Hello everyone: I am new to the forum and the proud daughter of a former guardsman (Coldstream) with the Guards Armoured Division, 6th Guards Tank Brigade. Their experiences during WWII are of great interest to me.
Hi Greta, Welcome to the forum. Have you done any research on the 6th Guards Tank Brigade yet? They seem to of fought through northern Europe after landing on 20 July 1944 at either Sword or Gold beach. I would be interested to read what you have managed to find out so far. I hope that you have managed to get some information from you Dad, its a priceless resource. Sniper
Hi Greta, Two of my uncles Bobby and David Mills were with the Coldstream Guards in North Africa. Hope you enjoy the forum Cheers Keith
Thank you both for your responses. My Father died in 1987. Unfortunately, when one should ask the right questions, one does not. My keen interest only really began after reading "Band of Brothers" in 2001. There are references to the Guards Armoured in that book and it really amused me when the 82nd Airborne were told not to ridicule the way that the Guardsmen spoke. The Americans were informed that the Guards were from the aristocracy; my Father was a former steelworker from County Durham. I know that my Father's unit liberated the Bergen-Belsen camp and I never knew this until I started reading about the unit's experiences. My Father never talked about it and back in 1977 when I did happen to ask him where he was during WWII, all he said was "the Ardennes." I have several books in my collection with regard to "Goodwood" and "Caen." When next in the U.K., I plan on visiting the Imperial War Museum and picking some more books on the 6th Guards Tank Brigade. I live in Michigan in the U.S.
Hi Greta, Thats a long way to come to get a couple of books. I also wish i had talked to my dad about his experiences in Korea, it took me years to find out what unit he was with. If there is anything we can help you with then please just ask and we will do what we can. Please have a look around the forum and join in with the chat thats going on. Kind regards Sniper
Yes, that is a long way to come just for books. Sometimes I am able to order books about the Guards Armoured Division in the U.S. and have ordered from military book stores in the U.K. During my next visit to the U.K., I will be taking my Father's WWII medals to the Guards Museum in London to be cleaned. Apparently, they have retired guardsmen who do this. Also, I will be taking a trip to Normandy with my brother and sister-in-law to visit the invasion beaches, museums and everything entailed. I have observed that they have the better books in U.K. bookstores with regard to the Guards Armoured. American military bookstores focus mainly on the American side of things. Yes, I will enjoy this World War II Chat Forum and thank you. Kind regards. Greta
Hi Greta, When is your next planned visit to this side of the pond? I would love to visit the invasion beaches at some stage, its just getting the time to do it. Have you checked Amazon for your books? I'll be checking through my books this weekend for any mention of your Dad's unit and will let you know if i find anything which may interest you. Sniper
welsome to the forum Greta (i'm a bad Mod, am always late). my grandfather was RASC and I understand he was sent to Belsen a week after liberation. Despite asking him manay many questions he would never answer them, and it took tricking him into giving his service number to get his records, which threw up far more questions than answers. I am sure your time at the guards museum will be fantastic (my father was Household Cavalry, so pfft! to the Coldstreams ) as will your time in France. And sniper, I promise on day we will get there. I have a silver tea service to locate on Dunkirk beach.
Guards: Well, I did travel to the U.K. in May of last year to meet up at Heathrow with a friend from Dublin. We travelled into London and went to the Trooping of the Colour on June 12th followed up with a visit to the Guards Museum. I had not been to London in 40 years and enjoyed it so much that I cannot wait to get back. The Normandy trip is still in the planning stages and will hopefully take place sometime within the next two years. I have ordered some books from Amazon before. Some books about the Guards Division that are sold on E-Bay tend to be extremely expensive. I did order a reprint from a military bookstore in Kent last December but unfortunately it is a big snooze. The last third of the book is a section about throwing hand grenades etc. Well, the book was published in 1956 and I found it very disappointing.
Hi Greta, I hope you enjoyed the trooping of the colours, its what us Brits are all about, pomp and pagentry, haha. Do you know which beach your dad would of landed on? It seems he landed at either Gold or Juno beach as the brigade was landed over both beaches. The delay being due to Field Marshal Montgomery refusing to deploy the Brigade, only reversed following Winston Churchill's approach to King George VI. The Brigade comprised of three different guards battalions, those being 4th Tank Battalion Grendier Guards 4th Tank Battalion Coldstream Guards 3rd Tank Battalion Scots Guards Try this link for some photos of the Brigade during the war. photographsofcoldstreams - 6thguardstankbrigade Hope this helps with a little more information. Sniper [Mike]
Hello Mike: Thank you very much indeed for the splendid photos. I have not seen those before and really enjoyed them. Also, I have forwarded them on to my brother and sister-in-law in Marton (Middlesbrough) as I know they will enjoy them as well. Yes, the Trooping of the Colour is a marvellous occasion and was made even more so for myself as I knew that my Father had paraded there long ago. I was amused with the retired guardsman at the front desk at the Guards Museum as he let my friend and I in for only one pound each when I told him that my Dad was with the Guards Armoured. Cheers. Greta
Actually, I don't think I have ever known for certain which beach my Dad landed on. I will send my brother an e-mail and ask him.
Mike: Per an e-mail just in from my sister-in-law indicating that the Guards Division came in on the Mulberry Harbours.
Hi Greta, The one that your Dad would of landed on was at Gold Beach at Arromanches-les-Bains. The American Mulberry was wrecked by a storm 10 days after it was installed and that one was at Omaha beach. The British one became known as Port Winston which was used for over 8 months even though it was meant to be used for only 3 months. Your Dad would of been one of 2.5 million men that landed on the harbour along with 4 million tonnes of supplies and 500,000 vehicles. Hope that helps and i hope that when you make the trip over there you will visit Gold beach where i believe that some of the Mulberry Harbour is still visible. Regards Sniper [Mike]
Hello Mike: Thank you for your update and the helpful information. I have bits and pieces of info that I have learned over the years but really have not put it all together yet. I find a lot of Americans are quite fascinated when I talk about the Guards Armoured during WWII in north-west Europe; however, it makes one feel better knowing that one has the correct information. Well, I tend to tell those that are interested and even those who are not. Cheers. Greta
Hi Greta Its always fun to tell people if they are not interested because sometimes they suddenly sit up and take notice that they are not the only persons in the world that have had family killed or maimed in the wars that have ravaged this world in the last century. Its even more satisfying when they ask you how to find out more information of their family. So where was your Dad from? And how did you come to be in the US? Cheers Mike
My Father grew up in Consett in County Durham as did my brother and myself. I emmigrated to the U.S. in 1970 after having married a U.S. serviceman I met in London of that same year. Obviously, I am well settled here but still like to visit the U.K. from time to time. I always find it interesting to see all the changes in the U.K. Although, after all these years I feel more like a tourist whilst there. Cheers. Greta
Hello Paul: I believe my Father drove a Sherman Tank. He also had knowledge of Rolls Royce engines and received the training whilst in the army. Before the Guards went to Wiltshire Plains, he was a Guardsman at Windsor Castle protecting this current Queen and her sister when they were still princesses. Cheers. Greta
I am currently reading "The Forgotten Battle; Overloon and the Maas Salient 1944-45; authors A. Korthals Altes & N.K.C. In't Veld. This book is well written and keeps one's interest. For anyone interested in the experiences of XXX Corp and the Guards Armoured, this is a must read. Greta
