My Father - Royal Artillery 146 Field & 22 Field Regiment

Hi,

First time I've posted here ! Not sure if I've posted in the right place.

My father served in the Royal Artillery as part of a 25 -pounder crew from 1941 to the end of the war after initially joining the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry in July 1940.

I have recently obtained his service record (see the 2 attachments) and I’ve been trying to put this together with what I already know.

My father was never one to talk about the realities of what went on other than his more humorous experiences, hence me posting today.


North Africa

He served predominantly in the 146 Field Regiment in North Africa from December 1942 to July 1943 but seemed to spend some time in hospital from July 1943 to November 1943. I have no idea why he was in hospital as this was never discussed. From a discussion with an older cousin however, they believe he was in hospital in Durban at some time (106 SA GH ?). Durban was somewhere he mentioned when I was a child but I assumed it was as a stopover en-route from the U.K to Egypt.


Italy

In February 1944 he was posted to the 22 Field Regiment and at this point was involved in the Italian Campaign. My father did mention Monte Cassino which I was led to believe he was involved in. The entry in his service record is not very easy to read after this point. It looks like he attended training at RATD(?) from July to September 1944 but then there is an entry that seems to suggest another hospital stay in November 1944.


Greece

At some point he then served in Greece, I think from January 1945, again I the 22 Field Regiment before returning home in December 1945.


Sorry for the long post, but if anyone can assist with what those units were involved with in those theatres around that time I’d be most grateful. Because of the current restrictions I don’t think the regimental diaries are accessible.

 

146 (Pembroke & Cardiganshire) Field Regiment RA(TA) - The Royal Artillery 1939-45

22 Field Regiment RA - The Royal Artillery 1939-45

The site these are from was created by a member here

For more details your next step would be to obtain the War Diaries fro the units for the time he was with them - so for example

146 Fld Regt
Search results: 146 field royal artillery | The National Archives

22 Field Regt
Search results: 22 field royal artillery | The National Archives

We do have members who visit Kew and can copy any for you but obviously at the moment that option is rather limited

TD

 

Thanks for your reply TD. I will follow these websites up but it sounds like I’ll need to wait to access the diaries.

 

In the meantime at least you know what regiments he was in and you can start searching the internet and also this site for more details

For example
22nd Field Regt RA

TD

 

Thanks

 

Hi Chris

It's not that easy to make out but here's the bit at the end of 1944/45 (xxxx means undecipherable)

I looks like your father attended a xxxx Sigs Course at the RA Training Depot and was classified as a xxxx Linesman.

It also looks like was admitted to 1 xxxx posted X (xxxx) list before being transferred to 59 BGH which was either in was in Orvieto or Fano (Italy) in November 1944..

8 Convalescence Depot was probably in Italy too as I know 7, 9 and 10 definitely were.

After that it looks like he stayed at a reinforcement/holding depot for three weeks before being taken onto strength (TOS) 22 Fd Regt in early Feb 45. They were in Greece at the time.

Your father picked the best time to be hospitalised, as he missed the counter insurgency operations in Athens during December 44 and January 1945.

Hope this helps

Gus

 

Excellent Gus! Thanks.

I thought it looked something like Lineman but wasn’t sure.

 

Thanks all for your help. I'm trying to document what he may have been involved with which should keep me busy for a while!

One further thought - he never 'claimed' his medals for some reason. On his record it says he would been eligible for the War Medal 1939/45. Can anyone advise if he would also have been eligible for the Italian & North African Campaign Medals ? It does not say he was on his record so I'm not sure what the criteria would have been. He certainly served in those 2 campaigns.