My father, Stanley Walter Boden, was born on the 7th August 1923, to Walter William Boden and Lillian Kate Boden (nee Iggulden). Dad had three brothers, Cyril, Fred and Henry.
Stanley Walter Boden joined the army on the 18th February 1943 at the age of 19 years and 7 months, (having already served in the Home Guard) and after having been transferred to the Royal Army Service Corps (R.A.S.C) reported to number 2 training battalion at Heckfield, Maidstone on the 31st March 1943 with the rank of private and was immediately given the rank of driver and his service number was prefixed “T”.
His next posting was to 229 Company R.A.S.C. on the 12th April 1943. Dad seems to have led a rather un-eventful life until 29th January 1944 when he was awarded 10 days F.P (Field Punishment) by the Commanding officer for refusing to obey an order and using obscene language to an NCO.
229 Coy RASC moved to Southgate House, Clowne, Derbyshire which was a Small country house owned by the Bowden family. It would appear that this is where he met my mother Iris as she lived in the village of Balborough which is a couple of miles away.
On the 1st May 1944 at 04:00hrs, the company moved from Southgate House, to Surrenden Dering in Kent, (Surrenden Dering was a manor house, located in Pluckley, Kent) having staged overnight in Stevenage where they arrived at 16:00hrs on the 1st May. Leaving Stevenage at 10:00hrs on the 2nd May they arrived at Surrenden Dering at 18:00hrs.
From the 2nd May 1944 until the 11th May 1944 the company, under the command of Major H Shaw appears to have just waited for embarkation to North West Europe. On the 23rd May 1944 at 10:00hrs, the company embarked on a signals exercise called “Slasher” which concluded on the 24th May at 10:00hrs. On the 25th May 1944 at 10:00hrs the company commenced on signals exercise “Ramsey” which ended on the same day at 19:00hrs and the following day at 10:00hrs took part in signals exercise “Heinrich” which ended at 19:00hrs.
On the 30thMay 1944, 6 officers and 125 other ranks attended a “Service before battle” in Canterbury Cathedral. Coincidentally I believe that my Grandfather, Dad's dad, also attended a Service before battle at Canterbury Cathedral in August 1914 before going the France with the 9th (Queens Royal) Lancers.
On the 16th July 1944 the company moved to the marshalling area in London, arriving at 08:15 hrs. and 2 OR’s were dispatched to hospital. On the 17th July at 07:00hrs half of the company embarked from the London docks and on the following day the remainder of the company embarked and the arrived at Arromanches on the 21st July, half of the company disembarking at “Gold Beach” and a detachment took up positions at Sommervieu, which is 13.5 Km (9 miles) from Cully where the mystery photo was taken and I think adds weight to mum's claim.
On the 23rd July the remainder of the company disembarked on Juno Beach. On the 24th July the remaining elements of the company arrived and on the 28th July moved location to Cahagnolles, arriving on the 29th July 1944. On the 30th July the company reached Les Mesnil where it set up forward ammunition and petrol point and 1 OR was wounded and evacuated to 34 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station).
On the 1st August the forward ammunition and petrol point which was near Caumont was shelled with 1 OR wounded and on the 4th August the Coy moved to St. Martin des Besaces to set up an ammunition and petrol point, and on the 9th August Dvr W Price was declared a deserter. By the 11th August the company had moved to Tinchebray where it absorbed the rear point on route and one OR was admitted to 11 light field ambulance. On the 20th August the company moved forward to a location given as 724287 where a detachment was sent to Beny Bocage to assist in forming the Falaise cushion.
