South Staffords, West Yorks & 5th Battalion East Yorks War Diaries

Hi Steve,
I've ordered The Story of the 5th Battalion East Yorks from ebay £9.50 and Operation Scipio about the battle fro Wadi Akarit from the National Army Museum (£2.50 +PP) which I feel sure he was involved in. I will order the Sign of the Double T (operation Husky) a little later.

Many thanks for all your help.

Regards
Graham

You are more than welcome, Graham.

A 5th Bn man - a stretcher bearer if I remember rightly -won the VC posthumously at Wadi Akarit. Please drop me a PM if the Scipio book is good.

Best,

Steve.

 

You are more than welcome, Graham.

A 5th Bn man - a stretcher bearer if I remember rightly -won the VC posthumously at Wadi Akarit. Please drop me a PM if the Scipio book is good.

Best,

Steve.


Will do Steve.
Graham

 

Sorry! you are correct. I was looking at the Landing Table for Gold beach as I knew my uncle went ashore near Arromanches (which is why I assumed he was in the 5th battalion) but now I see the landing table for Sword beach and the 2nd Battalion East Yorks are there too. I am now slightly confused which one he was actually in on D Day until I get his service records. Did your grandad follow the same route as posted by Steve above or was it different?

I have visited your site and it looks very good up to press.

Regards,

Graham

Hi Graham,

Thanks for your kinds words re the site, it's a bit of a labour of love for me as not many people in the family are interested.

My Grandad's route was D-Day toward Caen when he was wounded in action, and then fighting through Holland and into Germany so a different route.

It's great when the service records arrive but they soon pose even more questions!

 

Hi Graham,

Thanks for your kinds words re the site, it's a bit of a labour of love for me as not many people in the family are interested.

My Grandad's route was D-Day toward Caen when he was wounded in action, and then fighting through Holland and into Germany so a different route.

It's great when the service records arrive but they soon pose even more questions!

Many thanks, I am fairly sure on the evidence so far it was the 5th battalion but won't know for sure until I get the records. I know he fought in France after going ashore near Arromanches, and was wounded twice but I don't know where if actually happened, are the records likely to tell me? I know he also went through Holland and Germany and ended up in Norway (Operation Doomsday) but again I don't know the details maybe the war diaries will give that (and possibly a lot more questions) when I know the battalion.

Many thanks again,

Regards,

Graham

 

It's great when the service records arrive but they soon pose even more questions!

Many thanks, I am fairly sure on the evidence so far it was the 5th battalion but won't know for sure until I get the records. I know he fought in France after going ashore near Arromanches, and was wounded twice but I don't know where if actually happened, are the records likely to tell me? I know he also went through Holland and Germany and ended up in Norway (Operation Doomsday) but again I don't know the details maybe the war diaries will give that (and possibly a lot more questions) when I know the battalion.

Many thanks again,

Regards,

Graham

Hello Graham,

The service records should reveal all, even the questions you didn't think you would need to ask. I do hope the voyage of discovery is a good one and just let me/others know if you need any assistance; maybe a PM.

Best regards,

Steve.

 

Hello Graham,

The service records should reveal all, even the questions you didn't think you would need to ask. I do hope the voyage of discovery is a good one and just let me/others know if you need any assistance; maybe a PM.

Best regards,

Steve.
Hi Steve,
It certainly is a voyage of discovery and one I am enjoying. I will let you know the results when I get the service records I'm sure there will be more questions than answers. It's nice to know I can ask someone if I get stuck and I undoubtedly will. I hope to document the results in some way maybe a website or a document/book if only for family consumption of how my voyage of discovery was accomplished.

Thanks again,

Graham

 

Hi Graham,

I expected my fathers record to take 6 months but in fact it has arrived in less than a month! You may have your questions answered sooner than later. I just discovered my father was posted to the East Yorks R (092) around 3 Sep 44, transferred from the 10th Battalion Durham Light Infanty. His record state he was wounded in action but remained at this post around 1st or 2nd Oct 1944.
Hope you like the record when it arrives. I'm just slowly working through my fathers that I just got last night from my mother. Good luck

 

Hi Graham,

I expected my fathers record to take 6 months but in fact it has arrived in less than a month! You may have your questions answered sooner than later. I just discovered my father was posted to the East Yorks R (092) around 3 Sep 44, transferred from the 10th Battalion Durham Light Infanty. His record state he was wounded in action but remained at this post around 1st or 2nd Oct 1944.
Hope you like the record when it arrives. I'm just slowly working through my fathers that I just got last night from my mother. Good luck
Many thanks for that it sounds so interesting I can't wait. I wrote to them again and had a reply last week saying it was taking around 9 months and I applied in June so by that reckoning it's another 3 months unless they come sooner. I wonder if your father and my uncle knew each other? you never know.I have just started to read the book, The History of the 5th Battalion East York's at the moment.

Regards,

Graham

 

Hi All,

Getting through the History of the 5th Battalion East Yorkshire's, it's an eye opener. Just read about the defence of Tobruk , the Gazala battle and the breakout by the 5th battalion through the Italian lines which my uncle would have been in (I think. His name is Private James Shaw and I am still awaiting his service records). The 4th Battalion was virtually wiped out and the 5th Battalion had 170 men remaining out of 800 men! They were really low on water and food and were ordered no washing or shaving it must have been hell, no wonder he never spoke about it much. Churchill said it was a disgrace to lose Tobruk, but all those men fought very bravely.

Must read on.

Regards,

Graham

 

Hi All,

Getting through the History of the 5th Battalion East Yorkshire's, it's an eye opener. Just read about the defence of Tobruk , the Gazala battle and the breakout by the 5th battalion through the Italian lines which my uncle would have been in (I think. His name is Private James Shaw and I am still awaiting his service records). The 4th Battalion was virtually wiped out and the 5th Battalion had 170 men remaining out of 800 men! They were really low on water and food and were ordered no washing or shaving it must have been hell, no wonder he never spoke about it much. Churchill said it was a disgrace to lose Tobruk, but all those men fought very bravely.

Must read on.

Regards,

Graham

Hello Graham,

I thought you'd like that book. I read it on holiday in late September and couldn't put it down.

No doubt some of the 5th Bn East Yorks ended up at Tobruk, but it was mainly the South African's that withdrew to the east along the coast road. The 50th (Northumbrian) Division had to wait until the South African's were clear before withdrawing from the Gazala boxes, the last troops to do so. As the coast road was jammed with withdrawing troops, most of the 69th Infantry Brigade and 151st Infantry Brigade, of 50 Div, had to punch west through the Axis defensive lines (they were not all Italians, some were German), and then turn south around Bir Hacheim and east to the Alamein line. An amazing feat given the circumstances i.e. the 8th Army in full retreat, and the Germans between them and safety.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the book!

Best,

Steve.

 

Hi,

Having read the History of the 5th Battalion East Yorks, my uncles Record of Service card puts him in the 'A' Company 2nd Battalion West Yorks until October 1942 (this may be wrong but i won't know till I get his service records). I need to trace where the West Yorks were (and the battles they were in) in North Africa up to this date. Can anyone point me in the right direction.

Many thanks,

Graham

Many thanks

 

2 West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) were in South East Asia in 1943.

 

2 West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) were in South East Asia in 1943.
Yes I think they went to East Asia in May 1943 which by that time my uncle had transferred to the East Yorks in October 1942. It's the period up to October 1042 that I am most interest in, and the battles any info on very gratefully received. I know he was wounded at some point and that may be the reason for the change in regiments.

Many thanks for the reply,

Regards,

Graham

 

Here you go

WO 169/5077 2 West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) 1942 Jan.- Dec.

 

Hello Graham,

This is all off the web...

The 2nd Bn West Yorks were part of the 9th (Jhansi) Indian Infantry Brigade, 5th Indian Infantry Division from 5 November 1940 to 29 August 1945.

The division fought in the East African Campaign in Eritrea and Ethiopia during 1940 and 1941, then moving to Egypt, Cyprus and Iraq. In 1942 the division was heavily engaged in the Western Desert Campaign and in the fighting withdrawal to Alamein i.e the Gazala gallop, Knightsbridge, and the First Battle of El Alamein.

The 18th Indian Infantry Brigade were instrumental in the defence of the Alamein Line on 1 July 1942, together with the ensuing counterattack the following day by 5th Indian Division (and the New Zealand Division) finally halting Rommel’s advance.

Here is the 2nd Bn West Yorks place in the Order of Battle at the time of the 2nd Battle of El Alamein: http://niehorster.orbat.com/017_britain/42-10-23/paic/div-inf_05i.html ; albeit, they were part of Paiforce - stationed in Persia/Iraq.

As you say, they were in the Far East in mid-1943.

It looks like he was likely wounded in the retreat to or defence of the Alamein line - late May to late July 1942... Again, his service records should reveal all.

Hope this gives a general outline... The War Diaries would normally carry much more detail and be more specific.

Best,

Steve.

 

Hi Steve.

Many thanks for the info. it has given me a lot to go on. It does make sense as he told me he was in Eritrea and Ethiopia fighting the Italians. Before December 1941 he was in the South Staffs reg. so I will have to get the info on that too. I have sent Andy a PM regarding the War Diaries. He was wounded twice so that may be the reason for the three regiments. Just can't wait for his records I think it's a bit much to have to wait 9/12 months though.

Regards,

Graham

 

Hi Steve.

Many thanks for the info. it has given me a lot to go on. It does make sense as he told me he was in Eritrea and Ethiopia fighting the Italians. Before December 1941 he was in the South Staffs reg. so I will have to get the info on that too. I have sent Steve a PM regarding the War Diaries. He was wounded twice so that may be the reason for the three regiments. Just can't wait for his records I think it's a bit much to have to wait 9/12 months though.

Regards,

Graham

Hi Graham - It's Andy not Steve

Ref the war diaries I would wait until you receive his service records so you can confirm what units he served with before ordering any war diaries or you could end up doing lots of research about units he was never with.

Ref the cost of war diaries click the red link below in my signature - all the info is covered on a thread.

Cheers
Andy

 

Thanks Andy, Sorry about the name it was a senior moment. OK, I am collecting as much info as I can as I am writing it all up, it's taking so long for the service records.

Regards,

Graham

 

Hello Graham-just make sure that you put his service number on the form, if you don't know it make sure their date of birth is on. You never know it might not take that long-mine arrived in 6 weeks.

Lesley

 

Hello Graham-just make sure that you put his service number on the form, if you don't know it make sure their date of birth is on. You never know it might not take that long-mine arrived in 6 weeks.

Lesley
Hi Lesley,

I have put his service number on and his date of birth etc and paid my £30. They confirmed the receipt but said it was going to take 9 to 12 months due to staff shortages and pressure of work and offered my money back if I was not satisfied but I want them so I left it, that was last June. I wrote again 4 weeks ago and they said they were taking around 9 months at the moment which takes me to around March/April 2012! I think I might try an email next. When did you apply?

Graham