Von Arnim capture - 1/2 Gurkha Rifles war diary

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Takrouna, May 1, 2021.

  1. Takrouna

    Takrouna Active Member

    Hello, I am trying to locate the 1/2 Gurkha Rifles war diary about the capture of General Arnim in Tunisia, May 1943. Can't seem to find the link at the National Archive, anybody know the reference or even have a copy? Thanks!
     
  2. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    It's this one.
    Indian Infantry: 1/2 Gurkha Rifles | The National Archives

    I don't have a copy, but I would like one.

    WO 169-18850 7 Indian Infantry Brigade HQ 1944 Jan-Dec is the Brigade HQ diary, but I'm not at home to check the contents for you.

    Have you looked at the published history? I can also check that later if you haven't.
     
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  3. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Here is the passage on Von Arnim's capture from Stevens' regimental history.

    1_2ndGRA.jpg 1_2ndGRB.jpg 1_2ndGRC.jpg
     
  4. Takrouna

    Takrouna Active Member

    That's brilliant Dryan. Excellent stuff. What the book does not say is the Map grid reference of Arnim's HQ and I also get the impression from their narrative that Royal Sussex regiment got there first - maybe their War Diary gives a grid reference? The Nat Archive reference says the file WO169/15008 is 'closed for 29 years' not sure if I understood that correctly. What do you think?

    I'm going to Tunisia, hopefully, later this year and want to find the exact spot. I have attached a couple of photos taken on a previous visit - I was told by a local that this building and the olive grove in the village were Arnim's HQ in 1943. 20130120_Tunisia_125.jpg 20130120_Tunisia_126.jpg
     
  5. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Well done dryan67, you beat me to it.

    It's a mere footnote, but I do have a slight curiosity about the purported reluctance of the Germans to surrender to the French here.

    Was it that they expected 'better' treatment from the British or perhaps indicative of a lack of respect for French military prowess?
     
  6. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Charley,

    Both factors could have been present. Plus the fact that the British were the 'commanding' element encountered. I too would be interested in members views.
    Note in another place, Bali, the Japanese refused to surrender to the Dutch and insisted on surrendering to the British-led SEAC. On some, smaller islands the Japs were happy to surrender to the Australians.
     
  7. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Brigade diary says almost nothing except to attribute the capture to 1/R.Sussex.
     
  8. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Originally closed for 29 years, now open.
     
  9. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    P9350686.JPG

    Extracted from:
    WO 169-14735 4 Indian Division General Staff Jan-Dec 1943

    Edit: image is being resized!

    Screenshot 2021-05-02 at 11.47.37 PM.jpg Screenshot 2021-05-02 at 11.47.50 PM.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2021
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  10. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Is this the location?

    data=CigiJgokCXQuzSjuD0RAEbKW9xz9SkFAGYCH0XVexzBAIfg9Ta4_iAVA
     
  11. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Here is what the Royal Sussex Regiment regimental history has to say about the capture:
    RSussex01.jpg RSussex02.jpg
     
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  12. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    For centuries, Germans and French had been intimately bound together in mutual antipathy. Between 1870 and 1945, this degenerated into a veritable vendetta.
    Surrendering to the hereditary enemy, of all things, was tantamount to a double defeat.
     
  13. Takrouna

    Takrouna Active Member

    The reason the Germans did not want to surrender to the French is because the FR Unit included black soldiers from Senegal.
     
  14. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    I wonder what happened to von Armin’s staff car once it got back to Chichester?

    Regards

    Frank
     
  15. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  16. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Might be worth one or more of us writing to the IWM to request this be uploaded:

    Surrender of General Von Arnim

    Every interview I've asked for that was made by the museum itself, they've uploaded for me, but all of the commercially produced ones were refused.

    This is a BBC production, so there might be a hope.
     
  17. Takrouna

    Takrouna Active Member

    thanks!
     
  18. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Found on eBay:

    s-l1600.jpg
     
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