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81st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
81st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery served with 1st Division from November 1940 to the end of the Second World War. They served on Home Defence duties and were sent to North Africa in 1941 and then to Italy in May 1944.
Sep 1941 New Regiment formed 
22nd January 1944 Battle of Anzio
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Want to know more about 81st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery ? There are:433 items tagged 81st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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L/Bmbdr. Ernest Brentnall 81st Anti-Tank, 297th Battery Royal Artillery My Granddad, Ernie Bretnall signed up in 1941 and was posted with 297th Battery, 81st Anti-tank Regiment Royal Artillery firstly in Persia and Iraq in PIAFORCE. Then he was shipped over to Egypt as part of 8th Army and fought in North Africa. I'm guessing now he was at El Alamein and various other battles of fame not what he told me at the time, he said he was an engineer building bomb shelters!!!
Then around end of 1945 he transferred to 79th Regiment Anti-tank and ended up in Palestine.
He did tell me a lot about Palestine and that he saw as much death and destruction peace keeping between the Jews and Arabs beginning to fight over the land there, he said it was more dangerous than the desert war!
He died in 1984, told me he was Royal Engineer which I’ve since found out is a load of rubbish, he never spoke much about his service, didn’t even collect his medals. My wife did this for me in 2016 and I’ve since got his war record and he was front line active service.
I'd love to find out more about anything they know about the regiment or service during the war in the desert.
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Gnr. Charles Victor Bridges 81st Anti Tank Regiment Royal Artillery (d.3rd Feb 1944) Charles Bridges served with 81st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery.
He was born in Jan 1923 in Brentford, Middlesex, and died on 3rd of February 1944 in Anzio, Roma, Italy, when he was 21 years old. Buried in Anzio, Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Lazio, Italy, he was my second cousin once removed.
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L/Bdr. Leonard P. Heinson 81st Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery (d.25th Apr 1943) At the time of Leonard Heinson's death, the 81st Anti-Tank Regiment was part of 1st Division, which fought in the North Africa Campaign.
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Sgt. George Bosson 81st Anti Tank Regiment Royal Artillery (d.30th Jan 1944) Recently I found a clipping from an old Evening Sentinel newspaper
dated Wednesday 15th of July 1942.
North Staffs Families in the Forces
Four (should read five) sons and a son in law of Mr & Mrs H Bosson of 17 Galleys Bank, Whitehill near Kidsgrove, who are serving in the Forces Driver Mechanic W. Bosson (William Amos) R.A. who is serving overseas Serjeant G. Bosson (George) R.A.
Gunner G. Bosson (Gordon) R.A.
Private Frank Bosson Royal Berkshire Regt.
Private John Sheppard, South Staffs Regt.
and Private Harold Bosson Home Guard.
As you can see this was a jackpot find as it has my Grandad and all my Great Uncles and the husband of my Great Aunty Hilda.
I have never seen a photo of William or George before so I thought I would share as they all played a part in the WW2 forces.
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Sgt. George Bosson 81st Anti Tank Regiment (d.30th Jan 1944) My great uncle George Bosson, my grandad's brother was killed in 1944. He was married for just 2 years before he was killed in action. I am unsure whether he had any children or not but he was just 25 years old when he was killed on Anzio Beach, Italy.
His parents are Harold Bosson and Edith Wood and his wife was Doris Marjorie Bosson nee Hancock.
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Sgt. George Bosson 81zt Anti-Tank Regt. Royal Artillery (d.30th January 1944) Sergent George Bosson was my grandad's brother. Unfortunately I do not have any photos of George. He died in action in Italy and is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Anzio. He was 25 years old, the husband of Doris Marjorie Bosson, and son of Harold and Edith Bosson. He was born in the Kidsgrove area and, after he married, lived in Mount Pleasant, Mow Cop, Cheshire.
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Bmbdr. Walter Nixon 81st Anti Tank Regiment Walter Nixon enlisted on the 25th of January 1942 aged 18. Photo courtesy of Keith Nixon.
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Gnr. Bernard Norman Hotson 81st Anti Tank Regiment Royal Artillery I enlisted 15/1/42 aged 18, a traumatic week, first my 12 year old dog died, then we received news of my brothers death in service in Crete, then received my call up papers, mum was distraught! Boarded train for first time my in life, sent to Cromer, no beds, no uniforms, no guns! Practicing with poles, then on to regiment, 91st Anti tank, unusual to go straight to regiment, then off overseas, eventually using dukws to land in Salerno, landing craft sunk, had to be pulled out of trouble, then to Anzio, then to Egypt, then Palestine.
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Gnr. Joseph Christus Lambon 81st Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery My father Joe Lambon served as an anti-tank gunner in the 81st Anti-Tank Regiment (RA) as part of the First Division from 1942 to the end of the war. He served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, being captured at Anzio when his gun (along with 23 others) were overrun. His last 16 months were as a prisoner in various camps, Stalag 4B being the last one.
I know he was repatriated by the US Army at the end of the war and after a few weeks at home signed up to go out to Palestine where he served for at least 12 months. He lived the rest of his life in peace working in a factory and tending his garden. He spoke very little about the war despite a very excited little boy in the 1960's (me) asking him about his experiences every time a war movie came on TV. I formed the opinion his war time experiences had a deep, profound effect on him.
I doubt there are many left out there who will remember him. However, if anyone has information relating to either this camp or other soldiers who fought in the 81st please get in touch.
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Charles Albert "Bisto" Mills 81st Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery  Charles Albert Mills enlisted on the 2nd March 1943 and on the
15th April 1943 joined 50th Anti-Tank Training Regiment RA in Church Streeton. On the 5th July 1943 he was posted to 94th Anti-Tank Regiment RA, Conwy, North Wales and 14th November 1943 was posted as a member of a Draft to North Africa. He was posed on the 15th January 1944. to 81st Anti-Tank Regiment RA
On 22nd January 1944 81st Anti-Tank Regiment RA were part of the assault landing at Salerno, and by the end of the day were established on the Anzio perimeter defence line. The regiment remained in Italy until 25th January 1945 when they embarked at Taranto , landing in Haifa , Palestine on 31st January 1945. Three months later the regiment disbanded. However, I don't think he went to Palestine with them, his tracer card also states he was regularly on the non-effective (X) List [Regimental sick list] and then the main CMF (Italy) sick list, and its during these times when not in hospital that he would get the temporary jobs such as warden in a hostel or as member of mess staff.
The last few details on his card are:
4th March 1947 posted to the Depot RA, Woolwich and
25th July 1947 discharged
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