4th Bn Gordon Highlanders

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by Arnhem Knight, May 24, 2020.

  1. Arnhem Knight

    Arnhem Knight Member

    Hi this is my first post since 2013 and i am looking for any help with above title. My Grandfather was William Scott born 14/06/1914 who served with the Gordon Highlanders and i was wondering if anyone had or has a list of soldiers who served with the 4th. i know that they fought in france in 1940 but need to know if anyone can help.

    kind regards and thanks

    Scott
     
  2. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Scott,

    I'm away from my laptop at the moment & my copy of the Gordon Highlanders.

    Cant remember which volume no it is! I will have a look when I'm at home. Someone may be able to help you out before then?

    Welcome back by the way. I do have a soft spot for the 6th battalion. Not promising anything. Not sure if a battalion history was done on the 4th?

    Regards,
    Stu.
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2020
  3. Arnhem Knight

    Arnhem Knight Member

    Hi Stu,

    Thank you very much for the reply but i think i have filled in the blanks with regards to the 4th. My grandfather was wounded near the Dunkirk perimeter. Got back home then joined the reformed 2nd BTN. Fought in the desert, Sicily, got to naples then back to the UK then trained to go to France and landed 20/6/44.
     
  4. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Hi Scott,

    if David, aka forum member dryan67, reads this thread, then he may be able to help you out in the mean while?

    I could well & truly be off the mark here.? 2nd battalion in the desert & Sicily? I cant remember which battalion was part of the 51 Highland Division! I got some service records of a kind of distant relative a while back that was in the above division.

    Sorry if I'm wrong? Edit to add : Scott, I'm guessing that you have his service records?

    Regards,
    Stu.
     
  5. Arnhem Knight

    Arnhem Knight Member

    Hi Stu,

    Can definitely confirm they were at El Alamein. As support for the 9th Australia. In Sicily they fought at seffro. Got to naples and then shipped back to UK then home for france.

    But still some bits to find out but i will get there.
     
  6. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Hi Scott,

    No probs. You have got me intrigued.

    Will have a butcher's when i get home! I'm still wondering if you have his Service records?

    Regards,
    Stu.
     
  7. Arnhem Knight

    Arnhem Knight Member

    Hi Stu,

    Applied 3 times and they sent records for Boer and WW1twice but no WW2 records. I've tried, mum has tried, my uncle has tried and that is what they have sent.
     
  8. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    I've got a feeling that a thread has been done on the 4th battalion? A machine gun battalion at Dunkirk.

    That nice chap that goes by the name of Owen, should be able to provide it?:D

    I think you have all applied to the wrong place? Who did you apply to? Its important that you give these details. Thats it for me at the moment has I'm on my phone .

    Regards,
    Stu.
     
  9. Arnhem Knight

    Arnhem Knight Member

    Hi Stu,

    Applied to Records office at Brown street in Glasgow. But now i have the new info. I can now be able to fill in the voids.

    So i appreciate the help.
     
  10. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Hi Scott,

    are you able to show them?

    Not meaning to be intrusive here. Its just a case of clarifying which battalions he was with when it comes to the Gordon Highlanders. No probs if you wish not to..

    Regards,
    Stu.
     
  11. Arnhem Knight

    Arnhem Knight Member

    Hi Stu,

    Not being intrusive at all. He was with the 4th went to france but he wanted to be in the 2nd just like his uncle who fought with the HLI in ww1 which became the 2nd GH. the 4th would suffer heavily as being a rearguard for other Btns on the retreat to perimeter at Dunkirk. But part of the 4th didn't get the order for whatever reason and they were captured by the germans. his change to the 2nd was confirmed after he recovered from his wound he suffered. the change happened roughly sept 1940. The 4th would then be folded into the R.A and saw no further action. My grandfather wanted to fight.
     
  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Stuart Avery likes this.
  13. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    That makes no sense.
    The HLI did not become 2nd Gordon Highlanders
    The Glasgow Highlanders were part of the HLI.
    Glasgow Highlanders - Wikipedia
     
  14. Arnhem Knight

    Arnhem Knight Member

    That's right they were all captured at Singapore but the 2nd would not go back to the east instead Sir Alan Brooke formed the 15th.
     
  15. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    If your Grandad served in Africa & Italy it wouldn't be in the 2nd Bn but the 1st or 5/7th.
     
  16. Arnhem Knight

    Arnhem Knight Member

    that has to be right he must have been the first. this might be the reason then we cannot obtain his records. i will have to resubmit the records request and try 1st battalion GH. hence why we keep drawing blanks. Also means the info my uncle has is also incorrect i will have to let him know. it genuinely makes sense now. so both my mum and uncle have been given the wrong records not to mention the wrong info. i will rectify this in the morning. Thank you very much Owen. I appreciate it i really do. i try to be as thorough as i can but when your handed information that doesn't add up then it is forums like this that make the difference. thank you from the bottom of my heart. i will post up when get a response.
     
    Owen likes this.
  17. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    When you apply for service records just give name & date of birth.
    That's all you need .
    As well as 30 quid & a death certificate.
    Don't give any info you are not sure of.
     
    dbf likes this.
  18. Arnhem Knight

    Arnhem Knight Member

    Will do. but now i question whether the service number might be wrong as well?
     
  19. JollyD

    JollyD Junior Member

    Scott
    Like you I have not been on this forum for some years, prompted today by a member researching the 4th Battalion at the battle on the River Dendre.
    My father, George Jolly, was with the 4th Bt Gordons a TA MG battalion. They were the first TA Battalion to be sent to France and among the last to leave Dunkirk having been the prime northern defence /rear guard. Dad survived along with his best mate Billy Robson.
    On return what was left of the 4th were billeted in Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds where he met the lady who was to become my mother. His brother Bert was not so lucky as he was a driver with the 5th Bt sent first to the Maginot line and then to St Valerie. He was captured there. The 4th re mustered as the 92nd anti tank regiment RA. This did not suite dad so he joined the Military Police and was posted to India then Burma as part of 4 corp. Until the day he died re retained a bullet in his leg and shrapnel in his back received in the fighting to relieve Kohima. There is every chance my father knew your grandfather but sadly we will never know. Good luck with your search.
     
  20. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I only have the 1940 diary while they were in France. If that's any use drop me a private message.
     

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