Deciphering Statement of service record!

I have received my late dad's ww2 records from army personnel centre but there is quite a lot of it I don't understand. He was a gunner, joining up in the royal artillery. He was 'posted' on 29.4.41 to 2nd res fld. On 20.6.42 he was reported missing in Tobruk but I can't find any information about 2nd reserve? Field? prior to that date. He was taken as a POW in Tobruk. If anyone could point me in the right direction to find out more about his regiment I'd be so obliged.
Many thanks

 

Hi Sue,

Welcome to the forum.

If you can post up the service history, it often makes it easier for us to help.

Jules.

 

Hi Jules. Thanks for getting back to me. If you mean scan the doc to you i can get my son to do that for me (i'm a complete luddite!). Just let me know where to scan it to. I'm still trying to find my way round this site. Thanks again,

 

Hi Sue

Instead of using the box below to reply, click on Go Advanced and it will open up where you can load scan onto- manage attachments, just watch the size of them, there are limits.

regards

Robert

 

Thanks Robert.

 

2 RHA (Royal Horse Artillery) were in North Africa. The date of your Dads capture co-incides with the capture of Tobruk by Rommel. click here

P.S. Welcome to the forum, look forward to seeing the service records.

More info; History 2nd Regt. RA

 

I could be worth checking if he completed a POW Questionnaire at the end of the war when he was liberated. These are at the National Archives. I now offer forum members a free check and copying service (if he completed one) if a war diary is also ordered.

Click the red link below for more details. Ideally though you need to ID what unit he was with first. 2 Field Regiment stayed in the UK after they evacuated from Dunkirk until 1943 and then went to the West side of North Africa (Tunisia I would guess).

Regards
Andy

 

Thanks everyone for being so helpful. Unfortunately I can't attach the documents as they won't upload. I have them as an email attachment and I've also copied them to word docs and neither work. If anyone has an email address they'd be prepared to send to me I could forward them that way.
Kind regards,
Sue

 

Sue

Just a suggestion.........

1. Go to my Blog Profile
Blogger: User Profile: Ron Goldstein

2. Pick up my e-mail address

3. Send me any one of the relevant pics

4. Let me post it on your behalf (or see why you are having problems)

Ron

ps
I see that Owen has offered help and I suggest he is your best bet to solve your problems.

 

Looks like he was with 4th survey reg. At the time of his captur, one battery of this reg was captured at Tobruk; http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/general/4861-4th-durham-survey-regiment.html#post176613

 

Thank you SO much! I really hope I get some feedback after all your hard work!
Kind regards
Sue

 

I dont know what 1st and 2nd res fld are, perhaps a query in the Artillery thread would get an answer.

 

Reserve Field I believe

 

I have found this dont know if it helps but someone will correct me
British Artillery Regiments
Scroll down to the bottom "Other Units".

 

Not sure what the first word says, but on draft -followed by the draft code- 29/7/41 would indicate he was part of the WS 10 Convoy which sailed around 2/8/41.

Some online info about WS 10 here: WS (Winston Specials) Convoys in WW2 - 1941 Sailings

The chapter title of this convoy in The Winston Specials by Archie Munro says "Troops for Iraq and 22 Armoured Brigade for the desert"

The convoy suffered bad weather on the 4th and by the evening was blowing force 6. By the 5th the winds decreased as did visibility and at 18:30 the convoy ran into fog until it cleared temporarily at 21:15. The convoy changed course and from 22:00 thick fog persisted "with occasional clear patches for about 40 hours until the evening of 7 August; a fog belt extending for 400 miles."

The fog was also a hindrance whilst the warships were disengaging from the convoy on 6 August and resulted in Warwick Castle and Windsor Castle colliding. (Warwick Castle sailed to Halifax (Canada) and the troops spent 7 1/2 weeks there before setting sail again. They arrived in Suez on 14 November 41).

Just looking at the postings part ii order sheet, it looks like he was on board Warwick Castle because he is posted to 4 Surreys on 14/11/41.

If anyone thinks different please say, because I don't want to mislead Sue - especially this early on !

Jules

 

We think its 4 survey (RA), not surrey, as his rank is Gunner. Good call on the convoy though, that was the convoy Dad sailed on, must get that book.

 

Sorry, correction, Dad was on WS 10x