Frank Williams WW2 Wrexham TA, RWF mix of units, Killyleagh, Possible Commando time

[dcdl12976]

No I don't think so Dads Parachute pay was he says an Extra tanner a month, Parachute pay was and is I believe still paid as a monthly extra for the qualification.

Cheers

Dave

[Anniek]

ah ok - that makes more sense. wonder what the payment would have been then.

[Drew5233]

No I don't think so Dads Parachute pay was he says an Extra tanner a month, Parachute pay was and is I believe still paid as a monthly extra for the qualification.

Cheers

Dave

You still get Parachute pay in the British Army today. Its around a fiver a day if you are serving with a airborne unit. You loose it if you get posted out.

[Anniek]

what was at Beddgelert during WW2? I have found references to target practice ranges on the railway and RAF base about 20 miles away. And one reference from a commando in a book who comments on being in billets there. Just found something else commenting on Cwm Llan being used for commando training too.

Just curious because Mum said her parents went on their honeymoon there and stayed with a landlady in a B&B he knew well. It was commented that he was one of her favourites (he was always polite and a gentleman I believe). He knew the area very well when my mum was a child despite not having lived there as far as she knew (he was from Brymbo) or had a car until after the war when he borrowed one to take them there for a short holiday. Apparently he learned to climb there in the war.

[Anniek]

ok so I think I am getting caught up in my own 'what if' theories but I was looking to see if any of the dates on his record could be significant so just humour me for a moment please.

so we have the date in May 1940 when he was made acting corporal which could have tied in with Norway in some way.

Looking at 1942 which is the one with the random hospital visits.

Is it possibly a bit too coincidental he changed battalion on March 14th when the St Nazaire raids were just being grouped together and then he had leave for 8 days from 1st April (his first leave recorded in the records and one of only 2 leave periods in the whole war that are noted, the other being 1-7 August 1942) and then hospital 20-22 April

[ivor43]

Hi All.
Beddgelert is on the River Madoc a few miles inland from Porthmadoc. The River may well have been used for canoe training. with regard to a railway. The Welsh Highland Railway runs through the town,This is a Narrow Gauge system that has been in existence, in varying degrees since 1870 and is very Spectacular. The countryside in the area is Very Rugged so its use as a training area would not surprise me. It is a Major Climbing area Today.
With regard to Airfields.
RAF Llabeder is about 12 Km South of Portmadoc and RAF Llandwrog, Caernarvon is about 20 miles North.

Cwm Llan

http://www.fotolibra.com/gallery/554...lan-snowdonia/

Very Tough Country. Especially if the weather is not good.
I will keep looking for anything more at Beddgelert.

ivor

[Anniek]

Thanks Ivor. I have been to Wales quite a few times but mostly on field trips (geology degree) to random remote places. My only memory of a fieldtrip to Snowdon area was it being February and it had snowed so when we were asked to draw the rock formations I stupidly (it was our first year) commented that they were covered in snow to which the lecturer replied 'then move it, you have hands!'

Interestingly there was an overnight raid to France I believe with just a few hours on land on the 21/22 April 1942. coincidentally Grandad was in hospital 20-22nd April. Perhaps he had transferred battalions in preparation for doing that rather than St Nazaire as I wondered last night.

EDITED - I got the dates wrong - he was in hospital on 18-20th April (it was logged on 20 and 22) so I can forget that possible explanation.

[ivor43]

Hi All

A bit more info re Commando units and St Nazaire

http://stnazairesociety.org/Sections/armyforces.html


ivor

[ivor43]

just found this re the Mountain Training. interesting

http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-...-training.html

ivor

[Anniek]

both are very interesting - thank you.

The mountain training ties in with so many bits that he did say.