I've recently started the process of finding out my dad's service record during WW2. Speaking with my brother yesterday he told me my dad was a tanker in North Africa and then served in Italy, where he was injured when he was run over while sleeping in a tent. He was then shipped back to England and his war was over. He said that my dad was in a tank with Richard Greene the actor, who starred in the Robin Hood tv series in the 1950's. I found a biography of Greene online and it stated that he was attached to the Royal Armoured Corps of the Twenty-Seventh Lancers in North Africa and Italy until December 1944. Does anybody have any further details on the Royal Armoured Corps of the Twenty-Seventh Lancers or know where I can find out their history. Thanks, Steve
Steve Lots on the internet using GOOGLE but you can start here: 27th Lancers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia By the way, the correct terminology is 27th Lancers, RAC (Royal Armoured Corps) Best regards Ron
Kopte The 27th Lancers were an Armoured Car regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps and were independent of all Divisions but were on call as a recconniassance unit within the Corps or Army support troops - so technically they were not "Tankies" in the true sense that they were not fighting troops but became more active near the end at the Lago Commachio Battle when we were running out of fighting troops. They were part of the units of Armoured cars -consisting of the Household Cavalry - !st Dragoons - 1st Kings Dragoons - 12th lancers - as opposed to the regular Recce groups such as 1st - 4th - 5th -44th - 46th and 56th attached to various Divisions. You can get his service records from Glasgow and Diaries from Bovington Cheers
Here's all the units war diaries held at the National Archives - Let me know if you want any copying. WO 166/1365 : 27 Lancers. 1941 Jan.-June, Aug.-Dec. WO 166/6889 27 Lancers. 1942 Jan.- Dec. WO 166/11077 27 Lancers 1943 Jan.-Sept., Nov. WO 169/15974 27 Lancers 1944 Jan.- July WO 170/833 27 Lancers 1944 Aug.- Dec. WO 170/834 27 Lancers, 'D' Squadron 1944 Nov. WO 170/4630 27 Lancers 1945 Jan.-Sept.
Kopite: I have the War Diary for the 27th Lancers. Do you have a specific date for your father's injury? If so I can post the War Diary entries for around that time. David
Thanks for all the great the responses everybody. Ron thanks for the link. Tom, our resident expert on N. Africa and Italy. I knew you would have some additional details, thanks very much. I'm waiting on a death cert for my dad and should be applying for the service record shortly. Just trying to get some advance information on the Lancers. Cheers Andy, as soon as I verify my dad's service record I will gladly take you up on your generous offer. dryan67..Thanks for the offer, when I verify the information, I will let you know. Cheers, Steve
Re. Ex-24th Lancer and SRY Corporal James MacDonald... And the "Robin Hood" actor... Richard Greene... Ex-24th Lancer - Corporal James MacDonald mentions that his "troop officer was Richard Greene" by the looks of it at this time he'd perhaps misremembered the 27th as the 24th... which, i.e the 24th - as he goes on to say - he was later to join in Normandy... Richard Greene - Wikipedia "World War II Greene tried to enlist in the Seaforth Highlanders in Vancouver, but they would not give him a commission. He obtained a release from Fox and travelled to England where he enlisted in the 27th Lancers, where he distinguished himself. After three months, he went to Sandhurst and was commissioned. He was promoted to captain in the 27th Lancers in May 1944. * He was given leave in 1942 to appear in the British propaganda films Flying Fortress (1942) for Warners and Unpublished Story (1942) with Valerie Hobson. In 1943, he appeared in the Anna Neagle thriller Yellow Canary while on leave. He also appeared in a British comedy Don't Take It to Heart (1944). He later toured in Shaw's Arms and the Man, entertaining the troops. Greene was discharged in December 1944 and appeared in the stage play Desert Rats." * the wiki adds verification needed - apparently... ;-) other sources for instance mention 1941 - as when he was commissioned and possibly thereafter 1944 when he was promoted to captain - which fits a little better chronologically...