Military Chat

I have been asked by a friend to see if I can find out where his father spent his war years. He served from '39 - '45 in the KRR as part of the Eighth Army in N. Africa, and also in Italy. His name was William Reginald Kimsey. Where on earth do I start?

Bob, all service records after 1920 are still with MOD and not online.

It costs £30 to get the records and there may be a long wait. Heres's the link to help you.

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html

Hope this helps


:-)

Found this - war time memories KRR

http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/allied/regiment.php?pid=1512

and this

https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/units/1508/kings-royal-rifle-corps/

Found this by googling:-

King's Royal Rifle Corps during WW2

WW2 Battalions of The King's Royal Rifle Corps

1st Battalion:
03 September 1939: The Battalion was part of Pivot Group, near Wadi el Nagamish, Egypt. They fought almost to the last at Sidi Rezegh, with only 55 men of all ranks escaping the battle where the regiment’s 23rd VC was won. It served with 7th Armoured Division throughout the North African Campaign until 4th Armoured Brigade was detached from the Division after El Alamein.
January 1943: It left 4th Armoured Brigade. It then served in Italy as part of 2nd Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division.
October 1944: 2nd Armoured Brigade became an independent Brigade. It joined 61st Infantry Brigade, 6th Armoured Division with which it served until the end of the war, with 2nd Battalion The Rifle Brigade, with which it had started the war with in 7th Armoured Division.

9th Battalion:
September 1939: This unit was 1st Rangers, The King's Royal Rifle Corps stationed in London as part of 3rd London Infantry Brigade, 1st London Division.
March 1941: It was renamed 9th Bn. (The Rangers) KRRC it fought a desperate rearguard action in Greece, as part of 1st Armoured Brigade attached to 6th Australian Division. It caused heavy casualties on the Germans, before the battalion was evacuated to Crete. There it served in the Suda Bay area south of Canea attached to 1st Battalion, The Welch Regiment. What was left of the poorly equipped battalion was overwhelmed during the German invasion of the island with only 14 members escaping to Egypt.
1942: It briefly served with 7th Armoured Division during the Gazala battles with 7th Motor Brigade, where as part of the Garrison of the Retma Box it was overrun.
August 1942: They briefly served with 2nd Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division, before being taken out of the line. Later that month it was decided to disband the Battalion in order to reinforce the other KRRC Battalion in North Africa.
December 1942: The Battalion had been put into suspended animation and its personnel assigned to 1st Bn. and 2nd Bn. KRRC to make up for loses in them.
December 1947: The battalion was finally disbanded.

As PatinCyprus has already said £30 is what it costs to order his service records which should tell you exactly where he served and at what dates.

Kath. x

Here he is on the 1939 Register:-

Kimsey Household (3 People)
6 Millais Road , Enfield U.D., Middlesex, England

FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB SEX OCCUPATION MARITAL STATUS SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER

William R Kimsey 15 Feb 1922 Male Laundry Van Assistant Single 92 3
Edward S Kimsey 25 Nov 1885 Male Contractors Labourer Married 92 1
Frances S Cranstone (Kimsey) 30 Jun 1887 Female Home Duties Unpaid Married 92 2

Kath. x