Hampshire Regiment

Could someone tell me the relationship between No. 4 Commando and the Hampshire Regiment? My father - Leslie Kenneth Fosberry - was in No. 4 (and then briefly in No. 3). But as I was going through his collection of service items and documents after his passing, in addition to his No. 4 and No. 3 shoulder flashes I also found 'The Hampshire Regt.' shoulder flashes. And then when I found his Record of Service Card, it lists his Regiment as "Hamps" from January 17, 1943 to August 8, 1946.

Also - everything I've read about the Commandos being disbanded identify January 1946 as the date, but (again) his Record of Service shows August 8, 1946 as his final date with the Hampshire Regiment, before he was transferred to the Royal Sussex Regiment until August 1947.

I'm trying to nail down some details of his service history, as the town in Canada where he spent his final 35 years is interviewing the family and relatives of the town's veterans to produce a Remembrance video.

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

Kelvin Fosberry

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 13/09/2019 10:27:06

Hi Kelvin,

The answer to your question is quite simple. When your father, Leslie K. Fosberry, enlisted, he joined the Hampshire Regiment - which was probably his local regiment.
He then saw a notice asking for volunteers for 'special duties'. He put his name forward and that was the first step to him becoming a commando...

The Commandos were first formed in 1940 on Churchill's initiative, they were made up from individual volunteers from every regiment and Corps in the British Army.
Each Commando was an 'irregular' unit and those who volunteered to serve in them were only on temporary duty/on loan from their parent regiments - and could be RTU'd (Returned To Unit) at any time. To commandos that was the ultimate punishment!
Individual commandos wore their own regimental cap badge in their berets (with the exception of No.2 Commando who, against regulations, designed & fashioned their own unique cap badge - from canteen cutlery).
You'll note that in the photo of your dad that he is wearing the Hampshire Regt cap badge on his green beret...

The General Staff and Field Regiments, well entrenched in the traditional regimental ways, did not approve of these irregular units, especially when they found that, not only were the regiments losing their best men, but the parent regiments were still expected to be responsible to pay & equip each individual commando soldier.
As irregular units, the Commandos had no Garrison town, no permanent Regimental HQ, no barracks and no parade squares. Temporary HQs would be set up in large houses or hotels in seaside towns and officers and other ranks were given an extra daily allowance so they could billet in the houses of local families. This temporary nature meant that a Commando Unit could, and would, ?up sticks? at very short notice and move on to another town to use as a base.

In 1942 Churchill wanted more Commando Units and so Royal Marine Commandos were formed. A number of RM Battalions were converted to become RM Cdo units.

28 October 1945 the War Office announced that the Army Commandos were to be disbanded - the RMs were to take over the Commando Role.

Disbandment meant that many of the volunteers returned to their 'parent' regiment - in your father's case, The Hampshire Regiment - though some chose to volunteer for the Paras...

To get a better idea of his service from joining up to demob, I'd recommend that you apply to the MoD for his service records - the MoD are the ONLY custodians of WWII Service Records, despite the spurious claims of some online genealogy sites...
Should you want to pursue this I can happily point you in the right direction...

We do have your father listed in our Nominal Rolls but, in the interest of accuracy, do you have his service number - it should be on the documents you have of his...

Nick

Just to add a bit more about being "attached" from their Regiment to a Commando. There was a previous forum message which explained this and can be viewed here http://forum.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/334.page

If the service book you have found is the Book 64 Soldiers Service and Pay Book it is in the above circumstances only likely to show his Regiment.

As regard your Fathers time with No. 3 Commando after No. 4 Commando, this is explained in our No. 4 Commando History section here: http://www.commandoveterans.org/4Commando

The Hampshire Regimental Numbers are between 5,485,001 and 5,562,000
Kevin

Thank you all for the prompt responses and the information. It all makes sense now.

My father's Book 64/Soldier's Service & Pay Book lists his "Army Number" as 14396460. This number also appears on his Record of Service card (Army Form W5258), from which I referenced his list of Regiments/Corps. I assume Army Number and Service Number are one in the same. And yes, his Book 64 lists his Approved Society as "Hampshire Friendly".

Yes, please Nick - I'll gladly accept your offer to point me in the right direction to the MoD for his service records.

Finally, can I assume that the two photos of my father that I've attached (I don't know how to insert them into this dialogue box), in khaki dress shorts and with the shoulder patches that look like some type of leaf or tree, are NOT from his time as a Commando?

Thanks again,

Kelvin Fosberry

Service Number between 721,001 and 1,842,000

Royal Artillery (Field Branch, Coast Defence and Antiaircraft Branch).
Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Kevin wrote:Service Number between 721,001 and 1,842,000 ~ Royal Artillery (Field Branch, Coast Defence and Antiaircraft Branch).
Kevin

The series of regimental numbers you've quoted only have 7 digits; however, Leslie Fosberry's number has 8 digits which means he joined up to the General Service Corps (14200001 - 15000000) and was then posted to his parent regiment...

Nick

Hi Kelvin,

Those are great photos but, as you presumed, they were taken after your dad had returned to his parent regiment, The Hampshire Regiment. You'll notice that on the portrait of him on his own, he is wearing all the ribbons for the medals he would have earned during the War some of which wouldn't have been issued until the War ended!

The oak tree shoulder patch is the formation patch of the 46th Infantry Division...

The 1/4th, 2/4th and 5th (Hants) Battalions were formed into the 128th ?Hampshire? Brigade, part of the 43rd (Wessex) Division. However, January 1943: the Brigade left the 43rd Division and joined the 46th (North Midland and West Riding) Division

To apply to the MoD you'll need these two forms.
Fill out as much detail as you can but, in essence, all you need is his full name and date of birth! It will cost a, one off, payment of £30 unless your mother is still with us then, if she signs the NoK consent, the fee is waived.
If you don't have his death certificate then that can also be obtained from the Gov.UK site...

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/711147/20180524-request_service_details_NOK_part1_v6.2.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/545060/request_for_service_details_army_application_part2_1_.pdf

For copy of Death Cert.

https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate

If you have any problems please don't hesitate to ask for help...

Nick

Hi, Nick i took the Service numbers from the 1920 to 1942 list, will update my records.
Thanks
Kevin