Hi. My grandad was in Tobruk with the 1/beds and Herts, in his service record it states he was attached to the SA Rifles for a few weeks there. He was a mortar a medium machine gunner. Can't find any info at all on the SA Rifles. Any Info at all would be great. Alex.
The 1st Beds and Herts were in Tobruk from late October 1941 to early December 1941. One possibility for SA Rifles may be one of the Australian infantry battalions that remained in Tobruk until 1 November 1941. This was the 2/43rd Infantry Battalion, which was from South Australia. There may have been a brief attachment from the 1st Beds and Herts to this battalion during the turnover of the fortress to 70th Infantry Division from 9th Australian Infantry Division.
I just checked the 2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion's war diary. They were out of Tobruk by October 17th, so it was not them. I will check the war diary of the 2/48th Australian Infantry Battalion, another South Australian unit, to see if they may be the 'SA Rifles'.
If the posting refers to South African Rifles it is possibly the 1st Natal Mounted Rifles which was part of 1st South African Infantry Division.
The only problem with South African units is that they were not in Tobruk at the same time as the 1st Beds and Herts.
This is my problem, it's stamped clear as day in the service records, but just can't match it to anything.
I was a little out on the dates, it was before they moved from Egypt into Tobruk. (12/5/41-22/5/41) It shows the place of the attachment to the SA rifles as Amirya, which I think is the old RAF base at Amiriya. Still have no info on the SA rifles and why he would've been sent there for a couple of weeks. ( can't seem post a pic of the document for some reason )?
Hi guys. May 1941 in Amriya ( says Amirya in Service record) my grandad was Attd to SA Rifles. Now, I’ve always assumed it’s Attached, but could it be Attended? I also assumed it was South African Rifles. It seems there’s no unit called that. Any help appreciated! Alex
I’ve always assumed attached. At the time his unit, 1st Beds and Herts were in Mustapha Barracks but scattered around manning AA posts around Alexandria and Port Said, Amriya is on the coast so perhaps they were there as some sort of defence unit? Were South African troops there at that time etc etc?
Hi, My father was based at Mustapha Barracks Dec 1937 until going into the Western Desert July 1940 - apart from Oct 38/April 39 whilst on active service in Palestine - with 3rd CG. I have some photos of the barracks. If you are interested in seeing them I can send via PM? Steve
I am wondering whether SA Rifles is just a generic term entered by a clerk who had no better info. For instance Wiki says for the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment: "However, in mid-1941, the regiment was briefly sent to Egypt to escort thousands of Italian prisoners of war to internment camps in South Africa; it returned to Egypt in late June of the same year to join the newly arrived South African 1st Infantry Division in the Western Desert." This might tie in with your grandfather's rather short attachment. Tim
Hi Tim. I tend to agree with you there as I’ve never found any reference to such a unit. Thanks so much for taking the time to look into this. Alex.
I’ve also just found reference to the South African Irish Regiment getting to Suez on 1st May and spending some time in Amirya! Sounds like Amirya was a Piccadilly Circus for units moving around.