Here are the WD pages for BHQ No1 Battery covering 19th to 29 July 1943, They were with HQ Royal Canadian Artillery. On 23 July Major Ogden writes that one OR was killed and three wounded at FSOP Assoro. Then later on 27 July 1943 4 more were killed at SRHQ near Leonforte. So your father was at a Flash Spotting Observation Post meaning he had to be far enough forward to see the gun flash of their artillery and on this occasion be spotted by the enemy.
Dear Robin, Thanks very much for all of this detailed information. It is very kind of you. I am also getting the information together to send off to request my father's Service Record. I have just about everything I need but I have to hunt out his death certificate to enclose with the application. When I receive the answer I will copy it here. Best wishes, Barry
This photo was posted on another thread. It shows Frank Barton outside 4th Durham Survey Regiment HQ according to his grandson. Can anyone help identify where this would be? Barton joined the regiment after Larkhill Training (A16 Squad - from another photo) in 1943.
My guess is it was RHQ in Gehrden occupied by 4 Survey Regiment from May 1945 until disbandment in April 1946. After hostilities ceased 4 Survey were the admin unit for a concentration camp at Sanbostel and then a PW camp at Zeven. These seem to have been brief operations while the camps were emptied of suffering prisoners. Not the sort of place to have a shiny RHQ board. .
I looked in the Z-Location story of the Regiment and it mentions 152 Coatsworth Road, Gateshead as the HQ but that is an end terrace house. It also mentions a Drill Hall at Elmgrove Terrace, but that is not shown on Google Maps, if it is Gateshead. By the way, I have at last been able to submit my request for my father's Service Record after receiving the required death cerificate from gov.uk. Season's greetings to all.
Thanks Sheldrake Many of the old hands like my father-in-law had a short leave and were then told they were preparing for another overseas tour .. to the Far East. He was definitely not pleased. Wonder if anyone can help with the significance of the "10" symbol Robin
Have just received the WD for No1 Composite Battery of the 4th Durham Survey Regiment (TNA Ref WO 169/1534). (Thanks to Gary Tankard) This is rich in information and insights for us as we follow my father-in-law's war. At this time he was Sgt i/c MT in R Troop Both in his diary and in the WD they are at 'The Pink House' - see attachment We have a map of this area and can pinpoint the site ... BUT have found no online reference to this 'Pink House' Can anyone help? R&M
Here you go. Based on my deficient map reading, it would be the westernmost of those four huts. I haven't noted the reference to a pink house myself anywhere, but TBH if it's just some random hut, I doubt it would have featured highly anywhere. All the best Andreas
Thanks That is just where we expected it to be. We have the 1:250000 map from 1941 reprinted in 1943 which he was using when BQMS after El Alamein. R&M
It's the January 1941 Tobruk defences overprint map referred to in the war diary. DM me for a copy. All the best Andreas
I’d agree with the grid reference being there, but according to the legend they are underground ammunition dumps. “Troop HQ was fixed in a cave near Divisional HQ at 4083 4325”. From this map: Tobruch Defences (12 Jan. 1941) Annotations show 9 (Australian) Division HQ at this location. This Division was in Tobruk from April to October 1941. Edit: The map is a bit ambiguous. Red squares are huts or buildings, number 11 is underground ammunition dumps.
Thanks Richard Yes - the R Troop HQ location was in the caves from 9 June. Clarrie was a bit T'd off as this was the third move in a few days .. having dug in twice already! The caves were chosen to give protection to the SR equipment. The Pink House comes up in his diaries and seems to be a house which had suffered some damage
PINK HOUSE About 1960 Clarence Hird wrote a note about his time in the Tobruk siege of 1941. We recently found where we had put this note away for safe keeping. It includes a description of setting up his base on arrival in Tobruk in early June 1941 "" From this centre we set up camp near the perimeter in an area known as the Pink house, so called because of the pink washed villa which had flourished there in times of peace. We did not live in the house as the whole area could be shelled and bombing was a daily feature. Our living quarters consisted of caves inhabited by thousands of fleas, and for the first few weeks we were bitten to death."" He says 'perimeter' as he thought at first that the perimeter was very close to the town of Tobruk. Other notes in his diaries and photographs indicate that he was at the Battery HQ along with BQMS Brewis. "" So another clue about the pink House .. still hoping that some other records come up with more information. The search continues Regards Robin
Has anyone got the following War Diary Tobruk Fortress: Counter-Battery Officer (CBO) Reference: WO 169/1371 Description:Tobruk Fortress: Counter-Battery Officer (CBO) Date: 1941 May- Aug., Oct., Dec. If not I'll be requesting it in my next batch for Kew Robin