WWII Question re: UK Winter 1939 (1 Viewer)

[Cornwallis]

Hi
I have recently obtained my late grandfathers war service records to try and understand why he is was hospitalised at Colchester Hospital for nearly a year. All he could speak of this was that he (and some fellow comrades) were snowed in somewhere and almost starved to death and he was subsequently invalided out of the army in April 1940. I always assumed this must have occured abroad in France or somewhere else in Europe.

My research has led me to discover he was a gunner in the 135 (E Anglian)(Herts Yeo) Field Regiment RA(TA) and they went to Wymondham, Norfolk around November 1939 and he never actually left the UK.

I have discovered that it was one of the coldest winters recorded, however my question is how could a group of soldier based in the UK be snowed in somewhere to the extent of severe starvation, you would have thought a village or town would have been within walking distance in the Norfolk region especially?

Thanks to anyone who might be able to help me.

 

[Rob]

Hi
I have recently obtained my late grandfathers war service records to try and understand why he is was hospitalised at Colchester Hospital for nearly a year. All he could speak of this was that he (and some fellow comrades) were snowed in somewhere and almost starved to death and he was subsequently invalided out of the army in April 1940. I always assumed this must have occured abroad in France or somewhere else in Europe.

My research has led me to discover he was a gunner in the 135 (E Anglian)(Herts Yeo) Field Regiment RA(TA) and they went to Wymondham, Norfolk around November 1939 and he never actually left the UK.

I have discovered that it was one of the coldest winters recorded, however my question is how could a group of soldier based in the UK be snowed in somewhere to the extent of severe starvation, you would have thought a village or town would have been within walking distance in the Norfolk region especially?

Thanks to anyone who might be able to help me.

It depends where they were exactly and how bad the weather was. There are large areas of rural community in our country that in those extreme weather conditions may have been quite impossible to reach on foot. The starvation element does sound extreme, (maybe they had few rations on them at the time this started) but he could well have suffered from exposure such was the severity of that winter.

Rob

Rob

 

[RPZ]

Probably an operational training exercize at some remote location. Get snowed in on the hills or moors and the country is going into a major war rescue might well be delayed long enough to cause something like that.