Hi all,

New to this forum, I hope someone can fill me in.
I'm in the possession of a service and paybook of G.G.H Parkhurst (service no. 1101464). This person served during the war period in the 57th field regiment, RA as a gunner.
In his servicebook it is mentioned that he got awarded the 1939-1945 star, the Africa star with 8th army clasp, the Italy star and the France and Germany star. Being in the 8th army I can understand that he got the first three medals (battle at El Alamein and operation Husky). I'm puzzled bij the last medal. My understanding is that 8th army and thus the 57th field regiment did not advanced further than Italy (maybe Austria) right until the end of the war. Could anyone fill me in about the last few months of the war for the 57th field regiment, RA? Does anyone know how to get more information from a name/service number (by the way G.G.H. Parkhurst survived the war)?

Thanks,

Maarten

From the site British Artillery in World War II http://members.tripod.com/~nigelef/keychars.htm

The 57th Field Regiment (Home Counties) Fd Regt

TA

\Brighton 1938 - 44 Div
France 1940 - 44 (Home Counties) Inf Div
UK 1939-42 - 44 (Home Counties) Inf Div
N Africa 1942 - 44 (Home Counties) Inf Div
Alamein 10/42 - 44 Inf Div
N Africa 1943 - 5 AGRA
Sicily 1943 - 5 AGRA
Italy 1943-5 - 2 AGRA
257 Fd Regt

Since the 57th was part of the 44th Division under Major-General E.A. Osborne BEF in France 1939-40, if G.G.H. Parkhurst was a member at that time, he would be entitled to the 1939-1945 star.

Oh and thanks for asking as in searching I found this website that addresses some of my own artillery questions!

__________________
Regards, Michelle

Oliver Goldsmith, "I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines."

This site is useful for artillery research:

Royal Artillery 1939-45

This is the page for 57th Fld Regt RA:

RA 1939-45 57 Fld Rgt

__________________
Paul Reed
Webmaster - Battlefields of WW2- http://www.ww2battlefields.info
D Day Ancestors: The British Army in Normandy - http://www.ddayancestors.com

Thanks for the usefull replies.....
I tried the hyperlinks and there's a lot of information on the sites that I did not already know, but.... My question is still unanswered because Godfrey Parkhurst was enlisted on the 20th november 1940, so after Dunkirk. I've read that some elements of the 8th army were transferred to the western front after El Alamein. I cannot find which "elements", in other words, was the 57th one of those elements or did the 57th pushed towards Austria and Germany? Could you get the France and Germany star when you served in Austria (part of the third reich after annexation)?

Regards,
Maarten

ttt