INDEX
Date Name
Nov 24 Independent Companies
Oct 24 Floorboard finds
Sep 24 Two Lt T Raggs
Aug 24 Ledbury Contingent for the 1937 Coronation Parade
Jul-24 1st Battalion Officers on HTS Euripedes
Jun-24 Curtis - photos of WW2 casualties
May-24 50th Anniversary Visit to Suvla Bay
Apr-24 Gen Churcher Obituary
Feb-24 Princess Mary Christmas tin
Jan-24 Regtl Rugby Team
Dec-23 Colour Party 1948
Nov-23 Rum jars
November 2024
Independent Companies
INDEPENDENT COMPANIES
This month’s feature is about the little known Independent Companies formed in 1940 and the fore runner of the Commandos.
In April 1940 each Territorial Division was required to form an Independent Company.
No 1 Coy 52 (Lowland) Div
- No 2 Coy 53 (Welsh) Div
- No 3 Coy 54 (East Anglian) Div
- No 4 Coy 55 (West Lancs) Div
- No 5 Coy 56 (London) Div
- No 6 Coy 9 (Scottish) Div
- No 7 Coy 15 (Scottish) Div
- No 8 Coy 18 (Eastern) Div
- No 9 Coy 38 (Welsh) Div
- No 10 Coy 66 (East Lancs) Div
The companies comprised 3 platoons coming from each of the Division’s brigades. Each platoon consisted of 4 sections one coming from each of the Brigade’s battalions.
Thus the Herefordshire Regiment contributed a section to No 2 (1st Battalion) and No 9 (2nd Battalion) Companies.
The first 5 companies sailed to Norway as ‘Scissor Force’ to join OP AVONMOUTH – the British Expeditionary Force to Norway.
On their return they were formed into Commando units and in October 1940 were termed Special Service (SS) Battalions:
- 1st SS Bn Formed from 1,2,3,4,5,8 & 9 Independent Companies
- 2nd SS Bn From 6 & 7 Coys
- 3rd SS Bn From 4 & 7 Commando
- 4th SS Bn From 3 & 8 Commando
- 5th SS Bn From 5 & 7 Commando
In early 1941 the Special Service Bns were reorganised back into smaller more manageable sized Commandos.
The names of the men and full details of what the Herefordshire section did in Norway is not known. The companies were lightly armed and fought in the rearguard action about Bodo. Eventally being evacuated on 1 June.
No 9 Company did not deploy to Norway, although they did board boats but the sailing did not take place.
Lt Ronnie Swayne, from Tillington Court of the 2nd Battalion was the Herefords officer in No 9 Company, he recorded his experiences and these are available on tape at the Imperial War Museum. He had been Commissioned into the Herefords in August 1939 from ‘Cadet Sergeant – Bromsgrove School’.
Lt Swayne went on to serve with the Commandos and was awarded the Military Cross for the St Nazaire raid (OP CHARIOT) for gallant and distinguished service on Motor Launch 306; his citation reads:
On 28 March 1942, during the Commando Raid at ST. NAZAIRE, France, Lieut Swayne was in command of a Demolition party on board a Motor Launch. Due to the intense fire from the land, it was impossible for this Motor Launch to land the military personnel, and the Naval Commander, after making several attempts, proceeded to withdraw from the River Loire. When they had proceeded some distance, they were engaged at very close range by a German Torpedo Boat.
Lieut Swayne manned all the light automatics under his command, and controlled continuous fire on the enemy vessel. A request to surrender made by the German Naval Commander was totally disregarded and in spite of intense fire from the enemy Torpedo Boat during which many were killed and wounded, the Motor Launch continued to engage the enemy.
After the majority of the naval personnel had been either killed or wounded, Lieut Swayne still kept his men fighting, even up to the point when the Torpedo Boat attempted to ram the Motor Launch.
It was only when all effective fire power on board the launch had been wiped out, that with a handful of men still alive, Lieut Swayne was forced to surrender to the German vessel.
His leadership and his personal disregard for danger was a fine example to those men on board who manned the light automatics in face of far heavier fire power.
During this encounter Sgt Durrant was wounded. Lt Swayne the only unwounded man on board stood up and called out apologetically to the German ship ‘Jaguar’ – ‘I’m afraid we can’t go on’. The ML 306 sank as the survivors were taken on board Jaguar. Kapitan Paul of the Jaguar said to Lt Swayne ‘I must complement you on a brave fight’ Sgt Durrant was awarded the VC, on the recommendation of the German Captain!
Lt Swayne was a PoW for the rest of the war and retired from the Reserve of Officers, Hereford LI in 1963 as a Lieutenant!
He was knighted as Chairman, Overseas Containers Ltd on the 4 December 1979.
He died in Salisbury 29 October 1991.
October 2024
Floorboard Finds
This months feature comprises a 'small hoard' of items found under the floorboards of a house in Park Street during a recent renovation. Park Street is to the rear of the Barracks.
The items comprise of a Victorian half penny, 2 musket ball, and very small (dented) pewter cup and a Militia button.
From 1856 to 1908 the Barracks was the HQ of the Herefordshire Militia. It is possible that the occupant of the house was a member of the Militia, or that as there was no accommodation at the Barracks, Militiamen attending for training were billeted in local houses.
September 2024
Two Lt T Ragg
World One research is challenging at the best of times, yet recently an even more confusing situation has been discovered when 2 officers, both named ‘T Ragg’ were Commissioned into the Herefordshire Regiment.
It is made more confusing by Officers not having personal numbers, and some references having an abbreviated forename or just a single, rather than full initials! T Ragg cannot be a common names and an easy assumption that could be made is that there was only one!
This situation came to light as a result of an enquiry from a family descendent and subsequent research, when the detail given did not seem to fit!
The 2 Raggs acquired their Commissions by different routes - Private Thomas (Tom) Ragg Commissioned from the London Rifles (9 June 1915), Thomas Murray Ragg from Hereford Cathedral School OTC (10 Dec 1914).
A quick look at the 1911 census gives a few more details - Thomas Murray was a pupil at Hereford Cathedral Scool (where his father was a housemaster) and born in 1897 in Norfolk; the other, Tom born in 1890 in Jersey and then living in Hertfordshire (yes Hertfordshire – another opportunity for confusion!) and working as an insurance clerk.
A review of the Museum archives revealed a photograph of the Officers of the 3rd/Depot Battalion - it is undated but since they are wearing the city coat of arms capbadge (worn only until late 1915), some appear with the Terrotorial ‘T’ beneath their collar badges and there is a mix of ‘bright’ and ‘bronze’ cap and collar badges the photo is almost certainly late 1914 or 1915. Lt T Ragg is shown - but which of our T Raggs is he! A photo from the family would indicate that it is ‘Tom’, the photograph is therefore post June 1915.
But what of their military careers ………………..
Thomas Murray Ragg relinquished his commision of account of ill health 12 Oct 1916 - it appears he never served overseas.
Tom’s Medal Index Card indicates he went overseas (France) with the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry on 29 June 1918.
Tom’s family emigrated to New Zealand and Tom suffered from recurring mental health issues (- I suspect what we would now call PTSD) and died in an institution on 30 August 1949.
There are additionally some pension records which to the unwary could further confuse the situation:
An undated card for TM Ragg shows a claim apparently in respect of TB - this would align with his resignation through ill health.
There are several (again undated) cards for T Ragg, including one from his widow Margaret from NZ so for ‘Tom’.
I think this well illustrates the challenges of research and the need to always ‘dig a little deeper’ and not make the quick and easy assumption!
August 2024
Ledbury Contingent for the 1937 Coronation Parade
This month’s feature is a photograph of the Herefordshire Regiment’s soldiers from Ledbury, who travelled to London as part of the route lining contingent for the Coronation of King George VI in May 1937.
The photograph was taken outside the Drill Hall in New Street, Ledbury prior to them moving to Hereford to join up with the Battalion route lining party and moving, by train to London.
Pte Neale had served with The Herefordshire Regiment during the First World War at Suvla Bay, and is wearing the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. His son, Arthur was one of the first battle casualties of the Second World War when he was shot in the neck in France, in May 1940 whilst serving as a Regular soldier with the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI). He was evacuated to England, where his mother was able to visit him, but died shortly after she arrived. His funeral took place in Ledbury.
On the expansion of The Territorial Army in 1939, the Ledbury Company became ‘Y’ Company part of the 2 Battalion The Herefordshire Regiment and served throughout the War as part of the UK defence force. Some individuals did serve overseas; LCpl Bevan served in East Africa and attained the rank of Warrant Officer Class II.
July 2024
HTS Euripdes
This photo shows Officers of the 1st Battalion on board HTS Euripedes en route to Gallipoli in late July/early August 1915.
June 2024
Normandy Casualties
Casualty Photographs
Cpl Joe Curtis who served with the 1st Battalion was one of the first casualties of the Herefordshire Regiment after landing in Normandy, he was a member of the carrier Platoon and Killed in Action on 1 July 1944 whilst carrying out a Recce Patrol towards Esquay from the Battalion position in the bridgehead forward of the River Odon in the area of Tourmaville.
Bob Curtis, Joe's nephew has researched his uncle's history, planted and dedicated a tree at the Hill 112 Memorial in Normandy and has started a project to collect a photograph of all of the 11 Armoured Division casualties from the Second World War.
This includes The Herefordshire Regiment and so far 112 of 233 (as of May 2024) have been found.
The full list and photos can be seen at: https://sites.google.com/view/11th-armoured-division/roll-of-honour.
If you can help to locate any more photographs of The Herefords fallen then please contact Bob direct or the Museum curator.
May 2024
Suvla Bay - 50th Anniversary Visit
There has been, and continues to be much attention paid to World War One Centenaries, but what of the 50th anniversaries? When the young men of 1914-18 would have been fairly recently retired, many of them in their late 60s and early 70s, still relatively fit. Overseas travel was less daunting and perhaps attitudes and finances had lead to an environment when visits to the more distant battlefields had become possible.
Such was the case in April 1965, the 50th anniversary of the gallipoli campaign when 3 former members of The Herefordshire Regiment, who had landed at Suvla Bay on 8 August 1915, undertook a visit to Gallipoli. The 3 were led by Harold Slaymaker (72), who had been detached from the Battalion at Gallipoli as a Staff Clerk with HQ 160 Bde, and he later to work for the Foreign Service in many embassies throughout Europe and I suspect he may have been the inspiration behind the tour. The other 2 members of the group were John (Jack) Davies and Thomas (Tommy) Fletcher both 71 who had landed on the beaches on the morning of 8 August, and both were evacuated suffering from wounds and dysentery.
The 3 left Hereford Railway Station and were seen off by The Lord Lieutenant Colonel JF McClean and Lt Col PM Carr - the Honorary Colonel and CO of The Herefordshire Light Infantry respectively – the successor regiment to The Herefords. The intrepid 3 travelled by train and coach via: London, Brussels, Munich, Maribor, Zagreb, Belgrade and Sofia before arriving at Istanbul. There is no indication of how long the journey took, but pre motorway and ‘free’ border crossing and coaches with ‘air-con’, it must have been quite a journey!
These were also the days before common public international phone communication and Harold Slaymaker regularly reported back by telegram.
They attended a reception held by The British Legion (pre ‘Royal’ days), and appear to have met up with a reporter who was recording a piece to be broadcast on the radio programme – from our own correspondent.
April 2024
General Jack Churcher
General Jack Churcher was a regular officer in the King's Shropshire Light Infantry.
In 1942 he was appointed the Commanding Officer of The 1st Battalion The Herefordshire Regiment; he then trained and prepared the Battalion for operations and commanded them when they landed in Normandy shortly after D Day. He was appointed Brigade Commander but the Herefords were in his Brigade.
February 2024
Princess Mary Christmas Tin
A little late for Christmas but the museum has recently acquired a Princess Mary Christmas Tin.
The history was told recently in the Friends of The Fusilier Museum Warwick newsletter and is reproduced by kind permission of the Museum, the article's author and the brilliant book by Peter Doyle called 'For Every Sailor Afloat. Every Soldier at the Front - Princess Mary's Christmas Gift, 1914. (Unicorn, 2021)' to whom we are most grateful.
January 2024
Regimental Rugby Team
Regimental Rugby Team
This month's feature is a photograph of the 1st Battalion's Second XV Rugby team - interesting in that it means there was a First XV!
Date not known but probably 1942/43.
December 2023
The Colour Party 1948
This month we feature photos of the Royal Review of the Territorial Army in Hyde Parkin 1948. Each of the Territorial units sent a Colour Party to participate.
November 2023
'Rum Jars'
I am sure many readers will have seen stone jars bearing the letters SRD and (perhaps(?)) wondered what they were!
These are Army rum jars, sometimes called ‘jordies’. It was the practice in the Army to issue soldiers with a tot of rum in arduous conditions. During the First World War this issue was widespread and certainly well received in the trenches. The issue played several roles:
- Providing warmth (and cheer) in cold and damp trenches - probably its most frequent use.
- As a nerve settler - less often than one might suppose
- As a reward, often for arduous or dangerous work (including trench raids and attacks) - sometimes in copious amounts resulting in drunkenness.
- Used externally as a Trench Foot preventer - quite a rare event as most preferred to apply it internally
- As a pain killer
The ration was supposed to be 2 tablespoons full per soldier but was often more and some men did not take their issue and often units were under strength but full rations were drawn/issued.
We are all aware of the danger of excess of alcohol, and whilst modest amounts can provide a boost, in excess it can exacerbate exposure symptoms and give false warmth and a loss of reality; this happened to the troops including The Herefordshire Regiment at Suvla Bay. They were evacuated from the trenches after 4 days of continual rain, snow and freezing conditions, and were much debilitated when they came across dumped rations including full rum jars. Many soldiers drank to excess and curled up to sleep and in the morning were found dead – literally frozen stiff.
To many though their ration was a real warmer and comfort.
The initials SRD were a mystery to many soldiers! Even officially it is not entirely certain what it stood for – the most accepted version is ‘Service Resupply Depot’ but also quoted are ‘Service Rum Diluted’ and ‘Services Rum Department’.
The soldier however interpreted them differently: ‘Soldiers Run Dry’, ‘Soon Runs Dry’ and probably the most favoured ‘Seldom Reaches Destination’! It was generally the Sergeant Major’s job to dole out the rum and trench songs were created around this:
-
If you want to find the sergeant-major*
-
I know where he is*
-
He's boozing up the privates' rum*
One soldier remarked (rather poetically!):
And then there’s rum. Rum of course is our chief great good. The Ark of the Covenant was never borne with greater care than is bestowed upon the large stone rum-jars in their passage through this wilderness. The popularity of rum increases, till the hour when it is served tends to become a moment of religious worship. After the divine pattern, its celebration is administered by priests in the presence of higher dignitaries. When these priests happen to be old-time NCOs, they want watching, or the communicants are apt to go short, to the degradation of the priests.
Sometime soldiers not used to drink over-indulged:
Although not an habitual drinker I enjoyed my Rum ration. On one occasion our corporal had managed to pinch a jordy of Rum, swapping a jordy of Lime Fruit Juice. A generous helping out of this Rum Jordy put me out of gear for nearly two days. They hid me in a dugout and covered me with sandbags till I came round.
However the general opinion was that the Rum ration in moderation was a good thing certainly there were many soldiers that welcomed it and any attempt to withdraw it would have a serious impact on morale. One division did replace the rum ration with hot soup – but it was seldom hot when it reached the trenches and was generally not well received!
The Times in 1916 reported that the import of foreign spirits had increased to 929,000 gallons almost entirely accounted for by the rum issued by Military authorities.
Afternote:
The Royal Navy tot was stopped in 1970 but can be authorized for exceptional circumstances. The Army still issued rum in the Second World war and Korea and there are accounts of rum being carried by LRDG/SAS patrols in North Africa.
Rum can still be issued in the Army, but only under exceptional circumstances and then only on the authority of a Medical Officer. In 33 years service I have only known it be issued once and then the officer did not have medical authorisation and had to justify his decision to the Brigadier and if I remember correctly he had to replace the issue at his own cost!
