Description
Object description
Collection of three albums and various loose prints depicting the service of Colonel Reginald Thomas Willson as Commanding Officer of the 363rd (7th London) Field Battery, of the 91st (4th London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (Territorial Army) during the interwar and Second World War periods and latterly the 291st (Airborne) Regiment TA during the post-war period. Images include:
Album one (small): Scenes at a Territorial Army training camp with 91st (4th London) Field Brigade, R.A.(T.A.) possibly at Falmer, East Sussex between 1928 and 1934.
Album two (medium): Scenes at a Territorial Army training camp with 91st (4th London) Field Brigade, R.A.(T.A.) possibly at Falmer, E. Sussex between 1928 and 1934. Some home and family images, officers and other ranks of the battalion, vehicles and artillery, early APC.
Album three (large): Group photograph of 91st (4th London) Field Brigade, R.A.(T.A.) probably at the Lewisham Headquarters c1935; various brigade and regiment activities during the interwar period; group photographs of personnel; officers' mess dining-in night, February 1936, probably to mark the accession of Edward VIII; portrait of Major Wilson in 1940; Aerial photograph of the site of a Territorial Army training camp with 91st (4th London) Field Regiment, R.A.(T.A.) at Beaulieu, July-August 1939 and ground footage showing the sodden conditions. Group photograph of officers of the 91st Field Regiment RA (TA) just prior to deployment to France in September 1939.; Group photograph of the 363rd Field Battery RA (TA) in 1941; Wilson and other personnel from the Regiment in Beirut, 1943 and Rome 1945; scenes during the post-war occupation of Germany; group photograph of a Territorial Army regiments' commanding officers' conference, 1949.
Loose prints:
Territorial Army Camp at Old Dean Common, 1929; 363rd Field Battery Receiving the King's Prize at Catford Town Hall, October 1936; Scenes including air raid observance at Kempton Park, 1939, prior to deployment; Groups and individual portraits during the battery's deployment to France with the BEF 1939-1940 including operation by 363rd Battery at Oppy near Vimy winter 1939, gun and vehicle park at Allennes-les-Marais, 1939, battery personnel at Lomme, 1939, Some of D Troop in France, 1939, F Troop at the 'White Chateau" Lomme 1940, officers from 361st Battery, a photograph of a group of officers which was taken at Blicourt, near Beauvais France in May 1940 (two days before the battle). Sport and activities in the UK at Peterhead and Sennybridge, 1940; Training activities at Southport, 1940; the regiment's four Sergeant Majors, Peterhead, 1940. Mounted prints of battery and regiment personnel, April 1948, June 1948, August 1948, 1949 shortly after the regiment was renamed 291st (4th London) Airborne Regiment RA; A visit by General Lathbury at Regimental Headquarters 1950; Training exercise at Sennybridge artillery camp, 1950.
Physical description
52 loose black and white prints, most with pencilled captions on reverse. 4 black and white prints mounted on beige card. 3 albums; one with grey-brown covers and pages bound with green string, one of the same style but slightly larger, and one large album with dark blue covers and beaige coloured pages. No captions in the albums.