QRWK-Queen’s Royal West Kent

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by Gman142536, Apr 4, 2022.

  1. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

    Hello there all, I’m trying to find out when my grandfather changed regiment/division from the queens royal west surrey to the queens royal west Kent. In his paper it says 25th nov 1942 after Alamein but from users here and unit diaries from the time I can’t find a record. His name is David Alfred Atkins 14203882. He was with either 1/5 1/7 1/6 qrws (131st lorried). Many thanks
     
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    You say his papers are they his service records?
     
  3. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

    Nooo sorry I’m waiting for them but I do strongly reckon he was 5th battalion qrwk because of where they were and my mum knowing his route. In the qrws all I know he was either in any of the three territorial battalions in the 131st lorried. I know the 1/7ths and one 1/6ths were Bermondsey and southwark, the 1/5th Guildford area. My grandad was in Croydon so maybe 1/6 1/7
     
  4. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

    Grasping at straws I know
     
  5. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Poss best wait for them otherwise you could get on the wrong track
     
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  6. chrisgrove

    chrisgrove Senior Member

    Just a nitpic! It is the Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment. Might affect your googling!
    Chris
     
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  7. Richard Lewis

    Richard Lewis Member

    Sorry, here's another! :)
    Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
     
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  8. David Woods

    David Woods Active Member

    14203882 Pte. David Alfred Atkins.jpg .
    Enlisted G.S.C. 19.02.1942.
    Transferred to Queen's Royal Regiment 19.02.1942.
    Transferred to The Queen's Royal West Kent Regiment 25.11.1942.
     
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  9. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

    Thank you, I’ve seen it written as that from the older days they say. The more info the better, many thanks
     
  10. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

    Thank you, that’s the only bit of paperwork I’ve found so far. Do you know what G.S.C means? According to the unit diaries there’s no mention of him being transferred then.
     
  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    General Service Corps.

    With whom the recruits did their basic training.
     
  12. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

    Thank you !
     
  13. Gman142536

    Gman142536 Member

    Does anybody know how many men made up each battalion of 131st lorried brigade. I know they were between 3-4 companies per battalion but I was wondering if there was any paperwork on numbers
     
  14. ryancrompton

    ryancrompton Member

    Can I ask where you located this record?

    I'm currently trying to figure out a similar problem - My great grandfather seems to have transferred from the 1st Loyal North Lancs to the 1st Queens Own RWK, but I have no date for this, and unfortunately his records are currently "missing" at the national archives, so I'm having to try and piece his story together from other sources.
     
  15. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Welcome Ryan

    you say his records are missing
    you used this link here to apply for them Get a copy of military service records

    You really require the records otherwise you could get wrong info which leads you down the wrong path

    regards
    Clive
     
  16. ryancrompton

    ryancrompton Member

    Yes, I applied to the MOD, but his records had already been transferred to the National Archives, having enquired with them, the records have been marked as "missing" and I have been advised they will contact me if they ever turn up. Not sure if they were lost by the MOD or during the transfer to the National Archives.

    A very disappointing result, but I'd at least like to try to still discover what I can.

    I know from various stories he told my family he was wounded twice, and have matched those up to records online. He also wrote in his pay book (which I still have) some locations and dates along with some abbreviations and notes, as well as wrote some more locations and dates on the back of a photograph, so I do have some evidence of where he was and when that was.

    I also believe he was part of the support company, 1st battalion RWKs, as in his pay book, there is a sign off stating "oc 's' coy. 1.R.W.K" - which based on my research of acronyms leads me to believe it means officer commanding, s company, 1 royal west kents. In the book "The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1920-1950" the only company beginning with the letter S mentioned is Support company.

    I know he fought in Tunisia under the Loyal North Lancs and was injured on 23/04/1943, the next official record I have is the 14/05/1944, now under the RWKs and he was injured in Monte Cassino, I'd love to find out more information about these injuries as a starting point, but more so I'd like to try understand what he did between these injuries, and when he transferred.

    I understand without the records there's lots of gaps I'll probably never fill, but I'd at least like to try and track his movements through the war, even if it might be slightly inaccurate.
     
  17. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Ryan.

    If you know that he was in Support Company 1 Royal West Kent Regiment and that he was wounded at Cassino on 14 May 44 then that would place him in 12 Infantry Brigade who were themselves part of 4 Infantry Division.

    On 11 May 44, 28 Infantry Brigade and 10 Infantry Brigade were the two assaulting Brigades with 12 Infantry Brigade. When, on the morning of 13 May 44, the Division finally got a bridge across the river, 12 Infantry Brigade, with the Sherman tanks of 2 Lothian & Border Horse attached, cross that bridge and took up the lead. It would have been during that advance, in full view of the Germans on Monastery Hill, that he would have been wounded.

    Gary Tankard is a whizz for tracking down wounding records.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  18. jonas

    jonas Junior Member

    Hi Ryan what was your grandfather’s name. I have a few documents relating to 1 Loyals and the men wounded on 23 April 43 , during assault on Gueriat el Atach. You never know.
     
  19. ryancrompton

    ryancrompton Member

    Hi Frank, thanks for that info. Official record I found says 14th, he wrote that we was wounded 13th so not entirely sure on that one.

    Hi Jonas, his name was Albert Crompton. I believe he was a corporal at that time.
     
  20. jonas

    jonas Junior Member

    Hi Ryan I am afraid Albert Crompton is not listed in the documents I have. His army number is a Loyal Regiment number. The enlistment and transfer books at the museum in Preston should tell you when he transferred to RWKR. Is there any note in his service book from when he was serving in the Loyals.
    Have you looked in local newspapers from where he and family lived to see if there is any mention of him being wounded? Sometimes newspaper reports are a gold mine of information.
     

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