helenespana Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Hi, My partner's grandfather served with the 'desert rats' during the 2nd World War. He was from Sheffield. Does anyone have an idea which regiment he would have joined to be in North Africa?? We are both very interested to find out more! Thanks in advance, helenespana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docmel Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 My dad was in the North Africa Campaign - I will call him tommorow and find the precise details of his regiment - all I know right now was that it was nicknamed the "Iron Fist" regiment and they all wore an iron fist emblem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterw Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 I was in the navy but a mate of mine was in the Royal Marines and was sort of attached to the Desert Rats but way in the background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Mine served in a tank regiment, but I'm not sure which regiment but I'll try to check. My Gt Uncle was there in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders... until he was blown up in Tunisia in '43. Google is probably the best place to start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterw Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 The 24th Infantry Division, United States Army, was known as the Iron Fist, but so were the Middlesex Regiment in long and distant past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterdo Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 The 4th Field Squadron Royal Engineers were also Desert Rats. So good look in trying to find him. I believe that there are Army records that you can search, someone on here may be able to tell you where to find them. Hope you find him, regards Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyleys Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Hi, My partner's grandfather served with the 'desert rats' during the 2nd World War. He was from Sheffield. Does anyone have an idea which regiment he would have joined to be in North Africa?? We are both very interested to find out more! Thanks in advance, helenespana The desert rats 7th Division were made up of numerous regiments and not all English, indeed any regiment that fought in this Div could proudly wear the Jerboa shoulder flash. My uncle also from Sheffield (Polar Bears) fought and was captured at Tobruk but latter escaped to fight another day. I assume your partner’s grandfather survived the war, this being the case I can only suggest asking friends and relatives also any army photo’s you may have of him which show cap badge, shoulder flash and so on, if however he perished “ god forbid “ then- http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp?menuid=14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyer Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 The rats as I know them ,came from all sorts of odd regiments,a rag tag group that operated out of KUFRAH oasis (different spelling), find a map of Libya, go way south nothing else down there,I was in Libya for 3yrs a dirty and scruffy a lot (When operating in the desert)you would ever see,nothing like the smart one as seen in Richard Todds "The Desert Rats" this 1944/5/6 british film may still be obtainable ,a semi true version.I sincerely hope all the American versions where burnt as pure trash.Americans in southern desert, yuck i still get pains thinking about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docmel Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 The regiment that dad was attached to was City of London Yeomanry, Rough Riders 11th A.A. division Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeP Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Take a look at : http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/org.htm#Late1939 This gives what's called the 'order of battle' of the Desrt Rats at different times in WW2. This is the list of regiments making up the Division. My uncle was attached to the Eighth Army at El Alamein as part of the Coldstream Guards. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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