Walter Herbert Hammond RWF - 1920/30's

[Sylfan]

My father's. service with the RWF is my reason for joining the forum.

He was Walter Herbert Hammond and he joined the RWF on the 22nd September 1926.

He was posted to the 2nd Battalion on the 5/07/1927 and then the 1st Battalion on the 7/02/1928.

His record shows him in service in India between 7/03/1928 and the 19/12/1930 (2 years 288 days)

The only other mention of this service was on the 27/03/1930 he was awarded a 2nd class cert, Quetta (now part of Pakistan)

Next entry is service in the Sudan between 20/12/1930 and 12/12/1931 (358 days)


In 1931, Fusilier Hammond was sent a telegram to the ship he was on board which was moored at Port Said, Egypt. The ship was H.M.T. Lancashire (His Majesty’s Troopship) which was possibly on it’s way to England. The telegram had been sent from Atbara in the Sudan, a town which is next to the River Nile. The message on the telegram was short “ Bon Voyage George”.

He was "home" 13/12/1931 to 21/09/1933 (1 year 283 days).

On the 19/03/1932 he obtained a "pass" qualification for a course which he attended at the Royal Tank Corps for Vehicle Driving and Maintenance.

Does anyone know what the units in India and Sudan were doing at these relevant times?

I have sent off for a copy of E.O.Skaife's book "A Short History of the Royal Welch Fusiliers - more later about my fathers close connection with E.O.Skaife

Sylfan

[ap1]

A warm welcome Sylfan.

You may be interested to learn that the 1st Bn, at least until the merger in 2006, still played an inter-company rugby competition called the "Skaife Cup". Brigadier Skaife who was CO of the 1st Bn from 1930-1933 was seriously injured in a car accident in Sept 1939. Effectively curtailing his active service.

Pre 1925 involved in the Waziristan operations.
1925 - Naisirabad
1928 - Moved to Quetta
1930 Limit of foreign tour, sails for the Sudan. Based in Khartoum
21st April 1932. The battalion arrived at Southampton.

They remained in the UK until 1939, where they deployed with the BEF in France and Belgium. Only several hundred of them made it back from the beaches of Dunkirk in May 1940.

[Sylfan]

AP1

thanks for your reply.

I said on my first entry that there was more to follow with a connection between my father and E.O.Skaife

I know about Skaife's accident as my father was driving!

He broke his leg when the car which had been commandeered for military service and which was in poor condition crashed. Skaife ordered my father to make sure he was not to stay in hospital but was to make sure he was taken home. Where presumably he could carry on running things. As far active service was concerned he had already retired from the army in 1937, he was born in 1884.

My father as I stated passed his driving course at the Royal Tank Corp in 1932.

At sometime my father became Skaife's batman/ driver (not sure if he was his batman before he became his driver as I have no dates for this post or any entry in his records).

In August of 1932 he drove Skaife to Bunce Court in Kent. This was the home of Lady Olga Manning and her widowed Mrs Sefton-Jones.

Bunce Court is famous as it became a school for children escaping from Nazi oppression and funding for it's set up was partly by Quakers, the Mannings were Quaker's.

http://www.northdowns.plus.com/otterden/bunce.html

see also entries in Wikipedia.

While Skaife was above stairs my father was below stairs getting acquainted with Lady Mannings parlor maid and who in time became Walter's wife.

When they had married in 1933 my father left the army and was put on the 5 year reserve list.

In 1937 Skaife, who had been Military Attache in Russia sent a letter to my father addressing him as "My Dear Hammond" and offering him and my mother positions at his new residence to be in his adopted Wales. He finished stating "All my failings you any rate know" (I still have the letter).
On the day war was declared Skaife and my father reenlisted and my father became for the time being anyway his driver.

Sylfan

[Sylfan]

I am not sure when Skaife's accident occurred I note AP1 states 1939 but I think it did not stop his military service.

on 2/1/1941 I believe Skaife entertained Sir General Alan Brooke, commander home forces at the officers club at Hoylake, Cheshire according to my mother's diary as she fed Alan Brooke's driver a F.A.N.Y driver (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry).

On the 11/2/1941 my father noted " Said goodbye to the Colonel who goes to London, out of the army.

According to Who Was Who Skaife was -

Brigade District Commander and Brigade Commander 1940-1941.

Foreign Office, Research Dept 1941-1944

The National Archives have records of notes of lectures that Skaife gave in 1944 which covered the subject of the Soviet Union they are –
AIR 69/974 August 1944
AIR 69/1120 February 1944
AIR 69/1310 September 1944
AIR 69/1431 December 1944
AIR 69/ 1432 December 1944

[ap1]

An interesting tale Sylfan. In 1939 Brig Skaife was commander 158(RWF) Brigade. Although a TA Brigade, it was mobilised at the onset of War and stood by to move to Northern Ireland, a few short days later the accident occurred (13th Sept). Within a few months the brigade supplied an independent company that fought in Norway. His place was taken by Brigadier Duke.

(Source: The Red Dragon)

[Sylfan]

Thank you AP1 for that information. I can now update my records. I have a photograph of the nurse who came regularly into Skaife to attend his injuries. She is standing next to Skaifes MG which is painted with the white panels to help distinguish a vehicle in the blackout conditions. My father would have driven her to and from Crogen Hall, Llandrillo.

My father was posted to the 12th Battalion RWF until 1/01/1942.

His military record for this period -

Posted to 12th Battlion on the 26/08/1940 from the 9th Battalion.

24/02/1941, attached to H.Q 215 Infantry Brigade w.e.f (with immediate effect) 20/02/1941 – for all purposes, Whitby, 12th Battalion. R.W.F

24/02/1941, granted higher rate of ration allowance from 1/02/1941 to 11/02/1941 (215 Inf.Bde Pt 11 order dated 21/02/1941), Whitby, 12^th Battalion

14/04/1941, ceased to be attached to 215 Infantry Brigade 12/04/1941. Transferred to “C” Coy. same date.

21/05/1941, attached to 224 Infantry Brigade for all purposes w.e.f. 20/05/1941, Redcar 12^th Battalion. R.W.F.

27/05/1941, granted leave from 27/05/1941 to 2/06/1941, Yarmouth, 12^th Battalion. R.W.F.


3/06/1941, granted extension to leave form 03/06/1941 to 9/06/1941, Redcar ? 12^th Battalion R.W.F.

29/07/1941, transferred to H.Q Coy. Yarmouth, 12^th Battalion R.W.F.

18/08/1941, declares former service in R.W.F as follows – enlisted 22/09/1926, discharged 21/09/1938 on completion of norm. Reg. Army engagement of 7 years with colours and 5 years Reserve Service ??? for increments of pay 7 years. Granted 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd year increments of pay 25/07/1941 (Application for arrears to 02/09/1939 has been forwarded to High Authority in accordance .Yarmouth, 12^th Battalion. R.W.F.

19/8/1941, granted 28 days agricultural leave, Yarmouth, 12^th R.W.F

20/08/1941, granted L/S and G.C. Pay 20/08/1941. Application for arrears to 01/09/1940 will be submitted to R. Paymaster, Shrewsbury.

15/09/1941, granted extension of agricultural leave until the 29/09/1941, Yarmouth, 12^th Battalion, R.W.F.
Granted arrears of increment of pay for the periods as stated below –
1^st year increment @ 3d per day 3/09/1939 to 1/09/1940
2^nd year incr. @ 3d per day 3/09/1939 to 24/07/1941
3^rd year incr. @ 6d per day 3/09/1941 to 24/07/1941

16/09/1941, amend dates for 3^rd year incr. @ 6d per day to read – 3/09/1939 to 24/07/1941

07/10/1941, transferred to “A” Coy. 3/10/1941, Yarmouth,

18/11/1941, granted leave from 18/11/1941 to 25/11/1941(WFW), Scarborough, 12^th Battalion, R.W.F.

2/12/1941, ??? grant of ??? pay to rear w.e.f. 2/09/1940, Scarborough.

2/12/1941, attached to 70^th Battalion. W. Yorks ??? w.e.f. 2/12/1941, Scarborough.

3/12/1941, granted ??? w.e.f. 1/12/1941, Scarborough, 12^th Battalion, R.W.F.

10/12/1941, ?? to 70^th Battalion W. Yorks. Scarborough.

I presume the 12th Battalion would have been on home defence duties on the East Coast but can anyone put some detail as my fathers record really only covers leave requests etc.

Also does anyone know if the late Brigadier Skaifes personal records i.e. diaries etc. are in the RWF archives? I was told he left a large part of his estate to the RWF which had made up a large part of his life. I can remember his dog "Ianto" being passed into the care of the RWF, maybe he was looked after with the goat!

[ap1]

I presume the 12th Battalion would have been on home defence duties on the East Coast but can anyone put some detail as my fathers record really only covers leave requests etc.

Also does anyone know if the late Brigadier Skaifes personal records i.e. diaries etc. are in the RWF archives? I was told he left a large part of his estate to the RWF which had made up a large part of his life. I can remember his dog "Ianto" being passed into the care of the RWF, maybe he was looked after with the goat!

The 12th Bn was a Home Defence Bn formed in July 1940. By Sept it was based at Hoylake. It was part of 215 Infantry Bde, commanded by Brig Skaife. It moved over to the east coast in early 1941. It later in 1942 it re-roled into a Royal Artillery Anti Aircraft Regiment designated - 116th(RW) Light AA Regiment RA. On the 23 June 1944, it landed at Normandy alongside your fathers old brigade the 158th.

Regarding Skaifes personal papers, I would suggest approaching the Museum at Caernarfon, although queries are taking a considerable time. We are hopeful that the archive of the RWF will shortly be available at Wrexham Museum.

I'm aware that he did leave a considerable sum of money to the 1st Bn, to support sporting activities and outdoor pursuits for the soldiers. Known as the Skaife Fund.

[Baconwallah]

I would suggest approaching the Museum at Caernarfon, although queries are taking a considerable time.

The service has now officially been suspended, I hear.

John

[Glyn Hughes 17]

Dear Sylfan,I would be interested to learn if you have been successfully in your request for Brigadier E O Skaife’s book “Short History of The Royal Welch Fusiliers” If not I have a copy and I would be happy to lend you the book.
Glyn

[ap1]

Interestingly in 1939 when Skaife was commanding 158 Brigade, his brigade major was Maj Hughie Stockwell. He later became Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe in the early 1960's. His biographer Gen Jon Riley tells me that Skaife was still serving at the onset of the war, as a regular officer in command of a TA Brigade. He'd never left. It's very possible your father re-joined in order to assist him.

The book "The Life And Campaigns of General Hughie Stockwell" is well worth a read. Stockwell joined the regiment in 1923 and had a fascinating career. I have reviewed it under the recommend a book category.

Your father with close access to Skaife would certainly have spent time with Maj Stockwell.

Skaifes papers are at the RWF Archive, which is in the long drawn out process of being moved into the Wrexham Museum