2 Field Regiment, RA. 1940

My Dad William Herbert Clifford No. 815336 was in the 2 Field Regiment during the Battle of France 10-31 May 1940. He was a casualty and had his forearm amputated on 31 May 1940, and was a POW until 1943. I believe there were casualties in the his regiment on 19 and 31 May. Does anyone have the field diaries for those days?

 

Rowslow,

Welcome aboard. The second Canadian this week, if not third.

There are a small number of threads with a Tag to the regiment: 2 field regiment ra | WW2Talk Some may not refer to the time frame you seek. A quick scan may identify the war diaries.

This site is always helpful: 2 Field Regiment RA - The Royal Artillery 1939-45 and Field Regiment Royal Artillery - Researching WW2 Soldiers

Another, old thread shows:

From: BEF Royal Artillery Regimental History Books 1939-1945

Have you obtained his Service Record? I note you are in Canada, that may pose issues.

If you check the CWGC database it should be possible to identify those from the regiment who died in France in 1940.

 

Good evening Rowslow,

The 2nd Field Regt were the Senior Regular Army Artillery Regiment in the British 1st Infantry Division in WW2.
You are only the second person to be researching them that I have come across over the past few years.
Unfortunately I have very little information about them regarding their time with the British Expeditionary Force, other than that they were not too far away from the 67th Field Regiment which I study.
I did transcribe the Service Record of Bernard Noctor and Irishman in the 67th who on the day that the fighting started 10th May 1940 was transferred to the 2nd Field but nothing else would be of any assistance to you.

Might I therefore suggest that if you want to obtain copies of their War Diary for this period take a look at members who go to the National Archives to copy
War Diaries. They may be able to help.

If he lost his arm he would not have been with them from 1943 onwards where they fought in Tunisia followed by Italy, moving to Palestine in early 1945.

The only book that I am ware of is Ubique by A.M.Cheetham MC which begins after Dunkirk going through to Palestine.

He might have been injured during the withdrawal but it is also possible that he was injured when the ships leaving Dunkirk were bombed. I am not sure which ship they went home on but the 67th lost more men on that trip than in the entire withdrawal.
1st Division Artillery did not retreat they withdrew to Dunkirk to defend the beaches while everyone left. Only leaving when there was no more ammunition to fire.

I have attached a sketch of the beaches on which you will see their position during he Dunkirk evacuation.

Sorry but I cant help you further

.

 

Thanks for your reply. How do I find out which members go to the National Archives to copy records?
I tried Rob Clark’a site for copying war diaries but his contact details are not on the site! My Dad was in various hospitals for 2 months and then various POW camps until being repatriated in 1943. I have his service record, POW camps fro International Red Cross and the German cards from the National Archives from POW camps. I’ve also got maps from online that say where the 2nd Field Regiment was at different dates. But don’t know where he injured!

 

Thanks!

 

The big snag - based on reading threads here - is that war diaries do not consistently list individual injuries or deaths. Even worse it is likely that any BEF 1940 diaries did not make it back to the UK after May 1940, they were re-wriiten based on memories.

That is why it is an option to use the regimental entries of deaths on the CWGC website, where they were originally buried and that will give you a timeline / map.

If he was injured so badly it is possible he was left behind in a field hospital, with a reduced British staff and operated upon after being captured - possibly by the Germans too. Once he was medically fit off to a POW Camp - is there a date on the ICRC records when he actually began his time in a camp?

 

Yes the ICRC date is 21 Oct 1940 but the German POW cards first date is 24 Jul 1940. Thanks for telling me that the war diaries don’t consistently record injuries, that’s what I was afraid of!
His theatre of capture was Dunkirk on 19 May the 2 Field Reg was in Brussels then the River Dyle, Lille and Dunkirk,

 

Not sure if thi is any help it is an excerpt by then Lieutenant (later Major) Tom Averill.
266 Bty 67th Field Regt.

The Withdrawal
The withdrawal was orderly, though very hazardous. My troop of 4.5 howitzers was in the rearguard, having been left to do harassing fire on 2 vital bridges. We had to leave in a hurry and made our way through a small gap between Cassel and Ypres. On route to Dunkirk, we ran into heavy air burst German artillery, particularly at Templeuve – at the main cross roads and in Poperinge, which was engulfed in flames. We had to unhook the guns and limbers, turn round and find a minor road to take us to Bray Dunes on the coast. Much shell and cannon fire damage had been inflicted on our vehicles, though only two men had been wounded and I dropped them off at an Advanced Dressing Station.
Later I discovered that my gas mask which was positioned on my chest was shattered- a piece of air burst shell had passed through the eye pieces and finished up in the canister. There were also 15 visible holes in the 15cwt truck I was sitting in. Our final gun position was at Les Moires south of Bray Dunes, where the last observation post (O.P.) was occupied by the Battery Commander, Major J. C. Flay and signal party with Bdr. Willis in charge.
The regiment together with 19th Field Regiment and 2nd Field Regiment were part of the 1st Division Artillery, 1st Army and 2nd Corps. Commanded by General Alexander who had taken over from Lord Gort and now acted as rear guard.
On the Beaches.

 

Thanks for this I’d seen it before!

 

My Dad William Herbert Clifford POW picture!

 

William Herbert Clifford, 1933-39 with Royal Artillery in India!

 

Rowslow
I happen to have the war diary for May 1940, presumably written up after they got back to England. The reason I do is that my wife’s grandfather, Sgt John Clarke, was in charge of a 25 pounder in 35 Battery, 2 Field Regiment all the way through the war from the BEF to Palestine. He was a RA regular before the war and on his last year of reserve duty when it started. As a trained nurse too, he was ordered to assist with the wounded in Dunkirk and was evacuated from the Mole separately from the rest of the regiment. I’ll put the diary up today.
Adam

 

That would be so kind of you I’m interested in dates from May10-31!

 

Hope the quality's good enough.
Adam

 

Brilliant though hard to read have to enlarge and squint. How do i

 

How do i save them to my computer to read and print them?

 

I'll need to re-post them, I think. Don't know if it's better to upload them as full photos rather than thumbnails?

 

Can you email them to me?

 

Yes, I can - I'll start a private conversation ..
Adam