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CAN YOU HELP!!!!!

by FLIGHTPIC

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Contributed by听: FLIGHTPIC
People in story:听: ALBERT SYDNEY GAITT
Location of story:听: MIDDLE EAST-ITALY & AUSTRIA
Background to story:听: Army
Article ID:听: A3327400
Contributed on:听: 25 November 2004

ALBERT SYDNEY GAITT OCTOBER 1943

I have been trying to trace the specific regiments, battalions etc of my fathers wartime exploits. If anyone recognises the places and dates I would be very grateful to hear from you.
From discussions with my father before his death I have a very brief history as follows.

Signed up with 9th MIDDLESEX Territorials in NW London, maybe Edgware.

This was I understand merged into the 2nd Battalion Middlesex 3 weeks before outbreak of WW2.

Was in India (Bombay) for 3 weeks and then became Yorks & Lancs. Started on serachlights.

Moved to Middle East-Egypt (camped by Pyramids), Mobile Guns to Israel, Damascus and Palestine.

Then to Italy and in 1945 was in Austria via Bulgaria.

Finally back to Italy being demobbed in Milan.

I subsequently found a scrap of paper in his effects showing his Austrian movements.
Udine 6.5.45
Austrian Border 9.5.45
Toruiso 9.5.45
Klagenfurt 20.5.45
Karflack 20.5.45
Twinburg 23.5.45
Wolfberg 25.5.45
Judenburg 29.5.45
St Margoretten 14.6.45
Groby ? 22.7.45
Wineburg 25.7.45
The Austro Jugo border.

During the war he did a lot of boxing particularly in Egypt and Haifa.

If any of these places ring a bell I would be grateful to hear from you
DAVID GAITT
flightpic@btinternet.com

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Message 1 - Can you help

Posted on: 25 November 2004 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper

Dear Flightpic -

How your uncle got to Austria from Bulgaria has me scratching my head a little bit inasmuch as your timetable indicates he was in Udine - which is in Italy - then Tarvisio - before hitting Austria at Klagenfurt by-passing Villach on the way...then he was messing around on the Jugo border and his furthest North point is at Judenburg......all this tells me that he was in the 46th Div... which after a short wait for the Russians to move out and back to their own sectors - to be followed by Tito's mob....were given the Southern sector to look after...whereas 6th Armoured Div were looking after the central sector and the 78th Inf Div were in the Northern sector with a Brigade in Vienna itself
Some of the 46th Div found themselves back in the Trieste area as TiTo was playing games around ther for a while...I do know that the 4th Queens Own Hussars were there for a while.
To be demobbed in Milan was another scratcher as most of us came back to the U.K.- and our original base camps - for that performance !

Try 46th Div records for his battalion !
good luck

听

Message 2 - Can you help

Posted on: 30 November 2004 by FLIGHTPIC

Dear Tomm
Mant thanks for taking the time to reply to my querie. It is a start and I will try and tread the minefield of trying to understand the different aspects of the army in WW".
Tahnks
David Gaitt

听

Message 3 - Can you help

Posted on: 30 November 2004 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper

David -
Further to your intrepid Fathers wanderings through Europe and your contention that he was demobbed in Milan -- don't think so as by that time we had virtually closed down the overland route through Ulm - Munich - Frankfurt etc to Zeebrugge and home.
We were "enjoying" a train trip which would have taken us from say Trieste - Venice - Padua - Vincenza - Bergamo - Milan - Dolossodomo - Brig (Swiss) Martigny - Lausanne - Geneva - Dijon - Paris - Boulogne - Dover then home ! We - up in Austria - came down via Villach - Tarvisio - Udine to join the train at Padua !
And it was all free ! Couldn't do it to-day under a fiver !

听

Message 4 - Can you help

Posted on: 02 December 2004 by FLIGHTPIC

Dear Tom
I only had some scribbled notes from talking to my Dad ages ago so it could be wrong about Milan

Do you remember the date roughly of your train trip home?

The only memory I have of him returning, and the first time I met him, was one morning my Mum crying and as a 5 year old I was concerned until she said that Dad was coming home today. He arrived late evening and I remember vividly emptying his kit bag on the table which was full of sweets, chocolate and cigarettes.
Thanks for your memories they are much appreciated.
Regards
David

听

Message 5 - Can you help

Posted on: 02 December 2004 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper

David -
I was "fortunate" to have two leaves from Austria - first one was in the early '46 which was called LIAP
which was after three years overseas - the other was PYTHON later that same year with final demob in May '47.

No one had leave from the Mid east - Italy etc until after the Gothic Line Battles in Northern Italy around the October '44 when some names were drawn from the hat - my Tank Driver was one of the Lucky ones to get three weeks in the U.K. That great man spent much of his time in visiting our Troop leader and Tank commanders families to tell them how they died etc.. plus all parents of the rest of the crew, as two of us were badly wounded! He was that kind of man !
regards
tom

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