JUNO BEACH.

Nick,

Two records at TNA:
Search results: "33 F.D.S." | The National Archives

You can ask one of our members who offer copying services (Drew5233, PsyWar.Org, ...) to get them for you for a very reasonable fee.

Michel

 

Thanks for this Mike. I think he was part of the 9th (which made up, with several other groups, the 33rd???). And that he moved through europe with the Canadians after D-Day.

 

This is amazing! Thank you. I have no experience of this kind of stuff. Can you talk to the process/cost etc of how one accesses these files?

Thanks,

Nick

 

Nick,

The two basic references for your research are the individuals service record and the units war diary (as Michel suggests). The War Diary will tell where the unit was on any day but they vary a lot in the detail. Some give a lot of information and if you are lucky will have interesting appendices. They are always interesting. I do not have the war diary for 33 FDS but have those for Sword Beach.

My knowledge does not extend beyond the end of June 1944.


FIELD DRESSING STATION
War Establishment II/301/1.

Heavy Section
Major, Officer Commanding
2 X Major, Captain or Lieutenant
Subaltern, non medical
Quartermaster
staff Serjeant
serjeant clerk
serjeant dispenser
serjeant hospital cook
2 X serjeant nursing orderly
serjeant nursing orderly for duty as storeman for stewards store.
cook
hospital cook
lance corporal nursing orderly
12 X nursing orderly
2 X ambulance nursing orderly
nursing orderly as barber
3 X nursing orderly as batman
2 X corporal general duties
lance corporal general duties
corporal passive air defence and anti gas duties
private passive air defence and anti gas duties
lance corporal linen storeman
corporal pack storeman
stewards storema
sanitary dutyman
water dutyman

attached
carpenter and joiner RE
15 X driver IC RASC
electrician RASC
motorcyclist RASC
transport serjeant RASC
transport corporal RASC
corporal vehicle mechanic RASC
2 X cook ACC
Total 78

Vehicles
2 X bicycle
2 X motorcycle
1 X car 2seater 4 X 2
1 X car 4seater 4 X 2
1 X 15cwt water
7 X 3ton 4 X 2 GS
2 X ambulance 4 stretcher.

Note:
The Medical Officers are listed as Surgeons in the War Establishment Table.

Motorcycle 1
transport serjeant
Motorcycle 2
motorcyclist
Car 2seater 4 X 2
driver IC
Car 4seater 4 X 2
driver IC
15cwt water
water dutyman, driver IC
3ton 4 X 2 GS 1
driver IC
Carries mechanical stores, quartermaster stores and personnel
3ton 4 X 2 GS 2
driver IC
Carries mechanical stores, quartermaster stores and personnel
3ton 4 X 2 GS 3
driver IC
Carries mechanical stores, quartermaster stores and personnel
3ton 4 X 2 GS 4
driver IC
Carries mechanical stores, quartermaster stores and personnel
3ton 4 X 2 GS 5
driver IC
Carries baggage and personnel
3ton 4 X 2 GS 6
driver IC
Carries cooks and rations
3ton 4 X 2 GS 7
driver IC
Carries artificers, personnel and tools.
Ambulance 4 stretcher.
nursing orderly, driver IC
Ambulance 4 stretcher.
nursing orderly, driver IC

Light Section
Major, Captain or Lieutenant
serjeant nursing orderly
cook
corporal nursing orderly
5 X nursing orderly
general dutyman
4 X stretcher bearer
driver IC
cook ACC
Total 16

1 X 3ton 4 X 2 GS

Mike

 

Nick,

I forgot to say welcome to the forum so:

Welcome to the forum.

Mike

 

Nick,

I too forgot to welcome you to the forum

Welcome Nick!

If you live not too far from Kew, where the National Archives are located, you can go there and copy (i.e. photograph) the files yourself. See:
National Archives - Kew Tips?

Otherwise, or if you prefer the easy (and probably cheaper overall) way, just send a Private Message to one of our good members referred to in my previous post to ask them if they can do it for you.

The War Diary should tell you the different whereabouts of 33 FDS during the period it covers, as well as any unit it might have worked with/been attached to.

Michel

 

That’s really useful, thank you.

I’m finding the 33rd FDS a bit confusing. As it also seems he was in the 9th? In a picture on the 33rd it’s made up of smaller units? Isn’t it possible they split up after D-Day or was the 33rd active all through the push to Germany? Is there any way to know this without these files or is that where this information is most likely to be found?

Thanks for the welcome to the forum, so amazing to find people who are enthusiastic and know what they are talking about. I’ve always enjoyed finding out about the Second World War and what my grandad did. But he was never very forthcoming (not a surprise given what they all went through). I believe he was mentioned in dispatches possible 3 times. Is the war diary a possible source for this information?

Thanks mike and michel.

 

Nick,

33 FDS was part of 8 Beach Gp (NAN Sector of JUNO Area), at least initially. I have no idea of its later assignments, but the two docs ar TNA are definitely the way to go, plus you should request your Grandad's Service Records which will tell you more details about his individual trajectory within the Army:
Request records of deceased service personnel
Actually, if you are not sure about his posting(s) during the war, obtaining his Service Records should be the first step.

Michel

 

Hello, I’ve just been reading this report and was wondering if someone could help me please? I’m researching my grandfathers history and he was in Force ‘J’ 1 on D-Day from SS Lairds Isle on assault flotilla 516. He was RN combined operations and do not know which LCA he was on and was wondering if anyone knew which sector at Juno beach he would’ve been assigned to? Many thanks.


1 Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
Mike Red
*Serials 1038 to 1043 were 6 LCAs of 516 Assault Flotilla from LSI J13, Laird’s Isle, carrying
164 men from ‘B’ Company 1 Royal Winnipeg Rifles
8 men from Pioneer Section 1 Royal Winnipeg Rifles. To clear wire with Bangalores.
3 men from 12 Canadian Field Regiment SP. Forward Observation Officer
18 men from 6 Canadian Field Company RCE. Demolition and mine clearing teams.

 

Hello Julie and welcome!

516 Assault Flotilla consisted of LCA 598, 661, 772, 831, 838 & 875, assigned, as per Trux post, Serials 1038 to 1043, planned to land at H+5 minutes on MIKE RED Beach.

The individual Serial of each craft is however not known.

MIKE RED at Courseulles-sur-Mer, between the Seulles River and Graye-sur-Mer.

Michel

 

Hi Mike,
Thank you for the information. Does that mean that he was either on Mike red or Nan green?
Do you know if there is any way that I can find out which exact sector?
Thank you for your time and trouble,
Regards,
Julie

 

Hi Michel,
Thank you for your reply. So sorry, I am new to this site and am just about finding my way around it!
I can see that you have provided me with the information that I needed!
Thank you so much, I am very grateful. I can now go to as close as I can get to the section my grandfather was at in D-Day the next time that I go to Normandy.
Thank you again - Regards, Julie

 

Wow what details great work

 

Julie,

A couple of maps/aerial views to help you locate MIKE RED:




Michel

 

B Coy were the left forward Coy in the RWR assault, so landed on the left flank of Mike Red. Almost directly in front of the current Juno Beach Centre.

 

This is fabulous Michel, thank you so much for your time and trouble

 

Julie,

Abbreviations used in the text posted by klambie:

Capt = Captain
CSM = Company Sergeant Major
Sgt = Sergeant
Rfn = Rifleman
75 MM = 75 millimeters = calibre (diameter) of gun shell
Coy = Company
Cpl = Corporal
Lt = Lieutenant

In case you encounter other abbreviations in other texts you may find, here are some more extensive lists:
New Resource - Field Service Pocket Book - Abbreviations
Updated Resource - Abbreviations & Acronyms

Michel

 

Thank you so much Michel - what does RWR mean please & also, would I be able to obtain further information from any personal accounts or war diaries from anyone who was in the same flotilla or in 1 Royal Winnipeg rifles? Or if I can view any photographs of flotilla 516? Thank you again.