request ;o)

this is one of the pages of dads service records..

 

Available on request ;o)

These are dads attestation papers with joining the Royal warwicks..
This isn't illegal putting this on here is it ? lol will i get a slapped wrist ?

 

Available on request ;o)

 

Available on request ;o)

Thats about most of the info for the Royal warwicks and Glosters.. I'll post the Korea stuff now.. There is only a small amount of that..

 

In January 1940 the 1st/7th and 8th TA Battalions of the Warwickshire Regimnet emabarked for France with the 48th Division and on 31st Januarry the 2nd Battalion was embodied into that Division. The two TA Battalions hoped the 2nd Battalion would join their brigade but it was placed into 144th Brigade rather than the 143rd. The 2 Warwicks served with 5th Glosters and 8th Worchesters.

On 31st January 1940 the 2nd Warwicks marched 18 1/2 miles via Vieux Conde and Coutiches-Flines to a mining area in Le Forest and Douai.

During January/February the weather was extremely cold with a severe frost on the night of 7th/8th Feb followed by snow. Again the 2nd Battalion was kept busy preparing new positions. Many men visited nightclubs and cafe's in Lille and Douai during down time and most of the Battalion was granted ten days leave to England in February.

 

Available on request ;o)

Those are the Korea papers..

That's pretty much all of my info on Dad now.. Hope it makes sense..
;o)

 

Thanks Andy..
The 10 days leave adds up in his war records. So we are definately on the right track aren't we.

Is there any way we could find out what company he would be in for Dunkirk. Or are there no such records? ..
It was mentioned before that because he was embarking from France on the 1st June that he might have been with the rearguard in c' company. I'm going to have a mooch and read some on that.

I'm going to have to write up a summary of it all aren't i .. When all the pieces fit together it might make more sense to me..
This is great stuff though, and i'm really chuffed with everyones help and advice..
Rachel ;o)

 

Greetings Rachel and welcome from Canada. Fine lot here with a remarkable knowledge base. Delighted for you that you are finding such great details to go beside your questions. Continued success in you search.

cheers,
phil

 

Thankyou very much Phil..

I've been searching for info for ages on the net but with no real direction and just stabs in the dark to be honest. I found this site by pure accident and how glad am i now ;o)

regards
rachel.. ;o)

 

Rachel,

He maybe listed in the Battalions war diaries although this is unlikely as it is normally officers that get their names mentioned more often than not. I've not checked them yet and I'm not even sure what I have date wise as most of the stuff I have is to do with the post war investigation for the Massacre so fingers crossed I may find something when I get around to them.