Thread: Royal Sussex Regiment

Hi all,
This is my first post to the forum but I have been reading with great interest the discussions on here, my daughter (14) has also found it very useful in her course work. Not even sure if this is the correct place on the Forum to put this (Mods, please move to correct part if I'm in the wrong place)
My father, now deceased, served with the "Royal Sussex Regiment" during the war, as with many people who served he didn't talk much about his time whilst serving, my Mother has asked if I could find anything out about what/where/when in relation to my Fathers service through the internet. Hopefully with the great knowledge I've witnessed on this Forum something can be found out (though I'm not expecting miracles ) Anyway heres what I know so far, I have his soldiers service and pay book and soldiers release book

Name: Ronald Leslie Spiers
DOB: 11-1-24
Army No: 14335595
Military Dispersal unit: 20-5-47 (Aldershot) Though saying that he did always say he entered back into civilian life at Chichester barracks!
Medals: 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, War Medal 1939-45

Training

as written in book:
EXPD D.M. CHAMBER 12 WKS SIGNAL COURSE, 9/1/43
1 WK ADDITIONAL SIG TR, 20/4/43
FIRED WAR COURSE, 1st CLASS, JULY 1943
ATTENDED DIV SCHOOL OF SIGNALLING, 3 WKS, 14/1/46 To 4/2/46

Nature of employment

27/5/43 to 17/1/46 "signaller"


A couple of things that he did reveal before he passed on were that may or may not help

He talked of being at "Monte Casino", he remembered being on a hill side in thick fog one day when a convoy of pack horses/asses went by carrying supplies, they were tied together in a long line and one of the animals lost its footing and fell off the side of the mountain/cliff/hill, as they were all tied together the one that fell dragged all the others over the side.

He also recalled a convoy of military vehicles passing by crewed by New Zealanders, these guys were giving out biscuits as they passed.

In mums photo album is a newspaper cutting of a picture of "The Reins Del Pacific" Dad says he spent weeks in this boat in rough seas travelling to and waiting for disembarkation, (don't know where from or too) he was in the lower decks of this ship and wasn't the best sea traveller, he said it was the worst time of his army life!

He remembered being under fire (possibly Italy) when an Officer he was with told him to stay down out the way, a split second later there was an explosion (artilary shell??) when dad looked up the officer had disappeared, presumed he took the full force of the explosion.

There are pictures of Dad (after the war?) in Alexandria, Egypt, he told Mum that all his mates went to see the Pyramids but he elected no to go that day but had always wished he had.


Not a lot to go on I know but hopefully some more pieces of the jigsaw of Dads exploits will be revieled

MTIA
Jeff Spiers

Dear Jeff

I believe I may have some photos of your father taken in Italy post Cassino at the time my own father was also a member of the Signals Company with 1 Royal Sussex. Happy to copy them for you.

Regards

Mike

Originally Posted by Jeff Spiers

Hi all,
This is my first post to the forum but I have been reading with great interest the discussions on here, my daughter (14) has also found it very useful in her course work. Not even sure if this is the correct place on the Forum to put this (Mods, please move to correct part if I'm in the wrong place)
My father, now deceased, served with the "Royal Sussex Regiment" during the war, as with many people who served he didn't talk much about his time whilst serving, my Mother has asked if I could find anything out about what/where/when in relation to my Fathers service through the internet. Hopefully with the great knowledge I've witnessed on this Forum something can be found out (though I'm not expecting miracles ) Anyway heres what I know so far, I have his soldiers service and pay book and soldiers release book

Name: Ronald Leslie Spiers
DOB: 11-1-24
Army No: 14335595
Military Dispersal unit: 20-5-47 (Aldershot) Though saying that he did always say he entered back into civilian life at Chichester barracks!
Medals: 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, War Medal 1939-45

Training

as written in book:
EXPD D.M. CHAMBER 12 WKS SIGNAL COURSE, 9/1/43
1 WK ADDITIONAL SIG TR, 20/4/43
FIRED WAR COURSE, 1st CLASS, JULY 1943
ATTENDED DIV SCHOOL OF SIGNALLING, 3 WKS, 14/1/46 To 4/2/46

Nature of employment

27/5/43 to 17/1/46 "signaller"


A couple of things that he did reveal before he passed on were that may or may not help

He talked of being at "Monte Casino", he remembered being on a hill side in thick fog one day when a convoy of pack horses/asses went by carrying supplies, they were tied together in a long line and one of the animals lost its footing and fell off the side of the mountain/cliff/hill, as they were all tied together the one that fell dragged all the others over the side.

He also recalled a convoy of military vehicles passing by crewed by New Zealanders, these guys were giving out biscuits as they passed.

In mums photo album is a newspaper cutting of a picture of "The Reins Del Pacific" Dad says he spent weeks in this boat in rough seas travelling to and waiting for disembarkation, (don't know where from or too) he was in the lower decks of this ship and wasn't the best sea traveller, he said it was the worst time of his army life!

He remembered being under fire (possibly Italy) when an Officer he was with told him to stay down out the way, a split second later there was an explosion (artilary shell??) when dad looked up the officer had disappeared, presumed he took the full force of the explosion.

There are pictures of Dad (after the war?) in Alexandria, Egypt, he told Mum that all his mates went to see the Pyramids but he elected no to go that day but had always wished he had.


Not a lot to go on I know but hopefully some more pieces of the jigsaw of Dads exploits will be revieled

MTIA
Jeff Spiers