Here is another one for you:- Name:RAYNER, JOSEPHINE Initials:J Nationality:United Kingdom Rank:Private Regiment/Service:Auxiliary Territorial Service Date of Death:08/02/1943 Service No:W/246979 Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference:Grave 18916. Cemetery:BECKENHAM CREMATORIUM AND CEMETERY
Tonym My Dad served with 102 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery from it's forming up in December 1941 (the former 7th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment) and it's disbandment in March 1946. This regiment was the British 1 Corps LAA Regiment prior to and during the North West Europe campaign. 1 Corp as you may know had the spearhead on a red background, but my Dad's regiment wore the split red and blue one to signify RA. Thanks for asking. Regards - Robert.
Robert My interest was because I served with HQ 1 Corps Signals at Bielefeld, Germany in 1946/47 and yes my Spearhead background was red. Regards Tony
Tonym APOLOGIES FOR GOING OFF THREAD, BUT AS A I CORP VETERAN, YOU MAY FIND THE FOLLOWING INFO FROM MY DAD'S REGIMENTS WAR DIARY INTERESTING. MY FATHER SAID THAT OF THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF HIS MILITARY SERVICE, HE HATED SERVING IN GERMANY THE MOST. LIKE ALL OTHERS, HE PROBABLY JUST WANTED TO GO HOME. "THE UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER OF ALL GERMAN FORCES. ACTIVE OPERATIONS WERE TO CEASE AT MIDNIGHT ON THE 8TH MAY AND THE REGIMENT WERE PUT ON STANDBY TO MOVE TO NEW POSITIONS IN NORTHERN GERMANY. ON THE 10TH MAY, REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS MOVED TO THEBING WITH THE REME WORKSHOP, 336 BATTERY WENT TO KRECHTING, 337 BATTERY TO HOPPERMANS HOF AND 338 BATTERY TO RAESFELD. FOR THE REMAINDER OF MAY, THE REGIMENT PROVIDED GUARDS ON TRAINS BETWEEN BOCHULT AND OSNABRUK. UNFORTUNATELY, THE FIRST AND ONLY CASUALTIES THE REGIMENT SUSTAINED AFTER CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES, OCCURRED WHEN SERGEANT ALFRED LEONARD DOUGHTY (AGED 32) AND GUNNER JOHN GIBSON ROSS (AGED 29) WERE KILLED WHEN TWO TRAINS CRASHED HEAD ON. THEY ARE BOTH BURIED AT THE COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETARY AT REICHWALD IN GERMANY. BATTERY SERGEANT MAJOR DOWDALL WAS AWARED THE M.B.E. ON THE 31ST MAY. THE POLISH 1ST ARMOURED DIVISION HAD CAPTURED WILHELMSHAVEN IN ONE OF IT’S LAST ACTIONS OF THE WAR AND THE 102ND LAA REGIMENT MOVED THERE TO RELIEVE THEM ON THE 1ST JUNE. IT’S ROLE BECAME ONE OF GUARD DUTIES IN THE DOCK AREA OF THE CITY. 336 BATTERY PROVIDED PERSONNEL TO GUARD THE TORPEDO AND MINE DUMPS, APPROACH ROADS AND RAILWAY BRIDGES. 337 BATTERY WERE DEPLOYED AT THE MARIENSEL DUMP, END GATE, RIFLE DUMP, WEST GATE AND CANAL BRIDGE. 338 BATTERY LOOKED AFTER MINE AND AMMUNITION BUNKERS, CIVILIAN TELEPHONE EXCHANGES AND ORDNANCE STORES. REGIMENTAL HQ WAS SET UP AT SEIDLITZ BARRACKS. AS THE REGIMENT WERE NOW IN A PEACE TIME ROLE AS OCCUPATION FORCES, ALL ARTILLERY PIECES (BOFORS 40MM AA GUNS, TILLING-STEVENS AND MEYER-DUNSFORD “LAND MATTRESS” ROCKET PROJECTILES) WERE NOW SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS. THEY WERE HANDED OVER AT 70b AIRFIELD AT ANTWERP. IN JULY, THE REGIMENT WERE JOINED BY PERSONNEL FROM 64, 98 AND 174 HAA REGIMENTS R.A. THEIR CONTINUING ROLE WAS TO POLICE THE LOCAL POPULATION, CARRY OUT ARRESTS WHERE NECESSARY AND HAND OVER SUSPECTS TO MILITARY POLICE FOR PROCESSING. DURING AUGUST, THE REGIMENT TOOK PART IN OPERATION PICK, TO SEARCH CIVILIAN HOUSES FOR ILLEGAL WAR MATERIALS. THERE WERE NUMEROUS PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY WITH DISPLACED RUSSIANS ATTACKING GERMAN CIVILIANS. IN ONCE INSTANCE, A GERMAN CIVILIAN WAS FOUND SHOT DEAD AFTER BEING ROBBED. LT.COL CAULFIELD LEFT THE REGIMENT AND MAJOR D.P. LOVELL ASSUMED TEMPORARY COMMAND. THE SURRENDER OF JAPAN WAS ANNOUNCED AND ON VJ DAY, 15TH AUGUST, ALL TROOPS WERE GRANTED 24 HOURS LEAVE. THE DAY AFTER, TO EVERYONE‘S AMAZEMENT, INFANTRY TRAINING WOULD COMMENCE. IN SEPTEMBER, ALL TROOPS WERE BILLETED IN LANGEWERTH AND LINCOLN BARRACKS AND CONTINUED IN THEIR ROLE GUARDING WILHELMSHAVEN DOCKS AND PREVENTING LOOTING. LT. COL H.L.V. BEDINGTON WAS APPOINTED AS THE NEW COMMANDING OFFICER IN NOVEMBER 1944. IN DECEMBER, A SECRET OPERATION CODENAMED “SILVER” TOOK PLACE AT WILHELMSHAVEN, WHEREBY ALL REMAINING GERMAN NAVAL CRAFT WERE HANDED OVER AS REPARATIONS TO GREAT BRITAIN, THE USA, FRANCE AND THE USSR. THE REGIMENT PROVIDED GUARDS TO OVERSEE THE PROCESS. SOLDIERS WERE NOW STARTING TO BE RELEASED AND RETURNING TO THE UK FOR THE DIFFICULT TRANSITION BACK TO BECOMING CIVILIANS ONCE AGAIN. ON THE 11TH JANUARY 1946, 64 OTHER RANKS PROCEEDED TO THE U.K. ON “A” GROUP RELEASE. MY FATHER WAS FINALLY DEMOBBED ON THE 17TH JANUARY AND RETURNED TO THE UK VIA THE HOOK OF HOLLAND. (WORD WAS PASSED TO HIS WIFE AND AN OFFICER OF THE REGIMENT KINDLY WENT TO DELFT AND ACCOMPANIED HER TO THE UK IN FEBRUARY). THEY WERE FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER 16 PERSONNEL ON THE 14TH JANUARY. ON THE 19TH JANUARY, 1946 AFTER 5 AND A HALF YEARS, THE REGIMENT RECEIVED IT’S DISBANDMENT ORDER. OVER THE COMING MONTH, THE REMAINING PERSONNEL WERE RELEASED AS PART OF THE WINDING DOWN PROCESS. ON THE 4TH MARCH 1946, LIEUTENANT (QM) J.A.A. ARMSTRONG AND 6 OTHER RANKS, WERE THE LAST REMAINING PERSONNEL OF THE REGIMENTAL REAR PARTY. THEY WERE POSTED TO OTHER UNITS AND THE DISBANDMENT OF THE 102ND LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY WAS COMPLETE AND THEIR EXISTANCE CONSIGNED TO HISTORY. I HOPE YOU FIND THIS OF INTEREST AND ONCE AGAIN APOLOGISE FOR GOING OFF THREAD. REGARDS - ROBERT
Robert No apology necessary, interesting reading. A bit more peaceful in my time other than the regular manouvres of showing our muscle to the East Germans and Russians. Tony
Hi, I am new to the site. This particular thread intrigues me. My father was a gunnery instructor RA. In 1940 to 42 he was stationed at Hayling Island instructing ATS girls on Predictors. A Regular soldier and I have several course photographs of him surrounded by around twenty girls,including one of me,a 2 year old with lovely gunneress's. On a serious note he always spoke of a girl KIA on a 3.7 site in Portsmouth. Surrey Mick
Hi, I am new to the forum and this thread is very intersting. My father was a WO1 Gunnery Instructor and during the period 1940-42 instructed ATS girls in the use of predictors at Hayling Island. I have several photographs of him surrounded by around 30-40 girls,including one of myself as a 2 year old with some pretty gunneress,s. On a serious note he often spoke of a girl KIA on a 3.7 gun site during the period. I am sure that she wasn't the only one. Incidentally while I am on I did notice that on a site listing details of RA LAA Units that 79th Bty. was deployed on Bali in 1942. This unit was raised in March 1939 and Dad was the BSM Permanent Staff Instructor who recruited most of them. I was on the ration strength. They were captured with the 2/40th Australian Batt. on Timor. The 79th were raised in Walton on Thames,Surrey Surrey Mick
Welcome Surrey Mick 79 Battery is part of 21 LAA Regiment and of the 30 Casualties I found from WW2, 29 died in the Far East and 1 in the UK. The other 2 batteries (48 & 69) lost a further 204 personnel (not counting those who were attached to them (Royal Sigs, RASC and REME). Cheers - Robert
Thanks for reply Michael, I am quite new to the WW2 research, its mainly WW1 I look into. Where did you confirm that she was the only ATS death that day?. regards max Another success for Geoff's Search Engine
Name:SHERIDAN, MARJORIE OLIVEInitials:M O Nationality:United Kingdom Rank:PrivateRegiment/Service:Auxiliary Territorial Service Secondary Regiment:Royal Corps of Signals Secondary Unit Text:attd. Age:24 Date of Death:01/11/1943 Service No:W/237320 Additional informationDaughter of Ernest and May Florence Davis, of Harrow: wife of Ernest Sheridan, of Harrow.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:Sec. 1. Grave 45.Cemetery:HARROW CEMETERY
Hello Tony Volunteer IRENE MINNIE SPARROW W/18412, Auxiliary Territorial Service who died age 28 on 17 October 1940 Daughter of William Walter and Alice Maud Sparrow, of Watford. Remembered with honour WATFORD CEMETERY
Staff Serjeant ALMA MARIE WATTS W/7087, Auxiliary Territorial Service who died age 31 on 28 June 1944 Daughter of Edgar and Ada Mary Watts, of Kenton, Harrow. Remembered with honour HARROW (PINNER) NEW CEMETERY
Private JEAN MARGARET GOFFIN W/107150, Auxiliary Territorial Service attd., Royal Corps of Signals who died age 21 on 15 May 1943 Daughter of James A. Hooton and Annie Goffin, of Rivenhall End, Essex. Remembered with honour RUISLIP (ST. MARTIN) CHURCHYARD EXTENSION
Clive Again my thanks, two more spaces filled. You did ask a while ago about a list of wants but my WW2 complete lists of WRNS, ATS, WAAFS & ATA total 2020 plus an incomplete list of 190 Nursing services so a list of wants would be never ending. I shall have to produce a list of County wants to start and advise cemeteries as necessary. and that doesn't include WW1 and the other campaigns. However I am grateful for everybody's donations. Cheers, Tony
Private ALICE ANNIE CLEMENTS W/100133, Auxiliary Territorial Service who died age 34 on 11 November 1947 Daughter of George and Elizabeth Clements, of Abington. Remembered with honour NORTHAMPTON (TOWCESTER ROAD) CEMETERY
Leading Aircraftwoman EILEEN MARIE VAGO BARTLETT 457213, Women's Auxiliary Air Force who died age 24 on 09 December 1945 Daughter of John Edward and Helen May Bartlett, of Ruckinge, Kent. Remembered with honour HARROW (PINNER) NEW CEMETERY
