56th Reconnaissance Corps

No, I do not recognise where that is.

Frank

 

Seeing your photo of Point 593 in #617 reminds me of an operation undertaken by specially formed X Sqn of 56 Recce:

 

Tony.

78 Inf Div were short of infantry and so 56 Recce were instructed to provide a composite Sqn to take over well established sangar positions within 80 yards of Point 593.

The report confirms what a ghastly place Snakeshead Ridge really was.

Regards

Frank

 

Monte Cassino, not the place to be, my Grandad certainly didn't enjoy his time keeping his head down in the slit trenches there.

 

Hello all veterans /historians,
I'm hoping someone can help me find out more information about my Grandad who served in 56 Reece RAC.
My mam aged 82 doesn't really know much about what happened whilst he was away as when he returned in Oct 1946 he was man of very few words and lived the rest of his life very withdrawn until he lost his battle with Parkinsons aged 72 in 1984. She only knows a couple of bits and pieces.
She's starting to lose her memory a bit ( so am I for that matter !) so I'd like to spark some memory jogging with her.
Her main memory is a strange man arriving home when she was around 6 years old
I'm currently going through the hand written war diary records which are great but they are slow going with a magnifying glass up to the screen. I'm hopeful I can cut to the chase , get some info and share my findings with her very soon. Would be a lovely Xmas gift for her .
Here are some details below. I have his full service record and cap badge and curiously an original German propaganda document and a newspaper cutting of 56 Reece disturbing a Boch dinner party in Italy. There is also a letter from him to my mam which is heart breaking to read. Basically the war destroyed any chance of her having a normal father daughter relationship.

• Name: Peter Strother
• Geordie from South Tyneside (Boldon , was in County Durham at this time )
• Trooper
• 
  
• Number 10601418
• Enlisted 8 Jan 1942 at Halleaths Dumfries
• Don't know where he was before then
• He did send postcards to my gran from Egypt

Not sure where this photo of him was taken


Thank you

 

Some more docs

 

Welcome to the forum. Great to have another 56 Recce on board.

Cheers
Paul

 

Hello and welcome to the forum Lorraine.
Lovely to have another 56 Recce on board. My dad was in 56 Recce too.

Lesley

 

Lorraine, welcome to the forum and particularly to 56 Recce section. My father was 15 Troop, C Sqn and served alongside Lesley's dad (post above). I will see if I can find out anything of relevance.

I do know that your grandfather was wounded on 9 October 43 in Italy, may be a reference to x (ii) list on his records, see casualty list below together with pages from the diary for that date. Looks like he may have been C Sqn as well.

 

245248 Lt P J H Bracken, who is mentioned in the diary, was taken POW.

 

Thanks Tony !!, Cant see his records attached - maybe I'm doing something wrong , his injury : Really? I did hear that he may have been shot in the derriere (bum) at some point , good to know he was in C squadron so I can track him, he was such a lovely grandad, I cant make out any detail of of casualty list maybe you can let me know what is describes ? Thank you Tony, I 'm looking forward to your response very much

 

Can you not open the images in my post by clicking on them? The casualty list is no more than a list of names but the important thing is that it gives a date. Just Guessing, but he may have been in the 15 January 42 intake:

 

Tony , where do you think tis photo was taken?
Also his his Austrian guide book has an entry handwritten to direct him in European numericals to the railway station in Vienna which was bombed in April 1945 , he got there May 19545 , its actually even given train times as 15.45 and 3.45 on his guide, who did write this ? Can 't wait to tell my mam when I know more

 

Will have a look at the photo tomorrow - can you post a larger copy?

The return of soldiers back to the UK must have been a complicated endeavour and done to timetables, here is some details for my father, although he did not return until 1946.
56th Reconnaissance Corps

 

It’s the Pallazo del Civilta Rome. palace of Italian Civilisation. One of Mussolini’s Fascist monuments that was to be part of the 1942 World Fair.

 

Lorraine, what a coincidence that your grandfather and my father kept the very same newspaper article!

 

Lorraine.

The big house and estate at Halleaths was No 1 Recce Corps Training Centre at the time.

Regards

Frank

 

Lorraine.

Trooper Strother had quite a war.

78 Inf Div had three huge roles at particular points in the Italian Campaign:

• The Fourth Battle of Cassino in May 44 when they pushed through the two forward Divisions into the Liri Valley and the road to Rome.
• The breaching of the Trasimeno Line at Lake Trasimeno in Jun 44.
• The Final Offensive in Apr 45 when 78 Inf Div broke through the Argenta Gap.

Regards

Frank

 

Tony , thank you so much for the the very accurate information
My mam recalls he was telling my gran he had an accident in the cook house so she wouldn't worry, I spoke to her this afternoon and its lovely to hear her memory coming back, bless you and many thanks. She says she has more stuff for me next time I stand in her garden and watch her through the window. I would like to get a hold of his full service record , in your opinion is it better to subscribe or formally apply to government website, I have another Grandfather and 2 uncles in WW1 to research next , Kind regards
I'm planning to