British Troops embedded with the Aust. 9 thDiv 1944

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Reztes 1919
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British Troops embedded with the Aust. 9 thDiv 1944

#1

Post by Reztes 1919 » 03 Jun 2018, 06:16

Well ~ I just discovered this excellent forum and this is my first post.

I reside and work in Extreme far North Queensland, Australia,

I am a keen history buff and amateur archaeologist armed with a Minelab and Garret Metal detector.

This area was a major encampment and training area for mostly Australian Divisional forces from 1942 till < 1946> ~ while there is no official figure of numbers ~ the overall transitional flow of personal on all levels has been bandied around 500 K from go to woe ~

I have an extensive personal collection of relics ~ including some very unusual and perhaps 'bizarre' items one would have never expected to find in this area.

But reason behind my post here is the fact I have found as an ongoing oddment ~is what turned out to be Great Britain General Service buttons, * we did not recognise the item on the first recovery ~)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-_nfn ... ynJ_VJgWIi


Since then I have recovered some 10-20 of varying size from great coat to Officer's cap buttons ~

it has taken FIVE years but I very recently found evidence of the British serviceman being HERE ~ attached to the Australian Forces ~ on the Tablelands. QLD Australian. Seems mostly with the 9 th Div,

( And of course as we believe there would have been a lot more purely based on those GB General service buttons ~ )

Even even the most dedicated and interested parties have typically said to me ~ “Nah Stuart~ No Brits ever served here ! Any such buttons would have been stolen by Diggers in North Africa!”

And as I assume there are active and former Military types herein will confirm these fifty officers would have had an entourage in tow ~
(I think I have found on my own some 10-15 such buttons ~ including the very first one ~ an Officer’s cap button ! )

And of course records clearly and emphatically state the presence of the 9 th Division along with many others we KNOW the 9th Div. was extensively based here ~

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CIR4q ... g2ctZGjnVs
SHAGGY RIDGE, NEW GUINEA. 1944-01-10.

7308 CAPTAIN H. HOOK, ROYAL DECCAN HORSE (1)

AND CAPTAIN A.J.C. STANTON, 14/20TH KINGS HUSSARS (2)

TWO ENGLISH OFFICERS SERVING WITH "C" COMPANY, 2/9TH INFANTRY BATTALION, PICTURED ON THE TOP OF SHAGGY RIDGE,

THEY BELONG TO A PARTY OF 50 BRITISH OFFICERS FROM INDIA WHO ARE ATTACHED TO AUSTRALIAN UNITS IN FORWARD AREAS TO GAIN EXPERIENCE OF JUNGLE FIGHTING IN NEW GUINEA. *Crt: Aust War Mem.
Two minute video ~ bloody tough ground!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To5kQqOF2oo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Shaggy_Ridge

The challenge I have is the only other record I have found to date is a grave marker ~ Asst. War graves in New Guinea.

Grave Marker PNG ~ http://www.australiancemeteries.com.au/war/lae_s.htm
STANTON, Captain, ARTHUR JOHN CECIL, 73088. 14th/20th King's Hussars. Royal Armoured Corps attd. 2/9 Bn. Australian Infantry. 29th January 1944.
Age 27. Son of Brigadier General F. H. G. Stanton and Hilda Margaret Stanton, of Greys toke, Cumberland. Awarded King's Gold Medal and Sword, R.M.C. Sandhurst, July, 1937. F. D. 1.
Seem the Hussars posted to Australia 9th div. were the 14th/ 20th.

My assk here is if any one can point me to an even more detailed record of these UK forces and the history of those UK officers/ force ?

I have emailed the Aust. War. Mem. and they have confirmed my inquiry and have stated that my "Case" wil be handled in the near future. But with all my inquires and reports posted to the AWM , they are a very busy mob and take along time to respond!

aghart
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Re: British Troops embedded with the Aust. 9 thDiv 1944

#2

Post by aghart » 03 Jun 2018, 13:35

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_Royal_Hussars

The 14th/20th Kings Hussars are now the Kings Royal Hussars, see link.


Reztes 1919
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Re: British Troops embedded with the Aust. 9 thDiv 1944

#3

Post by Reztes 1919 » 04 Jun 2018, 09:20

Thanks Aghart ~

I am endeavouring to identify the various / different regt. elements that were embedded with the Australians here for training ~

As post comment the Boss of maintenance Dept. at work was telling me his father was bivouacked here during the War and his father received combat training from Gurkha.

And I see the Husssars also had elements of the Gurkhas in their ranks ~ so no small coincidence I feel ~

Then as the above post lists the Irish Deccans
7308 CAPTAIN H. HOOK, ROYAL DECCAN HORSE
So i assume there were at least two if not more regt. elements posted here~ (??)

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Andy H
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Re: British Troops embedded with the Aust. 9 thDiv 1944

#4

Post by Andy H » 29 Jul 2018, 18:40

Hi Reztes1919

There were numerous individual British servicemen serving within the Australian mainland, serving in various capacities within the countless training schools, be that regular or irregular warfare.

It wouldn't be beyond the wit of man that some served up within the training area you've specified.
However I've yet to come across whole units sent to help train Australian troops, especially in regular warfare (if jungle warfare can be counted as that) compared to say Intel & Sigs or RM sub-units being attached to irregular warfare training schools or establishments. Many of the latter would innocuous 'buttons' rather than regimental or arm buttons.

Hope this is of some general use to you.

Regards

Andy H

Reztes 1919
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Re: British Troops embedded with the Aust. 9 thDiv 1944

#5

Post by Reztes 1919 » 30 Jul 2018, 01:44

AH
I tend to agree ~ the mere fact that there are no outstanding references but merely 'individual Officers referred to is suggestive of isolated members rather than whole batt. or sections what ever, being embedded for training purposes.

I do not believe that any such British officers were sent to 'help' but rather take note of the fact that the Australians were winning against the Japanese where as the British were struggling in Burma ` (?)

I actually bought an E Book :Jungle Warriors" which is an interesting read on the Australian jungle war fare training.

https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/bo ... 1742372204

I make special reference to the section which describes the training of the 25 Pdr. gun locally as prior to reading this I found a extremely rugged bush track on the side of a very steep incline and gun pit at the top which at the time made NO sense what so ever.

This extreme training paid off when the guns crews finally went north to combat against the Japanese ~

Thanks for your input.

Ethan2210
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Re: British Troops embedded with the Aust. 9 thDiv 1944

#6

Post by Ethan2210 » 07 Feb 2021, 14:55

I can’t seem to attach the photo, but Stanton and Hook are pictured in the latter’s memoir ‘Home From the Hill’ on Shaggy Ridge, apparently two weeks before Stanton was killed. They were cavalry officers but had dropped in rank temporarily to serve as Australian Private soldiers.

Reztes 1919
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Re: British Troops embedded with the Aust. 9 thDiv 1944

#7

Post by Reztes 1919 » 08 Feb 2021, 03:26

SHAGGY RIDGE, NEW GUINEA. 1944-01-10.

7308 CAPTAIN H. HOOK, ROYAL DECCAN HORSE (1) AND CAPTAIN A.J.C. STANTON, 14/20TH KINGS HUSSARS (2)

TWO ENGLISH OFFICERS SERVING WITH "C" COMPANY, 2/9TH INFANTRY BATTALION, PICTURED ON THE TOP OF SHAGGY RIDGE, THEY BELONG TO A PARTY OF 50 BRITISH OFFICERS FROM INDIA WHO ARE ATTACHED TO AUSTRALIAN UNITS IN FORWARD AREAS TO GAIN EXPERIENCE OF JUNGLE FIGHTING IN NEW GUINEA.



Description
OONOONBA, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, 1944-03-11.

A GROUP OF BRITISH OFFICERS WHO HAVE BEEN FIGHTING IN NEW GUINEA, PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE 13TH AUSTRALIAN PERSONNEL STAGING CAMP. MAJOR B.L.M. TOMLINSON, A BRITISH OFFICER ATTACHED TO LAND HEADQUARTERS, IS COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE PARTY.
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3902090 Shaggy Ridge  British officers..jpg
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Reztes 1919
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Location: Far North Queensland Utopia Australia

Re: British Troops embedded with the Aust. 9 thDiv 1944

#8

Post by Reztes 1919 » 08 Feb 2021, 03:39

Even more curious ~ a recent find on one of our recent hunts ~

A wrist band ~ NZEF ~ my offsider tracked the family in NZ and the told him that their forefather was wounded in North Africa and was put on an Australian ship back to Australia nd NZ .

But the curious art if how the Heck did he end up in Far North Queensland ~ which is a LONG way off NZ ~ ( Unless the ship actually returned via Darwin and the North of Australia. But he woudl have had to and in Cairns and then trael upstairs to the Tablelands before losing his wrist band.

(And same day Hunt one of my Great finds of 2020 in a Military camp site ~
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Reztes 1919
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Joined: 03 Jun 2018, 05:33
Location: Far North Queensland Utopia Australia

Re: British Troops embedded with the Aust. 9 thDiv 1944

#9

Post by Reztes 1919 » 08 Feb 2021, 05:05

Returning to the initial subject ~

I also found this reference in the Australian war grave registry ~

Grave Marker PNG ~ http://www.australiancemeteries.com.au/war/lae_s.htm

STANTON, Captain, ARTHUR JOHN CECIL, 73088. 14th/20th King's Hussars. Royal Armoured Corps attd. 2/9 Bn. Australian Infantry. 29th January 1944.


Age 27. Son of Brigadier General F. H. G. Stanton and Hilda Margaret Stanton, of Greys toke, Cumberland. Awarded King's Gold Medal and Sword, R.M.C. Sandhurst, July, 1937. F. D. 1.


In a conversation I was talking with the Manager of the Maintenance dept. at Work ~, and Ted was telling his father who I knew was based here on the Tablelands with the 9th Div. and he was trained by Ghurkhas who obviously also would have had to have travelled from the India peninsula.

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