Author Topic: Henry (Harry) Bryson Army joined prior to WW11 demobbed 1st Sept., 1944  (Read 333 times)

Offline Doreen Peacock

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D.o.b. 1910 Died 1978 in Londonderry. He was in the Army prior to WW11. Served in a number of regiments. Evacuated at Dunkirk in the rearguard pickups I believe.

Had his appendix taken out during the war.

Posted up at Berwick Upon Tweed early 1944. Demobbed in Sept 1st 1944 (injured?)  I don't know his regiments or Service No. Married Mary Elizabeth Murtagh and have 4 children (?) 3 girls  youngest Bernadette  and 1 boy Philip.  Worked in Post Office after the war in Derry. 

He was in Operation Chariot in March 1942. 

Would love to know more about Harry's War., and Remembrance groups of this raid and stories of the Forces taking part in this daring amphibian raid in 1942.

Harry was Friends with Sgt. David Hume Finnie in Parachute Regiment who was in Operation Biting in Bruneval in Feb 27/28Th 1942 - don't think they were both these operations together; but were friends in the N.E. England at some time.   Worked as crane driver after the war in Construction I believe. Married twice. 1 daughter Enid.  Lived in Gateshead.

Been in touch with Friends of Bruneval Remembrance Group in France, writing up details of soldiers capturing the radar equipment and operatives in daring raid in 1942.


Offline pogo99

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Re: Henry (Harry) Bryson Army joined prior to WW11 demobbed 1st Sept., 1944
« Reply #1 on: Monday 07 July 25 18:17 BST (UK) »
The only Army units on Op Chariot were No 2 Commando with demolition parties drawn from a few other army Commando units. David Finnie is confirmed in Max Hastings book on Op Biting as a Cpl at the time and was 1st to drop from his Whitley bomber, as you suspected no one of the name Bryson on that operation. It looks likely they struck up a friendship during Parachute training before joining their respective units.

Offline Doreen Peacock

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Re: Henry (Harry) Bryson Army joined prior to WW11 demobbed 1st Sept., 1944
« Reply #2 on: Friday 18 July 25 17:11 BST (UK) »
Thank you so much for the information of my Step-Grandfather David Hume Finnie,  who was involved in 'Operation Biting'. He was  one of the the  few people that the Remembrance Group from Bruneval were trying to 'place' in their Jigsaw that was Special to them, in their fight for freedom on that fateful night in Febrary, 1942.  They are nearing  the completion to name and locate all the men who were involved in the finding, location and retrieval of the Operators and Radar System they were sent to Liberate and so enable the U.K. to discover the improvements that the Germans had at their disposal to aid them locate with pinpoit accuracy of our aircraft at they were sent on their bombing raids. It has been estimated that Operation Biting helped reduced the length of the war by a number of months  once we discovered and  improved our Radar equipment to match equal, and better that of the Germans. Your information has helped fill in more details of th heroic lives of our ancestors who placed themselves in danger, so that others could remain free in England, with a chance of future lives  without living in fear in the shadow of  a monsterous tyrant. Your information is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Still trying to locate Henry (HARRY) BRYSON FROM LONDONDERRY WHO RE-ENLISTED FROM THE RESERVES, PRIOR TO WW11 AND DEMOBBED 1ST SEPT., 1944.