Try as I might I can't find any information about the 50th Btn North Staffs, all I do know is that it was a 'holding regiment' (basic training regiment?) and was in July 1940 based at Alton Towers. Yes! the Alton Towers of fun and games, no doubt in 1940 the games were not much fun. Any info such as the name of the CO and the definition of 'holding regiment' would be very welcome. Roger
This isn't going to come out very well but it was rather like a transit camp, where soldiers not in a specific unit went before posting on to another unit. For example if coming out of hospital or if their unit was disbanded that type of event. When 7th Wilts were disbanded many of them went to a Holding Bn in east anglia before posting on to other Bns such as 2nd Wilts, 5th Wilts or other units that needed them.
Thanks for the reply which sounds about right. My father-in-law when he was called up in 1940 went to the 50 Btn NSR for a couple of months and was posted to the 9th Btn NSR, then to the 154th RAC eighteen months later and hence posted to the 51st RTR Jan. 1943 and straight to North Africa. His opinion of Alton Towers at the time is unprintable! He wouldn't even go there with my two boys in the 1980s. Roger
