86th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery

Ps. More information from the Diaries:The LST’s were numbered 78,79 and 80. LST 78 loaded first, sailing for Southend at 2015 on 25th June and laid off Southend for the night. Joined by LST 80 at 0740 on 26th. The convoy set sail for France from the Thames Estuary at 2015 on June 26th. LST 79 set sail at 1915 on 27th June. Vehicles from LST 78/80 landed on beaches between Frayes sur mer and Courseulles at 0930 in 28th June.// J.

 

Dear Jane
I really appreciate receiving both your replies & the wonderful detailed information you have provided. I never imagined I would hear from anyone whose own father was in the same regiment, what a surprise! My late wife was born 6 months after her father was killed & neither she or her widowed mother were ever able to visit his final resting place, seemingly unaware of the St Manvieu location. I was able to visit some 8 years ago with my daughter & her family & we all found it a very profound experience. We have since honoured the sacrifice of my daughter's grandfather with a plaque next to one of the new row of trees planted by the Hill 112 memorial. Finally, I was recently given a copy of a new DVD, "A Canterbury Tale, a story of Albert Figg of the Devonshire Regiment & the Battle for Hill 112", which I found it to be very interesting & informative. Thanks again for your great input.
Sincerely, John.

 

Dear John,
I’m so glad I could be of some help. I thought you might find the following link interesting. Tilbury and D-Day
I was also very interested to hear about the dvd and will try to get hold of it. There is a good book about Hill 112 by Tim Saunders(published by Pen and Sword); it was recommended to me by another comrade from the 86th with whom my father sporadically corresponded up until his death in 1998. How tragic that your wife never met her father. Mine was almost twenty when he left for Normandy. He took his time settling down and I didn’t come along until 1965! I see from the diaries that your father in law’s and my father’s battery were deployed together behind the forward infantry on the day he died. I have understood that during the battle for Hill 112 the 86th was-unusually for an anti-tank regiment- operating in an attacking rather than a defensive role which must explain why there were so many casualties.
With all good wishes,
Jane.

 

Hi, I am so glad I found this forum. I have already found some amazing information on the feed. I am doing some research for my wife. Her great grandfather served in the 86th. We have quite a few of his documents but I am trying to find out some more. I am making a model for my wife’s Grandad(his son) depicting his time in the 86th. Unfortunately I cannot find what battery he was in and so don’t know if he was on M-10 or towed AT.
His name is
Frederick Pluck
DOB 22/02/1919
Service number 5623098
He joined at the formation from the Devon’s and served until 1946.
Is anybody able to help me find what battery he was with 128 129 130 131?
Any help will be much appreciated. The history on this feed is amazing. many thanks
Matt

 

During the first months of 1944, the 86th untill then a three-battery regiment, each of four troops, reorganized to form a fourth battery by reducing the number of troopps per battery by one and producing two towed batteries, the 128 and 130 and two self propelled batteries the 129 and the 340. The regiments weapon was the 17pdr; in 128 and 130 it was towed behind crusader tanks; in 129 and 340 the gun was mounted on and operated from a M10 chassis.

 

Rieback You really need to request the soldier's records. There's info elsewhere on the forum about how to do so.

 

Also, I know this is nitpicking, but 128 and 130 Batteries would have had Crusader gun towers (tractors) - adapted tanks with no guns. P M Knight has written a whole book about them!

 

Hello, just joined this group, my father Albert Nicholls served with the 86 from i believe 1943 to the end of the war. He never spoke much about his service , all he said he drove a tank and worked the radio. I believe he served with 129 Bat, this is because his service record states he arrived in Normandy on the 29Jun, this is the same date as 129 Bat arrived on LST 79 according to their war diary. WO171/935 whilst the rest of the regiment arrived on the 28Jun.