Hi all, I am currently looking at a war diary for the 92nd fd reg (well skimming through it lol) and noticed a couple of sheets titled "R A 5 Div Operation Instructions No 22" the thing that caught my eye on the sheets was a reference to Admin :- 9. "Y" Signs will be removed or obliterated forthwith "TT" Signs will be substituted when paint and stencils are available on the 2nd sheet a hand written note states "Remove all Ys from clothes" Anybody else aware of this change? I have looked up the TT sign and all I can find is 50 Inf Div but i wasn't aware that the 92nd or the 5th Inf Div joined the 50th? I have attached the 2 sheets
I think it was to cover their movement from the Adriatic side of Italy to prepare for the Garigliano Crossing later that month. I've read something similar in the divisional history. Page 177 of the 5th Div history says this. (No mention of 50th Div or the TT sign) 56 Div had fought with X Corps since the Salerno Landings but the arrival of the 5 Div, on this front , was to be treated with great security ; and once more , the ''Y'' temporarily disappeared to be replaced by a cryptic ''7''.... ...When road signs showing a white ''7'' on a black ground were planted by the Provost , a member of that force solemnly declared to an officer of the 2 Northants that he didn't know of this 7 Div but he was pretty well certain that no one would get over that river until 5 Div arrived !
It sounds like a deception ploy to cover the withdrawal of 50 Div (amongst others) to the UK for Overlord.
50th Div had already left by Jan 44. As I said it was '' was to cover their movement from the Adriatic side of Italy to prepare for the Garigliano Crossing later that month.''
Idler is right. HQ 15 Army Group were very keen to give the Germans the impression that the Allies had ample forces in Italy. The 50 Northumbrian Division - the Tyne/Tees Division had returned to UK to prepare for D Day but Alexander was keen to give the impression that they were still in Italy. Thus, when 5 Infantry Division crossed the Garigliano on 17-18 Jan 44, the Germans would have quickly discovered that 5 Infantry Division were present and would have worried that 50 Northumbrian Division were either the reserve or the exploitation force. It may have been why Kesselring committed two precious mobile Divisions to prop up 94 Infantry Division on the Garigliano following 5 Infantry Division's initial early successes. Regards Frank
