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- 4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment



   4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment was a territorial unit, its HQ was at at Newburgh House, Winchester. They served with 128th Brigade, 43rd (Wessex) Division and later with 46th Division and saw action in North Africa, Italy and the Middle East.

 

28th Feb 1943 In Action

3rd Mar 1943 Attack Made

21st Mar 1943 Counter Attack

Mar 1943 Defence

22nd Apr 1943 Attack Made

1st Sep 1943 Accident  location map

9th September 1943 Landing at Salerno

19th Jan 1944 Attack Made

26th Aug 1944 Attack Made

7th Oct 1944 Heavy Rain

9th Oct 1944 Consolidation


If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.



Those known to have served with

4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

  • Baxter MM. John Cockburn. Pte. (d.18th Dec 1944)
  • Bish Leonard George Joseph. Cpl.
  • Chard William George. L/Sgt. (d.21st July 1944)
  • Norton VC, MM. Gerard Ross. Capt.
  • Woods Leslie George. L/Cpl. (d.4th September 1944)

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment from other sources.



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Want to know more about 4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment?


There are:1329 items tagged 4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.


L/Sgt. William George Chard 2/4th Btn. Hampshire Regiment (d.21st July 1944)

My uncle, William Chard, brother of my mother Hilda who, while in the WAAF, married an American paratrooper in WW11 and migrated to Montana, USA. William died in battle near Arezzo, Italy and is interred in the Arezzo War Cemetery. I don't know much about William nor does the surviving English family. His company commander was a Captain Wakeford who was awarded the VC for an action on 13th of May 1944, at Cassino, a month before my uncle's death. His brother, Harold, served aboard the HMS Fury.

Buzz Tiffany



Cpl. Leonard George Joseph Bish 1/4th Btn Hampshire Regiment

While researching an old service book with details as listed above, I found this information on Leonard Bish, known as Joe. He was originally a colour maker born 18th of April 1920. At the start of WW2 he enlisted at Caterham 20th of June 1940 and served with the 1/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Leonard married Mrs A Bish (pet name Doll). He attended a Machine Gun course on 3rd of June 1942 and five months later on 10th of November 1942 he took a Rifle and LMG war course. Leonard had a scar on his left wrist.

He was at HQ 13 Corps in Italy and was promoted to A/U/L/Corporal 22nd of December 1944. Another promotion to A/U/Corporal came on 12th of April 1946. He was eventually discharged from the service in Italy 7th of October 1946. Along the way Leonard was awarded the Africa Star and 1st Army Clasp 25th of January 1944.

Michael Burroughs



Pte. John Cockburn Baxter MM. 2/4th Btn. Hampshire Regiment (d.18th Dec 1944)

John Baxter served in North Africa and Italy. He was killed in Athens, Greece.

Anthony Thorne



Capt. Gerard Ross Norton VC, MM. Kaffrarian Rifles

Gerard Ross Norton was 28 years old, and a lieutenant in the Kaffrarian Rifles, South African Forces, attached to 1/4th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment when was awarded the VC.

"On 31 August 1944 during the attack on Montegridolfo, Italy, Lieutenant Norton's platoon was pinned down by heavy fire. On his own initiative and with complete disregard for his own safety, he advanced alone and attacked the first machine-gun emplacement, killing the crew of three. He then went on to the second position containing two machine-guns and 15 riflemen, and wiped out both machine-gun nests, killing or taking prisoner the remainder of the enemy. Throughout these attacks he was continuously under fire from a self-propelled gun, nevertheless he calmly went on to lead his platoon against the remaining enemy positions."

S. Flynn









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