58th Medium Regt Royal Artillery 1940-5

The Suffolk Regiment: B.E.F 1940 (as part of the 44th Home Counties Division) North Africa 1942-5 (as part of The First Army)

War Diary | Captain L.Twomey | Gunner Stanley Clifford Stocking

Gunner Atkins, D,R. | Gunner Watts, D,E. | 1940 | Nominal Roll | Facts & Speeches

This website traces the history of the 58th Medium Regiment of Royal Artillery from 1939 onwards. Above is a picture of John Parsons (my Grandfather) who fought with this Suffolk based unit until being wounded in late 1943. Through the various War Diaries we learn where the Artillery fought, what role they had to play in supporting the infantry, the training and lessons learned from their French counterparts and the trials and tribulations of being involved in a World War.

John Parsons was in the Territorial Army before the war. The Drill Hall was based in Gainsborough Street, and members came from Haverhill every week to join with the Sudbury men to train. At the outbreak of war the Territorials were called up immediately. The men from Haverhill were billeted in Friars Street before they and the Sudbury men embarked for France. They used the ground floor rooms of No.16-17 Gainsborough Street (opposite the Drill Hall) for cooking and washing.

58 Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery saw action in Belgium before having to retreat from Menin, near Ypres and make its way to Dunkirk. After being rescued at Dunkirk having left all their guns and equipment behind the battalion was based at Bovington, Dorset and then Christchurch near Bournemouth. In 1942 the battalion embarked for Algiers and fought with the First and Eighth Armies in North Africa. From there it was sent to Italy, where it took part in the fierce fighting against the Germans at Cassino. Later the battalion went to France and Germany.

Please click here for Picture of 58th Reg Players Cigarettes Card from 1939

I hope you enjoy this site, please E-Mail me if you have any further suggestions/requests or family contacts with this regiment. Long live the 58th!!

Last Updated: 18/01/10

My Email address is: ajp (then insert the @ symbol) wargunner.co.uk (no gaps, all lower case)