Royal Sussex Regiment

Discussion in 'Regiment Histories' started by Jeff Spiers, Apr 7, 2008.

  1. Airborne

    Airborne Member


    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
     
  2. Airborne

    Airborne Member

    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
     
  3. Airborne

    Airborne Member

    Happy New Year Everyone!!
     
  4. Jeff Spiers

    Jeff Spiers Guest

    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


     
  5. Harry Rogers

    Harry Rogers New Member

    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
     
  6. m.goddings

    m.goddings New Member

    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
     
  7. Harry Rogers

    Harry Rogers New Member

    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
     
  8. m.goddings

    m.goddings New Member

    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
     
  9. Harry Rogers

    Harry Rogers New Member

    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
     
  10. m.goddings

    m.goddings New Member

    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
     
  11. Harry Rogers

    Harry Rogers New Member

    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
     
  12. Airborne

    Airborne Member

    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.
     
  13. dsms

    dsms Member

    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.
     
  14. Harry Rogers

    Harry Rogers New Member

    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
     
  15. m.goddings

    m.goddings New Member

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

    Kitty New Member

    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?
     
  17. John

    John Active Member

    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
     
  18. Harry Rogers

    Harry Rogers New Member

    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
     
  19. Harry Rogers

    Harry Rogers New Member

    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
     
  20. Keith

    Keith New Member

    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
     

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