What do you want / did you get for Christmas?

Hi Jim
Please can you help me. I recently read Return Via Dunkirk and wondered which Battery it refers to, I am a new member hear .
Many thanks
Kevin

 

Hi Kevin, welcome aboard.

Gun Buster was, in fact, Captain Richard Austin, an officer in 368 Battery, 92nd Field Regiment. As I have already bored many here with already this was my grandfather’s battery and regiment too.

You can see Captain Austin listed here in the officers on strength roll from the regiment’s diary, January 1940. You will also see a Captain W. D. Topley listed herein - I believe this to be the officer called “Tops” that Austin also mentions in the book:



I am currently posting my grandfather’s letters to my grandmother on here, one thread from his time with the BEF, the other from when he gets home from Dunkirk. Funnily enough, in one of his letters, my grandad writes about the fire in the barn that, you may recall, Gun Buster devotes a chapter to, Chapter IX “Fire and Fireworks”. My grandad was one of those in that barn and he writes about that incident in his letter dated 18 December 1940.

The threads:

A letter home from the BEF

A letter home…Walter’s War

The 92nd also feature in this excellent thread by fellow member Christian Luyckx, an action described again in the book (the windmill!):

BEF rearguard action at De Moeren/Bulskamp (May 29th till May 31st 1940)

 

Thanks for stepping in and answering Martin; you've provided a better answer than I ever could! And I wasn't demurring on a reply; I pulled a late one into the early hours this morning on Kiwi time. I've only surfaced within the last half hour

Again, many thanks. New member Kevin Bodle will be well pleased with you I'm sure.

Kind regards, what time is it? Always,

Jim.

 

Hello Kevin.

Please see Martin's (forum member "Wobbler") superb reply at post #362 above. A more informative reply than you could wish for!

Welcome to the forum, and good luck with your research.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Hi Jim, Thanks so much, thats really useful. My grandfather was in the 77th Medium Regt Duke of Lancashire’s OwnYeomanry and got to Normandy on the 15th June 1944. I so enjoyed the book as it was written in ‘real’ time and having read many accounts of Dunkirk he conveyed the scene in the most graphic and harrowing narrative I have come across. Despite being in my 60’s I am currently studying for a BA in Military History at Kent so this forum will be a great help. thanks again.Kevin

 

You’ve probably already had a look round, but here’s a thread or two you may find of interest:

77 (DLOY) Medium Regiment/63 Medium Regiment

How did 189706 Rev Joseph IRISH, RA Chaplain receive two Belgian Awards for gallantry?

77 (Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry) Medium Regiment RA (TA) - The Royal Artillery 1939-45

It may be a good idea to start a separate thread about your grandfather and his regiment, either in the Unit History (Royal Artillery) or the Research sections, see what other information and help that may bring.

 

Early night refers Jim.

 

A list of small, modestly priced chosen items has been passed to the Domestic Chief of Staff for discreet dissemination, so that Grandpa can be pleasingly surprised on Xmas morning next ....
......two books and some tubes of quirky shades of oil paint.

Nothing from that rather uncommon emporium at 25 The Strait, Lincoln, although a small, hopefully thought inspiring piece was sourced there earlier for someone, for whom it will have meaning.

Some other uncommon items seen amongst today's window display are shown below:




Some Members here may be interested. Other sources may carry similar items.

 

I will ask for two new books on the Civil War, some new winter pajamas and a bottle of Parrot Bay coconut rum.