i am trying to find out some info about my late grandads military history, his name was Ivor Howell (a very common welsh name lol) i have always been interested in these topics but my grandad was never one for talking about his past like many others.
i know he served in the manchesters and in he originated from south wales (bridgend) where he lived and in 1944 once joined up ended up in north kent and i remember him saying he was camped in milstead near faversham and sittingbourne, in the same year he married a local girl my nan, i found this quote below and was wondering if there where many manchester units in this area before d-day?
i was wondering the 1st batt sounds as if it could actually be his battalion? was the 53rd welsh part of the manchesters in anyway? any help would be very helpful..
i am in the process of trying to get hold of his military records and as i have read on here it may take a while.
"After two years intensive training as a machine-gun battalion the 1st Battalion, commanded by Lieut Colonel Charles Harrington took part in the invasion of Europe. Bren gun carriers, equipment and men moved on 18 June 1944 from Faversham station to West India Docks in London where all was loaded onto the SS Samneva. The battalion landed at Arromanches on 26th June, D-Day plus 20, as the Machine Gun Support Battalion of 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division. The battalion took part in the general British and Canadian attack on the German positions in the eastern sector, designed to pin down the enemy armour while the US Army in the western sector was staging its break-out from the beaches."
thanks for any help recieved
