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The merville battery

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by goz666 (U11487053) on Monday, 28th April 2008

  Hi all, I am aware that Terence Otway left the Royal Ulster Rifles and took command of 9Para shortly before d-day, is it possible however to find out if he transferred any members of the RUR to 9para with him ?? If so where would I find this information,it is not on the army service records which I have. Any help much appreciated...goz.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by LongWeekend (U3023428) on Monday, 28th April 2008

  goz
  
  I can't offer you a definitive answer. 1st Bn, RUR had been part of 1st Airlanding Brigade, but was transferred to form part of 6th Airlanding Brigade, in the new 6th Airborne Division, which began forming in May 1943. Otway joined 1RUR as a company commander, but then moved to 9th Bn, The Parachute Regiment as 2 i.c., becoming CO later.
  
  9 Para was formed from 10th Bn, The Essex Regiment and primarily recruited from Eastern and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Counties regiments. This does not mean to say RUR soldiers did not volunteer for transfer to the Parachute Regiment, or that some ended up in 9 Para.
  
  1RUR was a Regular battalion, so the RUR Museum and/or the current Royal Irish Regiment should be able to help.

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  Posted by goz666 (U11487053) on Tuesday, 29th April 2008

  Tks LW, it's the RUR museum which have thrown a spanner in the works. My father in law was with the 1st RUR and we thought he'd gone in on d-day with them in gliders. The museum however after looking at his records suggest he was transferred a couple of months before d-day to 2nd echelon 21 army group (which we thought he was already part of) they suggest he could've been transferred to group HQ but we know he definitely went in on d-day by glider and was a vickers machine gunner, this has me wondering whether he could've joined 9para and gone in with them on the gliders ?? Alas we may never know....thanks again....goz.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by LongWeekend (U3023428) on Tuesday, 29th April 2008

  goz
  
  If he went in by glider, that suggests he was still in, or had returned to, 1st RUR, which was gliderborne. Did the records show him returning to a regiment at any stage?
  
  Another possibility is that he took part in the Rhine crossing assault, rather than the Normandy invasion. There is probably a unit history of 1st RUR's war service, and he might be mentioned (though there is a tendency in those to mention officers more often than ORs)
  
  The other avenue to pursue would be through the Parachute Regiment Museum, to find out if he turns up in 9th Bn's records. But if it is not on his own Army record, it's unlikely.

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by goz666 (U11487053) on Thursday, 1st May 2008

  I have got someone checking the records for 9para and also I have asked the RUR museum for their help again to see if they can turn anything up...thanks....goz

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