I'm wondering if maybe someone has a copy of Bryan Perrett's The Hawks: A short history of 14th/20th King's Hussars? Specifically what I am interested in knowing is if there is any mention of Archers in the period starting November 1952 when they were posted to Libya. I think, but am not sure, that they took over the equipment used by 4/7 Dragoon Guards which consisted of a mixture of Comets and Archers (plus scout cars). From the 4/7 Dragoon Guards' history: "The [Recce] Troop returned to Sabratha in early October 1952, to find the Regiment in the throes of packing and handing over to the Advance Party of the 14th/20th King’s Hussars, with whom they were exchanging postings." (Whoops, now I have found that the reference library does have a copy - so if anyone has a copy near to hand, I'd be interested, but don't go hunting very far for it )
Hello Chris, My 'British Army Libya post WW2' research tells me that 14/20KOH did not inherit Archers from 4/7RDG as.... they had none to hand over! A year or two after 4/7RDG arrived in Sabratha from Palestine (1947) with a plethora of different armoured and other vehicles which over the next few years grew to include Cromwells, White Scout Cars, Staghounds, Oxfords, Humbers, Dingos, Halftracks, Sherman Dozers and ARVs, then Comets, the regiment had to make room (in South Camp I recall without checking) for the newly arrived 12th Anti-Tank Regt equipped with Archers and towed 17pdrs. By 1949 that regiment was moved out to nearby Zavia where room for them was created by a vacating Lancer or Hussar regiment (can't check which one right now-9/12L or 13/18H), taking with them their Archers. In 1950 were on the move again with help from 101 Transporter Coy RASC to Trieste, again taking their Archers with them. Neither the regimental journals, the Veterans accounts or the 200 or so original photos of the 4/7RDG and 14/20KOH reveal...... Archers on the books or in service with them. Good luck with your search for Archers ...... head towards Cyrenaica where the KDG may have had some to augment their Alectos, 75mm Halftracks and AECs. I'm focussed on Tripolitania at the moment.
Hi Forth, Thank you! I was not at all aware of 12th Anti-Tank Regiment being posted with Archers outside of the UK, so I will have to try to follow up on that! The following is from the regimental history of the 4/7RDG, so the lack of evidence in "regimental journals" seems a bit odd. By those did you mean official documents? edited PS keep in mind the period I was mentioning was 1952 not 1947 Your research sounds fascinating as it is truly not a much known period.
It seems like 12th Anti-tank Regiment doesn't have any documents in the NA. I did find a reference to them as part of BETFOR in a document about the transition of anti-tank duties from the RA to RAC, where they are listed as having 1 anti-tank, two field, and one LAA battery. Strangely though in that document there is a mention of 14 serviceable towed 17-pounders in BETFOR but no mention of Valentines. So maybe they had to give up their Archers in between those two dates.
I don't have access to all my 4/7DG regimental journals at present but I do have the full set of 14/20KH on a desk here..... no mention of Archers or even Achilles. I must also correct my previous..... 12 Anti-Tank Regt RA in Libya did NOT to my knowledge have Archers! They were Achilles. I have a few original photos of Achilles at either Sabratha or Zavia ....for the book! Apologies for mixing my Archers and Achilles up and if you got over excited! Obtaining records from TNA is a horrible experience, worse though when trying through their website. Most records it seems, have simply not been identified and catalogued. 12 Anti-Tank Regt RA may well have their uncatalogued records there in TNA but lost in some other file....perhaps in HQ 1 Inf Div records or in CRA HQ MELF files or in HQ Tripolitania District files which themselves are not identified and catalogued....as they've probably been lumped in with some other file/records/folder. The RA Museum is a dead loss in terms of archive functionallity and remote access, as is the museum for the 14/20KOH (everything in boxes in Winchester following their move from Lancashire several years ago..... they just can't be bothered to unpack/file or search!). The REME Museum didn't know there were REME LADs and Workshops in Libya post WW2 until I gave them evidence and told them to look deeper and in REME journals...they're much to focussed on baking fairy cakes, playgrounds, building with Lego, painting and hunting for eggs and.... hiding garden gnomes! Effective, timely research is rather frustrating when conducting it from abroad and not at the 'archive' facilities in person. Now, back to my 2 and 6RTR in Libya 1957-62 research and history compilation (next to nothing in TNA that can be found through their next-to-useless website archive service....argh!).
I tend to ignore what others have written as there are usually errors and omissions compounded by vagueness...plus the authors are often to far removed from the reality/firsthand experiences to give credible factual accounts. I hope to do better! Far better to utilise regimental journals.... 'hot' as written 'at that time' , regimental journals, Veteran accounts with a pinch of salt and, most important, 'expertice' in map and photo interpretation.... an attribute I've had to pick up as I've gone along. Now I can pinpoint and name every former Italian barracks used by the British in Tripolitania and, identify them or their remains/outlines on Google Earth. Benghazi will be a challenge when I get around to it though military maps already provide much evidence. Keep going!
What you say about the files at TNA makes only too much sense. Very regrettable. Best of luck to you!
