Hi Everyone. My dad served with the RAOC/REME as a driver attached to the 94th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA in the Middle East between 9th Aug 1942 and 22nd June 1944. I have just one reference which puts them under 8th Army HQ command during 2nd El Alamein but would welcome anything else anyone has into their whereabouts. Looking at Dads service record he may well have been hospitalised for a week at the 53rd General Hospital in Haifa on 24 Apr 44 so he may have served in Palestine too. Thanks in advance. Gus.
Hi gmyles 94 HAA - 261/291/292 Btys - CO. W.A.Shand. were indeed under CRA 8th Army 12 AA Brigade for the second battle of Alamein. and were placed in suspended animation in July 44 War-Diaries for the Regt are avalible at the NA Kew; wo169/4810 - 1942 wo169/9850 - 1943 The National Archives | DocumentsOnline Rob.
In Jan 43 they are listed with 2 AA Brigade in Tripoli and in May 43 back with 12 AA Bde as 8 Army Troops.
Hi Gus, just been looking through the forum for Royal Artillery and read your thread. My late father was also in the 94th attached to 292 Bty HAA City of Edinburgh. I got his units war diaries and have been piecing together his activities from the time his unit left in a convoy from the River Clyde in April 1941. They travelled all across during the desert campaign and in 1944 moved from Alexandria back through to Ismailia and crossed the Suez Canal and then up to to Haifa at end of March. They were there until the 29th April when they moved back down to the East Bank Canal Staging Camp and during June personnel were sent to other areas and 292Bty was disbanded on the 20th June 1944. The diaries were very interesting to read and gives a true taste of what it was like out the desert as probably with most soldiers they did not talk about these times much. Cheers Colin
On the 25th December 1941 in the desert (possibly) near Derna in Libya, Lance Sergeant Archibald Low Sibbald was killed when a passing German plane dropped a bomb on him. His brother Francis Calder Sibbald was injured in the explosion but he recovered and survived the war - I think he may even have made officer. The family story was that they were taking a walk (just the two of them) when a German plane, which was in difficulty, dropped it's bombs to gain height and that they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time - but I recently learned that another five men were killed that day, two other brothers Lance Bombardiers James and William Graham, Gunner Percy Hayden, Lance Sergeant Robert Scott and Bombardier Charles Barnes. I wondered if they might all have been killed in the same incident. I tried to contact weescotty who had been posting information on this troop last year but haven't had any success however I just wondered if anyone might have some more information on the movements of the Battery in the days leading up to that fateful Christmas and whether the War Diaries mentioned anything about the deaths and the circumstances surrounding them. Thanks
Hello - Ref the diary its always a gamble, you never know until you look. If they were with the regiment and it was a fairly quite day with little happening then I would say there is a good chance. On the other hand if there was a lot going on at Regiment then its very unlikely. In short though you can never tell until you look. Cheers Andy
Hi Sadly, I only have the 94th HAA Regt. war diaries from August 1942 onwards. Weescotty was very gracious to let me have a copy of the 292nd HAA Battery war diaries from 42-44 and they detail almost every casualty sustained and why (mostly air raids and mines). I will email weescotty and let him know what you are after. Gus
Thanks Andy - it seems that things were generally quiet around that time as Crusader was winding down and Thanks Gus - I hope you manage to reach weescotty and that the diary entries are as detailed in the first year as they are in those later years.
Hi Scotspeed, Been having trouble posting reply and have also asked gmyles to send you my email address. Short answer to your post is that Archibald Sibbald was killed that day by a single enemy aircraft dropping 4 bombs which hit a group from Right Troop and killed a total of 9 men, another 1 missing presumed killed and 8 wounded but no mention of Archibalds brother Francis being injured. Seems strange that the records were quite precise in the troops details. The two brothers James and William Graham were both from Edinburgh and their names along with all the men killed that served with 292 btty is in St Giles. Hope to hear from you either way and we can discuss more. Colin Fraser
Hi Here's the 10 of the 94th HAA who sadly died that day 001 Link AVERBACK L 1725632 292 BTY, 94 HAA REGT 25/12/1941 ROYAL ARTILLERY 002 Link BARNES C 1643528 292 BTY, 94 HAA REGT 25/12/1941 ROYAL ARTILLERY 003 Link BUCKETT E 1725640 292 BTY, 94 HAA REGT 25/12/1941 ROYAL ARTILLERY 004 Link GRAHAM WF 1468108 292 BTY, 94 HAA REGT 25/12/1941 ROYAL ARTILLERY 005 Link GRAHAM JS 1468662 292 BTY, 94 HAA REGT 25/12/1941 ROYAL ARTILLERY 006 Link HAYDEN PRL 1563430 292 BTY, 94 HAA REGT 25/12/1941 ROYAL ARTILLERY 007 Link MANN J 1470685 292 BTY, 94 HAA REGT 25/12/1941 ROYAL ARTILLERY 008 Link SCOTT RF 1468107 292 BTY, 94 HAA REGT 25/12/1941 ROYAL ARTILLERY 009 Link SIBBALD AL 1466683 292 BTY, 94 HAA REGT 25/12/1941 ROYAL ARTILLERY 010 Link WALKER JT 1690274 292 BTY, 94 HAA REGT 25/12/1941 ROYAL ARTILLERY Gus
Gus, How did you get your dads service record? I am trying to get my dads from WW2 RA.Hi Everyone. My dad served with the RAOC/REME as a driver attached to the 94th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA in the Middle East between 9th Aug 1942 and 22nd June 1944. I have just one reference which puts them under 8th Army HQ command during 2nd El Alamein but would welcome anything else anyone has into their whereabouts. Looking at Dads service record he may well have been hospitalised for a week at the 53rd General Hospital in Haifa on 24 Apr 44 so he may have served in Palestine too. Thanks in advance. Gus.
Hi Apply using the following link. Its very straight forward. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence/about/publication-scheme#how-to-apply-for-records-of-service-of-deceased-service-personnel You have to be the eldest surviving relative to get them for free. If you aren't apply in the name of the eldest relative. Otherwise it'll cost you about £30. And be patient, my father's took about 6 months. Good luck. Gus
Hi Fraser, Thought this would be easiest way to show what happened that period when 10 men were killed on Xmas Day in my fathers unit. Colin
Does anyone have any information concerning the arrival in North Africa of the 94th? I understand that they arrived in the middle of June 1941 with 261st, 291st & 292nd batteries. Were they full strength in guns and equipped with 3.7" guns? My understanding is that there was a possibility that some of the guns might have been the older 3". Thanks.
Unsure if anyone still follows this thread but if "scotspeed" is watching following summary extract from a letter home may be of interest: Previously chasing around mainly to South of Tobruk. Set out after stop in Tobruk caves and travelled along coast road - more interesting than desert. Daily rations very hard biscuits, very dry bully with a quart of water a day if lucky. Christmas Eve : Lying just outside Derna - a miserable wet & muddy place. Issued with a tot of rum to keep the damp out. Christmas Day : Usual breakfast of bully & biscuits and started off down escarpment into Derna. Here some school pals (Portobello Secondary) were killed. Boxing Day: Passed through Barce & into green country with hills and trees. Spent night in grounds of Italian colonists farm. 27th December: Last stage of journey to Benghazi - glorious spot right on the beach. Hogmany : Grand with plenty Italian wine and some good cognac. Details follow of hurried departure via Gazala, Acroma, el Adamand Gambut then after German breakthrough back to El Adam box. Above relates to 292 battery. Have various photos including one of dog "Keatings" mascot at M?1gun position Mersa Matruhand also News summary of 21st May 1941 from troopship. What do a predictor crew do?