this is my grandfather`s medals he was in the 166th newfoundland FA during ww2,and fought in Korea with the Canadian army ,,,
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thanks for looking guys, hope you like the groupComment
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Hi James , thats great !
The ribbons need to be swapped around the fist and last , did you say he was in Korea? Did he get the Korea medal?
ChayComment
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Nice one bud! I have seen the photo in a book as well, you can see they are wearing windproof smocks it looks too as in other photos. I have the battle dress, medals and effects of one of their British RA signalers and my family was 59th. Why not move this one in our own Newfoundland thread? ("Newfoundland ww2 uniforms"). Some of the troops from the 59th and 166th joined up in the RCHA and other units for Korea. I know of one 166th vet who served in 2 RCHA out of Petawawa, many stayed well into the 60s 70s.
An interesting note recently was that the perpetual battle honors of the WW1 Newfoundland Regiment, the 59th and the 166th are carried by the 1st Royal Newfoundland regiment "technically" as the 166th for example reformed as the 166th RCA existed until 1961 and was absorbed into the 1st Royal Newfoundland Regiment.
There are some WW2 166th guns as far as I know in various places in Newfoundland as monuments. Two 1950s era 105mm pack howitzers of the 166th RCA which fired ceremonial gun salutes were transferred over to the 56th Field squadron (which contained from 1949 a good few ww2 166th, 59th, other HM Forces vets), who are to this day the only Combat Engineers to fire gun salutes in commonwealth. This was apparently to maintain the tradition and honor Newfoundland gunners. There are also two 155mm Newfoundland guns in St.John's from the 59th a gift from the UK, these would have fired from Operation Goodwood, Falaise, the Bulge, on Arnhem right on to the end. I'm just waiting for some day if I can get into Tunisia, if i can get to the battle positions of the 166th as per maps as I think they will if far out enough, as in some places in Libya, likely be untouched! I would love to get some brass!
Regards,
PeteLast edited by pete; 12-02-2013, 09:59 AM.Comment
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That Newfoundland VSM is a lovely medal! First I've ever seen.Comment
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my grandfather is in the top row far right he said this was taken in Italy, hey pete when I was a kid they had a 25 pounder gun at the government building,dont know if it was a original gun from the unit ,, I miss the war stories that he would tell, him and my dad are the reasons why I joined the army ( artillery ).I have afew more pic's and some award certificates i'll try to post next week ,,,
jamesComment
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hey chay, thank you for the information about the ribbon , so you're saying swap the first medal ribbon with the last medal ? yes he had more medals from the Korean War but I dodnt know what happened to them .i would like to find out what other medals he was awarded somehow,,,, oh maybe someone could tell me what a Bombardier is I seen it on the of his Awards
thanks jamesComment
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BDR is the same as Corporal. Corporal then was a full leadership position and section commander. Its the same thing as Mastercorporal, leadership position, these days which they bastardized in order to justify a pay raise in the 60s and also follow the political plan of the day that is being corrected (sort of) now. MCpl is also an "appointent" not a rank to make it stranger. BDR still exists now but in the same rank as like a 'senior private'. Hopefully things will go back to what they are supposed to be, only now there is a generation who has no connection with the past and doesnt see that there was ever "anything wrong".
Pete
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nice photo! if we found the unit of your grandfather in Italy, we try to find where it was taken ...Comment
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http://ngb.chebucto.org/NFREG/WWII/w...gt-index.shtml
The book where you can see this exact photo and the caption is on this link.
Pete
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My father was with the 2RCHA in the late 60's in CFB Picton Ontario. He was a LBDR(lance corporal) with the 127 Light Ack Ack.Comment
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