FORMATIONS IN WHICH 9 RTR SERVED, 1941-1945 A document listing units supported by 9th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment during World War Two
Here is the 9th Royal Tank Regiment War Diary for June 1944 to June 1945 with maps: ILLUSTRATED WAR DIARY: 9th ROYAL TANK REGIMENT also some other superb 9 RTR related stuff: 9 RTR - The Royal Tank Regiment Association The site is undergoing changes and Gerry's link no longer works properly. I hope this does: FORMATIONS IN WHICH 9 RTR SERVED, 1941-1945 Tom.
Tom - I have had a great book on the activities of the 9th RTR for many years - Author Peter Beale -ISBN - 0 -7509-1519-6 Sutton Publishing of Stroud, Glos It has all the details of their war activities as well as a complete listing of all members including number - name - trade and troop etc - and what happened to them all - as well as all the honours bestowed on each member- even the names of various Tanks - all beginning with "I" - Inverness - Iroquois - Incredible and of course Ilkley ! It's a good read and of a typical Tank Battalion at work .. Cheers
Tom - I have had a great book on the activities of the 9th RTR for many years - Author Peter Beale -ISBN - 0 -7509-1519-6 Sutton Publishing of Stroud, Glos It has all the details of their war activities as well as a complete listing of all members including number - name - trade and troop etc - and what happened to them all - as well as all the honours bestowed on each member- even the names of various Tanks - all beginning with "I" - Inverness - Iroquois - Incredible and of course Ilkley ! It's a good read and of a typical Tank Battalion at work .. Cheers Hello Tom, I will certainly look out for the book. I only stumbled on this site yesterday - there is a lot of interest there. Peter Beale: The tank names are listed here also: APPENDIX IV: 9 RTR TANK NAMES Kind regards, Tom.
Tom - thought I had mentioned it - the book's title is that of "Tank Tracks" - now that I have it out - I'll read it again .. Cheers
Tom - thought I had mentioned it - the book's title is that of "Tank Tracks" - now that I have it out - I'll read it again .. Cheers "Tank Tracks" - Is this the same book?: TEXT OF “TANK TRACKS”: CONTENTS plus appendices: 9th Royal Tank Regiment Tom.
Your postings were very interesting as according to my uncle's records he was posted to 9 RTR for 2ARU on 18.2.45. I know nothing more as to his position until 14.6.45 when he was on leave in Brussels for 48 houjrs. Then nothing more until 30.9.45 when he was medically examined and found fit for further services in Med.Cent A1 9 R Tks RAC. All this is very confusing as I am not sure what it means by "Med.Cent A1...". I have read the book you mention and did not find his name. In October 45 he was Struck of Strength 9 R Tks to X 98A list on proceeding for Cl B release! Can anyone fill in any gaps for me as all my enquiries and research so far have come up with zilch. Where were 9 RTR after 18.2.45? Many thanks for any help given
Barb 20 Just by gleaning some awards in the back of the book pp224 et al - the 9thRTR were with the 34th Tank Bde attached to the 1st Canadian Army- and it looks like they stayed with them until the end So perhaps a copy of the War Diaries can give you the facts etc ... His medical category at 30/9/45 was that the Medical Centre found him to be A1-and he was SOS 9th Tanks and placed on X8(a) for demob on Class B release - most went out on Class A - to X(T) reserve- the 9 before the 8 might be a typo for brackets ( ) Cheers
Thanks for that info Tom. I am wading through the War Diary as we speak! Your explanation for X98A seems right (yet another typo error on records. What would be the difference between Cl B and Cl A? After this he was TOS RAC Depot UK (which is clear), then RAC Posted Y List (not sure what Y list means). Then relegated to W (T) Reserve UK. Can you explain what this means please? Very appreciative of your help. Barb
If there are any tank names or WD census numbers listed in the Diary would you post them please. Of the names listed in an earlier post I have 25 census numbers so any additions would be welcome. Cheers Kevin
Barb 20 this is mainly "army speak" but the main thing to watch is that one had to be A1 to serve in Tanks-he MIGHT have had respitory problems which is a big No No in a Tank owing to enclosed space with fumes etc - we mostly had lung problems in our old age - such as I am having now - and deafness ..... the "Y" list is merely a state of unemployment while awaiting posting elsewhere- and the W(T) mens that he can leave the services BUT will be available for recall should another conflict occur - such as they tried to haul me back for Korea but my old wounds knocked that on the head as I MIGHT have asked for a pension - I did - but it was a big joke to them ... Cheers
Thanks once again Tom. You might see me again asking for explanation around "military speak"! It is so good to be able to speak to someone who has "been there". Barb
Can anyone tell me if there is a way of finding out what "troop" a member of 9 RTR 'C' Squadron was with. I have MOD records but can't see that it gives this, unless I am looking in the wrong place. Thanks
Service records don't go that far down the unit 'food chain'. One of your best bets would be to look in the regiments war diaries and hope that there is a nominal roll in one of them that goes down that far. You are lucky though to identify the Sqn - Its quite hard to find evidence below a regiment or battalion. Regards Andy
Can anyone tell me if there is a way of finding out what "troop" a member of 9 RTR 'C' Squadron was with. I have MOD records but can't see that it gives this, unless I am looking in the wrong place. Thanks Hi Barb, C Squadron was made up of Churchill tanks carrying the following names:- 11 Troop IMPASSIVE INCISIVE INTENSIVE 12 Troop IBN EL KELB IBN SAUD INFAMOUS 13 Troop IMPENITENT IMPERTINENT T31020 IMPERTINENT T69051 ( a replacement for the above ) INDEPENDENT T31023 / B INFIGHTER 14 Troop INDIFATIGABLE INDOMITABLE T251687 / B INDOMITABLE T251516 / K ( a replacement for the above or vice versa ) 15 Troop ILFORD ILKLEY T172477 / B IRLAM If you have any photos of your uncle with other crew members standing by a Churchill tank showing any of these names, the above may be of some help. If I recall, and someone please correct me if I am wrong, early in the war there were 3 squadrons each with 5 troops of 3 tanks but this was later changed to 3 squadrons of 4 troops of 4 tanks. So some of the names / tanks may have moved from one troop to another. But it may be a start. Cheers Kevin
Barb20 as Drew says - going that far down the food chain is always difficult however -there is a way to make it easier - that is less than impossible - by finding out what he actually DID in "C" Sqdn as kevin points out at around the time he joined 9th RTR -18/20th Feb '45 they were at AFFERDEN waiting to start a battle with 52nd Scottish Division - and still an Army Tank Battalion of five troops of three Tanks before converting to an Armoured Battalion with four troops of four tanks..... So "C" sqdn then had five troops of three tanks each which meant that they had FIVE Commanders - FIVE Drivers - FIVE Gunners - FIVE wireless Operators and FIVE Co-Drivers so he was one of 25 men X 3....simple really.. and good luck with that one Cheers
Wow! I am impressed. Thanks for all your responses. Perhaps I will get an answer to the puzzle now that I have those leads. Very much obliged. Barb
Just incase you want any of the war diaries, here's whats available at the National Archives: WO 166/1409 9 Royal Tank Regiment. 1940 Nov.- 1941 Dec. WO 166/6912 9 Royal Tank Regiment. 1942 Jan.- Dec. WO 166/11094 9 Royal Tank Regiment 1943 Jan.-Dec. WO 171/869 9 Royal Tank Regiment 1944 Jan.- Dec. WO 171/4713 9 Royal Tank Regiment 1945 Jan.- Dec. Regards Andy
