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5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment
The 5th (Hackney) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (formerly the 10th London Regiment Hackney), became the 5th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment in 1937. Between 1939 and 1942, the 5th Battalion was stationed in London, Suffolk, Northumberland & Durham, Oxfordshire & Berkshire then Suffolk. In 1943-44 East Anglia, Scotland, Hampshire, Scotland and Back to Hampshire.
It was not until June 1944 that the 5th Battalion went to Europe. The 5th Battalion landed with the Canadians at Juno Beach, Normandy and remained there as part of a beach group with core responsibility for the landing ground.
After the Battalion completed their task on the beach they were broken up with many of the men being posted to other infantry battalions who required battle-casualty replacements. Many went to the 4th & 5th Battalions of the Wiltshire Regiment, and some were later recalled when the 5th Battalion was reformed to carry out a similar task during the crossing of the river Rhine.
4th Jun 1944 Preparations
5th Jun 1944 On the Move
6th Jun 1944 In Action
7th Jun 1944 Unloading Commenced
8th Jun 1944 Ammunition
9th Jun 1944 Unloading
10th Jun 1944 Move
11th Jun 1944 Shelling
12th Jun 1944 Aircraft Downed
13th Jun 1944 Visit
14th Jun 1944 Air Raids
15th Jun 1944 Quiet
16th Jun 1944 Visit
17th Jun 1944 Quiet
18th Jun 1944 Report
19th Jun 1944 Message
20th Jun 1944 Enemy Aircraft
21st Jun 1944 Shelling
22nd Jun 1944 Difficult Conditions
23rd Jun 1944 Enemy Aircraft
24th Jun 1944 Quiet
26th Jun 1944 Quiet
27th Jun 1944 Quiet
28th Jun 1944 Supplies
29th Jun 1944 Supplies
30th Jun 1944 Awards
1st Aug 1944 Off Loading
2nd Aug 1944 Aircraft Active
3rd Aug 1944 Enemy Vessels
4th Aug 1944 Flares
5th Aug 1944 Torpedo
6th Aug 1944 Quiet
7th Aug 1944 Inspection
8th Aug 1944 Delay
9th Aug 1944 Warning
10th Aug 1944 Shelling Reported
11th Aug 1944 Shelling
12th Aug 1944 Anti Tank Mine
13th Aug 1944 Landing Craft
14th Aug 1944 Shelling
15th Aug 1944 Fire
16th Aug 1944 Shells
17th Aug 1944 Inspection
18th Aug 1944 Enemy Aircraft
19th Aug 1944 Mine
20th Aug 1944 Quiet
21st Aug 1944 Bad Weather
22nd Aug 1944 Bad Weather
23rd Aug 1944 Gun Fire
24th Aug 1944 Quiet
25th Aug 1944 Quiet
26th Aug 1944 On the Move 
27th Aug 1944 Quiet
28th Aug 1944 Quiet
30th Aug 1944 Quiet
31st Aug 1944 Quiet
1st Sep 1944 Quiet
2nd Sep 1944 Quiet
3rd Sep 1944 Quiet
4th Sep 1944 Orders
5th Sep 1944 On the Move
6th Sep 1944 On the Move
17th Sep 1944 Divine Service
10th Oct 1944 Visit by De Gaulle
13th Oct 1944 Canteen Opens
31st Oct 1944 Entertainment
1st Nov 1944 Garrison Duty
10th Nov 1944 On the Move
11th Nov 1944 Remembrance Service
29th Nov 1944 Courses
30th Nov 1944 Sports
23rd Dec 1944 Training
24th Dec 1944 Orders
25th Dec 1944 On the Move
31st Dec 1944 Training
12th Jan 1945 In Reserve
13th Jan 1945 Snow
31st January 1945 Snow
12th Feb 1945 Orders
13th Feb 1945 On the Move
14th Feb 1945 On the Move
15th Feb 1945 On the Move
16th Feb 1945 Training
24th Feb 1945 Aircraft shot down
28th Feb 1945 Training
1st Mar 1945 Training
2nd Mar 1945 Exercise
3rd Mar 1945 Training
7th Mar 1945 Inspection
13th Mar 1945 Exercise
17th Mar 1945 Orders
18th Mar 1945 On the Move
19th Mar 1945 Planning
20th Mar 1945 Artillery in Action
21st Mar 1945 Shelling
22nd Mar 1945 Locations Marked
23rd Mar 1945 Into Position
24th March 1945 Attack Made
24th Mar 1945 Report
25th Mar 1945 Bridges
26th Mar 1945 Bridges
30th Mar 1945 Guard Duty
31st Mar 1945 Guard Duty
1st Apr 1945 Bridges
2nd Apr 1945 Salvage
3rd Apr 1945 Salvage
4th Apr 1945 Salvage
5th Apr 1945 Salvage
6th Apr 1945 Prisoner
13th Apr 1945 Awards
15th Apr 1945 Prisoner
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Want to know more about 5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment? There are:1429 items tagged 5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire 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. |
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WO2 John Henry "Jack" OHara 1st Btn Royal Berkshire Regiment (d.8th Mar 1945) Jack OHara was my grandmother's brother.
He was a pre war regular and was with the Regiment in France in 1940.
There is a brief glimpse of him on a Pathe News reel alighting from a boat at Margate on return from Dunkirk, wearing only a great coat, the narrative had not long said the men of the rearguard.
This was pointed out to my mother by her mother and then to me.
He was sent to India with the rest of 2nd Division where they saw some action in 1943 before being called upon to lift the siege at Kohima and Imphal in 1944.
Fighting all the way to the gates of Mandalay, our Jack died of wounds two weeks before the Berkshires were withdrawn from the line for good.
My Nan Mary bore the loss of her brother for the rest of her life
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Pte. Walter Jack Champion 5th Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment  Walter Champion was working in his uncle's bakery (Wyatt’s) in Pangbourne, Berkshire, when called up. He had previously joined 4th (Pangbourne) Home Guard. He then joined the Royal Berkshire Regiment on 12th of December 1941 at Brock Barracks No. 17 Infantry Training School.
On D-Day, he landed on Juno Beach as part of No. 8 Beach Group and then served on the beach until 8th of August 1944, when he transferred to the 5th Dorsetshire Regiment. On 27th of August 1944, he was promoted to acting Lance Corporal but decided he preferred to "be one of the lads", as he put it. He served as batman to his company commander (possibly Major Meade, not sure). When his officer was posted to Division HQ, he was invited to go too as it would be safer, but he turned down this opportunity saying that if his mates had to face front-line danger then so should he.
When his battalion crossed the Rhine, he was on leave, but he was in the area around Hannover when Germans surrendered on VE Day. His battalion was the closest to the location of surrender.
He participated in the following actions:
- D-Day landings
- Falaise Gap.
- CrossIng the Seine at Vernon on 27 August 1944
- Market Garden with XXX Corps at Nijmegen.
- Various actions around southern Netherlands and Aachen
- Periphery of the Battle of the Bulge, covering US left flank.
- Tripsrath (Dorset Wood)
After the war, he served in Berlin and was transferred to HQ XXX Corps on 20th June 1946, just before 5th Dorsets were mothballed. During that time, he helped to guard Rudolf Hess in Spandau Prison. On 18th October 1946, he demobbed and went into the Reserve.
He died in October 2014, just before his 92nd birthday. He was a great chap and a wonderful father-in-law to me.
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Pte. Matthew Hanley 5th Btn. Royal Berkshire Regiment (d.24th Mar 1945) Matthew Hanley served with 5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment I have found the following war diary entry concerning the action (Operation Plunder, crossing of the Rhine near Rees) on 24th of March 1945 that took the life of Matthew Hanley.
"D Day. 0200hrs. H Hour 15th (S) Division. Storm boats take over assault wave of two Brigades. 0230hrs. 44th Brigade report all LVTs over the River. 227th Brigade report opposition. LVTs held up by heavy machine gun fire. A Coy forward elements unable to land at first attempt. The positions were held by the enemy, Arty was called for. A Coy landed, but had to clear bund of enemy before communications were established. 0830hrs. All Bank wireless communication established at crossing points, dispersal and concentration areas. Casualties: A Coy sector Killed: 5345451 Pte Handley [sic] M, 14800992 Pte Garnett P, Wounded: 60896941 L/Cpl Lacey J, 5780007 Pte Breeze E (Signaller), 6089705 Pte Penney R (Stretcher Bearer), 5115115 Pte Vann R, 1449547 Pte Dubitt D. 1000hrs. Forward Control established. Airbourne forces passing over to Dropping Zones. Ferries operating normally. Some shelling, and at night low level machine gunning attacks were made."
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Cpl. Alexander Charles Keel 5th Btn. Royal Berkshire Regiment Alexander Keel, was my Granddad. A gentle man who did his bit for King and Country. An unsung hero.
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Sgt. William Francis Owen Lowe 5th Btn. Royal Berkshire Regiment Bill Lowe (our dad) joined up along with the Guernsey militia (Territorials) in 1939. He was allocated to the 5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. He landed with the Canadians in Normandy at Bernieres sur Mer. His cousin George Lowe also joined up.After the war dad returned home to Guernsey and continued with his trade as a mechanic becoming service manager at Bougourd Bros. We were very proud when, along with other Channel Islanders, he was awarded a citation from the French Department of Basse Normandie. Dad died in 1999, but won't be forgotten. We have visited Bernieres Sur Mer, and also the new Canadian museum and memorial at Juno beach.
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Cpl. Ronald Ridgley 5th Btn. S.Coy Royal Berkshire Regiment Ronald Ridgley served with the 5th Royal Berkshire Regiment, S. Company.
These are his recollections of D.Day
After a fairly rough crossing, we arrived off Bernieres, part of Juno beach. Alongside our L.C.T was an L.C.F fitted with all kinds of anti aircraft guns, which were putting up a curtain of fire, that any attacking aircraft would have to fly through.
When the ramp went down, the first thing I saw was a row of dead Canadians laid out on the beach. A flail tank was beating a path through the mined sands, so we knew that if we kept to the tank tracks it would be fairly safe. The water wasn't very deep, so I got the motorbike ashore that I had to get on to the beach for an officer to use from then on. Meanwhile the Platoon had got our six guns and towing carriers ashore, ready to move inland. We were held up for a while by snipers in a nearby church tower, but I imagine the Navy put a couple of shots through that, as they soon came out., were disarmed and marched away as prisoners.
Others memories of that day were of a Free French man walking along the beach pointing out gun sites and of German prisoners being made to carry the wounded down to the boats to go back to England. All this time the Navy shells were screaming overhead at targets inland.
Our job was to move inland to form an anti tank screen around the beachhead between the sea and Caen. Caen was known to be the base of the German army in that area, so it was thought that any counter attack would come from there.
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