Gothic Line - Royal Fusilier KIA 14 Sept 44

TCS - well done that man…!

Cheers
the other tom

 

Owen

I wasn't accusing you of missing the thread in fact I wasn't accusing anyone of missing it BUT with a fair amount of members

ALL missing it - I just thought it was odd that NO ONE was assisting him….that's all….now that Smudger has responded - problem solved
I do appreciate that there are other moderators also…

Cheers

 

Hi all - I have been trying to reduce the image size of the scanned Service Records and although I now have a couple at about 2mb, others I just cannot get any better than 3, 4 or 5mb.

I will have to seek further help locally, but many thanks for these assistance and for looking out for me!

Evader

 

Many, many thanks, Owen. Your help will be much appreciated.

Evader

 

Hopefully, and all things being equal, Owen will resize the Service Records of Uncle Ted and post them on here for anyone and everyone to analyse them and put them into civilian speak for me.

I will very much appreciate any help anyone can give as many members of my family are keen to learn more about Ted's activities, especially the last remaining sister. A 10 yr old great nephew of mine is working on a school project on Ted's part in the Italian Campaign.

Many thanks to all who have helped so far and who do in the future

Regards Evader

 

Evader / Owen

These records are totally incomplete and you should be on to Glasgow for the FULL records
as some dates don't line up - e.g a full year in North Africa ….not on as he was transferred from the RWK to the 9th Fusiliers as - I would assume - a reinforcement to 56th Division shortly after their landings at Salerno on 9th September 1943- PLUS were we
"beaming" people over from the UK in ONE day..don't think so as a troopship took twelve days from Greenock to Algiers - 1st Army -

So on to Glasgow and thump the table as it's not good enough for a man KIA to be swept aside like this- fact is that 56th Div took a few hammerings at the Gari near Cassino - Anzio long before they hit the Gothic Line and Gemmano where he was finally wounded and died… the war diaries will give you verse and chapter on 56th Div

Cheers

 

Evader/Owen

Google for " British 56th Division " as Wiki does a better job than Glasgow as it lists all the battles from the Salerno
landings in which he would have been involved in by joining the fusiliers at Salerno until the Coriano Ridge at Gemmano - then google for the "Battle of Gemmano " but only the Italian / English version as that is nearer to being more factual…

Cheers

 

I wonder if the Major is a relation of mine

Anyway - After training his career is as follows, as I read it:

2 Infantry Base Depot April 1940 to June 1940

1 Royal West Kent June 1940 to September 1943

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers September 1943 until died of wounds the following year.

I think the definitive answer as to why he transferred to the RRF may be in the war diary but looking in Chaplin's The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1920-1950 this may be the answer:

No exact date given but it seems to be around the end of June 1943.

 

Drew

I don't know if you have wandered into the wrong thread but we have been discussing Pte / Fus BUCKLAND in THIS thread however you do have something right as my 21st Army Tank Bde was the Armour for the mixed 4th Div - BUT we were still under orders of 4th Div as the Bde Diary points out with a visit by Maj Gen Hayman -Joyce GOC 4th Div when (29th Sep '43) probably the cord was cut as the rest of the 4th Div had a rocky time as a major reinforcing unit for the Salerno Landings - at which time I would think that our Pte
Buckland became a Fusilier.

21st Tank Bde became an independent unit until going and being attached to the 1st Canadian Div at Lucera in the early spring of '44

Cheers

 

Evader

Just thinking about your ten year old nephew trying to write an account of his uncles service - on the basis of the record
sent by Glasgow and really this is almost impossible - so to help out - he should "goggle" for the 56th Division with it's listings
of Battles fought in Italy that he would have been involved in after Salerno when I assume he joined the 9th Fusiliers as a
reinforcement from 4h Div - "googling" each battle will give him a great history …send the teachers wild…
Cheers

 

Here's a list of the war diaries at the National Archives covering his service as I see it from his records:

WO 167/122 2 Infantry Base Depot 1939 Dec.-1940 June

WO 166/4638 1 Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1940 June - 1941 Dec.
WO 166/8939 1 Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1942 Jan.- Dec.
WO 166/12583 1 Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1943 Jan., Feb.
WO 175/508 1 Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1943 Mar.- May
WO 169/10238 1 Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1943 Aug.- Dec.

WO 169/10214 9 Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 1943 Jan.- Dec.
WO 169/16287 9 Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 1944 Apr.
WO 170/1391 9 Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 1944 Jan.- Mar., July - Dec.

If you can't get to the National Archives and want any copying give me a shout.

Cheers
Andy

 

Owen: 2 Infantry Base Depot was part of Rouen Base Sub Area in 1940 and provided Infantry to three Ad-Hoc Infantry Battalions formed around the 18th May called Ray's, Davies and Meredith's Rifles - all part of the Beauman Division.

 

Hi all - I have sent a snot-a-gram via snail-mail to them in Glasgow requesting FULL detail of Ted's War Records and asking also that they are of a decent quality in order that they can be scanned and posted on here.

Currently away in Madeira for a weeks hard earned rest - 'tis a hard life, being retired, with no extra Bank Holidays off, like all the working peeps.

Evader

 

Evader

snot o' grams are not looked on as being welcomed in Glasgow and you might find a long wait for a reply - pity that -

table thumping by snail mail is acceptable but snot o' grams are no no's….you might need another week eating Madeira Cake

but at least your pension is at full entitlement…so enjoy…

Cheers

 

Hi Tom - I appreciate your comments and to be honest, I wasn't at all rude really, just stating facts -

Evader

 

Evader

I can accept that as sugar gets more action than vinegar…

Cheers