Join the Association
Please join us by contacting, in the first instance, the National Chairman, National Vice – Chairman or National Treasurer (click here for contact details)
Alternatively, click here to download a membership application form
Please join us by contacting, in the first instance, the National Chairman, National Vice – Chairman or National Treasurer (click here for contact details)
Alternatively, click here to download a membership application form
Session expired
Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.
Hi
Does Anyone know much about party oboe & hms fabius & work done at trieste/malta
My grandad served in the royal navy 43-47 and his service records show the above both notes of the above areas/places but there isn’t much Information available online.
I think he may have down a lot of work on shore but again I really don’t know, his records don’t indicate a trade, only that he was a hostility only sailor, rank able seaman. Medals, 39-45 star, Italy star and the ww2 39-45 medal.
Also, his records indicate in one section ; lent – Austria for 8 days in October 45, no idea what for.
Thanks
Mark
Many thanks Frank for your suggestion on the 12th. August. I’ll give that a try.
Regards.
Peter.
Frederick Thomas Nazer
14325021
My late father joined the 74 LAA Regiment RA, in September 1943 and was in Italy from August 1944. Unfortunately he did not talk much about his experiences. He kept a rather sparse diary, in which he says he was in Anzio, Rome, Montelupo, Castlenova, Cassino and other places. On the 25th August, he was in Montelupo and he states he was in the front line for first time. He joined the Buffs in April, 1945.
I wondered whether anyone could give me any further information on conditions, etc.
Many Thanks
Lynn Croft
Lynn. 1st Battalion Buffs took in a lot of former Light Anti Aircraft chaps after these units were disbanded because the German air threat had gone away. 74 LAA Regt RA arrived in Malta in the form of two batteries in the autumn 1940. It was formed on 21 Feb 41 on Malta and was located at Takali airfield and Binjemma under 7th Anti-Aircraft Brigade. 59 Battery was disbanded on Malta on 8 Jul 43. The Regt was sent to join 2nd AA Brigade on Sicily in Jul 43 and served with it on Sicily until 3 Sep 43, when it crossed into Italy with the Brigade. 352 Battery was added on 6 Aug 43. It landed at Reggio on 3 Sep 43 and remained under the Brigade in Italy under 8th Army until Jul 44. It then joined 62 AA Brigade until the Regt was disbanded. The Regt was attached to 12th South African Motorized Brigade on 25 Aug 44 – part of 6 SA Armoured Division as infantry until 28 Sep 44. It was disbanded on 18 Dec 44. Disbandment was completed on 8 Jan 45.
Hi Frank. Thank you very much for the information you have given me. I thought that dad was only in the Buffs and it was only when I found his service record that I discovered he’d been in the 74 LAA Regiment. According to his diary he was still in Italy in December 46 and left on the TS Empire on the 9th December 46. I just wondered what they would have been doing during this time.
Kind regards
Lynn
Lynn.
Does his Service Record say exactly when he joined 1 Buffs? Was it before or after 13 Apr 45? I ask because the battalion got very, very badly mauled on 13 Apr 45 during the break in to the Argenta Gap and it would be good to know whether he was involved in the battle or whether he joined afterwards to fill the empty ranks.
Regards
Frank
Frank. he joined 1 buffs, no 1 platoon on the 26th April 1945,so looks like he was one of the reinforcements. On the 5th June he has written in his diary that they were expecting bombs from Tito again tonight. Thank you for this extra information.
Regards
Lynn
Lynn.
1 Buffs joined 24 Guards Brigade in Mar 45 and so was part of the force that liberated Trieste in May 1945. Soon after, the Brigade lost its ‘Guards’ title as the Guards units were withdrawn from the Brigade and it became 24th Independent Infantry Brigade, the infantry element of the Trieste Garrison – BETFOR (British Element Trieste Force). BETFOR was a deterrent to Tito seizing Trieste and was there until well into the 1950s.
Regards
Frank
Lynn.
1 Buffs were through the Argenta Gap by 26 Apr 45. The battalion did not join in the pursuit to Trieste and had stopped at Crespino on the northern bank of the River Po on 25 Apr 45. He would have joined them there. The Regt History records that the battalion lost 153 men during the Final Offensive – in effect a complete Rifle Company and the battalion had three, so he would have been a welcome addition.
I am off to Italy at the end of the month – Covid willing, to look at the Final Offensive.
Regards
Frank
Frank
Thank you very much for all the information you have given me. Hope that you have a successful trip.
Best wishes
Lynn
Great reading these posts esp regarding 1st Bn The Buffs, my late father served in the Buffs at this time.
I’ve got parts of the Regimental Diary somewhere, but l do recall him telling me about getting almost to Trieste and then having to pull back.
Great to read about 1 Buffs , a truly fine line regiment .
If you manage to find the regimental diary do you think there might be details that could be of interest to me? My dad was in the Buffs until August 1947.
Thanks
Lynn
Dave.
Get hold of me through enquiries@cassinobattlefields.co.uk and I will happily send you the whole story of 1 Buffs’ brutal experience at Fossa Marina at the entrance to the Argenta Gap on 13 Apr 45. It would be good to know which Company he was in.
Regards
Frank
Hi Lynn,
I have an idea where it is so l will dig it out and see what the dates are, l seem to recall it was for an Anzio Dinner that l was involved with so would be from March 1944 to the end of WW2, but will check.
Kind Regards
Dave
Hi Dave, I came across this forum recently. My late father joined the 1st Bn The Buffs, either 1940 or 1942. I have almost no info about his time serving. I have his soldiers service & pay book. In it was mentioned he embarked on 12 Feb 42 and therefore completed 4 yrs Pythonable service feb 46. He was a CSM rank. I have no idea what that means. I also remember he and I I visited Anzio back in the 60s…something to do with a little girl in the battle there? Maybe rescued by the Buffs?
I am guessing and would love any info you may have.my father never talked about the war.
Thanks
Anna
Anna.
Get hold of me through enquiries@cassinobattlefields.co.uk and I will happily send you more information on 1 Buffs at Anzio and afterwards. 1 Buffs were sent to Anzio as part of 18 Infantry Brigade to take over from 24 Guards Infantry Brigade who were horribly mauled in the first few weeks. After Anzio they were switched to support 1 Armoured Division for the assault on the massive Gothic Line at Rimini and, after that, switched again to 56 Infantry Division for the Final Offensive in Apr 45. You might want to read the whole story of 1 Buffs’ brutal experience at Fossa Marina at the entrance to the Argenta Gap on 13 Apr 45.
A CSM is a Company Sergeant Major. Every Company in 1 Buffs had a CSM in it. He was the senior non-officer soldier in the Company and responsible for discipline and coordinating all administrative issues.
Regards
Frank