80 divisional signals

[john]

my father acording to mod records went into north west europe on the 13.06.44 with 80 divisional signals returning home on the 04.07.45 would he have landed at sword beach 7days after the 1st assault?????

[Jim]

Wish i could help you John, trying to find out this info so late after the battle can't be easy .. Good Luck with your Quest.

[john]

cheers jim its hard one to research i never seem to find any definate evidence of any of the regiments/corps/or battalions that my father was attached to other than one chap from 101 sub area signal section who was mentioned on a roll of honour. it also seems to me an awful long time to have been on foreign soil. its a pity but he would never talk about the war years thanks again jim the quest goes on.

[Jim]

Just another thing John, can you give the full regiment details that your Father was with please..

[john]

yeah no problem jim
this is my dads record off the mod.
the following particulars of the military service 14621182 signalman hugh ward- royal signals.
deemed to have been enlisted into the general service corps embodied territorial army and posted to 59 primary training wing 3.6.43
transferred to royal signals and posted to 5 signal training centre 29.7.43
posted to 6 technical training battalion 30.7.43
posted to 3 technical training battalion 15.4.44
posted to 80 divisional signals 27.5.44
posted to101 beach sub area signal section 1.7.44
posted to 17 line of communication 21.3.45
posted to 1 airborne corps of signals 7.8.45
posted to 1 depot battalion 27.4.46
posted to 2 depot regiment 21.9.46
discharged on re-enlistment 16.3.47
re-enlisted into the royal signals regular army and posted to
2 depot regiment 17.3.47
posted to 8th army signals 30.6.47
redesignated klagenfurt signal squadron 12.7.48
posted to 2 infantry divisional signals regiment 26.7.49
posted to 5 training regiment 6.2.51
discharged 1.7.52
cause of discharge: termination of engagement

service with the colours: 3.6.43 to1.7.52

overseas service: north west europe 13.6.44
british troops austria 23.6.47 to 22.7.49

served with the british army of the rhine 23.7.49 to 4.1.51

medals issued etc: 1939/1945 star, france and germany star, war medal 1939/1945.


this is an exact copy of the letter i recieved off the m.o.d cheers john.

[john]

hi jim
just thought as my father was posted to 1st airborne corps of signals 7.8.45 which would indicate that he had his wings do you think he could have dropped into battle??????

[Jim]

An impressive list here John, it is quite possible your Father dropping into battle after he received his wings.

[john]

thanks jim it is an impressive list just a pity that the m.o.d can't go into more detail. one thing he did say was that he volunteered for the paras because you got more pay for it and that is all he ever told me. i do wonder how accurate the war records are because it must have been one hell of a task keeping track of all our troops when i would imagine most records/accounts would have been hand written.

[john]

just noticed that i missed a date off my dads service record.
overseas service north west europe should have been 13.6.44 to 4.7.45.

[Jim]

Originally Posted by john

he did say was that he volunteered for the paras because you got more pay for it and that is all he ever told me.

I respect your Fathers decision to keep Mum about his War History John, he had his reasons.

A few years ago i was having a pint in my local club sitting with an old guy i knew as i grew up with his Son and even work with him now. I knew the old guy who went by the name of Charlie, he would often come and sit with us talking about our youth etc, until this one night he started talking fluent German as i had mentioned something about the War, his Son was gob smacked as he listened to his Father giving us a lesson in German, he then told us that this was the 1st time he had spoken this since he came out of the Army in 1947, after the War he was posted in Germany and almost married a German woman he was courting for 18 months. After this i would sit with him on many occasions just listening to him talking about his war days. He is still alive today but poorly and i have not seen him for almost a year now. This was the first time his Son ever heard his Dad talk about his War days, and today he says that his Father has never mentioned it again since our get together's in the local. During his conversations there were several times that all three of us had big old tears in our eyes.