Service Records

[Battery Command Post]

Thanks, thats fantastic info, thank you so much.
Any idea if he would have come under American command? The reason I ask is that he had to hand over to the Americans a German Officer who walked into his "shed" as he called it one night in the Ardennes, and surrendered. He was dressed in black!
It bothered him because the Officer, for obvious reasons at the time certainly did not want to surrender to the Americans, hence him searching for the RAF unit there.

Best Regards,

Andy

There is certainly nothing in the service record to suggest he was ever under US command directly. After Chigwell, he seems to have been with two units of 72 (Signals) Wing, RAF. Firstly the 'D Unit', for a short time in October and then the one we can't read which looks like 'W Gurgle (A), 72 Wing', which he joined on 31 October, until he was in hospital in Feb 1945. Deciphering this is the key to really understanding what he did, and it's frustrating, but typical, that the crucial entry was written by a clerk with bad handwriting!

Having said that, 72 Wing were definitely involved with directing USAAF bombers as much as RAF ones, and they certainly deployed stations in the US area, including the Ardennes. I found references to the fact that Generalfeldmarschall von Rundstedt's staff were well aware of the presence of, and the threat posed by 72 Wing's OBOE and GEE stations and had issued orders to capture them if possible.

The reference your father made to his 'shed' is interesting though. I would interpret 'shed' as being an equipment control room, possibly a "house-type" body on a truck or maybe an OBOE trailer?

Rob

[aj4010]

The reference your father made to his 'shed' is interesting though. I would interpret 'shed' as being an equipment control room, possibly a "house-type" body on a truck or maybe an OBOE trailer?

Well, as I remember, he said there were several RAF personnel in there playing cards. He always laughed when he told me of this incident, as they all initially froze in sheer terror, recovered, and then made a mad dash for their weapons.
He always said that he was not fast enough to get the Officers watch or sidearm!

Best Regards,

Andy

[aj4010]

W Gurgle (A).
If you look to the right of that entry, the clerk uses the same loop on the date. Forward slash perhaps? Any help?

Regards,

Andy