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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: billbir on Thursday 16 July 09 19:09 BST (UK)
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My father, the above, was in the 7th Army, 11th Hussars - The Desert Rats and drove a tank. I know that his Army No. was 7953799. He seemed, from the stories he told me, as a child, to have been right through from North Africa, Italy and through into Germany. I would very much like to understand what he went through and were he was at a particular time in the War. Can anyone help/guide me, please?
Bill
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Hi Bill
i have a relative who was a desert rat and recently died, and i did some checking as he wouldn never talk
much about it, so i did do some checking and there is LOADS of info
here is a few for you to start with :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7th_Armoured_Division_(United_Kingdom)
http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/history.htm
http://www.desertrats.memorialassoc.btinternet.co.uk/northafricanmappage.htm
http://www.ddaycasualties.com/7armdiv.htm
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Les
Thanks for the links.I will get on to them tomorrow.
Bill
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Your father's regimental number checks out - 7953799 is in the block allotted to the Royal Armoured Corps. The 11th Hussars served as an armoured car (not tank) regiment in 7th Armoured Division throughout the War and were by any standards a prestigous regiment.
The link to the 7 Armd Div website will be very helpful to you and you'll find many pictures of the 11th Hussars on the internet.
Mike
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Mike
Thanks for your reply and particularly your view that, the 7th Armoured 'were by any standards a prestigious regiment' That makes me pretty proud! I am pretty sure that my father was one of the first armoured vehicles into Berlin. I have a number of photos taken at the time. Also I know that he competed in the Berlin stadium in a post victory athletics tournament. The only confusion I have, is that I am fairly sure that he did drive a tank (Churchill) was mentioned. Are you saying that this would not be compatible, with him being in the 7th Armoured?
Regards
Bill
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Mike
I have just spoken to my mother aged 86 and she confirms that my father drove an armoured vehicle NOT a tank, as I had thought. She also says that he was the first armoured car into Holland NOT Berlin. I also asked her where he was on D Day, but she cannot recall.
Sorry if I have mislead anyone but this is why I need to get the facts.
Bill
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les_looking
I have visited the website http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/history.htm, which was very interesting. I particularly looked at the War Diaries, but could not find any mention of my father although other Troopers were mentioned, so a bit disappointing. Also, do you know how to email Ian A Paterson, as his link on the website would not work and I read somewhere that he had introduced a page to 'Stop the Spam Engines' Perhaps he thinks that I am a 'Spam Engine' and will not let me in?
Bill
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To my astonishment I have found the World War 2 War Diaries of the 11th Hussars on the Internet:
www.warlinks.com/armour/11_Hussars/index.html
A bit of light reading for you (and you'll learn exactly where the regiment was on D Day
Mike
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Mike
Thanks for the link but all I got was:-
(none)
80.47.131.227
/armour/11_Hussars/index.html
www.warlinks.com
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.1) Gecko/20090715 Firefox/3.5.1 GTB5 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729) Tiscali Netphone v1.0.7
404
Even when I went into warlinks.com I got nowhere. Help please!
Bill
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The 11th Hussars link.
Please enter it manually with one alteration:
replace the upper case H in Hussars
with a lower case h (as in hussars)!
It worked perfectly form just now.
Mike
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Mike
Thanks for that. A it happens, I think that I had already seen this on:-
http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/history.htm which was why my earlier message asked how I could contact Ian A Paterson. The Diaries, unfortunately, make no reference to my Father, although other Troopers are mentioned. So I do not think that I have moved forward too much, or am I being pessimistic?
I have just completed a request for Service Records, Certificate of Kinship, which my Mother will sign, when next I see her. So his records may throw something up.
Thanks for your help.
Bill
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hello
I have the original, typed, newsletter for the 11th hussars that would have ben sent to wives etc at home. it covers he period 1st sept 1944 - 28th feb 1945. it is signed b col. wainman and it rather casually tells of their activities during this period. it also has a rollof honour stating deaths, wounded, prisoners of war, missing and madals awarded.also there is a list of approx 180 soldiers from nco's to troopers.
i think that your dad is on the list, i wont put the full address in case you still live there but it is typed as follows
Tpr. Birchall W. 1- - Nunts Ln. (lane ?) Coventry
my grandad, Ray Dodds-Carr was in the 11th hussars but i dont know which squadron. he landed on D Day but i have only ever read a few mentions of the advance party of the 11th hussars.any ideas ?
i will try to make some time and scan in the documents and some photos.
interestingly i also have a german naval dress dagger, one of their battles going into germany was against a mixture of troops including kreigsmarines, maybe it came rom there
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Hi Steve,
What a great message to receive! That is certainly my Dad and that was the address of my Grandmother, where we lived for a short time during the War. My two uncles were in the Royal
Marines and Fleet Air Arm and my Dad in the Desert Rats. It would be great to see whatever you have got and I will try to dig out some photos. My Mum is still alive 86 and can still re
ember his Army no.
I have sent off for his Army Records. Coincidentally, my Dad also brought home a german dagger, though as I was too young, my uncle finished up with it.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Bill
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Steve,
On the 27 Aug you said 'I will try to make some time and scan in the documents and some photos'.
I would love to see them. Any chance soon?
Regards
Bill
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apology Bill hadn't noticed this until now
this link contains many other links
http://en.allexperts.com/e/0/11th_hussars.htm
more contacts here?
http://www.desertrats.memorialassoc.btinternet.co.uk/contactus.htm
you may have seen this via the other links
http://www.desertrats.memorialassoc.btinternet.co.uk/index.htm
there are many posts on here from ex 11th hussars and relatives
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/search/index.shtml?scope=ww2peopleswar&q=11th+hussars+&x=18&y=14
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/69/a4888669.shtml
should keep you going for a while lol
and hopefully you can get your scans
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Les
Thanks for your interest and the links, they will certainly keep me occupied for some time.
Bill
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Steve,
Sorry to pester you, but I do not recall ever getting anything from you after this reply of the 27 Aug.
Any chance, as the person you mentioned, is definitely, my father.
Bill Birchall
hello
I have the original, typed, newsletter for the 11th hussars that would have ben sent to wives etc at home. it covers he period 1st sept 1944 - 28th feb 1945. it is signed b col. wainman and it rather casually tells of their activities during this period. it also has a roll of honour stating deaths, wounded, prisoners of war, missing and madals awarded.also there is a list of approx 180 soldiers from nco's to troopers.
i think that your dad is on the list, i wont put the full address in case you still live there but it is typed as follows
Tpr. Birchall W. 1- - Nunts Ln. (lane ?) Coventry
my grandad, Ray Dodds-Carr was in the 11th hussars but i dont know which squadron. he landed on D Day but i have only ever read a few mentions of the advance party of the 11th hussars.any ideas ?
i will try to make some time and scan in the documents and some photos.
interestingly i also have a german naval dress dagger, one of their battles going into germany was against a mixture of troops including kreigsmarines, maybe it came from there
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Steve,
You said 'hello
I have the original, typed, newsletter for the 11th hussars that would have ben sent to wives etc at home. it covers he period 1st sept 1944 - 28th feb 1945. it is signed b col. wainman and it rather casually tells of their activities during this period. it also has a roll of honour stating deaths, wounded, prisoners of war, missing and madals awarded.also there is a list of approx 180 soldiers from nco's to troopers.
i think that your dad is on the list, i wont put the full address in case you still live there but it is typed as follows
Tpr. Birchall W. 1- - Nunts Ln. (lane ?) Coventry
my grandad, Ray Dodds-Carr was in the 11th hussars but i dont know which squadron. he landed on D Day but i have only ever read a few mentions of the advance party of the 11th hussars.any ideas ?
i will try to make some time and scan in the documents and some photos.
interestingly i also have a german naval dress dagger, one of their battles going into germany was against a mixture of troops including kreigsmarines, maybe it came from there'
As we are now past the anniversary of you saying that you would send me some scanned documents concerning my father, I thought that I would send you a reminder. I tried to send you a personal reply but without success, so here goes with this method.
Hopefully
Bill