Op Varsity - RA equipment and positions?

Discussion in 'NW Europe' started by alberk, Oct 29, 2020.

  1. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    And I thought I could give you a tour one day...
     
  2. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    Always looking for new locations of interest over there!
     
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  3. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    Not strictly true.

    53 Light Regiment had three battery commanders parties and six troop commander FOOs. This would be the normal allocation to support infantry brigade of three battalions. The CO of the Direct Support Field Regiment becomes the brigadiers artillery staff officer, The Battery commanders are attached to each battalion HQ while the troop commanders are deployed in the battalion area maybe affiliated to a forward company. The artillery of a division is commanded by a Brigadier CRA who has a staff and communications to provide artillery C2 over a divisional area.

    That was not so for an Airborne Division with a single artillery regiment under command. The FOU were teams of FO parties that provided the missing FOOs. 53 Regiment worked one level up with each battery commander attached to a Para or Airlanding Brigade. The British were well a\ware of the shortage of artillery firepower and fire units were allocated to the airborne division as soon as they were in range. So in Normandy 150 and 191 field regiments and one of the HAA Regiments were placed under command of 6 AB Division for Op Paddle the advance to the Seine. These all brought LO FOOs and Communications. ONe weakness of the Airborne divisions was communications.

    Death may be certain, but comms isn't
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2020
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  4. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    They did have a CRA for Varsity, Brigadier Faithful.
     
  5. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    Many thanks for the explanation. Why were they ‘missing’? Did the airlanding batteries only provide ‘x’ parties and the FOU provide the ‘y’ to make up the difference?

    1st Mountain Regiment made its FOOs carry the No.22 set to ensure comms. Did any other artillery units do the same?
     
  6. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    He was their CRA in in Normandy too. Once landed the Airborne Division was assigned field artillery from AGRAs. The air landed 75mm mountain guns were an innovation, but lacked the range and weight of shell of the 25 Pounder and 5.5 inch guns. The OP and Liaison parties from field and medium regiments came with more vehicles, some AFVs and better communications. The CRA would command all the artillery.

    Just like an infantry division, an Airborne Division consisted of nine infantry battalions, six parachute and three air landed. The three field regiments in an infantry division provided three COs parties (one per brigade), nine battery commanders parties (one per battalion) and eighteen FOO parties (Two per battalion). The FOU were formed to allow each airborne battalion to have dedicated artillery observation liaison and communications teams.
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2020
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  7. CJB

    CJB Member

    Alberek,

    I have not been on the site for some time for a number of reasons so apologies for a late response. Firstly I have spent some considerable time researching my late father's military career. My late father is BSM Bentley who went on Op Varsity in glider No 305. Briefly, he served 3 years in the R.R.A. prior to WW2, recalled to colours 1939 (53rd Wy Anti-Tank 210Bty), to France with the BEF and evacuated from Dunkirk, to France on D-Day 1944, to NWE Battle of the Bulge 1944/1945 and Op Varsity March 24th 1945. He was in 210 Bty for the duration of WW2 although 210 Bty was split between 211 and 212 Bty's for Op Varsity. Glider 305 carried one of the 25Pdrs which were intended for laying smoke markers for the Typhoon aircraft. Two of the gunners were killed on the descent, the glider crash landed and all others including the two pilots were wounded including my father. He was taken prisoner for 6 days.
    Regarding the set up of the batteries, my father was promoted to Sergeant late 1940 and BSM late 1943 or early 1944. I have a photo of 210 Bty A Troop with my father a sergeant obviously taken between 1940 and 1943. I also know that one of the gunners who was killed on the glider is on this photo of A Troop.

    Regards,
    CJB
     
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  8. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    Hi!
    The daughter of one of the pilots is on this site VarsityGlider305
    We’ve recently been discussing an anomaly in the grid references given in the report. We also have found and posted aerial pictures of glider 305 on the ground! (We are at least 95% positive)

    Alex.
     
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  9. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

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  10. VarsityGlider305

    VarsityGlider305 Well-Known Member

    Hi Alex, CJB and I have been in contact for several years now but thanks for highlighting the connection!

    Jenny
     
  11. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    I thought as much but thought I’d check. Has he seen the aerial photo we established as “most likely” 305?
     
  12. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    The short answer is yes. The FOU were volunteers from other regiments, many of whom would rejoin their units once they were able to do so. The same was true of the FOsB that spotted for naval gunfire. For example one of the FOUs for the 6th Airborne Division was a lieutenant from 150th (South Notts Hussars) field regiment. Another served as an FosB. The regimental history notes that met each other at the top of Ranville church, both from the same regiment each with a different funny coloured beret. Whether by co-incidence or design, 150 field were deployed under command of 6th Airborne Division for much of the Normandy campaign.
     
  13. CJB

    CJB Member

    Alberk,
    Yes my father spoke a lot about his military career ( he passed away in 1982) so a lot of what he spoke has made sense. He was shot in left forearm (machine gun) and shrapnel wounds in back of head from Spigo bombs. He was POW for approx. 6 days. Some time ago, I received a copy of his army records approx. 30 pages. In them was a report he made just after Op Varsity. I have attached a copy although it is not too clear. It appears to have been typed on the back of an official form. If not readable, I think a made a word for word copy. so could send if I can find it. (I have just moved house). I also have a copy of a medical tribunal which also gives a lot of information about what happened after he was taken POW. One of the strange things I have discovered is that the German doctor who operated on him as per the report evidently studied at Manchester University before WW2 and stayed in lodgings less than 1/4 mile from where my father lived.
    My research shows the following :-
    German Hospital "Lifsiln" - I found this name in pencil on the flap of his army pay book but cannot trace it
    22 Field Dressing Station - RAMC records show 1st April 1945 FDS in Greven
    9th British General Hospital - Research shows located in Venray in Holland
    101st British Gen. Hospital - Ref found May 1945 located in Leuven(Louvain) Belgium
    Regards,

    CJB (Charlie)
     

    Attached Files:

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  14. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    101 hospital was located (at that time) at what is now the sacred heart Institute at Heverlee, Belgium. It’s quite the building!
     
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  15. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    Hi CJB - thanks for posting your father's report! Very interesting. I would like to find out what "Hrfsiln" stands for - I doubt that it is a place name near Gescher. Probably a twisted version of a German abbreviation? I will look into this...
     
  16. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    CJB - just outside the little town of Gescher was a large institution, originally founded to house children with special needs. In 1944/45 it was turned into a hospital and in February 1945 it became an evacuation hospital for the German Army. It was called "Haus Hall". In March 1945 it accommodated over 1000 military casualties. "Haus Hall" does not sound like "Hrfsiln" (that's what it says in the document). But "Hrfsiln" is not anywhere near a German word and the total lack of vowels made me think of an abbreviation. But I think we are talking about "Haus Hall"...
    Haus_Hall_Gescher_Heim_fuer_Kinder_mit_Behinderung.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2021
  17. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    These two soldiers of 5 Para Brigade were also taken to Gescher as wounded POW and treated in "Haus Hall" but died there.
    Gescher.JPG
     
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  18. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    Hospital "Haus Hall" near Gescher, ca. 15 km northeast of Borken, 10 Km west of Coesfeld.
    Gescher map.jpg.png
     
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  19. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    Thomson was in one of the 7th Battalion gliders that were both lost on Varsity.
    Have you matched that building with the grid reference on the CWG info?
     
  20. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    They are buried a little over one kilometer from Haus Hall.
     

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