Research & pet projects - what are you doing; how's it progressing?

Slow progress on two projects: Setif (then French Algeria) VE-Day and a small puzzle. Then the final chapter on Bali and the Japanese surrender in March 1946. Both dependent on reading books; those for Setif in London libraries and for Bali one book on my bookshelf.

For the curious: VE-Day in Setif, French North Africa: who helped the French? and 'Top Secret' till 1996: March 1946 Japanese surrender on Bali

 

Re Chris C's Post 140.

I know that many strange creatures live along the Rhine, dragons, Rhine Maidens, gods etc but surely Stolpi is one of the nibelung patiently burrowing into the archives with his pick and shovel searching for that nugget.

Mike

 

I have three chapters left to do in my book. None of them are entirely easy, and two I have paused to try to finish the easier chapters first.

One is about the Archer vs M10 and... doctrine or methods of use. This requires a certain amount of analytic thought although a lot of it is simply presenting the really interesting comments made at the time. The Archer was basically designed as a defensive weapon when the British Army had basically no practical experience with using anti-tank SPs (unless you count portees) and it arrived in northwest Europe at a time where the Germans were mostly holding ground and withdrawing.

One is about battles and operations the Archer was in. This just takes more time than I realized.

The last is about the postwar era. I've finished a section that I'm happy with about the tug-of-war between the RAC and RA about anti-tank duties during the period 1945-50. I keep turning over new questions though. For instance, in a 1949 assessment of the number of Archers, there are 5 in FARELF. I can now connect them with a photo DannyM sent me of an Archer in HK in the early 1950s, so it now seems probable that these were sent to HK with 3RTR when the UK became concerned about its defense in 1949. And it is also probable that the Archer was withdrawn from service when the Charioteer became available, but I don't have confirmation of that, which is frustrating.

 

I have spent this week starting a blog to share the contents of the WWII letters i have. I figured it is a shame to keep them in a cupboard, so they will soon be online for anyone to read. It is a lot of work typing them out, but worth it. In the first lot of letters i started, the chap joined the RAF and talks about where he stayed, what they did and ate even. I have been trying to research some of the places he went to. It is very interesting.

 

Sounds interesting, Jenny. I look forward to see it.

I'm in 100% agreement about the virtue of putting up such material (beyond games, piracy, the propagation of pornography and the ability to hurl bile at strangers, what else is the Internet for?). From contact I've had here, the feedback and information it can generate is often illuminating.

I've been reading, for instance, daily digest emails from Gwulo: Old Hong Kong that feature 'on this day' selections of diary extracts from Hong Kong during the war. It's a fascinating glimpse into the quotidian yet remarkable: ration weights juxtaposed with murder, weather reports with betrayal.

 

I am almost finished my chapter on the Archer in service. It's not a complete overview but a series of sections: January 1945 in the Ardennes and in Operation Blackcock. The first two weeks of Op Veritable. 49th Division and 2nd and 3rd Canadian Divs in the Netherlands in mid April. The last bit will be about 7th Polish Anti-Tank Regiment in Italy.

Then I just have one more chapter about contemporary opinions and doctrine, including comparison with the M10.

 

Thank you, I find it all so interesting.

The daily digest emails you mentioned sound fascinating, the internet certainly does cater for just about every subject, i hope to add my little bit to the huge mix soon.

 

Soon after I returned from a tour in Hong Kong, thirty odd years ago, Mum asked whether I’d ever found Uncle Harry’s grave. “Who’s Uncle Harry?” was my response.

Uncle Harry had been married to Aunt Florrie. He’d been killed in Hong Kong in 1941. Aunt Florrie had had to wait four years before she learnt from a repatriated PW that he’d gone out on a night fighting patrol just before Christmas and had not come back. That was about it, apart from Mum knowing he was with the (2nd Bn) The Royal Scots. She’d been 7 when he sailed; she remembered him giving her a goodbye hug.

Florrie remarried twenty years later and had since passed away. Harry was never mentioned again by the family during my early years, such was the everlasting rawness. Photographs were never displayed and none exist to my knowledge. I was a bit surprised that Mum had never said a word about him before, especially back in the ‘70s when I’d shown her the Battalion’s Colours, in the Officers’ Mess in Kirknewton. But that was the way it was.

I’ve managed to piece together a possible/probable account of Harry Johnson’s final days (for the Family History and for others to adjust as appropriate) and if I ever get back to Hong Kong, will tread the paths as able. However, via friends of friends and Covid and other events notwithstanding, I have managed to make sure someone has recently visited his and others’ memorials:






I showed the photo to another nephew. “Who’s Uncle Harry?” he asked. He’d been born three years after Harry’s death. Harry’s name is on the village memorial and is read out on Remembrance Days.

 

We recently discovered a hand written diary from an Austrian soldier which showed high-quality military machinery information and tactical maneuver info. He had a gift for writing. We had the work transcribed, and translated to English. It is a fascinating read. A 19 year old farmers boy from Austria got to experience WW2 and get as close as 20 miles to Moscow. He was a special character. For example he wrote the following in his diary:

"The soldier was ordered to carry on with a war without end, or until you were killed. The only thing one felt anymore was a total emptiness because you saw the person next to you wounded or killed several times a day. Sometimes you could still call for the medic, often not. I reached the moment of absolute mental depression when I envied the fate of those who died next to me."

We found the transcribing to be a reasonably easy piece of work, but my stepdad had loads to do in terms of researching and verifying the stories. It was quite the task. he used Wikipedia, mostly, but also consulted War dictionaries and other literature. Then we had it translated to English, and it took a while to find an Austria translator who was proficient in the dialect. It took them more than 6 months to get this done. Crazy when you think about it.

I am now super proud that this work is available in English, since the person literally grew up in my hometown. His work shows that many Austrians weren't bought into the whole idea of the 3rd Reich, and that it was simply lethal for many to resist openly. He did what he needed to do, but in his heart he expressed often his content for Hitler and the leadership. He also managed to preserve his little piece of humanity, but following some basic principles, such as never killing an unarmed opponent. Something that almost cost him his life at the gun of his superior.

Sharing this here since I am excited to spread Xaver's story as much as possible. It is an important reminder that going through these times wasn't anyones choice (by and large), and that humans were involved. What touched me the most that he literally grew up down the road, and had I been from just a blip earlier, this could have been my story, too.

We created a website at www.conqueringmoscow.com, and the book is at: https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Moscow-unbelievably-diary-Xaver-ebook/dp/B09NJNZB6F/

Best,
Stefan

 

Hi,
Im doing some research into a football match played between huts in Stalag IV-B in Germany during WW2 - on June 10th 1944.
I have a programme for the match (image attached) in which you can see the players and officials autographed the programme.
I'd love to hear about any of those mentioned and wether or not they had a football career pre or post war, or if they mentioned their experiences of sport in the camp.
I understand the Programme was formerly the property of Harold (Harry) Taylor who played in the match and apparently played post war for Grimsby Town, though i have been unable to prove that.....
Please either reply to this post or email me at roge.s@btinternet.com
Thank you.

 

I have now decided to release my efforts on the world. I have probably taken a weird and wonderful approach, but it is a format I believe is correct for the presentation of the information. The project has expanded, substantially, from the notice above, I am attempting to show the 1st Armoured Division's efforts.

I have also, more than likely, gone overboard with referencing, but I get fed up trying to figure out where people are obtaining their information from; I did not want to be guilty of this.

Anyway, this is the Introduction page (The 1st Armoured Division (UK)), please let me know what you think - politely of course . (I have no qualifications in the history area, nor anywhere else really.)

 

Inspired by above website post #151 (thanks!), let's share my own pet project here, ongoing for over 20 years: my interest, website (Home - 8th Rifle Brigade), FB page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/8thriflebrigade) and future (another 10 years...) book on the 8th Rifle Brigade in WW2. One of the website's unique features (I think) is a virtually complete list of members (1,548) of the Battalion in WW2. Have a look, let me know what your think, and get in touch if you've got anything to add!

If all this sounds a bit familiar, yes, I do have a separate thread about the website: Website 8th Rifle Brigade (11th Armoured Division)

 

I had a browse round and read several pages, well done, it is a nice site with a lot of info that i can imagine would be a great help to anyone doing research in that area. It really takes a passion to spend the time doing something like that, thumbs up from me.

 

Very nice website, i like the pictures too, it always helps to have a photo with a wad of writing i always think, to have some visual impact. An interesting maps and docs area too. Nice work!

 

I'm trying to finish my book but the material doesn't really want to let me! I have exported my manuscript from Scivener to Libre Office (because I don't have Word). I reviewed all my footnotes and have gotten them in order. The next stage is editing and I have done some of that. However I recently was able to get quarterly reports from Vickers-Armstrong which gave some additional insights into the development production of the Archer. I had to include those.

Then last night, I was looked back two personal accounts to see if either of them talked about the period right after VE Day. I have 4-5 unallocated personal photos of veterans after VE Day which are probably going to comprise a small gallery (I guess 2 pages) but if I could add any more text that would help.

In one of them I saw a reference to a Sergeant who supposedly also distinguished himself in Operation Veritable. I felt like in all honesty I should include him if that was the case. So I went to scanning through the citation reports PDFs. Finally I had a brain wave and was able to use the National Archives records info to directly find his report in the PDFs. (The "folio number", I think, is effectively the page number.) Well lo and behold the man did win an MM but not in Veritable - it was during the battle for Groningen in April 1945. "Unfortunately" I have also covered this period in my book, though with no real details on the battle, so I feel like I have to go back and revise that and include his bravery.

Damn! I'm lucky I don't actually have a hard deadline, but I am trying to finish..

 

Writing for my blog. It is about general military history, but also has a section about World War 2. Currently that section consists exclusively of articles on the Pacific campaigns, but I expect to change that it the future.

 

Research into my great grandfather who served in Buffs, CMP 104 and 12 corps signals in 1930’s and 40’s doing a booklet for family bern working on for two years and nearly got something together including war diaries oral interviews maps and from books etc
Then I’ll start on helping my grandfather research my great uncle who was shot down as a Lancaster bomber in Hannover 1943 his project is quite advanced 217 squadron
Then got my great great grandfathers WW1 service in RE and Labour Battalion
So years to come

Plus all the other WW2 books I like to read on eastern front etc

 

Three current research projects, two are WW2-related:

1) the, now long running research on an Allied role in Setif, French Algeria on VE-Day 1945 awaits a visit to a specialist library to read the last book cited as saying the US military were involved. See: VE-Day in Setif, French North Africa: who helped the French?

2) the issues around British forces in India playing a more active role before and after Partition, is a slow work in progress. Working who was where and when they left - needs time and some information. A rescue mission after independence by the 2nd East Lancashire Regiment, to Dehradun, probably needs a visit to their museum / archive, as nothing found online. See: Which British units were left in India before and at the time of Partition?

 

I can't believe it's six years ago that I posted this, and I'm still no further ahead! That of course is not strictly true as I've been beavering away over the years since, which included another amazing visit to the battlefield in India 2019. Still having the same problem of deciding when to stop researching and commit to paper but with the eightieth anniversary of the battle looming in just over fifteen months time this has concentrated my mind. Maybe subconsciously there is part of me not wishing for it to end (the ecstasy of research.... the agony of what to do with it!). Having made so many fantastic friendships and having had so many amazing experiences (a bit of name dropping here, being invited to meet the head of the Indian Chiefs of Staff Lt Gen Bipin Rowat being one instance) I don't want it to stop! This journey I've been on for nigh on thirty years has certainly changed my life and that of my family too, but the story must be recorded for others to learn so maybe this is one new years resolution I had better stick to!
Lionboxer

 

Update: I just finished writing a series of articles about the German-Soviet invasion of Poland. They are heavily based on the book Poland Betrayed, as many others I have seen gloss over the Soviet role in the whole thing.

Remaining two are to be published over the next two weeks; whole section can be found here:
attack on Poland – History and War