366 Battery RA

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by Paul Reed, Oct 18, 2008.

  1. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Can anyone tell me what unit 366th Battery was a part of?

    Is there a source which shows which batteries served with which higher units?
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Paul Reed likes this.
  3. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Thanks Owen, much appreciated.
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  5. Bodston

    Bodston Little Willy

    Interesting little gun, the 3.7" Pack Howitzer, did sterling work in the far east.

    [​IMG]

    A 3.7-inch Pack Howitzer in Burma, February 1944.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Thanks for the extra info.
     
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    http://www.burmastar.org.uk/extracts.htm



    ... that during the monsoon, 366 Field Battery had had their 3.7 pack howitzers dropped by parachute and joined the American, Chinese battery in support of 72 Brigade, until the monsoon had finished and our own transport and remainder of 178 Field Regiment was able to travel by road....


    .....An interesting note-we were told that the silk parachutes were expensive and should be returned to Ordinance. Unfortunately a number were lost, but the gunners of 366 did appear in some very gaudy home-made coloured pants, in place of the usually standard dyed green ones
     
  8. wigjohn

    wigjohn Member

    Hi
    I have just joined today (22/1/11).
    My father in law Enoch Mountford was in 366 battery, 178 field regiment from 1941, in Iceland, India then Burma, until 1945.
    John
     
  9. wigjohn

    wigjohn Member

    pack how.jpg
    This is 178 field rgt. 366 battery in Burma c1944.
     
    sol likes this.
  10. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

  11. wigjohn

    wigjohn Member

    36book001.jpg
    This is a copy of 36th Div actions in Burma in WWII. I have yet to scan into computer! Includes order of battle for units that served as part of the Div. including 178 Field Rgt.
     
  12. wigjohn

    wigjohn Member

    Iceland-1941-'G-Sub-boys'.jpg
    G Sub? gun.
    366 Battery, Iceland 1941.
    Can any one tell me if it is 18 or 25 pounder?
     
  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi John,

    Hopefully some Arty chaps will be along soon to answer your Q. In the meantime thanks for posting the pictures.

    Andy
     
  14. Groundhugger

    Groundhugger Senior Member

    Looks like a 25 pdr to me John ,

    thanks for posting the photo , looking forward to reading the history when you can get it scanned

    john
     
  15. wigjohn

    wigjohn Member

    366bat-140-field-rgt-RA.jpg
    366 Battery, 140 Field Regiment.
    This photo was taken by a Dorset company in either Devon or Dorset. Either late 1940 or early 41.
    I know my father in law spent 10 days training on the ranges at Okhampton, but not sure when!
    He spent the summer and winter of 41 in Iceland.
     
  16. wigjohn

    wigjohn Member

    Thanks for the info, still finding my way around the site!
    Regards John
     
  17. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I've got the 140 Field Regt War Diary for 1940 and they had 18 Pounders in France during 1940.
     
  18. Martin Felstead

    Martin Felstead Junior Member

    The personnel of 366 Bty of 140 Army Field Regt was virtually all that came back from France in 1940. Their equipment was all destroyed and abandoned, and the other part of the Regiment, 367 Bty and the Regtl HQ were captured trying to evacuate Cassel. A few men did escape but the large majority went "into the bag". Luckily for him, my father was in 366 Bty and eventually managed to get off Bray Dunes and landed at Sheerness. The Regt was reformed and 367 Bty was recreated. Many officers and men were transferred, including my father who was a Signaller. 366 Bty then became independent, went to Iceland, and was later incorporated into 178 Field Regt. 367 Bty remained part of 140 Field and was joined by 504 and 518 Btys and equipped with 25 pdrs. In 1942 367 Bty was equipped with Bishop S.P. Guns, and it is in this configuration that the Regt went to ALgeria in January 1943 as part of 2 AGRA with 1st Army. With their tracked armour 367 Bty was attached to 6 Armd Div, the other two btys being attached to a French Division. At the end of the N. African campaign. The Regt was converted to a Medium Regt with 4.5" Guns, in the process losing 504 Bty to 75 Heavy Regt. 140 Medium Regt (367 & 518 Btys) then landed in Italy in Jan 1944 and took part in most of the big battles of the Italian Campaign. In Dec 1944 the Regt was disbanded and the personnel transferred all over the place. My father went to 8 Survey Regt and remained in northern Italy until the end of the war.
     
  19. wigjohn

    wigjohn Member

    This gentleman was in B tp. 366 bty. 178 Field regiment. He wrote this book, based on his letters home, during the war.
    There is a photo of the 60 men in B Tp, taken in 1943, in Felixstow just before embarkation to India.
    My father in law Enoch Mountford is there plus his best friend WH Hawksford (Curly) and 'Robbo' Robbins.
    A very interesting read.

    book cover.jpg

    Regards
    John
     
  20. wigjohn

    wigjohn Member

    This photograph was taken in 1945.
    Back row left to right, Enoch Mountford (Noch), WH Hawkesford (Curley) and WJ Robbins (Robbo).
    The two gentlemen who are seated are unkown.
    They were part of B Tp. 366 Battery 178th Field Assault Regiment RA.
     

    Attached Files:

Share This Page