4th Durham Survey Regiment RA

[Robin McEwen-King]

I'm really excited to find this thread. My Nans 1st husband was in the the 4th, sadly he died in June 1944. I would be very interested to find out what he did. His name was Michael Picker, if this means anything to anyone.

Yes he's in the 1947 Nominal Roll which honours those who died in the introduction.

DO you have any information about him?

I'll look up his service number for you.

where was he from ?

My father in law joined in early 1939 in his home town of Gateshead.

Have more information and can help with your man's war

Robin

[Rachel75]

Yes he's in the 1947 Nominal Roll which honours those who died in the introduction.

DO you have any information about him?

I'll look up his service number for you.

where was he from ?

My father in law joined in early 1939 in his home town of Gateshead.

Have more information and can help with your man's war

Robin

Hello Robin ,
Thank you for your reply.
Michael was born in 1920, in Nottingham. He married my nan (Eva Mary Smith) in 1942.
All I know about him is this:-
119787 4th Survey regt. Royal Artillery Gunner Died 24th June 1944. Although there appears to be some variants on date. between 24th -27th June!
He died of septicaemia after being injured and is buried at Ryes War Cemetery at Bazenville. Which is a beautiful little cemetery on a tiny country road in the middle of no where.
I would very much like to find out when he went over to France, where he was heading and how he got injured. Which medical unit he was in when he died, and most importantly of all what would he have been doing (his objective)? apart from trying to survive!!
I would like to build up a picture of his movements and conflicts he encountered from when he joined the regt. right through to his last days in Normandy.
Hoping you can point me in the right direction as I have not the faintest where to start with what appears to be a mammoth task.
Kind regards
Rachel

[Robin McEwen-King]

Hi RCHEL
THE NOMINAL ROLL HAS DOW ON 27 JUNE 1944
His Service Number is listed as 1119787 .. note the triple one...
The details of his personal service are in his service record ,... take a look at
, https://www.veterans-uk.info/service_...e_records.html

Click the link and down load the next of kin forms.

Meanwhile look at the Regimental history by googling for (survey in war Z location)

Should show a down load link.

Regards Robin

[Rachel75]

Hi Robin
Thanks for the information.
I have already started reading Z Location.
I will need to obtain a copy of Michaels birth cert. before requesting his service record.
Many thanks for your help it is very much appreciated.
I wish I could find some one who new Michael but think that is a wish with the stars. So I will be content on piecing together what I can about him from paper records.
A bit of family history for you.. Michaels wife Eva remarried several years later and had my Mum. Eva passed away 16th December 1988. His sister in law lived into her 80's and passed away in 2006. I should have asked more questions but when ever Nan was mentioned it caused upset.
Many thanks again for your help
Rachel

[Robin McEwen-King]

Hi Rachel
Looking at the date of Michael's marriage to Eva I would suggest that he was in training in the UK and drafted out to Egypt shortly after their marriage. As you will see in the history of the 4th Durham they lost a whole battery in the fall of Tobruk in June 1942. They needed a lot of men to rebuild No2 Battery. Looking at some lists from later in the war there are quite a few men with triple zero regimental numbers .. I see if I can put together a picture of when those men joined.
If you have any questions just ask ,,

Robin

[Rachel75]

Hi Robin,
Have only read a couple of pages of 'Z Location' Trying to do several things all at once!!
In one of the intros it say that by the time they got to D Day they were all in the XXX corps. Can I assume then that Michael would have gone across after the 50th and 49th Divisions and landed on Gold beach either at 'Item or Jig'? or am I jumping to conclusions...
Poor Michael and Eva being torn apart so soon after their marriage, although I doubt they were the only ones.
I have got to get a copy of Michaels Birth certificate before I can get his service records so it will be a while yet before I can confirm where he went exactly but I'm looking forward to finding out.
Rachel

[Robin McEwen-King]

I've had a look at the Nominal Roll of the Old Comrades Association and the men with triple one numbers mainly joined in September 1942 with a smaller group joining in February 1942 . The Feb group include two with numbers close to Michael's 1119687 Gunner Morris and 1119999 Gunner Malloch.

Given when and where Michael died he was in the Normandy invasion forces ... unfortunately the 4th Survey war diaries I have seen do not cover the actual units in Normandy during July 1944. One I do have covers their movements in England and I've not spotted his name ... this would be among the soldiers on guard duties.


I also have a copy of 'Larkhill Locators' the work by Massimo Magnelli Climpson which has a great name index and does include Michael. His death along with a comrade is noted but the source is the CWGC so no further information for you there.

What sources have you found for the different death dates?

Hope this helps

Regards

Robin

[Robin McEwen-King]

Hi Robin,
H one of the intros it say that by the time they got to D Day they were all in the XXX corps. Can I assume then that Michael would have gone across after the 50th and 49th Divisions and landed on Gold beach either at 'Item or Jig'? or am I jumping to conclusions...

Bit early to be sure but yes most likely across Gold beach. That is where Margaret's father landed on D+4. We were able to pin this down from his own personal diary and it is confirmed by his service record ... which shows he embarked on 6 June and disembarked on 10 June.

R

[Alan Swaby]

My Grandfather Robert Radford QM was in this regiment even thou he was from the east end, I was to young to ask him about it but mum said he never spoke about anyway. I remember that he swapped some food for a hardback book with photos in it, him and a mate got one each. I later found out they was massed produced, much like the football sticker books of today. Does anyone recall their Father/grandfather having one. Or can anyone tell me about the MBE my grandfather won. I look forward to reading the book, if this helps, my mother was born in BMH Cairo Eygpt Dec 1939 then the family was shipped back to England.

[Robin McEwen-King]

My Grandfather Robert Radford QM was in this regiment even thou he was from the east end, I was to young to ask him about it but mum said he never spoke about anyway. I remember that he swapped some food for a hardback book with photos in it, him and a mate got one each. I later found out they was massed produced, much like the football sticker books of today. Does anyone recall their Father/grandfather having one. Or can anyone tell me about the MBE my grandfather won. I look forward to reading the book, if this helps, my mother was born in BMH Cairo Eygpt Dec 1939 then the family was shipped back to England.

Have you seen his record at https://www.unithistories.com/officer...icers_R01.html

I have the nominal roll for the 4th Durham and will get it out to check wat it has for him.


Name rings a bell and I suspect he is mentioned in various personal histories of the regiment.

more anon


robin