8th Rifle Brigade (11th Armoured Division) website

Thanks, but none of them very similar to the wartime photo I am afraid. So, no idea of the exact location of that photo I assume?

 

No, it could be anywhere around the military installations. I can produce dozens of these pictures I'm afraid, they really were everywhere in the outskirts.

 

Some new photos added to 'Wanted' section of 8th Rifle Brigade website: http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/wanted/. Have a look, if you feel you might recognize members of the battalion or the locations they passed through, from June 1944 to May 1945!

 

Very pleased, to have recently received a platoon photo (and many more photos) from Musee La Percee du Bocage - at Saint Martin des Besaces, Normandy - and to have been able to identify it, as being of 9 'Scout' Platoon, G Company, 8th Rifle Brigade. Both photos can be seen at Group photos - 8th Rifle Brigade .

Edited 2/3/2020: certain about 8 faces appearing in both photos. In doubt about 10 other ones. One person identified: L/C Austin, back row, 5th from left.

 

Edited previous post (#64), after recognizing two more faces and one person being identified by his son: Lance Corporal Bob Austin.

 

New item and a collection of documents on Rfn. Maurice Williams, of 13 Platoon, H Company, 8th Rifle Brigade (11th Armoured Division) added to http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/. Rfn. Williams got wounded during Operation Epsom, on Hill 112, on 29 June 1944. In a few days - its first days in action - the battalion lost some 20% of its strength: 36 killed and 123 wounded.

All can be found in http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/members-of-the-bn/ and http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/other-documents/.

 

Now completed: series of 65 wartime maps showing the 8th Rifle Brigade's (11th Armoured Division) route, from Normandy to the Baltic, from 13 June 1944 to 8 May 1945. All 65 can be seen at http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/maps/

 

New page added to 8th Rifle Brigade (11th Armoured Division) website: http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/gallantry-awards/, containing recommendations and investiture photos of 30 gallantry awards won by the battalion, in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, between 13 June 1944 and 8 May 1945.

 

I have updated the list of members of the 8th Rifle Brigade in WW2 on http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/officersandmen/
It gives names, details and 156 photos of 1516 members of the battalion in WW2. The total number is far more than the battalion's nominal strength, of 856 officers and men. This is due mainly to the loss of 650 or more in killed and wounded.

If you have questions, or information to add, please do get in touch!

 

"Reading the English newspapers at the time, one would have thought that fighting had virtually ceased and that all we were doing was to motor along." In April 1945, just weeks before VE-Day, the 8th Rifle Brigade lost another 10% of its nominal strength, in killed and wounded, crossing six canals and rivers, capturing numerous towns and liberating Bergen Belsen concentration camp. The battalion's history for April 1945 is now described in http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/d-day-to-ve-day/

 

Five new faces added to the 1516 names of members of the 8th Rifle Brigade in WW2 on http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/officersandmen/.

 

Air views showing the routes through CHEUX and down to Hill 112 used during EPSOM. Much better than maps!

 

Thanks! Not sure what happened on and around Hill 112 between 30 June and 3 July 1944. What I'd like to know, are the tracks shown on these photos still the "Operation Epsom tracks" as left by the 11th Armoured Division?

 

Another four faces added to 1517 names of members of the 8th Rifle Brigade in WW2, on http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/officersandmen/ .
The 8th Rifle Brigade (part of the 11th Armoured Division), fought from Normandy to the Baltic. Out of a nominal strength of 856 officers and men, they lost some 652 in killed and wounded.

If you have photos or any other material to add, please let me know!

 

I have just added an item to the website, about Rifleman Roland Jefferson BEM, of E Company, 17 Anti-Tank Platoon.

From about 1981 to 2003 ‘Roly’ Jefferson was the National Standard Bearer for the Normandy Veteran’s Association. He represented the association during the 50th Anniversary of D-Day at Arromanche, on 6 June 1994 (see 6:00 - 7:30 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okirltx6hWM ).

 

Three new faces and loads of new information, based on Casualty Lists and Missing Personnel Files, have now been added to http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/officersandmen/ . The list contains names and much more, of 1535 members of the 8th Rifle Brigade in WW2, and of all 163 killed and 511 (i.e. virtually all) wounded in the battalion. Based on a nominal strength of 854 Officers and Men, the battalion suffered nearly 80% casualties, in their 11 months campaign from Normandy to the Baltic.'

Want to know more about the 8th Rifle Brigade? Take a look at http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/ , or become a member of
https://www.facebook.com/groups/8thriflebrigade/ .

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A new page has been added to the 8th Rifle Brigade website: http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/vehicles-and-weapons/ .
If you have additional information and sources on vehicle markings, or photos of the battalion's vehicles, men and equipment, during WW2, please reply to this post, or get in touch through http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/contact/ .

 

Hi, I just joined this site as I came across it during searches concerning my Great Uncle Harry Perry from F Company. He was KIA on the 21st July 44 aged 19. I know his Commanding Officer was Lt Philip Sedgwick who was also KIA in Holland in March 1945. On the website here http://8thriflebrigade.co.uk/organisation-8th-rifle-brigade there is a group photo of F Company and then 6 Platoon. I'm guessing Harry was in 6 Platoon ? Is there a better photo copy available. I'd love to pick out Harry to go with the other pictures and documents I have, which I would be willing to share....

 

Hi John, Good to see you found the website, but afraid I must disappoint you about the 6 Platoon photo. In a small note to the page you mentioned, I added the photos on that page are just an example and not those of the actual platoons. All group photos I have got are shown on Group photos - 8th Rifle Brigade . I am afraid I do not have photos of the individual F Coy platoons. There are, however, many more pages on the site that contain photos. So, if you'd recognise him, do give that a try! If you have a photo of your great uncle, I would very much like to have it!

Good luck with your search!

Ronald.

 

Ok thanks. I'll take the time to go through them. I do have a photo of my Great Uncle and also a copy of the hand written letter Lt Sedgwick wrote and sent to his parents expressing his sympathy for their sons death. Let me know how I can send them to you, via the website / email ? My family would love Harry to be remembered on your site.