Royal Artillery movements WW2

[Getholdofryan]

Hi. I am looking for more information about my Grandfather's movements in WW2. I am aware I cannot obtain online records here. I can't visit Kew in person because I live in Singapore. I can't request service records from Gov.uk because I don't have a copy of my Grandfather's death certificate. So I thought a starting point would be to find out more about his unit first. I only know what I see in photos we have found. Earlier this week I found four photos, RA - one of 10th Light Battery as Winners Gun Team at the Aldershot Command Show in 1932; one of his entire unit in 1933, and two of the 2nd Light Battery, RA (one of these was taken in Quetta in 1933; another was taken in Razmak in 1934/5 - both locations were part of India before partition, but now present-day Pakistan). Yesterday we found three undated photos - one in a peach garden in Rawalpindi, one in Peshawar, and one in Helmiah Barracks in Egypt. I believe many of the troops based in India at the time of WW2 were shipped to fight in Africa, and I remember my Grandfather talking about being with (I guess supporting) the Desert Rats. The only search results I get on Helmieh relate to field hospitals. I know he was injured, though not seriously. I can find little-to-no information about his units online. I have contacted the Royal Artillery Association but have not heard back from them. Can anyone advise a starting point in the absence of the sources mentioned above? I know research can take years, but a good start would help. Naturally, I wished I had asked him much more about his service when I was a child :-) Many thanks to anyone who can help.

[simmo1]

Hi

Unfortunately the way you are going is the reverse of what you need. Getting his service records would show which regiments he was in during the war, from that you can get someone to copy the war diaries at NA (there are a couple of guys on WW2Talk who do it for a reasonable charge).
Do you know when he died- you can get a certificate from searching here - https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
then request a copy.

RA in WW2 - https://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ , click on units to see where they were, although you need the regiment, not just the battery. Don't get confused between the two.

War diaries are here - https://discovery.nationalarchives.go...dvanced-search
this is an example - https://discovery.nationalarchives.go...=&_fr=&_st=adv
the search does bring up gallantry recommendations as well as the actual regiment, which is segmented into timeframes.

Hope this gives you some idea, you really need the regiment and service records to go further.

regards

Robert

[Peter Goodey]

I don't have a copy of my Grandfather's death certificate

This is not a show stopper. Order a copy from here (if it's England or Wales, you didn't say)

[Getholdofryan]

Hello Robert. This is incredibly useful - thank you very much. I read a few moments ago that the RA was made up of some 960 regiments and realised records were most likely the only starting point. The sources you have listed, and a route to the death certificate is fantastic to have. My grandfather died some time in 1982. I am sure I can get the date from someone. Once again, thanks so much. Thrilled to get such a quick and helpful response.