Falklands Garrison, 1942

As ever, I'm looking for help. We are in the process of writing the history of WW2 'Operation Tabarin'. Before friendly folk say "What? This was a Royal Navy affair!" the search is for info of any sort about the Garrison in the Falklands in 1942, by the 11th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment.
So far, we are told they were shipped there on the troop carrier 'Strategist' and one garrison member died on site - but it is highly unlikely that was from enemy activity. In 1942 there was High Command concern that it was just possible that the Japanese might attack those Islands.

 

BOTTERILL, ARTHUR JAMES

Rank:
Private
Service No:
4384262
Date of Death:
03/01/1944
Regiment/Service:
West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)

11th Bn.
Grave Reference
Sec. R. Grave 1261.
Cemetery
STANLEY CEMETERY, FALKLAND ISLANDS
CWGC - Casualty Details

 

Rob van den Brink's WD Norton site includes an item about a Norton 16H found on the Islands in 1982 and which local legend relates to the West Yorkshires.

Jack Bullock

 

I see there's 33 Casualties on the island - without checking I suspect a few would have been from the fight against the Graf Spee.

There's a total of 13 Falklands war diaries in WO 176. Drop me a PM if you would like me to copy the diary for you.

Andy

 

As ever, I'm looking for help. We are in the process of writing the history of WW2 'Operation Tabarin'. Before friendly folk say "What? This was a Royal Navy affair!" the search is for info of any sort about the Garrison in the Falklands in 1942, by the 11th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment.
So far, we are told they were shipped there on the troop carrier 'Strategist' and one garrison member died on site - but it is highly unlikely that was from enemy activity. In 1942 there was High Command concern that it was just possible that the Japanese might attack those Islands.
Just read this. My Father-in-law Pte. E. Loveridge was here with 11 W Yorks in 1942-44 on garrison duties.

Pontylad

 

Hi,
I know this post appeared some time ago but I'm just hoping something came of it.
My father was one of the group sent to the Falklands in '42 and I want to hear more about it!
He died 4 years ago and I regret not getting more from him apart from the antics of the Jazz Band he formed
with other like-minded individuals.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

Falkland Islands - United Kingdom Forces - 12 August 1942 to 27 March 1944

359th Heavy AA Battery, RA
11th Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment

The Falkland Islands Defence Force

RHQ
Defended Port of Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
Allied
The West Yorkshire Regiment

In 1934, the force was organized into 2 infantry platoons, 1 artillery detachment, 1 M-G section and 1 signal section with 129 all ranks. The force was mobilized in 1939. It had an artillery component in Port Stanley. It also had one infantry company and one mounted company. It ceased affiliation with the West Yorkshire Regiment in July 1945. It was joined by British units from 1942-45. When 359th Heavy AA Battery, RA was ready to depart in December 1943, the force received it heavy AA guns.

 

Here is the history of the 11th Bn, West York from the regimental history:

 

WOW!!!(Sounding like a teenager!)
Thanks for that. I have been looking for some info on the operation for a while. My father Eric Robson told the odd tale from the time but they usually revolved around the Jazz/Dance Band he was in, including ''borrowing' the loudspeaker from the public address system to boost their sound on stage.
He went from there to Buenos Aires and I have found the passenger list from the ship that brought them all home to Liverpool. I wish I had found all this a few years ago so I could have shown Dad. He would have been tickled pink.
Any more info would be gratefully received.
Just a thought....amongst some photo's from the time there are a couple from a funeral with writing on the back referring to 'burying one of our own'....any thoughts?
Thanks for your time.
Kindest regards.

 

As Cl1 mentioned above, there was only one death of a soldier of the 11th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment in the Falklands. He was Arthur James Botterill as mentioned above. Here is his Graves Registration Form from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

 

Thanks for that. Seems ironic that he died in January 44 when they all moved on in February 44.
I suppose 'that's life'.
I shall keep on digging for more info.
Thanks again.

 

My grandfather, Maldwyn Douglas Havard (4080376) served on the Falklands with 11th Btn West Yorkshire Regiment from 42 to 44.

He passed away in 1995, but there are family stories of him bolstering rations with Penguin eggs and the white of the egg not turning white after cooking. This is also confirmed in Arthur Chatham’s “Falklands: White Horse of Hannover”.

There are also family stories of him being a dispatch rider during the war, would be interested to hear any more stories from the Falklands during WW2.

 

Welcome to the forum.

You learn something new every day

 

He also said they tasted like fish, and would never eat chicken eggs because of it

 

Given that the penguin's diet is exclusively fish this is not surprising. Reports from Shackleton's crew who had to live almost entirely on penguin for the last part of their escape from the ice suggest that the effects of too much penguin was akin to overdosing on cod liver oil.

 

My Grandfather was posted there during this period. His name was Ernest Hollings from Silsden, West Yorkshire. I also have some of his photographs from that time.

 

Alan Carroll, the opening post author, has not been aboard July 2012; TSPowell not since January 2014 and Bigbloke since September 2018. One wonders how far their research got?

 

Hello Mark, would you be willing to share any of those photographs at all please? I’d love to see what my grandfather may have experienced during his time on the Falklands. Regards, Tim

 

I appreciate this is an old post but I received my fathers army papers yesterday - he was in the West Yorkshire Reg. and served in the Falklands between 1942 and 1944 - which I already knew about, but after reading his documentation I re-visited this site to read these posts.
Do you still have access to the passenger list from the ship that brought them home to Liverpool, as I would love to see if my fathers name is listed.
His name was Alfred Arthur Preston.

Fay