Help Please, My grandad's service records have finally come through after 10 months of waiting and. I have noticed he was posted from his unit 10th Hussars to the 51st Training Regiment RAC on the 10th August 1941 and then posted to Draft serial No R.W.F.X.G (Autt W.O.U.M.AG 17/R/D G57) on the 29th August 1941. Does this mean anything to anyone I have a letter dated 28th of October 1941 which give his address as No 3 T.S RAC base depot M.E.F . I do know for a fact that he joined the 4th Hussars on the 3rd December 1941. Could this all be training for the Stuart tank he was also promoted to sgt at this time ? Danny
Danny - Looks a bit mixed up from where I sit so could you perhaps scan the copies and then we shall all be singing from the same page - to be transferred from 10 Hussars to the 51st is a bit off- UNLESS that was where the draft for overseas was assembling under that code RFXYG to land in the Middle East later to a holding depotNo #ts RAC and allocated to 4th Hussars-as a reinforcement - obviously a regular to be promoted so soon in a new regiment- two months travel via the Cape to Egypt was not unusual Cheers
Danny - Your G/Fathers records should be interesting as the 10th Hussars went out to the Middle east later than he did as a unit and joined 7th armoured div - later to join 2nd Armoured bde in 1st Armoured div which fought at the Crusader battle and then Alum el halfa - El Alamein and the chase through the desert to El hamma - and there they sat until called forward in sept '44 for the Gothic line battles in Italy - where they took a pasting and the Division was broken up...which sort of confirms that your G/father was posted early as a reinforcement for the 4th Hussars Cheers
Thanks Tom I think you are right the 4th Hussars were in desperate need of reinforcements at this time and my Grandad being an experienced NCO. He was with the 4th from 3-12-1941 until 12-6-1942 when he was a POW in Italian hands. I am writing a book so it's important to me not to assume things and check facts. Thanks again for you help Danny
Hi Danny I was not to join the 4th QOH until March '45 but before this could happen I had to do a 12 week stint at the RACTD (Royal Armoured Corps Training Depot) at Rieti in Central Italy. BBC - WW2 People's War - Transformation from Gunner to Trooper My only "connection" with the POW camp side of the 4th QOH history is that I served as Tech Cpl under Major "Loopy" Kennard who was also taken prisoner in Greece. Loopy was later to become Colonel of the Regiment. Best Regards Ron
Danny - his date of capture was at the Gazala Gallop around the Acroma - Tobruk area which fell on the 20th in the midst of the retreat back to the Alemein line- exciting times which led to all sorts of changes - Auchinlek taking over from Ritchie -Strafer Gott being Killed- Alex and Monty taking over in the August - and never a defeat or retreat ever after the true turn of the tide. Cheers
Yes Tom the 4th engaged about 8 armoured cars and 9 x M13 Italian tanks just South of Acroma they were doing well until about 12 x MKIII and 8 x MKIV plus 8 x 88mm guns and 50mm AT showed up. Only one tank escaped and my Grandad was wounded with G.S.W to his right thigh and burns to his hands and nose. He was P.O.W for nearly 3 years . Danny
IWM tag - 51st Training Regiment... Search our collection | Imperial War Museums With some painted pictures by Anthony Gross
