Royal Sussex Regiment

Thanks Annie,
Yes i have most of that information, i have found the name of the Luftwaffe pilot who shot the arcraft down. Herbert upperton was the rear gunner, according to the German pilot the Gunner of the Halifax manned and fired his guns until the aircraft hit the water.
Thanks for the information
Regards
Steve

 

Hi DSMS,
Thanks for that information, yes i would like to dig deaper and find out what the 5th Bn were doing in May 1940. I think i will have to have a trip to Chichester and have a look through the archives. I am not sure where i got the information about an ambush on the withdrawal. At the same time 2nd Battalion were in the same area too. I would like to know more about them as my Grandfather ws with them before he transfered to the 2nd Bn Para Regt
Thanks anyway
Steve

 

Happy New Year Everyone!!

 

Hi Mike, sorry it taken so long to get back to you, I've only just seen your reply, I would be very interested in any pictures you may have of Dad, look forward to hearing from you

Kindest regards
Jeff

 

Royal Sussex Regiment / Monte Cassino

Hello Jeff

I know this post is over a year old, but I thought I would let you know that my father also served in the Royal Sussex Regiment, his details are:-

Raymond Rogers
14547605 Royal Sussex

He served in north Africa and Italy and many other places on route, when they arrived at Monte Cassino in Italy, they joined forces with other regiments, mainly the 36th Infantry Brigade consisting of The Buffs, The Royal West Kent Regiment and The Arggll and Sutherland Highlanders. The main commanding officer was Lt Col A J Oddling Smee and Brigadier R D Musson DSO. In 1946 my father ended up in Austria until the end of the war where he trained as an equestrian.
I do have a detailed list of all the places they visited from 21st Oct 1942 to 10th May 1945 and may be of interest to you.

Regards

Harry

 

Raymond Rogers

Hi Harry

Interested in your post to Jeff (his father was in the photos!) and particularly in your list of the postings. My father arrived in Egypt in Jan 43 and served with 1st Btn right the way through to Cassino where he was wounded. After the Gothic line offensive he was at Lake Garda and Rimini before sailing by LST to Greece, and then on to Austria (Klaggenfurt) by DC3 around the same time as your father. I would be very interested in your list of places as it would fill in a few gaps.

Kind Regards

Mike

 

Postings

Hello Mike

The list is long with a few comments, but you have to bear in mind that not all the Royal sussex regiments went to the same places, but they will be very similar and my list is transcibed from my fathers own notes, so sorry for any spelling mistakes and you would need an atlas to find where all the places are. I can confirm that my father was in Klaggenfurt, so possibly knew your father, I do have a few photographs from Austria, but have no idea who the people are exept for a person called "dante" allthough this could have been a nickname, here is the list.
21st Oct 42 Crieff Scotland
8th Oct 42 Off to Algiers
11th Nov 42 Bougie north Africa landing
16th Nov 42 Tabarka
24th Nov 42 Djebel Abiod
27th Nov 42 El Aquana Sedjanane Green hill and Bald Hill
18th Jan 43 Beja
21st Jan 43 Robaa First sight of Tiger tank
2nd Feb 43 Medjez El Bab
30th Mar 43 Tamara and Sedjenane Back to Green Hill
2nd Apr 43 Tebersouk extra help from r.a.f.
6th Apr 43 Qued Zarga Lots of corpses in fields
12th Apr 43 Toukabeur
24th Apr 43 Chassart Tefahar Major Jack Anderson gets V.C.
3rd May 43 Peters Corner the road to Tunis
8th May 43 Tunis
11th May 43 La Marsa
1st Jun 43 Guelma Hot and smelly dump
23rd Jun 43 Mammamet
9th Jul 43 Souse Joined eigth army
24th Jul 43 Sicily landed at Syracuse
26th Jul 43 Mineo
27th Jul 43 Raddusa
28th Jul 43 Libertina Moving round Etna
2nd Aug 43 Catenanuova Major Davis Colley Killed
3rd Aug 43 Ceturipe
6th Aug 43 Adrano Very smelly place
7th Aug 43 Bronte Even worse
20th Aug 43 Patti Lots of fresh grapes
21st Sep 43 Messina Crossing the narrow strait
22nd Sep 43 Italy landed at Reggio
23rd Sep 43 Cotrone
24th sep 43 Cagliano
25th Sep 43 Taranto
27th Sep 43 Trani bottle of Cognac for 50 lire
1st Oct 43 Foggia raf had already done the work
4th Oct 43 Termoli Major Jack Anderson is killed
7th Oct 43 Guglionesi
26th Oct 43 Pettacciato showered with 88mm
4th Nov 43 San Salvo crossing the river Trigno
5th Nov 43 Vasto Heavy missarable rain
7th Nov 43 Casalbordino hit with more 88mm
29th Nov 43 Torino Di Sangro Brigadier Howlett killed
3rd Dec 43 Campobasso Chrismas and New Year in hot sunshine
3rd Jan 44 San Servero heading north
5th Jan 44 Casoli
12th Feb 44 Labrino First rumours as to destination
19th Feb 44 Camigliano moving towards Cassino, not good
26th Feb 44 Mignano First view of the Monastery
29th Feb 44 San Michele attack on Cassino fails heavy losses
26th Apr 44 Capua Regrouping and licking wounds
15th May 44 Presenzano Training with tanks for attack on Cassino
16th May 44 Cassino Attacked Monastery with aid of raf very heavy losses
17th May 44 San Angelo Very hot and smelly
26th May 44 Aquino Max Monk killed
31st May 44 Ceprano another terrible place
6th Jun 44 Rome
11th Jun 44 Fabrica di Roma Germans are pulling out
16th Jun 44 Ficulle
19th Jun 44 Citta Della Piave a few prisoners on the way
27th Jun 44 Lago Trasimeno Brigadier Jimmy James killed
3rd Jul 44 Pacciano
5th Jul 44 Rome
13th Jul 44 Taranto prepairing for trip to Egypt
22nd jul 44 Egypt Alexandria
23rd Jul 44 Quassasin Miles and miles of sweet f.a.
15th Sep 44 Taranto Viva bloody Italia again
28th Sep 44 Giuliana
3rd Oct 44 Assisi
5th Oct 44 Filine Florencce Lots and lots of Vino
13th Oct 44 Castel Del Rio div HQ's winter dump
15th Oct 44 San Appolinare Jacky Moss killed
Spent winter in the mountains south of Bologna in terrible conditions
30th Mar 45 Russi Training with tanks
13th Apr 4 5 River Senio heaving going
14th Apr 45 Lugo
18th Apr 45 Consandolo prisoners starting come in
21st Apr 45 Ferrara Germans have had enough
5th May 45 Sacile Moving to Austria
9th May 45 Tolmezzo crossing the San Groce pass into Austria

I hope this helps to fill gaps, my father never talked much about his service, but I think the notes I found after he died tell it all.

Regards

Harry

 

Harry
Very many thanks for this. Having shown your list to my father, I think it may be that your father was in another Battalion as there seems to be very little ovelap in times and places. It seems your father not only arrived in North Africa earlier, he also embarked for Italy earlier too, via Sicily, whereas my father landed at Salerno, albeit after the main force. Also Cassino, in that my understanding is that 1 Btn were pulled out in March, and embarked for Greece in Dec1944 when your father was still in Italy. As you say, they may have been in Austria at the same time, but unfortunately after all these years, the name did not ring any bells, neither did those on the list, or the CO's. The officers Dad recalls were Glennie, Gratton, Smith (Italy) and Jack de Manio (N Africa)
Kind Regards
Mike

 

Hi Mike

I think my father must have been in a different battalion, I only know he was in the Royal Sussex and later they joined up with the Eight army before going to Italy, I also know that they were joined by the 36th Infantry Brigade as mentioned in my message to Jeff, so there must have been a lot of them together at some time. He did however talk about Austria and that he trained as an equestrian while he was there and I have his certificates.
Its hard for me to remember much of what he told me, but as soon as you mentioned Klaggenfurt I recognised the name, I also recall him mentioning Lienz or Lintz in Austria or something similar, but if your father cannot remember a horse training centre, then perhaps they were in different area's. I wish now I had asked more about his service days before he died, but the notes from his pocket book is realy all I have apart from a few photo's, the photo's are probably all from Austria, but there is little in the way of landscape to tell where they were taken.
Many thanks for the contact and I am glad to hear that your father is still alive, my father died 10 years ago and I am only just trying to put together all the family history and its amazing how little I know or can remember.

Regards

Harry

 

Hi Harry
You probably already know this, but as you have your father's service number, you can apply to the Public Records Office at Kew for his service history. This will give the Battalion he served in. You can then research the Btn War Diaries, which I believe are also at Kew. These should corroborate and fill in any gaps in your father's note book, and may give additional details. There is also a RSR archive held by West Sussex County Council at Roussilion Barracks Chichester which may be worth a visit. The chief archivist is Alan Readman and he is very helpful.
All the best
Mike

 

Hi Mike

Thanks for the info, I contacted kew and they told me that all army records after 1929 are still held by the M.O.D. and it cosst £30 to get them, which I think is a rip off, but it may be the only way to find the facts.
I did email the rousilion barracks, but did not get any response. I had a look at my fathers final certificate for his equitation training and it was at the royal army veterinary corps training centre no.5 dated 3rd May 1946, I had a search on the net and found that they did have a centre in Klagenfurt at this time, so this is the only thing that ties up so far.

I think I will have to apply for his service records, otherwise it will remain a mystery, but many thanks for your help.

Regards

Harry

 

Hi DSMS,
Have you looked to see if he is buried in Bertenacre cemetry Nord France. There are 29 graves of 5 Cinque Ports Bn RSR there.

 

Hi Airborne.

My father survived the war, so not buried in Bertenacre. He was evacuated back to England where he spent some considerable time in hospitals before being discharged unfit eventually. Only to join up again (2nd Lt) though he was once more discharged unfit due to his earlier wounds.

I have found copies of the book by Fazian and another which is an account of the 4th Batt journey through France alongside the 5th in which reference is made to the actions the 5th were involved with in and around Wertgarten in 1940 at the time/date when my father received his wounds. Was very interesting reading and worth while finding copies if you can.

 

Hi Mike

I know its been some time since I communicated on this site, but I thought I would let you know that I now have my fathers service records and it has shown why there are some differences in where and when he was posted. It turns out that allthough he was enlisted in the Royal Sussex regiment, he was then transfrred to the Duke of Cornwall light infantry and finally into The Buffs 5th btn, where he spent most of the war, so most of the listing that I sent to you is most likely mainly from his time in the Buffs, hence none of the names of commaning officers etc. were known to your father, but as a result I now have a fairly detailed account of his movements during his time in the armed forces, so it was well worth the £30 that I paid for his records.
Regards
Harry

 

Hi Harry
Sorry I missed your earlier response, but glad you got to the bottom of everything in the end. Mystery solved!
Regards
Mike

 

well done Harry on some long detective work!

Have you managed to get hold of any war diaries yet for The Buffs in order to start cross correlating?

 

I had a cousin killed in WW1 - Lt Nugent Charles Le Poer Trench whilst serving with East Sussex Regiment. My question is - Is East Sussex Regiment part of the Royal Sussex Regiment

 

Hi Kitty

Yes I have some war history from the Buffs movements in WWII and everything ties up with my fathers diaries, but I got so much more in my fathers records, as it is quite detailed, plus there was an address for my Mother as next of kin, when she was in the WLA, so I know have the details of the WLA Hostel where she was posted. The truth is, that it is probably the best £30 I have spent in a long time, and if anyone else is thinking of obtaining some service records, I can honestly say it is well worth it.

regards

Harry

 

John
As far as I can tell, there is no such regiment as East Sussex Regiment, but the museums and members meeting halls for the Royal Sussex Regiment are based in East Sussex.
If you have not allready looked, I would suggest having a look at The Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site, I found this site to be extremely good for tracing family members killed in WW1 and if he is listed it should confirm his rank and regiment.
Good Luck
Harry

 

Hi John,
An error can be made without due care.
There is a regiment called The East Surrey Regiment.
This is a possible explanation.
I must admit without reference to my lists I thought that, after reading the posts, that there was an East Sussex Regiment.
Only to find out when checking, that I too had made the mistake.

Cheers
Keith
Keith