2ND HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY REGIMENT

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by Recce81, Jun 16, 2014.

  1. Recce81

    Recce81 Member

    Hello all,

    In conjunction with the Royal Netherlands Defence Academy's Institute for Military History I'm planning a Battlefield Tour concerning 2nd Household Cavalry's actions during Operation Market Garden from 11 Sep until the withdrawal of 1st Airborne Division. The plan is to use it to educate future officers of the RNLA's reconnaissance regiment (I'm CO of the training unit). We have the general outline of several actions, such as:

    - The reconnaissance of a bridge on the Neerpelt-Valkenswaard road on 11 september
    - The reconnaissance of the area between Eindhoven en Nijmegen and subsequent link-up with 82nd Airborne Div
    - The reconnaissance of the area between Nijmegen and Arnhem (Driel, to be more precise) and link up with 1st Polish Parachute Brigade and subsequent actions in the surrounding area.

    I'm looking for books or anything else that can give us slightly more detailed information on 2nd Household Cavalry's actions during this time-frame. Is there anything you would recommend?

    Thanks in advance!

    Kind regards,

    Roland
     
  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  4. XRayX

    XRayX Aalst-Waalre

    For the first part you can look me up at work. I work at the Royal Netherlands defence academy and have spent some years of research on the subject (11-18 sept) and have plenty of info.

    Grt
    Ray
     
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  5. Recce81

    Recce81 Member

    Thanks for the information provided so far. The book mentioned has been found in some Defence library, so I won't have to make more demands on our already suffering defence budget!

    Roland
     
  6. singeager

    singeager Senior Member

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  7. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Very small reference to them in this newspaper article, but that was all I could find. - Maria
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Here's the ref for the units war diary at the National Archives

    WO 171/837 2 Household Cavalry1944 Jan.- Dec.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  9. benast

    benast New Member

    Hi,
    I'm looking for the WO171/? numbers of the 2nd Houshold Cavalry Regiment squadrons A,B,C and D. It's for a request of the diaries.
    Benast
     
  10. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

  11. Shelldrake

    Shelldrake Member

    Hello, I'm a new member and this is my first post.
    My Grandfather was 305477 TPR Robert JACKSON and served in 2HCR. I have his Service Record from the MOD in Glasgow, but other than giving me his unit and the fact that he deployed to NW Europe in July 1944 and returned Home in May 1946, I know little else.
    I see there is tons of info on 2HCR on this site and can track its involvement, but I'm trying to establish which bit of it Grandad was in and what he got up to during his War in Europe.
    Can anyone point me in the right direction to obtain the finer detail; what, why, where, when etc?>
     
  12. XRayX

    XRayX Aalst-Waalre

  13. Shelldrake

    Shelldrake Member

    XRayX - Thanks for your reply. I will email you later today.
     
  14. Shelldrake

    Shelldrake Member

    Thanks for the offer of assistance, for some unknown reason my PC will not connect with your email address - so I'll make this a general post (and copy it into other parts of the Forum as well).

    There is clearly a plethora of information available on 2HCR, however I would like to know the part my grandfather played in it's activities in NW Europe.

    What I know;

    Aged 20 yrs, after leaving the Mounted Police in Yorkshire, Robert JACKSON joined The Household Cavalry in 1939 and became 305477 Trooper (Tpr) R JACKSON.

    In December 1940 he transferred into the 2nd Household Cavalry Motor Battalion (which later became 2HCR).

    In July 1944 Tpr JACKSON deployed to NW Europe, where he served until March 1946. He returned to England and was transferred to the Reserve in May 1946, as a Tpr in The Royal Horse Guards.

    In addition to the War and Defence medals, my grandfather was awarded the 1939-45 Star and the France and Germany Star. He was a quiet man who never talked about his involvement in the War. He died 20 yrs ago so I can't ask him anything, what information I have has come from his recently obtained Army Service Record.

    What I would like to know;

    Which Squadron, Troop or sub-unit he served in (I assume with that information researching his involvement in operations and events will be much easier).

    What roles he might have carried out during his Service as a 2 HCR Tpr (he could drive before joining the Army, possibly a skill utilised by 2HCR?).

    What equipment/weapons he might have worked with.

    Names of others he may have served with.

    Any general information which could tie my grandfather to specific places, operations or significant events.


    Thank you in advance, I look forward to hearing from you (or anyone else who might be able to help) in due course.

    Regards

    Shelldrake
     
  15. XRayX

    XRayX Aalst-Waalre

  16. Tom OBrien

    Tom OBrien Senior Member

    Hi,

    Does anyone have a copy of the 2 HCR war diary for 2 August 1944 that they would be willing to share?

    Regards

    Tom
     
  17. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    [​IMG]
     
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  18. Tom OBrien

    Tom OBrien Senior Member

    Drew,

    You are a star, many thanks for that and a happy Xmas to you.

    Regards

    Tom
     
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  19. secondworldwar-nl

    secondworldwar-nl Junior Member

    Does anyone perhaps also have the war diary entries of the 2nd Household cavalry regiment of April 1st and 2nd 1945?
     
  20. Tom OBrien

    Tom OBrien Senior Member

    Hi,

    I particularly like the style of the 2nd Household Cavalry Regiment's regimental history, which is similar to the Irish Guards history in that it includes its fair share of grim narrative leavened with the occasional shaft of humour such as this:

    Sunray footnote.PNG

    I, as well, suspect that many officers had nicknames given them by their subordinates that were unsuitable for inclusion in the regimental history. :D

    Regards

    Tom
     
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