h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello Ron and Tom,

Can either of you please help me with information about Italy and the Middle East in 1944?

Most of my limited research knowledge about WW2 is about what happened in France. However, I’m currently trying to discover some details about what happened in Italy / Middle East.

I’ve recently posted a couple of stories on behalf of someone whose father was unfortunately killed in action in Italy:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A4117222

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A4117682

Any chance either of you know the answers to the following questions please?:

1. Was the British leave camp in Nathania (Netanya), Palestine, established by ‘Ord’ Wingate who was also responsible for the ‘Chindits’ out in the Far East?

2. One fellow called Bill Wilson has just posted an account to the website referring to Netanyahu (A4088540). A second fellow called Gordon Allenby Cowell was sent to hospital there after winning the BEM (A2224531). Was Nathania (Netanya) a major leave camp for British soldiers in Egypt during the war?

3. The soldier we have written about was a sergeant who was KIA in Italy. He is buried in Ancona cemetery. However we think he was killed at another location after capturing a hillside location. Is it possible to find out online where the 7th Queens Own Hussars were at on 17 July 1944? (He was in ‘B Squadron’ in February 1944, so it’s likely he was still with this squadron in July).

4. Any chance we could find out who was C.O. of ‘B Squadron’ 7th Queen’s Own Hussars in July 1944 somewhere online or in a book?

5. I presume there will be some archive information at Kew. However, we are over 300 miles from London so we can’t really get there. Do you know of a published book we may be able to get via a bookstore or a library that may give some of the answers?

The family no longer have the documents that would have given further information. Perhaps we’ve learnt as much as is possible at this date.

I’ve read the accounts both of you have posted to the BBC “People’s War” website. What a magnificent job you have both done, not only during the war but helping out on this website!

Thanks for your assistance.

Hi Ritson
E-mail me at ron_goldsteinatbtopenworld.com
(replacing 'at' with the usual sign) and I will try to help
Ron

Thanks Ron.
I will do that.
Tom has also posted some information for me.