Royal Sussex Regiment

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by Kieron Hill, Jan 27, 2009.

  1. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Had quite a bit of material come in for my website recently and
    below is some material that I am quite excited about and thought
    I share my joy here, if anyone has an interest with this particular
    regiment I'd be more than happy to take copies of the material.

    Details are as follows:




    Lt John David Wallace,


    357 Battery, 109 L.A.A. Regt, Royal Artillery


    (Royal Sussex Regiment)


    Collection includes:
    OTC Badge,
    Royal Sussex Bi Metal Badge,
    Royal Sussex Officers Bronze Badge,
    RA Officers Bronze Badge,
    Bronze RA Collar Dogs,
    Foot Locker Name Plate,
    Other Assorted Insignia,
    Two Named Boxing Medals In Cases,
    A Saw Backed Fighting Knife (Named On Scabbard In Ink),
    An Album Containing 60 Photos With Handwriten Notes,
    A Folder Containing 16 Photos With Typed Descriptions,
    Commission Certificate,
    Home Guard Certificate,
    21st Army Group Certificate (Signed By Montgomery),
    War Office Certificate Of Thanks,
    Attestation Certificate (TA),
    S.O. Book (Lots Of Notes),
    Note Book With Details Of Men In No.1 Section,
    Diary 1944 With 5 Loose Photos,
    Note Book 1936-7 Full Of Notes,
    Infantry Roll Book With Details Of Men In A Troop 357 Batt 109 LAA Rgt,
    Note Book With Details Of Issued Items Rifles, Pistols, Watches, Binos, PIAT etc,
    Field Message Book,
    Map Board With Utility Wax Pencils,
    Petrol Ration Book,
    NAFFI Card And 5 Other Documents.
     

    Attached Files:

    IKE26 likes this.
  2. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Hi Kieron - you may or may not know I'm a Sussex lad, so would indeed be interested in any photos of this unit that's among the collection.
     
  3. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    I'd be more than happy Paul to scan
    whatever copies you want, do you
    know much about this Regiment seeing
    you are from the area?
     
  4. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    I think I have the regimental history on the shelves...let me check tomorrow!
     
  5. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Here you go Paul

    First picture is of the officers of 357 battery

    Second picture is of "A" troop 357 Battery

    Third picture is of "C" troop 357 Battery
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Thanks, Kieron. Had a busy week, so will try and fish out the history this weekend.
     
  7. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Paul it is a real interesting collection the photo
    ablum itself has V1's & V2's, all the gun butts of the
    357 battery taken Christmas 1944 at Sittard, 20,000
    German POW's at Lauenburg, V2 factory at Petershagen,
    88mm flak gun and plenty more. the documentation
    gives you a real insight into how a LAA unit operates
    and the responsibilites of the Captain. In one book
    it has all the detachments names, addresses, next of
    kin, blood groups, shoe sizes, heights...Paul the list
    goes on.

    Below is a picture of a prop with the battery scores
    on it for the planes they shot down from Folkstone,
    Maidstone, Normandy and all the other places that
    the Battery went in North Europe 23 in total with
    6 of those shared...I guess by then we had pretty
    well sorted out the war in skies over Europe.
     

    Attached Files:

    • sus4.jpg
      sus4.jpg
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  8. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    I have spent the day uploading and completing
    my website page for this LAA Regt I hope
    you enjoy :D

    royalsussex

    Paul if you need any information in more
    details let me know, when I get round to
    it I am going to put all the mens names
    who served with the Regt.

    Cheers
    Kieron
     
    Paul Reed likes this.
  9. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Kieron, there is some nice detail there. It's a really good complete package of information. Quite unusual that it has all survived together I should think.

    I would be keen to see a more legible copy of the vehicle pages if that's possible. I'm particularly interested in the correlation between census numbers and engine numbers. There are no surviving WD records of this and vehicle restorers generally have to resort to inspired guesswork when choosing a census number to display.

    Cheers, Rich.
     
  10. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    I have spent the day uploading and completing
    my website page for this LAA Regt I hope
    you enjoy :D

    royalsussex

    Paul if you need any information in more
    details let me know, when I get round to
    it I am going to put all the mens names
    who served with the Regt.

    Cheers
    Kieron

    Kieron - brilliant stuff. The book I had was the history of the Sussex Yeomanry, not this mob. I wonder what battalion they were formed from?
     
  11. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Paul they were formed from the 7th Royal
    Sussex Regt

    Rich pm or email me your address and I'll
    take copies of the relevant pages and send
    them to you.

    Cheers
    Kieron
     
  12. binney 962

    binney 962 Junior Member

    me to please if poss
     
  13. binney 962

    binney 962 Junior Member

    Your father would have been in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Sussex, which was part of the 7 Indian Infantry Brigade, which in turn was part of the 4th Indian Infantry Division.

    They saw some very heavy fighting at Cassino. A good introduction to the 4th's Italian campaign. paul this was in my email
     
  14. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Your father would have been in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Sussex, which was part of the 7 Indian Infantry Brigade, which in turn was part of the 4th Indian Infantry Division.

    They saw some very heavy fighting at Cassino. A good introduction to the 4th's Italian campaign. paul this was in my email

    What's the source of this information and how did they know that?
     
  15. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    I thought this would be a good source of
    information for anyone researching the
    Royal Sussex Regt. Names, service numbers
    and the dates they joined. I also have
    information on next of kin, the trade they
    had prior to joining and addresses, aslo
    various other information. I also have the
    same info for C troop which I will add to
    this thread.

    No 1 Section
    A Troop 367 Battery
    109 L.A.A. Regiment R.A.
    (Royal Sussex Regt)

    6398716 Sgt Albert Barnes joined 22.11.34 (T.A.)
    5441886 L/S John Henderson Burlinson joined 18.4.40
    2051232 Gnr Fredirich Henery Ranson joined 15.3.38
    2064561 L/B Charles Williams Smith joined 25.10.38 (T.A.)
    6399600 Gnr Patrick Allen Donald Kemp joined 19.3.37 (T.A.)
    6401875 Gnr Allan Parsons joined 16.10.39
    5728089 Gnr Hugh James Farmer joined 15.12.39
    5828745 Gnr James Sidney Wilkinson joined 17.8.39
    3655204 James Smith joined 18.5.39 (T.A.)
    3965251 Gnr Harry George Pugh joined 1.12.39
    3965295 Gnr Albert Alfred White joined 30.10.39
    1540832 Sgt Ronald Leslie Scaplehorn joined 15.1.40
    6398329 Bdr William George Larkings joined 10.11.33 (T.A.)
    5622670 Gnr William Roy Dyer joined 16.10.39
    5441827 Gnr James Murray joined 18.4.40
    6401401 L/B George Norman Russel joined 2.5.38 (T.A.)
    6406459 Gnr Reginold Arthur May joined 24.6.40
    1072611 Gnr James Cyril Machin joined 26.7.27 (Reg)
    3856605 Gnr Frank Reed joined 10.3.38 (Reg)
    14258300 Gnr William Henery Hide joined 20.8.42
    5441835 Gnr Robert Alan Miles joined 18.4.40
    6400581 Gnr William Thomas David Miles joined 4.4.39 (T.A.)
    1762106 Gnr William Robert Blackmur joined 23.1.41
    6402280 Sgt Robert Dickson joined16.10.39
    4804838 Bdr George Hoy joined 15.1.40
    6402482 Gnr Arnold Kirkup joined 20.10.39
    1626313 Gnr Thomas Reginold Sills joined 16.9.40
    6400935 L/B Kennith Malcolm Harry Stillwell joined 3.5.39 (T.A.)
    5441804 Gnr George Richard Gunn joined 18.4.41
    4805791 Gnr Wilfred Mosley joined 18.4.40
    3965294 Gnr Reginold George Taylor joined 1.12.39
    1699981 Gnr Charles Lloyd Hughes joined 15.11.40
    6402598 Gnr Leslie Arthur Frederick Cottingham joined 15.1139
    1496036 Gnr Reginald William Tyler joined 18.7.39
    5439986 Gnr G. Trezona
    1583454 L/B Frederick Henry Doidge joined 15.7.40
    11055368 Gnr Albert Henry Champion joined 19.6.41
    5628556 Bdr Grimwood joined 26.6.39
    901820 Gnr Steven joined 22.3.39
    1530954 Gnr Joseph Buckley joined 15.1.40
     
  16. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Paul -
    Just catching up on a few things here since my vacation in the Uk and came across your query in post #14 of this thread when you ask Binney - "What is the source of this information and how did they know that " - with no corresponding response from Binney - I thought that I should mention that the actions of the 1st Sussex at Cassino was in all the papers at the time as well as the History of the Italian campaign - and I would not be surprised if it didn't get a mention in the history of the regiment as it did that of the 4th Indian Div.

    This was in fact the baptism of the 4th Indian's actions in Italy as their last battle was alongside with 4th Britsh and backed by 6th Armoured from 1st Army and 7th Armoured from 8th Army in the final attack from Medjez el Bab to Tunis and on to Cap Bon where more than 250,000 members of the Africa Corps along with Von Ahrnim's' forces surrendered and the North African campaign was brought to a finish - their next battle was at the 2nd Battle for Cassino along with the Kiwi's.

    Cheers
     
  17. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Tom - what I meant was how did the person who sent her that know he was in the 1st Bn?
     
  18. Scary John

    Scary John Junior Member

    Hello everyone, I wonder if someone can help me? My Father was in the Royal Sussex 1954 -1956 ending his service in Korea. He has recently added a 1944 Bedford to his military vehicle collection that he takes to MVT shows in the Lincolnshire area. Has anyone got any pictures of vehicle markings used by the Royal Sussex in 1944? And any information as to where the regiment were during this time? It would be nice if he could display the vehicle in his old regiment colours correct for the age of the vehicle.
     
  19. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Welcome to the forum John I have sent you an
    email and will sort out what information I have
    and send it to you.

    Cheers
    Kieron
     
  20. dsms20

    dsms20 Junior Member

    Hello to all.

    I have found this thread about the Royal Sussex very interesting. My late Father served in the 5th Batt. He joined long before WW2 and went to France with the BEF on outbreak with the Batt. At this time he was a corporal and in the Bren Carrier section. His time in France was relatively short lived however as he was seriously wounded in action in or around Wortegem in May 1940.

    I am trying to piece together the events surrounding the action when he received his wound without much success. The Batt war diaries at Kew are very sketchy, uninformative give no information. The only info I have been able to glean is from a book I have about the 4th Batt who were in the same area at the time and the author reports seeing the carriers of the 5th going through the town and advancing towards where the enemy was, his account then shifts back to the 4th and his own experiences.
    The only thing I know is that my fathers carrier was hit by a mortar round and he was wounded. I know nothing of the how/why etc of the action.
    The other thing I would like to find out about is what would have happened to him after he received his wound. I have obtained his medical records from the army which shows his being repatriated to the UK in very late May 1940 and being admitted to St Lukes Hospital Bradford where he underwent treatment for Gas Gangrene and his wound, there is no info on the casualty card or his medical records of any treatment in France/Belgium, his repatriation route (just prior to the full blown Operation Dynamo), assessment/treatment when initially back in England and how/why he was sent up to Bradford. Hospital records are again somewhat sketchy, they are basically just temperature charts and personal detail forms not medical records as such. They do show that after some 10 months or so he was sent back to barracks at Chichester where he underwent various activities but was found not to be able to complete route marches etc so was sent to hospital in Goodwood where he was assessed and declare to be unfit for duty due to his wound and was returned to barracks for discharge from service.

    Would anyone know where I may try and research further into the above, any clues would be gratefully received.

    As I mentioned I do have a copy of the book relating to the 4th Batt, and I am very fortunate to have a copy of the book by EAC Fazan called Cinque Ports Battalion which provides a potted history of the 5th. If I can from these provide any info to anyone I would be only too pleased to try and assist.

    I have also attended the Chichester records office which holds a lot of information about the Regt. From these I was fortunate enough to find reference to my Father (and another two of his brothers) with details of his sporting achievements pre war at camp. I also found photographs of him from when he was a member of the Band pre war. I would recommend anyone interested in the Regt to pay a visit to there if they can, the staff are most helpful and they hold a lot of general info.
     
    von Smallhausen and Owen like this.

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