61st (Caernarvon & Denbighshire Yeomanry) MR, RA.
The Denbighshire Yeomanry were one
of the Cavalry regiments transferred to the Royal Artillery post
Great War; it was re-roled as a medium artillery formation, and
amalgamated with the 61st Medium Brigade Royal
Garrison Artillery (the former Carnarvonshire Artillery
Volunteers), to form 61
Medium Regiment R.A. (Caernarvon and Denbigh Yeomanry) In WW2
the 61st Medium Regiment saw service in France during
the phoney
war (1939–1940); after the Dunkirk
evacuation, it would remain in the United
Kingdom until returning to Europe in
June 1944 with 21st
Army Group. |
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Lt.Col. D M Bateson DSO TD |
David Archibald Price-White was
commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery
(Territorial Army) in 1928. Upon commissioning he was assigned
Army Number 41972. On the 17th of April 1932 he was promoted to
the rank of Lieutenant. At that time he was serving with 242
Battery of the 61st (Carnarvon and Denbigh Yeomanry), Medium
Brigade, Royal Artillery (T.A.) and was stationed at Llandudno.
On the 10th of February 1938, Price-White was promoted
Captain. He was serving with the Headquarters of the 61st
(Carnarvon and Denbigh Yeomanry) at the Drill Hall in Colwyn Bay
on the Irish Sea, 5 miles east-southeast of Llandudno. By this
time the unit had been redesignated as a Medium Regiment. He was
subsequently promoted to the rank of Major on the 24th of July
1939, just prior to the start of World War 2.
Major
Price-White first saw active service during the war in France in
1940 with the British Expeditionary Force, where the 61st
(Carnarvon and Denbigh Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal
Artillery was part of the General Headquarters Troops of the
BEF. He later served in the Middle East, Sicily, Italy and East
Africa. In 1944 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel. Since his service papers were not available to the
author at the time this narrative was prepared, the units in
which he served in each theater of the war are not known.
The 61st (Carnarvon and Denbigh Yeomanry) Medium Regiment,
Royal Artillery formed part of the Western Command at Colwyn Bay
in North Wales at the start of the war. The regiment went to
France with the original BEF in October of 1939, so it seems
likely that Price-White was with the unit at that time. In June
of 1940 the regiment was with the Home Forces in the UK and in
May of 1944 it was assigned to the 21st Army Group. By May of
1944 the regiment was serving in North West Europe. For
Price-White to have served in the Middle East, Sicily, Italy and
East Africa, it seems likely that he left the 61st Medium
Regiment, R.A. for an assignment or assignments with some other
formation after the evacuation from Dunkirk.
On the 12th
of April 1945 the London Gazette announced the award of the
Territorial Decoration to Price-White. The entry reads as
follows:-
The KING has been graciously pleased to confer
"The Efficiency Decoration" upon the following officer of the
Territorial Army:- Royal Artillery - Capt. (T/Maj.) D.A.
Price-White (41972) |
Captain Harry Parker
Denbighshire yeomanry 61st Medium Regiment RA "Demobbed in
July 1946. Most of the local men joined the TA battery in ‘39.
There was one in Wrexham and one in Llanrwst also. There is a
book published called ‘The Freedom of the burghers’. It was
bestowed on the 61st medium and in the book are all the names of
all the men in the TA who were called up. There was Ray and Sid,
the two brothers of Captain Cutler. I was a Surveyor and
Quartermaster." |
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891670
Gunner Alfred Davies (magnified) Marching
through Llandudno in 1947 61st (Carnarvon and Denbigh Yeomanry)
Medium Regiment 88 (Fd). |
14299321 Gunner J H Green
Died on the 22nd November 1944, age 29. 61st Medium Regt RA.
Denbigh Yeomanry |
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Officers, NCO's and men serving with
244 [Denbigh] Battery Royal Artillery [Territorials] at
Trawsfynydd, 1929. (Plate no 205. Photo by C. E. Amphlett,
Ludlow.) The 244th Denbigh Battery Royal Artillery was
formed in 1922 from the Denbigh Yeomanry which was converted
from Yeomanry to Artillery. The HQ was at Wrexham |
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