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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: newkid90 on Sunday 15 May 11 19:55 BST (UK)
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My father was involved in Operation Battleaxe. I have a picture of his group with a tank in the background. Sign on the tank says 46 F Troop. Can somebody id this particulat unit as i am trying to find out more details.
Photo is attached
Thanks any help is appeciated
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My father was involved in Operation Battleaxe. I have a picture of his group with a tank in the background. Sign on the tank says 46 F Troop. Can somebody id this particulat unit as i am trying to find out more details. Also have partial info indicating H.A.A. R.A. 153
Photo is attached
Thanks any help is appeciated
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Newkid, is there any chance you can zoom in one one of the cap badges.
I suspect it is one of the Royal Tank regiments but cant be sure from the photo
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A closer look suggest that the fomration sign is that of the 78th Infanty Division (The Battle Axe Division)
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Thanks for your help englandphil. It is a starting point, but i still need to find out what unit he was in. His records indicate H.A.A. R.A. 153, but i am curious about the sign on the tank.
I have a badge also that is from
Royal Artillery
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If you can get a large image of the photo it may be possible to make out a cap badge or the shoulder patch on the guy's arm on the left handside of the photo.
It is quite possible that he served with a number of units, but it could relate to 153 Heavy AA Regiment RA(TA) but they never left the UK and wouldnt have been in Africa. The 153 could be a battery number and not the regiment number
http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/haa/page115.html
The photo looks later than 42 as it looks as if some men are wearing a medal Ribbon.
Have done a bit more digging. It could be 153 Battery, 51 HAA Regiment RA (4 AA Brigade) who where in NA in 1941.
You might want to try posting on www.ww2talk.com as there are some Arty experts and also a Veteran of the 78th Div
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Can anyone identify the hills in the background? Could it be at Bovington Camp or on the fringe of Salisbury Plain?
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Can anyone identify the hills in the background? Could it be at Bovington Camp or on the fringe of Salisbury Plain?
Scouse boy, looking at the Khaki uniforms, I would suspect Italy or possibly even Austria which is where the 78th Division ended up.
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Newkid, I have posted on ww2talk on your behalf. Lets see what comes back.
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/searching-someone-military-genealogy/35641-f-troop-h-royal-artillery-78th-battleaxe-infantry-division.html#post395168
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I don't think that's a tank. I think it's an M10 Wolverine self-propelled gun with the turret facing backwards. If it's a Wolverine it would have been operated by a Royal Artillery unit.
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http://battlefield.wikia.com/wiki/M10_Wolverine
sylvia
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How about this for Service.
The 46 denoted the Divsional Anti-Tank Regiment in 78 Div that was 64th Anti-Tank Regiment RA.
On their right arm is a two coloured diamond with GY on it.
From 78 Div history page 231, might have been taken then.
On July 6 a Divisional Ceremonial Victory Parade was held at Spittal. The large area formed by the Drau Valley in the surrounding hills made a wonderful setting....
....64 Anti-tank Regiment had their self propelled guns on parade.
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/searching-someone-military-genealogy/35641-f-troop-h-royal-artillery-78th-battleaxe-infantry-division.html#post395182
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Terrific - thank you. I know he was in NA, Italy and Austria. Things are starting to make sense now. What i am thinking is, that he was in 153 haa ra in England and when he was posted he went to 78 Division. Where did you get the 78 Div history Page 231.
I really appreciate your help in this matter. I am digging out some more photos to see if i have any more info. thanks again.
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Thanks to everyone else who have contributed to this research - i really appreciate your efforts
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Hi There
This site is worth taking a look at.
http://www.46btyoca.com/battery-history.html
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Boy you guys are good!!!! I just found documents from my mother. The photo was.....wait for it......Taken 25th August 1945 in......AUSTRIA. Right on the money aaaand i did some further research and that is definitely a Wolverine. I cannot thank you guys enough.
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My late brother was in the Royal Artillery (25 pounders) and fought in Tunisia, Sicily and Italy, mainly as a member of 17th Field Regiment within 78th Division. I have a detailed memoir of his experiences which tells me that he left northern Italy on May 10, 1945 and entered Austria, remaining there, in various specified locations, until the beginning of July 1945. At that point the Regiment was detached from the 78th and he spent several months in Milan. At the beginning of 1946 his unit reverted to the 78th which, he says "had stayed on in Carinthia throughout the preceding six or eight months based in and around Klagenfurt".
The official history may well be more specific about location but I thought I would mention it, just in case!
Chris
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Thank you for the helpful info Chris