The photograph below is from the private collection of Don Roper. His father Herbert Hughes Roper or Bert for short was Squadron Sergeant Major of 3rd squadron Coldstream Guards, from the 6th Guards Tank Brigade. Unfortunately he passed away ten years ago after a long and happy life.
If you recognize a member on the photo, or in the list of names please contact us. Don has a lot of information and questions and would be delighted to connect with anyone who served with him.
All information on the 6th Guards Tank Brigade is appreciated!
Don…A lovely photo…Some of the faces are familiar but I am unable to put a name to any of them with any certainty. Many thanks
John
Ah I have my Uncles 4 Batt service tunic so I assume one of the Reilly’s in row 4 is my relation. I think he lost his hand at Monte Cassino. The tunic has his number plus the crown above the stripes and the IV cover.
Barden, william herbert
Hi, I’m William RIELLY’s granddaughter, he did lose his left hand in monte cassino, could you possibly share a picture of his service tunic? I have never seen it, didn’t even know anybody had it!
Thank you so much Don for posting this picture.
I’ve never seen it before.
My Grand Father is in it, Sgt JH Webster, 2nd row from top, 10th from left.
Sadly he was killed from the blast from a German railway gun on the 31st of April 1945.
Only 9 days from VE day.
Hi Chris,
Hopefully you get this message, i have been researching a friends grand fathers brother who was also killed alongside your grand father, his name was Gdsm Maurice Henry Gwynne Clarke (2666795), I have located where the Class 40 Bridge they crossed was at Artlenburg, the one that was being shelled by a German railway gun, do you have any details of that fateful day?
Kind regards,
Ed
I was hoping to find reference to my Great Uncle Stanley Thompson, killed Oct 6th 1943 (Not sure which battle) I recently lost my father who was named after Stanley, any further information on the action of the 4th Battalion on or around that time would be much appreciated. Great photographs by the way!
Dear sir ww
My father was a driver operator of a churchill tank, he was in the coldstream guards, his tank commander was V C Duffield who is on the front row 4th from the left, I’m trying my hardest to find information about there whereabouts from landing in France to the finish of the war, I met v c Duffield in 1998, they managed to talk together on the phone in 1992 sadly my father passed away due to cancer in 1993, now I’m 58 and there is so much I could ask him but alas he’s not here , hope there is still somebody about to receive this message,
Yours faithfully nick frost
Dear sir,
Thank you for your response, and sorry for our late response. The articles on the website are about all the information we have, 4 articles in total. We can recommend a book by Patrick Forbes, from 1946 – 6th Guards Tank Brigade the Story of Guardsmen in Churchill Tanks. There must be more books with information on the Coldstream Guards during WW2.
The Coldstream Guards have a website, you could use it as a start for your search, or try a national archive. https://coldstreamguards.org.uk/
Or ask for a copy of military service records – https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records
If you find more information could you please let us know so we can use your information for others who seek information on the Coldstream Guards.
Or if you like to share your information for others to read we can offer a page on our site.
Best of luck and best regards,
Patrick
They landed on Juno and Gold beaches 20th July 1944
4th row back from the front, 7th from the right, T Lucas, known as Bill. He is my grandfather, who was KIA at Maashees en Overloon on 12 Oct 1944, a Sargeant in a tank, Coldstream Guards, 4th Battalion. It has been a poignant day as my sister found a recording on the Imperial War Museum site by a certain Robert Dare. The second recording tells of the battle on that day, 12th Oct 1944 in which my grandfather was killed.
The tank Robert Dare drove in (he was the tankdriver) stands in Overloon War Museum. Bob Dare came back many times after the war to our museum and the cemetery in Overloon. To Honour his comrads.
Thank you for replying.
More information about Bob Dare and the fate of the Jackal can be found here:
https://landmarkscout.com/tank-driver-bob-dare-the-jackal/
https://landmarkscout.com/the-jackal/
All, my grandfather served in the 4th Batt. Coldstream from when they landed 20th July in Normandy to when he left from germany in May 1946. He sent a number of photos back to my Nan, a few showing the tank name “Eagle” which I know is the lead Regimental Tank. He has one photo where there are a group of 7 by the side of “Eagle” and on the back says hand writing “The Lads” but this doesn’t mean to say it was his crew. Also, there is another photo (which is online) where there is a column of 5 tanks (dated 29th November 44) – my grandad is the lead tank (wearing a beret on left as you look at it), “cuckoo” is the last of the 5 tanks in the column however in this photo you cannot see the name of the tank which my grandad is in. I assume its Eagle but cannot tell. How do I find out the crew of Eagle and – if my grandfather was not in it – which one was he in? I am writing a book about the exploits of the 4th Batt. Cldstream in WW2 and its centred around my grandfather. Thanks
This is very interesting. I am trying to trace any information on Harry Turner born 1926, died 29 March 1945. He was in the Coldstream Guards, 4th Btn 6th Guards and it would seem several Guardsmen were killed or missing in action or simply missing on this day. His body was now identified and repatriated to Venray CWGC until 1947. Harry Turner’s parents were living ain Peckham London at the timeof his enlistment aged 16/17 in 1943.