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Armed Forces / Re: RHA Photos (with names) 1930's India
« on: Friday 24 June 11 19:29 BST (UK) »
Hi
My father was Gnr. Rawlingson (typical typo for our actual surname Rowlingson). He was friends with Beale and Cockings and kept his hockey cups until the day he died. He was stationed in Rawalpindi having run away from home (Cambridge) before being transferred to Egypt. I don't know if Beale of Cockings were in the same gun team. During a German offensive my dad's battery was overrun, and wiped out (his leg was shattered by machine gun fire). He was taken prisoner to a German field dressing station, which was later overrun by a British counter-attack. Packed into ambulances, he was then straffed by British aircraft, mistaking the small convey as a German one. He was in hospital in Alexendria, before being shipped back to the UK to convalesce. He returned to the RHA in Europe late 1944. When the war ended he was stable master at St.John's Wood barracks. He left the army in 1947.
I have only a few army photos of my dad and it was really surprising to see him in that one. He lost all his front teeth playing hockey for the army. He always believed his time out in India to be the best years of his life. Thanks for putting the picture up.
Regards
Andy
My father was Gnr. Rawlingson (typical typo for our actual surname Rowlingson). He was friends with Beale and Cockings and kept his hockey cups until the day he died. He was stationed in Rawalpindi having run away from home (Cambridge) before being transferred to Egypt. I don't know if Beale of Cockings were in the same gun team. During a German offensive my dad's battery was overrun, and wiped out (his leg was shattered by machine gun fire). He was taken prisoner to a German field dressing station, which was later overrun by a British counter-attack. Packed into ambulances, he was then straffed by British aircraft, mistaking the small convey as a German one. He was in hospital in Alexendria, before being shipped back to the UK to convalesce. He returned to the RHA in Europe late 1944. When the war ended he was stable master at St.John's Wood barracks. He left the army in 1947.
I have only a few army photos of my dad and it was really surprising to see him in that one. He lost all his front teeth playing hockey for the army. He always believed his time out in India to be the best years of his life. Thanks for putting the picture up.
Regards
Andy