56th Reconnaissance Corps

Discussion in 'Recce' started by Recce_Mitch, Nov 30, 2008.

  1. sanchez

    sanchez Patron Patron

    Thanks tony
     
  2. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    It is definitely a Greyhound. 37 mm gun and mantle with .30 Cal coaxial.
    The driver and front observer hatches all point to a Greyhound.
    My father's 4th Recce had Stag hounds later in Italy but they were too heavy on ground pressure for the Italian tracks.
    Regards
    Tom
     
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2017
  3. Stephen jw

    Stephen jw New Member

    Hi new to using a forum so not sure if I am doing this right.
    The photo's alang66 post of his father and one of someone in Arab clothing looks like my father, I remember seeing a photo of him dressed like that when I was very young he served in B squadron assault troop 13 name of Wilfred Williams ( some called him Billy ) service number 3966252
    I have some photo's of him and his mates when I work out how to upload I will post the
    Stephen
     
  4. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Hi Stephen, a number on here with fathers in 56 Recce so welcome aboard. Your father is mentioned here:
    resized P2000137 | WW2Talk

    Have you sent off for his service records? If not I would strongly recommend that you do.
    Get a copy of military service records

    His service number means that he enlisted with the Welch regiment. As far as photos are concerned, when you reply to a post you will see an 'Upload a File' button under the box where you enter text, this will enable you to select the image you want from your computer - maximum file size is 2Mb.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2019
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  5. Stephen jw

    Stephen jw New Member

    Hi Tony56
    Thanks. All the information I have is from a few letters he sent home to his mother, now I know he signed up with the Welch I can find out when
    Stephen
     
  6. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    His service records will tell you - well worth the £30, to get chapter and verse on his service.
     
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  7. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    Hi Stephen, great to have another 56 Recce on board

    Cheers
    Paul
     
  8. Stephen jw

    Stephen jw New Member

    This photo of my father was taken around 1944/45
     

    Attached Files:

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  9. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Wild guess but any chance that this is him, 2nd left, I thought there was some similarity and both are wearing their beret at a rather jaunty angle?
    56th Reconnaissance Corps
     
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  10. bookwormwmb

    bookwormwmb proud daughter of a 56 Recce/78 infantry vet

    Hi Trevor , my father was in the 56 Recce - i think from Fall 1944 through Austria - summer 1945 he was transferred to the 12 Royal Lancers and Palestine. i do not think he was with the group yet for the Rome visit. if you have anything from later in 44 and 45 from a bit farther north i'd be glad to see it. Over new years 44/45 he was in Rietri the training area. My father did say he was asked to drive some officers to Venice and was there for his birthday, i think that must have been in August 1945 his 21st birthday. Im not sure if he was in the 12 Royal Lancers by then. And he mentioned going to Rome - he had relatives in Italy and went to a Red Cross area to try to get information about his Italian grandmother. not sure about the date of that trip.
     
  11. Stephen jw

    Stephen jw New Member

    Hi all
    2 photo's that may be of interest, in the group my father is on the right. I don't know who the rest are.
    The other photo was dad's best mate it is thought he is from Denbighshire North Wales.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. GeoffR

    GeoffR New Member

    One of my Dad's photos. 16 Troop, C Squadron, 56th Recce, taken August 1943. My father, Ken Roberts, is 2nd from right on the 2nd from back row.
     

    Attached Files:

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  13. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    Geoff welcome to the forum. Great to have another 56 Recce on board

    Cheers
    Paul
     
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  14. bookwormwmb

    bookwormwmb proud daughter of a 56 Recce/78 infantry vet

    Hello Geoff, my father Frank De Angeli was in the 56 Recce attached to the 78 /battleaxe division in italy. he arrived in itay in 1944. if you have any more photos or later photos i'd love to see them. my photo is of him in his 12 Royal Lancers uniform. (at the end of the war in Europe the younger Recce were moved into other units and he subsequently served in Palestine ).
     
  15. GeoffR

    GeoffR New Member

    Yes, I do have some more photos, which I'll scan & post soon.
     
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  16. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Although I'm afraid that it's a rubbish (no narrative or chronology to speak of), Ron Tee does contribute a few times to this documentary on Cassino:



    [Slightly slow to load at first for me, but it works]

    Click through to play; there are no nasties.
     
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  17. FSO

    FSO Member

    Evening chaps, apologies if this is the wrong part of the thread. My wife's uncle is commemorated in Italy:

    GREENHOWE Norman Trooper 2886222 23 September 1943 Age 23 PADUA WAR CEMETERY

    There's little family knowledge concerning the circumstances, but it would appear he was captured immediately before the battle at Steamroller Farm. He is likely to have been wounded since he succumbed about 6 months later in a POW camp. Save for coming from a large family in Aberdeen (the MOD held Army Service Record is in the system) I've little info - would there be a reference in the WD as to how he came to be captured. It would be an assumption that he was undertaking "recce" duties before the battle.

    Any info warmly received

    Aye

    Mark
     
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  18. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Hello Mark, Welcome to another 56 recce relative.

    War diary for 26/2/43 here:
    56th Recce War Diary

    There is no report of men missing, it does say that at 21.00 hrs 'B Sqn sent small patrol to Tally Ho Corner' - small enemy patrol encountered' but goes on to say 'Situation well in hand'.

    On 28th there is a note of '2 LRCs and six prisoners lost to enemy'. Perhaps you may find something with a more detailed look.

    Casualty list attached.
    56.jpg
     
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  19. FSO

    FSO Member

    Tony,

    many thanks for kind welcome - by LRC do they mean the Standard Beaverette? It adds more credence to the wounded on capture theory, since to lose the LRC (and six men), the contact may have included a significant exchange of fire. I'll have to do a bit of digging through the WD and beyond.

    I always feel a tad guilty re: Recce - I was attached (as a civilian) to HQ DI Int Corps for 8 years and had free reign over their archive, where I discovered the 1946 establishment papers - The Int Corps vs the Recce, and the dodgy case put up by the Cavalry, after the Recce's fine war record. The Int Corps was formally established and the Recce, disbanded - shame. Should you need any Int Corps digging (I still have contacts) please give me a shout. Likewise, I do a lot of work with the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Museum - and interviewed one of the last D Day Veterans of 6 Abn Armd Recce (now sadly gone, but a real character!).

    Aye

    Mark
     
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  20. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Hi Mark, the Humber Light Reconnaissance Car:
    Humber Light Reconnaissance Car - Wikipedia

    There are quite a few 56 Recce descendants on here, my father was 15 troop, C Squadron.
    Ernest Illingworth 56th Recce Regt

    Consequently there is quite a bit of information that various members have contributed, obviously the diaries, kindly put on by RecceMitch, the regiments history and loads else.
    Happy hunting.
     
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