75th Medium Regiment RA

You want to be looking for 5.5 inch howitzers.
BL 5.5-inch medium gun - Wikipedia

That's what 101 Bty, 75 Med Regt had .
75 (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment RA (TA) - The Royal Artillery 1939-45

 

You need advice from others re Air Strikes / Command structures

I assume that by now you are aware of the Organisation Royal Artillery.

After 1941/42 An Artillery Field Regiment had three Batteries of eight guns.
Each Battery was split into two Troops of four guns
which then split to two Sections of two guns,
finally each gun crew was a Sub Section.

A Division could bring down fire from its three Field Regiments with 72 guns.

There were also independent Artillery units called AGRA (Army Group Royal Artillery)
who would supplement the Divisional fire with Field, Medium, or Heavy guns.

Gunfire would be directed and corrected by Observers either in static positions
OP = Observation Post,
mobile FOO=Forward Observation Officer
or AOP= Air Observer Post.
Air Observation was carried out by RA Officers in small Auster aircraft

Observers could call in fire from any number of guns from a single round to a full Army Group if necessary.
When an observer called for fire he simply asked for Gun Fire from his guns or concentrations which were coded as
Mike (Regiment), Uncle (Division), Victor (Corps), William (Army) and Yoke (Army Group) Targets

Guns also worked to fire plans, these were set up by Regimental HQ during informal firing, the settings recorded and used if the appropriate code word was used,
enabling a lot of shells to be fired onto an area very quickly.

Medium and Heavy Guns were usually capable of longer ranges, generally being part of an AGRA,
often used in Counter Battery Role. to fire over the forward lines into the enemy Artillery Batteries to suppress their fire.
In the Senio Valley they were used for this and to fire over mountain crests which were too far way for the Field guns to fire over.
Access being limited by the terrain.

Air Strikes were not used very often due to weather and terrain, despite having by then, Air Superiority
A major problem was Target Identification. i.e. the danger of hitting their own lines.

Worth a watch:

 

There is an example kept at the Shropshire Yeomanry Museum in Shrewsbury which could have been used by the 101 Battery.

 

I found this list from Wikipedia, it is apparently the Order of Battle for 6 AGRA:

• Headquarters 6th Army Group Royal Artillery
• 66th (Lowland) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 75th (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 76th (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 78th (Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 75th (Highland) Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery
• Counter Battery Staff XIII Corps
• 80th (Scottish Horse Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 2nd Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 69th (Caernarvon & Denbigh Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 61st Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 5th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 194th (U.S) F.A. Group
• 3rd Survey Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 376th (Artillery) Company, Royal Army Service Corps
• 655th Air O.P. Squadron, Royal Air Force
• 126th Meteorological Section, Royal Air Force
• 21st Canadian Meteorological Section, Royal Canadian Artillery
• 40th Squadron, South African Air Force
• 51st (London) Heavy Anti-Aircraft

 

Yup, saw it in 2021.
Shrewsbury Castle Guns

 

Thank you, another picture:

 

Photo looks to be post war/1945 Battle Dress with Cap GS no medal ribbons visible. Possibly still on active service.

 

Thank you, I didn't have much information with these photos

Was this taken in 1946?

 

Need to check when the beret replaced the Cap GS, could be 1946.
ra 1939-45 only goes to 1944 Borgo San Lorenzo which was Stores Centre not too far from Palazzolo sul Senio
and the gun position in Badia di Susinana
Not sure where they were when hostilities ended May 1945.

Google Maps



March off Fayid 12 Jan 1946 67 Field Regt

Cap GS is still worn.

 

Thank you

This is the last photo which I have:

 

Side Cap was replaced by Cap GS 1943/44
Probably photographed in the UK 1940/42

White lanyard on right shoulder denotes Royal Artillery.
Often issued after basic training. A few need haircuts by standards at the time.

 

I don't think that I have posted this picture:

 

Not UK wearing KD sometimes referred to as "Tropical" kit.
Issued when in hot a climate i.e. Middle East.

Wonder if they went to Lebanon due to the apparent trees in the background.
Difficult to be sure. Photo has deteriorated due to age.

 

Could it be the 76th Medium Regiment?

 

An interesting concept that I think you should judge, having some prior knowledge.

Need to review both Regiments movements/identify faces to see if they might be in all photos or none.
best found if there are lists of names available.

Leave that one to you.

 

Another photo from Northeast Sicily, 4th August 1943:



Courtesy of the Imperial War Museum

 

Medal record of my great granduncle, I wish that I could see them in person

 

I've just seen my grandfather, wow!

 

Wow congrats.

Please can you identify him for me

Thank you

 

Yes, in the photo with eleven men standing in front of the back of truck, he's second in from the right. J.T.Fox Private. He told me about being strafed in Italy and loosing two fellow crew in a minefield. I had no idea what this gentle grandfather had been through. He described them as being long range snipers! I now want to understand his exact path through Italy, in the campaigns. I know he was apparently involved in the 3rd battle of Monte Cassino. Many thanks for this, I can't thank you enough! I would be interested to know if and when he was with the 5th or 8th army groups.