Recce Photo ID - 3rd Division?

Sadly, no. Thanks for trying!

What about the architecture?

 

It's held at the Imperial War Museum (Catalogue no. 22821). Not published as far as I know, perhaps printed (1946?) just for distribution to ex-members of the Regiment. I had the nominal rolls and a couple of pages that mentioned my father at Caen photocopied, that's all unfortunately. Not sure if they would be willing to photocopy the whole book.

 

Thanks for that - useful to know it exists!

 

I recently bought a small collection of photos of men in a Recce Regiment, taken at the end of the war ?in Germany. They are all group shots taken in front of the same building, shown in the photo below.



In my research of post war unit locations in Germany can confirm 3 Reece Regt were in Warendorf on VE day and in the Osnabrück area May 45 then to Bensburg in the Kassel area Jul 45 leaving 3 Inf Div on their return to UK Aug 45 joining 49 Inf Div to Menden Oct 45 disbanding Feb 46…source regimental records hope this helps regards Steve

 

Thanks for that Steve - much appreciated.

 

Thanks to this forum I have been able to find post WW2 details to piece together a piece of our forgotten history
History of 21st Army Group and BAOR May 45 to Feb 49
Further help will be appreciated

 

Correct.
I have been looking at Recce Regiments locations and I tend to go along with Paul thinking it is the 3rd Recce Regt.


Regards
Tom
shown in pic are members of the 3rd recce regiment taken at bremen 1945.
my father is front row 2nd from right.
triangle badge is 3rd division
will post a better photo to illustrate this shortly
jerry plews

 

shown in pic are members of the 3rd recce regiment taken at bremen 1945.
my father is front row 2nd from right.
triangle badge is 3rd division
will post a better photo to illustrate this shortly
jerry plews



Jerry,

Great news that you can identify your father.

Can you also identify the location?
If it is still there I will try and get a current photogrph taken. (Then and Now)

Regards
Tom

 

I wonder can anyone identify all (or any more) of the men in the photo?? A long shot but be brilliant if we could crack it!!

 

the book you are talking about , i have scanned to jpeg and when i get the file small enough anyone is welcome to a copy.
jerry plews

 

Thanks for adding some more to this thread. If you email me the book in full size I will host it here for everyone if you like?

My email is ww2battlefields@hotmail.co.uk

 

Found this picture at:
Northumberland Fusiliers Group 1



In front of same building as the other pictures, and the window above the door has been repaired. 3 Recce spent 5 -30 May 1945 at Schledehausen (about 8 miles E of Osnabrück), then Freckenhorst (near Warendorf) until 3rd September. Probably taken at one or the other. Have “Googled” the two locations for images of old buildings with no luck.
I sent a message to the person who put the photo on the website, but no reply yet.
P.S. Have you seen the state of the CO’s boots!

 

P.S. Have you seen the state of the CO’s boots!

Plus his cap badge is no where near over his left eye!
Looks like he is in need of a good Batman!

An excellent picture all the same.

Regards
Tom

 

Now you have done the hard work you may be interested in this (only recognised it today after seeing your posts)!



View attachment Merriman HH 3 Recce.pdf

 

Thanks for the picture Tony. Sign by door says “HQ Squadron”. From 5-29 May 1945 HQ Sqn were at Map Ref. 320067, which is in village of Wissingen. Then moved to Freckenhorst until October. So which location was it?

In the meantime I’ve found a couple more pictures of 3 Recce here: Beeldbank WO2. On the search page enter image numbers 178553 &199534. One is a group photo of A Sqn. No location given!

 

Interesting thread...

For those interested, in addition to the commentary on 3rd Recce (8th Bn, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) in the Recce staples Band of Brothers by Jeremy Taylor and Only the Enemy In Front (Every other beggar behind...) by Richard Doherty, there is quite a bit of space devoted to the Regt in The History of The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in the Second World War by Brigadier CN Barclay CBE, DSO. (The Naval & Military Press).

There are also a couple of black and white photographs of 3rd Recce in The History of The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in the Second World War; one of an armoured car on a recce and one of the CO, Lt-Col Merriman, receiving the ribbon of his DSO from Monty!

Best,

Steve.

 

Hi Richard I have been trying to locate the photo that you refer to 178553 and 199534 with no luck can you still locate the photos and if so give me some advice on howto locate them,
Many thanks Neil . PS I have a photo in my album of the same building with my late father in a group shot all-tho badly damaged due to water damage

 

Hello Neil,
I’ve just tried and the photos are still there.
Click on the link, then click on the Union flag for the English version, then the ‘Search’ tab. In ‘Detailed Search’ enter the photo numbers in ‘Image Number’ and then click on the blue ‘Search’ button and the picture should appear.
Hope that helps.
I paid €10 for the “high resolution” version of the A Sqn picture, but it the resolution was a bit disappointing. I didn’t put the picture on here, copyright and all that. But if anyone wants a copy let me know.
Richard

p.s. Have just found two more pictures of 3 Recce on Beeldbank WO2 and they are in COLOUR.
Image numbers:199646 & 199652.
Search by Keyword "British Armed Forces" and Author/Photographer "J.A.H. de Haan" and there are many colour pictures of various units.

 

Thanks to a very nice letter from a former 3 Recce man the mystery of the site of the photos has been solved. The location is Schloss Bensberg in Bensberg, near Cologne.

3 Recce’s War Diaries state that Regiment was in Bensberg from 3 Sept to 20 Oct 1945. Lt Col Merriman, who appears in some of the pictures, relinquished command on 15 September. So that also narrows the date down.

The letter also says the Regiment at this time, “looked after refugees from every county in Europe and made sure they went home.”

Schloss Bensberg was completed in 1711 and has had various uses through the years. From 1840 to 1918 it was a Prussian Cadet School and from 1935 to 1945 it was one of the Nationalpolitischen Erziehungsanstalten (or NPEA), National Political Institutes of Education. More information here: http://www.willi-fritzen-bensberg.de/ from where this photo comes from showing the occupants prior to 3 Recce’s stay.



Since 1997 it has been a 5 star hotel. Grand- und Schlosshotel Bensberg bei Köln - Althoff Hotel Collection Looks very luxurious (and the broken window above the front door has been repaired).



It has taken a while, but now, at last, we know where it is.

Regards.
Richard

 

Wow, what a great conclusion to this thread.

Great work, Richard.