Daniel Albert Noble
British Army 373rd Battery, 118th H.A.A. Regiment Royal Artillery
from:Chiswick, London
Some years ago I obtained some of my father's Army records as I was keen to find out where he served during the Second World War. Sadly Daniel Noble died when I was 11 years old in 1950, 4 and a half years after he was demobilised.
I have a few vague memories of brief appearances during the war years when he managed to get leave. One especially was at Christmas when I made a wish, on being allowed to pull the chicken wishbone, that he would not have to return to his unit. To my delight he set of for the station only to return within a few hours to say that his return had been postponed and he could stay for a few more days.
His service record covers his time in the Royal Artillery, from 16th September 1940 when he enlisted until April 1946 and I can see from the record that he moved around the UK. On one occasion he was waiting outside Coventry at the time of the second largest bombing raid in April 1941 only to realise later that I and my mother were staying in Coventry with relatives!
The most frustrating aspect of his Service Record is the absence of any information on his time in Europe when he went across in September 1944 until January 1946 during which time his record shows he was in the BAOR. He made friends with a few people in Belgium and Holland who visited us after the War. So if anybody has any relative who served in the 373/118th H.A.A I would be delighted to hear from them
