pieces of the puzzle. 3rd Inf Div RA

Hello all,

Ive spent a number of months searching out pieces of the puzzle towards discovering more about my deceased grandad who was present at dunkirk and returned again at D-Day. He was wounded and returned home, he died when my dad was 3 and we know very little about him. I am currently getting my folks to scan and send me the few photographs they have of him in uniform. From what little I have learned about his badges he was in the 3rd infantry division and in a regiment of artillery I am assuming the 7th, 33rd or the 20th because they were present in division throughout. under the division badge is a black diamond patch with a '3' inside. On a black dress uniform photo he has grenadier like silver badges on his high collar and also a styalised 'L' within a wreath on his right arm ( I have no Idea what it means). I will do my best to get the images on soon and I would appreciate any info that might relate to him. His name was bombardier John Micheal Rees. On a different photo he was dressed in a very old 1st world war looking uniform complete with putees, a bit confused with that one.

when I was much younger My dad found his badge collection in the loft and many were from different regiments there was also an oval german badge with a ship on it. I am being vague because We have at present mislaid the collection! I intend to get them photographed and on when we locate them again.

thanks in advance for any info or questions. It would be awesome to find an old comrade but I know that might be unlikely.

thanks again,

Tim

 

Hi Tim and welcome to the forum....Looking forward to seeing the pictures.

Have you considered getting his service records?

I take it your grandfather died after the war?

Andy

 

hi Andy and thanks, yes he died after the war, My gran bought up my dad by herself. I am in the process of procuring the records and my dad now has his service number, it was on his birth certificate. what is the best way to get hold of them?

thanks again for the welcome

 

Oval badge with a ship on it .
Blockade runner , High Seas Fleet , Destroyer or E Boat badge , U-Boat badge - All contenders , all very , very nice !

Welcome to one of the better forums around.
"Where never is heard a discouraging word .........."

 

Tim,

The Army Web page with the forms etc has been down for sometime. If you contact them by telephone they will send the correct forms to you in the post and allocate a ref number to you as well.

To obtain a copy of a record of service, contact:

Discharge between 1921 and 1997

Army Personnel Centre
Historical Disclosures
MP 555, Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
Glasgow G2 8EX

Tel: 0845 600 9663
Email: disc4@apc.army.mod.uk

 

my god, that is the badge owen! what does it denote? is it attributed to a specific artillery piece?

James S, they are all very similar to the badge he claimed but as I remember it was much simpler, a pewter badge I think with an old school sailing ship, swastika either at the bottom or top ( I am trying to remember from 15 years ago when I sorted and packed the collection carefully in my mid teens).

I am extremely appreciatve of all the feedback and help. I am planning to compile everything and present it to my dad. a very heartfelt Thankyou to everyone.

 

just found this after looking around and it made me feel a little queasy. My father said that he got in the way of a recoiling artillery piece. the following quote makes a little more sence especially when noting his award (thanks again owen)......

"Within one month of D.Day around 40 or so 25 pounders had prematured, each time doing serious damage to the layer and loader and other members of the crew. This caused yours truly some concern as my job was gun-layer. I had trained for battle hardness as previously stated but how do you train for the enemy within.
We eventually discovered that some shells were slightly oval thus allowing the propellant gas to escape around the sides of the shell, causing the shell to explode in the breech. It was the gun layer job to pull the firing handle so one could be responsible for blowing oneself up.
We used to discard the 'oval ' shells but you couldn't be sure of every shell so I played Russian roulette up to 100 times a day until V.E Day.
Thank God. I lived to tell the tale. It amazes me that the 'prematures ' are never discussed on TV war programmes. "

also just found the german badge. trawlled the net after owen's direction and it bears the inscription "seefahrt ist not". I think its some kind of political tinnie badge? dont know how gramps came by it?

This is an amazing site. I've uncovered more in 5 hours than 3 months!

 

Images of John Rees now added (sorry theyre a bit small but you can make out the badges) Still wondering why an artilleryman is wearing grenadier badges on his collar? excuse my miliatary ignorance but if anyone can shine any light I would appreciate it.

cheers,

Tim

 

Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers have a similiar badge.


Royal Artillery collar dog

Royal Artillery have 7 flames and Royal Engineers have 9 flames.

 

Tim
Prematures were the bain of every Artillery Regt in ww2, if it was'nt problems with the shells it was the gun or fuses. The War Office even formed a Prematures investigation Department to visit Regts and advise ways of cutting down the casualties from this. My father aways said that more men were killed in his Regt by Prems than by enemy action. The main cause was cleanliness of gun and ammo, but the guns in my fathers Regt on inspection were found not to be up to scratch with the machining and unsatisfactory levels of swaff. As with your Grandfather my father joined and was a Royal Fusilier, then converted to RA but still entitled to ware their org insignia as with my Avatar.
Rob

 

I didn't notice that comment before.
Thought you might like to see this picture from Patrick Delaforce's book Monty's Ironsides.
Says they are 7th Field Regiment.



Owen, that is fantastic, thankyou so much for taking the trouble to post that image, I really appreciate it and even more so for discovering his regiment. All a bit choked up at finding out so much so quickly. Is it possible that anyone from the 7th from that time still exist?

 

tim,
All I can suggest to find some old soldiers is ask here

The Royal Artillery Association › › Home

signed up and awaiting activation, Do you know anything about the 7th field regt? Its very difficult to find anything.

Cheers again Owen all your help has been fantastic.

 

The "grenades" originated from smoothbore artillery mortar bombs back in the mid-1800's, and remain the collar badge of the Royal Artillery to this day.

Regarding the "L" badge, very specific tests were laid down, which had to be passed before the badge was awarded, like everything else in the army, you didn't just decided to do it and put the badge up.

Regarding 7th Field, send an e-mail to Firepower (The Royal artillery Museum) in Woolwich, they will be able to tell you whether they have the war diaries or not. You can contact them on research@firepower.org.uk

PS. Post you appeal in the RAA Associatio site, in the Regimental History section (I'm the moderator!). Hopefully, someone onthe site will be able to give you some background.

Phil

 

Further to the above, this is from Nigel Evans site on British Artillery in WW2.

Bulford 1938 - 3 Div
France 1939-40 - 3 Inf Div
UK 1940-4 - 3 Inf Div
Became an SP Regt in May 1944 equipped with Priest 105mm SP Guns.
D Day 6/44 - 3 Inf Div
NW Europe 1944-5 - 3 Inf Div

Hope that adds a bit more to your knowledge.

Phil

 

A bit more with Phils (op-ack)

7th Field Regt RA

Locations

3 Sep 39 3rd Inf Div Catterick UK
30 Sep 39 = France
June 40 = UK
June 44 = N.W. Europe
Feb 45 = The Rhine

Batteries
3 Sep 39 9/17, 16/43 Equipment
Feb 45 9,16, 17/43 June 44 - M7 Priest

Rob