2nd Battalion Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by DavidW, Oct 25, 2012.

  1. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Guys,
    I am looking for the geographical movements of the 2nd West Surreys in 1940 - 1942.

    Thanks in advance,

    David.
     
  2. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Here are the movements of the 2nd Battalion, The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)


    14th Infantry Brigade – 3 September 1939 to 24 January 1940
    At the outbreak of war, the Battalion HQ and ‘C’ Company were located at Tulkarm, Palestine with ‘A’ Company at Nathanya and ‘B’ Company at Baga Al Ghabiya. The 2nd Battalion was reorganised on September 21st with Battalion HQ and ‘D’ Company at Tulkarm, ‘A’ Company at Ramallah and Enab, west of Jerusalem in relieve of the 2nd Black Watch, ‘B’ Company in relieve of 2nd Black Watch in Jerusalem, and ‘C’ Company in relief of the 2nd Rifle Brigade at Nablus Fort. The battalion concentrated for one month training under tents in mid-October 1939, then moved to Nathaniya on November 8th and took over from the 1st Welch Regiment. It returned to Tulkarm on December 8th, 1939 with ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies at Nablus and ‘D’ Company at Baga Al Gabiya.

    16th Infantry Brigade – 24 January 1940 to 22 October 1944

    At the end of January 1940 the battalion moved to Jericho Camp, thirty miles from Jerusalem and came under the 16th Infantry Brigade on January 24th, 1940. The brigade moved to Latrun Camp in March 1940 and to Gedera in early July 1940. It left for Egypt on September 8th, 1940 and moved to the Western Desert to come under the command of the 4th Indian Infantry Division. The battalion detrained at Sidi Hinaish and moved to the Baqqush Box. It remained there until December 5th, 1940, when it moved to the escarpment in preparation for the Sidi Barrani battle.
    The battalion crossed into Libya on January 5th, 1941 and remained in Libya until February 13th, 1941. After the battle on February 11th, the battalion moved to Sollum and embarked for Alexandria. On its return to Egypt, it was located at Ismailia. On April 9th it left Kabrit for Mersa Matruh. On May 18th it returned to Amiriya from the front. It embarked from Alexandria on May 22nd for Crete but did not land and returned to Alexandria on May 28th. It remained in Egypt until June 12th, 1941 when it moved Syria. It served in Syria until September 19th, 1941. It landed in Tobruk on September 21st and fought there through December 20th, 1941. It left Tobruk and moved to Egypt where it remained until February 4th, 1942. Four days later it arrived in Syria for a short stay. It left on February 22nd, 1942 and returned to Egypt two days later. It embarked at Egypt on March 6th, 1942 for Ceylon.
     
  3. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    David. Perfect again, thank you.
     
  4. Yardboy

    Yardboy Member

    Hi not sure if my dad was in the 1st or2nd queens how can you tell
     
  5. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Yardboy,

    I see you keep popping up when the Queens are mentioned. What information do you have about your father. The best place to begin is sending off for his service records here:

    http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/army.html

    This can be a long process, sometimes as long as 12 months, but unless you have concrete details about his service it is the only way to find out who he was with and where.

    good luck

    Steve
     
  6. Yardboy

    Yardboy Member

    Hi Steve first I emailed a museum in Maidstone and sent some pic of his badges they said he was in the 1st regiment cos his shoulder patch just said queens and the badges I got of his, golden arrow, 14th army badge,been looking on the Internet found out he was with the 7th indian division which was with the 14th army ,but then I was looking at the slouch hats ,I have got his and it said on the Internet the on the side of the hat if its got the black triangle badge saying queens he would have been in the 2nd queens
     
  7. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Yardboy,

    Well you have probably noticed by now that I am interested in the Chindits, more the 1943 version than 1944. But the 2nd QRWS were part of 16th Brigade, commanded by Bernard Fergusson, who also led my grandfather's unit in 1943 coincidently. They were the only Brigade that marched into Burma in 1944, the rest went by air one way or the other.

    Bernard Fergusson wrote a book about his time in 1944, it is called 'Wild Green Earth'. It will give you a good idea about what the men went through.

    It is still going to be difficult to decipher which battalion your Dad was in, you may have to send off for those service records in the end.

    Steve
     
  8. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Yardboy: It appears from what you said that your father was part of the 1st Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey). Here is a summary of their service:

    1st Battalion, The Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey)

    Allahabad Brigade – 3 September 1939 to October 1940
    The 1st Battalion arrived in Allahabad from Quetta during the last week of October 1936. One company was detached to Allahabad Fort. It remained at MacPherson Barracks, Allahabad under the Allahabad Brigade from the start of war until October 1940. During the cold weather season, the battalion training usually took place in the hill country south of Mirzapore sixty miles from Allahabad since it resembled parts of the North West Frontier. Early in 1940 the battalion was warned for frontier service at Razmak and did six months of intensive training to prepare for frontier warfare.

    Razmak Brigade – October 1940 to November 1941
    The 1st Queen’s then moved to the Waziristan District at Razmak and served under the command of the Razmak Brigade. Due to trouble caused by the Faqir of Ipi, for the next twelve months it was deployed on active operations with the Razmak column in both South Waziristan and on road picquets between Razmak and Bannu. The battalion was involved in two punitive operations while it was based at Razmak during which it sustained several casualties. The Razmak Column returned to Razmak at the end of August 1941. In November 1941 the 1st Queen’s moved to Ambala.

    Ambala Brigade – November 1941 to March 1942
    The battalion came under the Ambala Brigade in November 1941. It remained under this brigade until March 1942, when it left for Peshawar and the Peshawar Brigade.

    Peshawar Brigade – March 1942 to 4 December 1942
    It joined the brigade in March and remained in Peshawar on internal security duties and defence of the Khybur Pass until December 4th, 1942.

    33rd Indian Infantry Brigade – 4 December 1942 to 8 September 1944
    On December 4th, it came under the command of the 33rd Indian Infantry Brigade a part of the 7th Indian Infantry Division located at Shinkara near Abbottabad. It was located in Nihalpur until January 31st, 1943. The division then moved to Chindwara to train in February 1943 after which it was located in Ranchi until August 28th, 1943. It received order to move to the Arakan in August 1943 and first moved to Baukakharu and then by train to Madras. It embarked there and arrived at Chittagong on September 11th, 1943. Its first operational task was the defence of the Teknaf peninsula and during this time ‘B’ Company did a diversionary raid against Maungdaw. When the Japanese offensive began in early 1944, the battalion was involved in a number of operations involving company attacks over difficult terrain. As the brigade was cut off, ‘A’ Company was detached to become brigade reserve while the remainder of the battalion formed the Braganza Box. After the Japanese attack was contained, the Queen’s took part in operations south of the Maungday-Buthidaung road. Buthidaung was captured on March 14th but the battalion had to move back on March 25th to hold a Japanese counterattack on the Admin Box.
    The battalion marched out from the Admin Box on April 3rd, 1944 after four months of contact with the enemy and moved to Chittagong by train on April 8th to emplane for Assam. It moved by plane to Golaghat in Imphal in the Dimapur area. The 33rd Brigade was held back to cover the approaches from Imphal to Dinapur. It was brought into action and on May 7th when the 1st Queen’s attacked Jail Hill from which on previous days heavy and accurate machine gun fire had held up the 2nd Division. The battalion attacked with great gallantry and reached its objective but was unable to hold it because the enemy could not be dislodged from deep bunkers, and of heavy fire from the adjoining feature known as GPT Ridge. Another brigade attack went in on May 11th on Jail Hill and GPT Ridge and the positions were partially taken. By the 13th the enemy had slipped away from the positions in face of heavy attacks. On the evening of May 26th the enemy counterattacked the Brigade position in the Naga Village area in strength and was repulsed. On June 1st, the 1st Queen’s supported by tanks attacked and captured the long contested stronghold of the Naga Village. The battalion was then withdrawn to Dinapur to rest and refit. The battalion finished the campaign on September 6th, 1944. After it moved into barracks at Sidi Barrani Lines, Shillong to rest and refit, leaving the the 33rd Indian Infantry Brigade on September 8th, 1944.

    HQ 251st LOC Sub-Area – 8 September 1944 to 12 March
    The battalion served under 251st LOC Sub-Area in Shillong until March 12th, 1945 remaining at Shillong. It had received orders to return to the 14th Army on March 6th.

    HQ 14th Army - 17 March 1945 to 6 April 1945
    By March 17th it had detrained at Manipur Road. It then moved to the 14th Army’s forward area through April 6th, 1945, when it rejoined the 33rd Indian Infantry Brigade in Burma, replacing the 1st Burma Regiment.

    33rd Indian Infantry Brigade – 6 April 1945 to 31 August 1945
    It remained with the brigade in Burma for the remainder of the war.
     
  9. Yardboy

    Yardboy Member

     
  10. Yardboy

    Yardboy Member

    Wow thanks for all that info I'm really glad I found this site cheers again
     
  11. Yardboy

    Yardboy Member

    Ok Steve thanks for your help
     
  12. Yardboy

    Yardboy Member

     
  13. Yardboy

    Yardboy Member

     
  14. Yardboy

    Yardboy Member

    What's loc sub - area
     
  15. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Line of Communications Sub-Area. It is a rear area to the battle front that needs to be guarded due to facilities and communications (roads, rails, airfields, etc).
     
  16. DavidDorch4

    DavidDorch4 New Member

    I wonder if you can help me as well? My father joined 2nd bat Queen's west surrey 27 may 1942 and arrived in Ceylon 29 July 1942. Have you any details of the regiments activities through to when he was transferred to REME 13 Indian HAA 8 Oct 1943 I know they were in India from 4 Feb 1943 but have no idea what they did there until his transfer? Have any of you any further details? Dad never wanted to talk much about his time over there.
     
  17. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi David,

    If you get no joy on here the war diaries at the National Archives should help. Two have the same date and I suspect this is a typo:

    WO 172/882 2 Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 1942 Mar. - July
    WO 172/1542 2 Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 1942 Mar.- July
    WO 172/1543 2 Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 1942 Aug.- Dec.
    WO 172/2541 2 Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 1943 Mar.- Dec.

    Cheers
    Andy
     

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