56th Reconnaissance Corps

Is there anything that could be done about preserving the site somewhere else?

Cheers
Paul

 

Hi, I'm new to this site. My grandfather was Harry Francis Waite and he was the Lt QM with the 56th Recce Corps. His service record also shows that he was posted to the 1st Div Recce Corps in Jan 1941 as RSM. He was wounded in Oct 1944 but I don't know how or where.

Does anyone have any info about him and where I can obtain the book about the 56th (ISBN etc).

 

Hi Mark and welcome to the forum.

I'm sure someone will able to help you. Is there any chance you can post his records on here? It may help other provide you with extra infomation.

Regards
Andy

 

Hi mark, Welcome. Some books that mention 56 Recce are...

Doherty, Richard:Only the Enemy in Front (Every Other Beggar Behind...)The Recce Corps at War 1940-1946
Tom Donovan Publishing Ltd, London, England. 1994
ISBN#1-871085-18-7

Ray, Cyril:Algiers to Austria. The History of the 78th Division
Eyre and Spottiswoode, London, England. 1952
Special Edition only released to members of the Divisional Association

Newton, E.T.(John):The Regimental History of the 56th Reconnaissance Regiment 1941-1945.
Special Booklet available from 56th Recce Comrades Association. 1988 (Posted on this site)

Tee, Ronald A & Dowsett, Ken C: A British Soldier Remembers
Epic Press 2001
ISBN# 1-55306-277-9

Ford, Ken: Battleaxe Division
Sutton Publishing Ltd
ISBN# 0-7509-1893-4

Cheers
Paul

 

Hi, I am trying to trace the names from my local war memorial (Henley on thames), one guy 5383110 Tpr HB Mather who was kia 14th April 1945 with the 56 Recce Regt. Do you have any details of any actions or losses that happened on this day? Any help or guidance appreicated, thanks, Rick

 

5 lads from the 56th died on that day
4 were buried in Faenza Cemetery in Northern Italy
The other at Ravenna
Notes on Faenza War Cemetery from the cWGC Site

Cemetery:FAENZA WAR CEMETERY
Country:Italy
Locality:unspecifiedVisiting
Information:The cemetery is permanently open and may be visited anytime. Wheelchair access to site possible, but may be by alternative entrance. For further information regarding wheelchair access, please contact our Enquiries Section on telephone number 01628 507200.Location Information:Take the Bologna-Ancona autostrada A14 and exit at Faenza. The War Cemetery lies 1.5 kilometres south-east of Faenza and is approached by a secondary road which branches off the main road Bologna-Forli (Route No.9) just east of the town.
Historical Information:On 3 September 1943 the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, the invasion coinciding with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side. Following the fall of Rome to the Allies in June 1944, the German retreat became ordered and successive stands were made on a series of defensive lines. In the northern Appenine mountains the last of these, the Gothic Line, was breached by the Allies during the Autumn campaign and the front inched forward as far as Ravenna in the Adratic sector, but with divisions transferred to support the new offensive in France, and the Germans dug in to a number of key defensive positions, the advance stalled as winter set in. The war cemetery at Faenza was formed during these months for the burial of those who were killed in the static fighting before the Allied advance was renewed in April 1945. Faenza War Cemetery contains 1,152 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.No. of Identified Casualties:1139



Name:

CAMPBELL, JAMES
Initials:
J
Nationality:
United Kingdom
Rank:
Serjeant
Regiment/Service:
Reconnaissance Corps, R.A.C.
Unit Text:
56th Regt.
Age:
25
Date of Death:
14/04/1945
Service No:
3246947
Additional information:
Son of Richard and Margaret Campbell, of Allanton, Shotts, Lanarkshire.
Casualty Type:
Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:
VII. C. 17.
Cemetery:
FAENZA WAR CEMETERY

Name:
HACK, WILLIAM JAMES
Initials:
W J
Nationality:
United Kingdom
Rank:
Serjeant
Regiment/Service:
Reconnaissance Corps, R.A.C.
Unit Text:
56th Regt.
Age:
26
Date of Death:
14/04/1945
Service No:
6094808
Additional information:
Son of Joseph and Edith Hack; husband of Hilda Mary Hack, of Linslade, Buckinghamshire.
Casualty Type:
Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:
II. C. 19.
Cemetery:
FAENZA WAR CEMETERY

Name:
MATHER, HAROLD BENJAMIN
Initials:
H B
Nationality:
United Kingdom
Rank:
Trooper
Regiment/Service:
Reconnaissance Corps, R.A.C.
Unit Text:
56th Regt.
Age:
23
Date of Death:
14/04/1945
Service No:
5383110
Additional information:
Son of Harold and Bertha Louise Mather, of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
Casualty Type:
Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:
VII. C. 19.
Cemetery:
FAENZA WAR CEMETERY


Name:
OSBORNE, ALFRED
Initials:
A
Nationality:
United Kingdom
Rank:
Trooper
Regiment/Service:
Reconnaissance Corps, R.A.C.
Unit Text:
56th Regt.
Age:
28
Date of Death:
14/04/1945
Service No:
6094184
Additional information:
Son of George and Eliza Rose Osborne; husband of Norah Osborne, of Peckham, London.
Casualty Type:
Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:
VII. C. 18.
Cemetery:
FAENZA WAR CEMETERY




Name:
THOMPSON, HAROLD
Initials:
H
Nationality:
United Kingdom
Rank:
Trooper
Regiment/Service:
Reconnaissance Corps, R.A.C.
Unit Text:
56th Regt.
Age:
23
Date of Death:
14/04/1945
Service No:
10602250
Additional information:
Son of Thomas Charles and Theresa Thompson, of Greasbrough, Yorkshire.
Casualty Type:
Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:
I. G. 1.
Cemetery:
RAVENNA WAR CEMETERY

 

I got the book from Len Smart, it was published by the 56th Recce Comrades Association. As I find time I will transcribe and post it here. It is only 38 pages, so is only a short History.

Cheers

Paul
Would love to get hold of a copy of The Regimental History of the 56th Recce Regt" Do you know if they are still available via Len .

 

Martin have PMed you with Lens Address.

Cheers
Paul

 

I was just wondering if this is a book my nan showed me as a small boy which included from memory a list of all that served in the 56th at the end and from what i remember showed the laying up of the colours at a church i can not remember now but was in London some where i think ?

 

mape2001, I haven't heard of the book you mentioned, The Regimental History of the 56th Recce Regt is a small booklet which I have posted under Unit Documents on the forum. Do you have any more details on that book or the church where the colours are laid up.

Cheers
Paul

 

Hi, my grandfather's service career in brief was:

Harry Francis Waite 2607115
Jul 1920 - Joined up - Grenadier Guards
Dec 1920 - Posted to 2nd Batt Grenadier Guards
Oct 1930 - Posted to 3rd Batt Grenadier Guards
Jun 1935 - Appointed Sergeant Instructor Musketry
May 1938 - Promoted to WO II
Jan 1941 - Posted to 1st Div Recce Corps and promoted to RSM (in Stamford)
Feb 1943 - Embarked for Egypt
Jan 1944 - Posted to 56th Recce Corps and appointed an Emergency Commission as Lieutenant Quartermaster
Jul 1944 - Embarked for the Middle East
Oct 1944 - Admitted to 11th Field Ambulance
Oct 1945 - Discharged and granted the honourary rank of Lieutenant Quartermaster

 

Mark, Do you know where your Grandad was stationed in 1938? I'm curious because Dad joined the 2nd Grenadiers in that year. Also do you have any photographs to share on this forum?

Cheers
Paul

 

mape2001, Would this be the church you mentioned?

Book of Remembrance for the Reconnaissance Corps (Recce) is held at All Hallows.

http://www.allhallowsbythetower.org.uk/

Would love to obtain photo of this.

On Remembrance Sunday, 10th November 1985, a stained glass window bearing the badge of the Reconnaissance Corps was dedicated at the Church of All Hallows by the Tower. The conception and execution of this project, to which all regiments subscribed, was in the hands of a committee representing members of Old Comrades Associations from the 5th, 49th, 52nd and 61st Recce Regiments.

Cheers
Paul

 

From what i remember and this is over 25 years ago, when my gran was showing me things of my grandfathers, she showed me a book (booklet like a magazine) which from memory had the in it the service for the laying up of the colours of the Corp and showed pictures of this and a picture of the book of remembrance in a glass case. It also had at the back of this book the list of all the men whom died while servicing in the corp and as i mentioned earlier this only had month and year of my grandfathers death.
I did remember the church was in London but that was about all. I did wonder if this was the history of the Corp you were talking about earlier but perhaps this was produced for the church service to end the Corps service ?
I think my mother has this book now? not sure as my gran has now passed away. i will ask her and see if she could send it me so i can scan it in to my computer.
Please bear in mind i live in the states now and she is still in England so may take a while but i will keep you posted on this and see if she does have it ?

Marc

 

Marc, That would great.

Cheers Paul

 

Paul, from the brief notes I have I think he was still with the 3rd Batt. My sister has a more detailed record and I'll get a copy soon. I'll also post a picture or two of Harry Waite soon.

Cheers
Mark

 

Hi All

You remember the booklet that i was talking about? well I got that said booklet that i asked my mother for yesterday.
Right it is the "Reconnaissance Journal" Memorial Number, dated Summer 1950

It is basically about the memorial service of the corp that happened at All Hallows by the Tower Church on april 30th 1950 where the book of rememberance for the corp 2500 dead was installed in the church.

It has comrade assocation news in it, a history like the Osprey book about The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War II (looks like Osprey got its pictures from here), with a picture of the book of rememberance in its case.
Then has the names listed on the back pages of all whom served but sadly died in the corp (2500 of them, 10% of the total that served).

It is 56 pages and in a green cover, my copy is getting rather worn but i could try to get a printing shop to copy it or maybe scan it, If i can figure out how to do that, If anybody wanted to see it.

Have a great day

Marc

 

Marc, I would dearly like to see a copy of it, especially as it has list of those who died. If you have a scanner its easy to copy, then save as jpeg making the saved file of a size to post. Another way of saving is to scan using an optical recognition software like Read Iris which I have done with a couple of books. Of course that only does text.

Cheers
Paul

 

Paul

i will try and scan it this weekend and will post a trial here or email it you to see if it works ?
Seeing that journal again brought back so many memories, last time i saw it was at least 25 years ago when my nan showed me here most precious possessions she had which included this and my grandfathers medals and the the letter his co sent her of his death and the telegram.

I will gladly do what i can so anyone that wants a copy of this can have one.

Thankyou, Marc

PS. I have managed to get a WWII (not a copy ?)cap badge from ebay, seems real but who knows (now i have studied Army history all my life and been in the Army almost as long but some times you have to just believe ?) am very happy with it anyway and have it with my granfathers only picture we have of him in uniform.

 

Marc, That would be great

Cheers
Paul