Unveiling 3Bn’s Men Through Squad Photos

Apologies!

I’m so, so sorry – I have been massively neglecting my blog here and all of my social channels too!

I’m pleased to report that this isn’t all bad news, it’s because I’m trying to put every spare minute into actually writing “The Forgotten Fighting Third”. Whilst I have been progressing a great deal of the peripheral bits for the last 18 months I am now well embroiled in writing the day-by-day and blow-by-blow account of 3Bn’s campaigns. In that vein, and to date, I have written the period from just before their mobilisation to Africa to the end of the hostilities in May 1943 – that’s the whole Tunisian Campaign done … and it’s been a gargantuan effort … and all the while I keep finding new information …

Helping Families

On that very point, I am ever so lucky to have between 2-5 people reaching out every week regarding relatives who served in 3Bn, and the Welsh Guards overall. It’s such a joy to be able to ‘fill in the gaps’ for so many families, and to that end, I have a huge amount of future content to post here. I’m thinking that much of this will be done when the book is complete.

Anyhow, an example of this is a recent email from Conor Breslin who reached out having seen my blog here. He let me know that he had a couple of Welsh Guards squad photos, one from 1924 and another from 1939 which was of the “1^st Squad to Join the 2^nd Battalion” led by Sgt. D. Hastings in June, 1939. Conor then kindly sent some very nice mobile phone shots of both photographs.

Those who have read a few of my articles (predominantly here and here) will know that I have a particular penchant for squad photos. This is principally owing to the fact that they are annotated with the names of those photographed, and to that end, are often the only obtainable picture of those that served outside of family collections.

I now have a large database holding a detailed roll of 1583 of the c.2000 men who served in 3Bn (c.79%-ish of the total). I use the database to research the names of those in the photos to match a database entry to a face.

Now of course, in respect of Conor’s photo, it was of the “1^st Squad to Join the 2^nd Battalion” and some would think, naturally, that they would all be 2Bn men … right? Well no, it was most common, certainly until late 1942, for men to change Battalion. Naturally the men of 2Bn from 1941 would be given specialist training for AFVs in advance of their role as Armoured Reconnaissance in Cromwell Tanks as a part of the Guards Armoured Division. As a consequence they would become increasingly unlikely to transfer to the infantry service Bn’s as time moved on.

As a total aside, I often question the wisdom of the chap who decided that it was a ‘good idea’ to squeeze 5’11” plus guardsmen into tanks!

Officers and men did move around a bit ahead of deployment. To provide an example of this, my own Grandfather Glyn Spowart, who enlisted in 1934, spent time in EVERY Service Battalion (and the Training Bn) as follows:

• 1st Battalion :              26 Jun 1934 – 17 May 1939 (went to Gibraltar)
• 2nd Battalion:              18 May 1939 – 13 Sep 1941 (fought at Boulogne May 1940)
• Training Battalion:       14 Sep 1941 – 19 Jan 1943 (professional NCO – instruction for new recruits)
• 3rd Battalion:              20 Jan 1943 (again an experienced NCO posted to the first service Battalion going overseas since 1940) – Discharge

The Squad Photo

Anyhow, back on the point of the squad photo sent so graciously by Conor … here it is:

An interrogation of my database quickly established five of these pre-war enlisted guardsmen later served with 3Bn:

The 3Bn Men: Short Stories

Working from left to right, top to bottom from the squad photograph, here are the 3Bn men unveiled so to speak:

2734605 L/Sjt. Clifford George Thomas. Clifford enlisted in the Welsh Guards on 7 January 1939 aged 18. He was a Swansea boy who lived at 82 Teilo Crescent, Mayhill. Before joining the Welsh Guards he worked at R. T. Metals Ltd. and was an old Manselton Schoolboy. He was the eldest son of Mrs. T. G. Thomas. He is noted in the 1942 3Bn War Diary as having been on a P.T. course and later served in 3 Coy throughout the Italian Campaign (and likely Tunisia). He was wounded at Monte Piccolo on 27 May 1944, but continued to serve until the end of the campaign and beyond. He was discharged in 1951 following his 12 year engagement.

2734605 Sjt. John Samuel Hambelton listed in the Welsh Guards on 10 January 1939 aged 18 and nine months. He served in 1 Coy throughout the campaigns in Italy and Tunisia. There is one very amusing story regarding a nasty accident during a demonstration of 2” Mortar firing in Philippville, Algeria where several sustained serious injuries; “nothing deadly, only painful” remarked Platoon Sjt. Bill ‘08’ Davies. There is an amusing story regard this accident and Sjt Hambelton’s involvement, but for the sake of suspense (and some modesty!) I shan’t recount it here and will keep it for the book! He was discharged on 14 March 1949.

4077643 Gdsm. Arthur George Alexander Portman enlisted in the Welsh Guards on 20 January 1939 aged 18 and two months. Again, he likely served throughout the Tunisian Campaign before being wounded whilst repelling the final (failed) German attack upon 3WG’s positions at Monte Cerasola on 19 February 1944. The evacuation of wounded from the mountain was a torturous affair that took several hours in horrific winter conditions. He served for the remainder of the campaign and was discharged on 24 May 1946.

2734601 L/Sjt. James ‘Jim’ Bowen enlisted on 6 January 1939 aged 18. He was an early member of 3B and it is recorded in the 1942 3Bn War Diary that he participated in Exercise Dragon on 26 March 1942. He was wounded during 3WG’s first baptism of fire whilst taking the Djebel El Rhorab at Fondouk on 9 April 1943. During the winter of 1944 3WG held the high Apennines north of Fontanelice from November 1944 – February 1945 in appalling winter conditions. Jim was again wounded on 12 December 1944 when, according to the personal diary kept by the Commanding Officer Lt.Col. Jocelyn Gurney “ (the) HMGs (Vickers) caught an unlucky shell on way back. Cas 2 seriously wounded, 3 slight”. I believe that Jim was one of the ‘slighter’ wounded men on account that he continued to serve the remainder of his 12 year engagement prior to being discharged on 5 January 1952.

2734602 Sjt. Francis Abrams M.M. joined the Welsh Guards on 9 January 1939 aged 18. Again, it is likely that he served through Tunisia as well as Italy. Certainly for the initial part of the Italian Campaign, he was a member of 3 Coy. On 20 June 1944 he distinguished himself in action at San Marco (Objective TULIP), Perugia winning the Military Medal. At that time, he was the No.8 Platoon Sjt under Lt. Philip Brutton. His book ‘An Ensign In Italy – A Platoon Commander’s Story’ recounts Francis’ role in assaulting a “(then) modern red-brick villa graced with a tower which at that moment, despite its forty-foot prominence was undoubtedly being used as a German OP”. No.8 Platoon was to tasked to undertake an uphill assault of the villa through its substantial terraced garden which was defended by a German Panther tank and several ‘spandau’ machine guns. A blow-by-blow account of what happened can be found on pages 81-84 and is well worth a read. As a précis, his citation is included below:

At some point thereafter he becomes the Platoon Sjt of No.2 Platoon, 1 Coy under Lt. Bernard Dann. I’m extremely grateful to Lt. Dann’s son for sharing his diary with me that makes several references to him from late 1944 to early 1945. Following the end of the war he continued to serve with the Welsh Guards until his discharge on 14 March 1949.

Conclusion

A huge thanks to Conor again. I did not have any photographs of the men listed above prior to him sharing this me. It will be absolutely invaluable to the book. Diolch o’r galon!

It is such a privilege to be in touch with so many families of those who served in 3WG and those who have an interest in regiment overall.

This kind support, that I continue to receive, enables me to pull together multiple strands of information to piece together the individual stories of those that served in 3Bn. This is very much the backbone of the way I’m writing “Forgotten Fighting Third”. All of this is enabling me to map people to events and be able to tell the story of these men on a day-by-day and blow-by-blow basis through their own words.

Please, please, please do reach out if you have anything relating to the 3WG.

Diolch yn fawr iawn,

Gareth