- 57th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery during the Second World War -
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57th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
57th (Home Counties) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery was a territorial unit created in November 1938 by the re-designation of 57th Field Brigade. It was initially made up of 225th and 226th (Brighton) Batteries. They served with 44th Division in France with the BEF in 1940, on Home Defence in the UK, in North Africa where they became part of 8th Army, they went on to serve in Sicily and Italy. They were armed with 25 pounders.
3rd Sep 1939 Mobilisation
14th Sep 1939 On the Move
28th Sep 1939 Reliefs
24th Oct 1939 On the Move
30th Mar 1940 On the Move
31st Mar 1940 On the Move
1st Apr 1940 Preparations
2nd Apr 1940 On the Move
3rd Apr 1940 On the Move
4th Apr 1940 Maintenance
5th Apr 1940 Advance Party
6th Apr 1940 Preparations
7th Apr 1940 Preparations
8th Apr 1940 On the Move
9th Apr 1940 On the Move
10th Apr 1940 Training
14th Apr 1940 Advance Party
15th Apr 1940 On the Move
16th Apr 1940 On the Move
17th Apr 1940 On the Move
20th Apr 1940 On the Move
21st Apr 1940 Advance Party
22nd Apr 1940 New Billets
23rd Apr 1940 Gun Positions
30th Apr 1940 Defence
1st May 1940 Gun Positions
2nd May 1940 Defences
6th May 1940 Training
7th May 1940 Training
8th May 1940 Training
9th May 1940 Gun Positions
10th May 1940 Air Raid
11th May 1940 On the Move
12th May 1940 On the Move
13th May 1940 Alerts
14th May 1940 Recce
15th May 1940 Defences
16th May 1940 Defences
17th May 1940 In Position
18th May 1940 In Position
19th May 1940 Withdrawals
20th May 1940 In Action
21st May 1940 In Action
22nd May 1940 Orders
22nd May 1940 Orders
23rd May 1940 New Positions
24th May 1940 In Positions
25th May 1940 In Positions
26th May 1940 Enemy Aircraft
27th May 1940 Salvage
28th May 1940 Salvage
29th May 1940 Air Raids
30th May 1940 Air Raids
31st May 1940 Excellent Organisation
5th Jun 1940 Reorganisation
Feb 1941 Reorganisation
29th May 1942 On the Move
23rd July 1942 Arrival
2nd of December 1942 Instructions
Jan 1943 Reorganisation
Jun 1943 Reorganisation
27th Aug 1943 Into Position
3rd Sep 1943 Anti Aircraft Artillery Support
28th Sep 1943 Landings
Nov 1943 In ActionIf you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
Those known to have served with
57th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
during the Second World War 1939-1945.
- Bradley Francis Henry . Gnr.
- Cherry William Bennett. Gnr. (d.10th Dec 1944)
- Edwards Robert Comfort. Bombardier
- Farbrother MM. John William. Bmdr.
- Higby Stanley William Summers . Gnr.
- Turner Clifford Edward.
- Williams Michael Richard Hemmin. Gnr.
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List
Records of 57th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery from other sources.
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Want to know more about 57th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery?
There are:496 items tagged 57th Field 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.
Gnr. Francis Henry Bradley 57th Field Regiment, 225th Battery Royal Artillery
Francis Bradley was called up on 14th of July 1941 and was discharged on the 2nd April 1946. He held the rank of Gunner. His unit was part of the 44th Home Counties Division which departed for Egypt on the 29th of May 1942 and was at sea travelling to Egypt via the Cape of Good Hope until disembarking at Suez on 23rd of July 1942. The Division was under the command of Major General T.P. Hughes. The Division was given time to acclimatise by General Auchinleck but by the 18th August 1942 was positioned on the ridge at Alam el Halfa in the El Alamein sector.Gunner Bradley received a 3 months leave pass when he was stationed in Bari, Italy valid from the 8th of July 1945. He also received a movement order when he was in Gradisca, Italy on the 16th of December 1945. His family also have a copy of a letter Gunner Bradley received to adjust his pay and rank. This also contains the names other soldiers, Riderson J S, Rawdon H P, King T I, Hume J M, Kellit?, Watkins O I, Taylor R S, White J, Dyke R A, Belford R, Crombie P F, Jones I T, Chessman H, Borley S G, Fowler G, Harrison D, Hazelgrove C P, Macdonald R J, Burns L, Shergold P P and Richardson J. Gunner Bradley also had a letter from someone in his Regiment named W Crawley
In April 1951 he received a letter from R A Records Office, Foots Cray, Sidcup, Kent asking him, as a reservist to fill in a form which asked for his employer's name and what his job was. The letter went on to say that this information was required in case there was an emergency and if it wasn't forthcoming he would be regarded as available for service. He obviously didn't fill the form because it is still in the possession of his family.
Robert Booth
Clifford Edward Turner 57th Field Regiment Royal Field Artillery
Clifford Turner joined up on 19th October 1939 with the 9th Field Training Regiment. In 1940 he joined the 57th Field Regiment and on 23rd March of that year was sent to France. He was evacuated from Dunkirk on 31st May, 1940. After this, he went to Suez with the 8th Army, then through Sicily and on to Italy. He was demobbed on 6th June 1946 and discharged from the reserve on 30th June 1959.He was awarded the Africa Star with 8th Army clasp, the Italy Star, the 1939-1945 Star and the Defence Medal.
Graham Turner
Gnr. Stanley William Summers Higby 57th Field Regiment Royal Artillery
Stanley Higby was my late granddad. He served with the 57th Field regiment he never really spoke about his experiences of ww2 but just told us "If it had not have been for some young German soldiers he would not have survived the war. The heavy vehicle he was traveling in overturned and these young soldiers dragged him out of the vehicle to safety." My granddad passed away in 1999, I would love to know more about his time in the Royal Artillery as my two eldest children now serve with the regiment. He was a great man, my hero.Carol Collins
Bombardier Robert Comfort Edwards 57th Field Regiment Royal Artillery
This is my Father's account of World War II.Bombardier Robert Comfort "Robbie" Edwards 57th Field Regiment 898397 Signaller.
My father was born in Robertson Road, Preston, Brighton, Sussex, he attended the TA from a teenager. TA1938. : In 1938 he was drafted into the Army from Brighton and mobilised in September 1939, from Willingdon Observation Post, Motella Towers Hastings - Sittingbourne. From March 1940 his service was in France with the BEF, then Battle of the Escaut withdrew from BEF for final evacuation from Dunkirk in April. They were walking along the many roads to Dunkirk when a plane flew at them they thought it was German so they all jumped in a stagnant ditch, but it was an Allied plane, they stank all the way to Dunkirk and eventually to Blighty. Dad remembers he was on a little boat with one funnel.
In May 1942 sailed with 44 Division under Lieut. Colonel R E Green, arrived in Egypt on 23rd July 1942. They had 251lbs pounders artillery guns. When they came across Arabs sitting on their camels making their wives walk along by their sides they took off the Arabs and put the women on the camels! They also sold them used teabags! Desert warfare training at Khatatba. 57th Field Regiment ordered to reconnoitre Gun Areas near Delta Barrage. In August 1942 44th Division ordered to take up defensive positions at Bare Ridge, Battle of Dier el Munassib, Oct 1942 El Alamein. They were in convoy in Egypt, the West coast of Africa at Freetown Cape Town for 3 days. In army vehicles up to Suez Canal to Cairo and then in to the Desert (he was a Desert Rat) to stop Rommel getting into Cairo then Monty arrived in the heat of the desert.
440 Field Battery RA of 57th Field Regiment was temporarily attached to the 50th division. 57th Field Regiment RA became an Army Field Regiment RA. Battles: Dec 1942 Suerra, South of Mersa Berga under 51st (Highland Division) Jan 1943 Sonda, advance to Tripoli under 7th Armoured Division. Mar 1943, mobile operation 22nd Armoured Brigade and 8th Armoured Brigade Regiment then joined 51st (Highland) Division for the Battle of Medenine. Later in Mar 1943 the 57th Army Field Regiment Battle of Mareth under command of 50th Division, 4th Light Armoured Brigade, 201 Guards Brigade and 51st (Highland) Division. April 1943 Battle of Wadi Akarit under 51st (Highland) Division then regiment proceeded to parts of the Front near Enfidalville under command 5 AGRA in support of 4th Indian Division, 2nd New Zealand Division, 56th London Division, 4th Armoured Brigade and the fighting French Brigade.
In May 1943 Hostilities in North Africa the Regiment returned to Tripoli for refitting under 10 Corps. They travelled along the North African Coast to Birzata. Where Dad went on a Driver Operator course in a tank, he said the clutch was too long! 440 Battery would not return to 57th Army Field Regiment and 160 Independent Battery, formerly part of the 174th regiment joined 57th Army Field Regiment.In June 1943 Regiment was informed that it was to be considered in Eight Army Reserve. On the 23rd of July 1943, 57th Army Field Regiment arrived in Sicily, after a few days under 1st Canadian Division fought throughout the Sicilian Campaign with 78th Division in Battles of Catenauova, Cenutripe, Adrana and Bronte.
In September 1943, 57th Army Field Regiment Fire Plan to support landing at Reggio, Italy, and 226 Battery of 57th Army Field Regiment occupied positions on the Sea Front at Messina and fired AP Shells with tracer to guide British Landing Craft to the Italian Coast. He recalls that In 1944 my Uncle Jonathan Edwards (his brother) picked him up from the Regiment and took him to Naples where Vesuvio was erupting, the ash was everywhere.
He recalls that many of his best friends perished, one was near him and a bomb just blew him to pieces in a second. The noise from the shells and bombs was very deafening. Most nights were lit up with gun fire.
Dad was 92 in February 2011. He now says it was a complete waste of time fighting this war because what he fought for has now diminished.
Glynis Leaney
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