Description
Efficiency Medal, bar Territorial, GVI, 894706 Bombardier C.J.H. Petheram, 9th Survey Regiment Royal Artillery, served NW Europe Normandy and Germany.
Officially impressed: “894706 Bdr C.J.H. Petheram. R.A.”
Announced in Army Order 119 of 1946.
Charles James Henry Petheram first enlisted for service on 20th April 1939.
His tracer card notes the following postings:
3rd Survey Regiment 20 Apr 1939
5th Survey Regiment
Home Detach 21st Dec 1942
10 Survey Regiment 18th Jan 1943
9th Survey Regt 14/9/1945
Released to Army Reserve 21/3/1946.
After the war on 22nd July 1948 he received his World War 2 service medals consisting of:
1939-45 Star
France & Germany Star
Defence Medal
War Medal.
Address noted as 8 Triangle Villas, Oldfield Park, Bath, Somerset.
According to his tracer card, when he was posted for active service overseas to earn his “France & Germany Star” he was a member of the 10th Survey Regiment Royal Artillery.
This was a particularly interesting unit as rather than firing guns themselves, the 10th Survey Regt specialised in locating enemy artillery positions using special methods such as Sound Ranging, Flash Spotting as well as Survey and Mapping.
As part of the 8th (VIII) Corps, they played a major role in Operations Epsom, Jupiter, Goodwood and Bluecoat, as well as fighting in a supporting role during Operation Market Garden on the east flank of the XXX Corps with XII Corps to the west of XXX Corps, capturing the Dutch towns of Deurne and Helmond. They took part in the advance on Venray and Venlo.
A photo of 10th Survey Regt’s Flash Spotter at Normandy can be viewed here:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205206026
