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4th (Pangbourne) Battalion, Berkshire Home Guard
4th (Pangbourne) Battalion, Berkshire Home Guard was affiliated to the Royal Berkshire Regiment whose cap badge they wore. The Battalion was formed in May 1940 by the redesignation of the Local Defence Volunteer company and was made up of platoons men in reserved occupations and those over or under age to serve in the armed forces. They wore an army style khaki uniform and were equipped with a few rifles.
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Want to know more about 4th (Pangbourne) Battalion, Berkshire Home Guard? There are:0 items tagged 4th (Pangbourne) Battalion, Berkshire Home Guard 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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Sgt. Joseph Colgrave DCM, MID. 4th Berkshire Battalion  Joe Colgrave was my grandfather's eldest brother. He survived WW1 although several of his siblings including my grandfather Colin Colgrave, did not.
Born in 1880, Joe joined the Army at the age of 18yrs in Beverley, Yorkshire and enlisted into the East Yorkshire Regiment on 6 Aug 1898. He served in South Africa and during the Great War.
He joined the Home Guard on the outbreak of the Second World War. L/Sgt Colgrave DCM had 20 years Regular and Reserve service. He collapsed and died whilst taking part in the Royal Review of 63,000 ex-servicemen and women in Hyde Park, London. He was looking for his wife who had a seat in the stands when he collapsed near the Serpentine. He was taken to a First Aid post but died in the ambulance on the way to hospital on 5th July 1953.
He was awarded the DCM, MiD, Queens South Africa Medal clasps Cape Colony and Transvaal, King's South Africa Medal clasps 1901 and 1902, 1914 Star clasp 5Aug-29Nov, British War Medal, Victory Medal, and Defence Medal 1945.
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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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