77 Field Regiment, R.A.

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by vpunch, May 29, 2010.

  1. cbfuk

    cbfuk Junior Member

    Thanks Rich; yes given the situation in 1940 I'm not confident I'll be able to get very far with this. I just tried Geoff's and it only came back with the CWGC info. I can only hope the diary, or his service record, give me some other clues when I get hold of them.
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I copied the war diary on Thursday. Here's the entries for the end of May. I'll check all the names mentioned in this thread later on the regimental nominal roll in the diary.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    CBFUK,

    His name is spelt Thompson in the regimental nominal roll and he is listed under 305 Battery.

    CWGC :: Casualty Details
     
  4. cbfuk

    cbfuk Junior Member

    Hi Andy - thanks, yep, that link is his info. Trust the Army to spell his name wrong in the Regt. Roll! I take it the Roll doesn't give any info about when or where he may have been lost?

    A while back you offered to post a photo of the relevant part of the Memorial - if you can find that, I'd really appreciate it, as it looks as that's about as far as we're likely to get with this.

    BTW, do you know what 77th were equipped with? As a Field regt, I'd assume they had 25pdrs?
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    BTW, do you know what 77th were equipped with? As a Field regt, I'd assume they had 25pdrs?

    Hope this helps.
    >> RA 1939-45 77 Fld Rgt
    12 x 4.5 in Howitzers, 12 x 18 pdr
     
  6. cbfuk

    cbfuk Junior Member

    Thanks Owen, yeh makes sense, as a TA unit they'd have had the older guns back then.
     
  7. vpunch

    vpunch Junior Member

    This is the first time I've seen war diary entries for the 77 Fld. Rgt. during this time.

    What a fantastic bunch you all are. Many thanks.
     
  8. 897radar

    897radar Junior Member

    Hi,
    My father was also an officer in 306 Battery, 77 Highland Field Regiment RA and commanded it through North Africa and into Italy. He was wounded and received the MC just after Monte Cassino. I would be most interested to learn of any additional info that you may have available.
     
  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi,
    My father was also an officer in 306 Battery, 77 Highland Field Regiment RA and commanded it through North Africa and into Italy. He was wounded and received the MC just after Monte Cassino. I would be most interested to learn of any additional info that you may have available.

    Hello,

    For starters tell us his name and I'll see if his MC citation is downloadable.

    Andy
     
  10. 897radar

    897radar Junior Member

    Hello,

    For starters tell us his name and I'll see if his MC citation is downloadable.

    Andy
    Thank you Andy but I already have the downloadable citation
    At the time he was wounded on 20th May 1944 my father was Captain Arthur Henry Enfield Bance. The citation reads as follows:

    On 20 May 1944 at 0930hrs Capt BANCE was ordered to go forward towards PIEDMONTE S GERMANO in a jeep to obtain confirmation of a report that the enemy had evacuated the town and that Polish patrols were already in it. The formation he was supporting was 2 miles S.W. of the town and could not advance westwards till this information was obtained as otherwise their right flank would be exposed.

    Capt BANCE driven by his operator advanced quickly and boldly up the road till he was 300 yards from the town on the steep open slope leading up to it. From here he observed German soldiers and a machine gun post 200 N.W. of him. He unhesitatingly gave artillery fire orders and directed the fire with such accuracy that the post was hit and the ammunition exploded. By this time the enemy had spotted him and shells and machine gun bullets were falling all around him. Hampered by a faulty microphone, he continued to direct effective fire on enemy then seen N.E. of him, and to pass valuable information until both he and his operator were wounded.

    Capt BANCE by his bold and cool action obtained most valuable information, took no thought for his own personal safety and materially assisted the success of the subsequent attack on the citadel.

    Although wounded himself in the leg, he managed to get his severely wounded operator away to an ambulance whence he was evacuated.

    Needless to say my father's account to me differed slightly to the official one especially with regard to the orders he received......but that is another story!

    I was hoping to find out some more information regarding the American forces that he was seconded to for the purposes of correcting their artillery which he did not hold in particularly high regard.

    My father was also credited with firing the last shots in anger at the end of the Tunisian campaign at Cap Bon when he turned his guns over open sights on Germans who were spotted fleeing in small boats. A judicious salvo convinced them to return and surrender.



    rgds
    Adrian
     
  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Adrian,

    Many thanks for sharing the citation-Does the family still have his medals? (We really don't see enough family medals posted on here, especially those earned for gallantry.

    Ref any other info: I only have the 1940 regimental diaries as thats my area of interest. There will be more diaries from the regiment covering the time your father was with them at the National Archives.

    Regrads
    Andy
     
  12. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    WO 166/1502 77 Field Regiment. 1939 Sept.- 1940 Jan., July- 1941 Dec.

    WO 167/497 77 Field Regiment. 1940 Jan;-June

    WO 166/6995 77 Field Regiment. 1942 Jan.- Dec.

    WO 166/11275 77 Field Regiment. 1943 Jan.-Mar.

    WO 175/335 77 Field Regiment. 1943 Mar.- June

    WO 169/9497 77 Field Regiment. 1943 July- Dec.

    WO 169/16023 77 Field Regiment. 1944 Jan.

    WO 170/959 77 Field Regiment. 1944 Feb.- Dec.

    WO 170/4750 77 Field Regiment 1945 Jan.- Dec.

    WO 170/7927 77 Field Regiment. 1946 Jan., Feb.

    Drop me a PM if you want any copying.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  13. 897radar

    897radar Junior Member

    Hi Adrian,

    Many thanks for sharing the citation-Does the family still have his medals? (We really don't see enough family medals posted on here, especially those earned for gallantry.

    Ref any other info: I only have the 1940 regimental diaries as thats my area of interest. There will be more diaries from the regiment covering the time your father was with them at the National Archives.

    Regrads
    Andy
    Again, thank you Andy for your interest.
    Yes I do have my father's medals and I do have a photo of them which, if I can work out how to do it I will post for you.
    My father joined the RHA in India in 1932. He was then with BEF and spent 9 hours chest deep in the water at Dunkirk getting his men away after having to first spike his guns, which my mother said broke his heart to do.
    He was a very private man and I only found out about some of his war exploits from members of his old troop who he led safely through Africa & Italy and who all later attended his funeral. Having recovered from his wounds in Italy he was posted to Greece instructing the Greeks in the use of their artillery and from there to Dundee.
     
  14. 897radar

    897radar Junior Member

    Hi Adrian,

    Many thanks for sharing the citation-Does the family still have his medals? (We really don't see enough family medals posted on here, especially those earned for gallantry.

    Ref any other info: I only have the 1940 regimental diaries as thats my area of interest. There will be more diaries from the regiment covering the time your father was with them at the National Archives.

    Regrads
    Andy
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=763&pictureid=4297[/IMG]
     
    Drew5233 and Owen like this.
  15. 897radar

    897radar Junior Member

    Again, thank you Andy for your interest.
    Yes I do have my father's medals and I do have a photo of them which, if I can work out how to do it I will post for you.
    My father joined the RHA in India in 1932. He was then with BEF and spent 9 hours chest deep in the water at Dunkirk getting his men away after having to first spike his guns, which my mother said broke his heart to do.
    He was a very private man and I only found out about some of his war exploits from members of his old troop who he led safely through Africa & Italy and who all later attended his funeral. Having recovered from his wounds in Italy he was posted to Greece instructing the Greeks in the use of their artillery and from there to Dundee.
    Andy, I would like to see the war diary entries which cover the Tunisian campaign.
    Here is a photo of my father in Africa prior to the invasion of Sicily.
    Rgds
    Adrianhttp://www.ww2talk.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=763&pictureid=4298
     
  16. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Adrian,

    Fantastic photo's and many thanks for posting them.

    Regards
    Andy
     
  17. 897radar

    897radar Junior Member

    Hi vpunch

    My father was an officer in 306 Battery, 77 Highland Field Regiment, R.A.

    I have photos of the unit war diaries for 1940 from Kew if you are interested.

    According to the Nominal Roll of Personnel Proceeding Overseas dated February 1940, it looks like your great-uncle Tommy Elliott (A/Bdr and No. 792029) was in 305 Battery if that's any help.

    Best wishes
    Claudette
    Hi Claudette,
    Here is the potted history of 306 Battery, 77 Field Regiment RA that I have:
    The 306th Battery was a Territorial Artillery Unit based at Cathcart, with the Regimental Headquarters and 305th Battery at Greenock. Mobilised in September 1939 the regiment moved to France as part of the 51st Highland Division in January 1940. In February 1940 an exchange of units took place and the 77th Field Regiment, along with the 6th (Perthshire) Battalion, The Black Watch, was transferred to the 4th Infantry Division, a Regular Army Division with the British Expeditionary Force. After the Evacuation of Dunkirk in May 1940 the unit was stationed in the New Forest area of Hampshire, England, during the imminent threat of German invasion. The 77th returned to Scotland in April 1942 and was stationed in the borders at Selkirk, making numerous trips to Loch Fyne for combined operations training. In March 1943 the regiment moved to North Africa with the First Army. Between March and May 1943 it took part in the Battles of Oued Zarga, Medjez Plain and Tunis where, on the Cap Bon peninsula, the guns of the 306th Battery fired the last shots of the Tunisian Campaign. After a short period in Egypt the regiment moved to Italy in March 1944 where it saw action in the Battles of Monte-Cassino II, Liri Valley, Trasimene Line, Arezzo, the Advance on Florence and the Rimini Line. In December 1944 the 77th was diverted to Greece with the 4th Division during the unrest caused by the Greek Civil War.
    rgds
    Adrian
     
  18. SgtWallace

    SgtWallace Junior Member

    My father enlisted on the 3.09.1939 with the 77th Field Regiment RA 51st Highland Div.
    He was transferred to the 4th Div in Feb 1940. 306 btry.
    He was stationed at Roubaix and then when the Germans “ attacked” they were moved up to the Albert Canal.
    He was “observation post assistant” at the time, forward of the guns target “spotting”.
    He recalled that one night they were in a foxhole in a forward position when dawn came the enemy fire came in thick and fast and the officer with them commented “ b*** its hot this morning” and with that jumped up and disappeared never to return.

    He mentioned that they were using Howitzers as these could direct fire on very close targets. They were running out of ammunition and when the much needed supplies arrived they discovered that they had been sent munitions for 25 pounders and had to withdraw.

    After receiving the orders to spike their guns and put their trucks out of action about 14 of them marched towards Dunkirk with an officer.

    One of the lads, a twenty year old, took one look at the pawl of smoke over Dunkirk that the officer had pointed them towards and said “over there? Not b**** likely “ and struck off on his own into nearby fields.

    A search on the commonwealth war graves web site lists the same young lad as a casualty 30.05.1940.

    En-route they slept in ditches overnight. Once in the sand dunes their officer had the lads rest while he explored the dock area where he found a small Belgium boat commissioned by the French Government to take some “surveyors” to safety.
    The officer rounded up the lads and had them smarten themselves up and then march up to and on to the Belgium boat declaring that they were the official escort !

    The small craft left at dusk but could only make 5 knots as it had a shell hole in the hull just above the waterline. As the craft neared Dover the lads were woken by a commotion on board and discovered that the boat captain had received communication from the French Government to return urgently too France to collect a French General.
    From Cherbourg they were later picked up by the “Lady of Mann”

    My father always maintained that the above was how he and about 12 of his “mates” from Glasgow escaped from Dunkirk.

    However my father passed away on the 4th Jan this year aged 93 and while sorting through his papers I found a pre printed card he sent to my mother stating he was safe, it was dated 31st May 1940 which is in conflict with sailing dates of the “Lady of Mann” which was part of operation Aerial commencing 16th June.

    He did say that they had not eaten for 4 days on the way home and that the Belgium boat had no food on board just a few bottles of wine! And the Lady of Mann had made runs into Dunkirk, one trip had to be abandoned but on the return leg had picked up some French men off a small boat. Could these have been the French “surveyors” and 12 rather weary Scots lads?
    Would their officer have filed a report on his return?
    And would that report be archived?
    I would love to know as the lads from Glasgow went on to North Africa, Italy and Greece, their names and activities being documented in my fathers air mail letters home which we still have covering 1943 to 1946.
    Regards
    George
     
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  19. claudette

    claudette Junior Member

    Hi Claudette,
    Here is the potted history of 306 Battery, 77 Field Regiment RA that I have:
    The 306th Battery was a Territorial Artillery Unit based at Cathcart, with the Regimental Headquarters and 305th Battery at Greenock. Mobilised in September 1939 the regiment moved to France as part of the 51st Highland Division in January 1940. In February 1940 an exchange of units took place and the 77th Field Regiment, along with the 6th (Perthshire) Battalion, The Black Watch, was transferred to the 4th Infantry Division, a Regular Army Division with the British Expeditionary Force. After the Evacuation of Dunkirk in May 1940 the unit was stationed in the New Forest area of Hampshire, England, during the imminent threat of German invasion. The 77th returned to Scotland in April 1942 and was stationed in the borders at Selkirk, making numerous trips to Loch Fyne for combined operations training. In March 1943 the regiment moved to North Africa with the First Army. Between March and May 1943 it took part in the Battles of Oued Zarga, Medjez Plain and Tunis where, on the Cap Bon peninsula, the guns of the 306th Battery fired the last shots of the Tunisian Campaign. After a short period in Egypt the regiment moved to Italy in March 1944 where it saw action in the Battles of Monte-Cassino II, Liri Valley, Trasimene Line, Arezzo, the Advance on Florence and the Rimini Line. In December 1944 the 77th was diverted to Greece with the 4th Division during the unrest caused by the Greek Civil War.
    rgds
    Adrian

    Hi Adrian
    I think my father and your father knew each other very well - my father was Francis Hutchinson and, from what I understand, he commanded 306 Battery from April 1943 until sometime in 1944 when he was transferred to H.Q.R.A. 56 London Division to train and command a new Counter Mortar Organisation.
    Your father was known as 'Bunny', wasn't he?
    Amongst the few papers that I have there is "A Tribute from a member of The Artillery Battery that 'Bunny' commanded" - do you have a copy of this?
    Kind regards
    Claudette
     
  20. cbfuk

    cbfuk Junior Member

    I've been trying to piece together the movements of the regiment shortly before they were evacuated while part of the BEF in 1940, and have transcribed (as best as I can) the war diary for the period. The photocopy the RA museum were good enough to send me is however quite faint and hard to read in places, so I'd be hugely grateful if anyone else who has a more legible copy could check it over and let me know of any mistakes, or fill in where I've had to leave question marks.

    I'd also appreciate comments on the details of the two batteries (305 and 306). It looks to me as if 306 were the Glasgow men, equipped with the old 4.5" howizers, and 305 was the Greenock/Port Glasgow unit and had the 18pdr field guns? On 27th May they seem to have split up, with 306 destroying its guns and moving to BEVERN, where they seem to drop off the radar as far as the writer of the war diary is concerned. It looks to me as if, as the RHQ seem to have stayed in action with 305, the subsequent diary is basically a history of 305?

    Also, can anyone make any sense out of what happened at Coxyde? It implies that the the 50 men detailed off were supposed to "catch up" later, but some arithmetic suggests they didn't, as the unit strength has dropped from 90 ORs the day before to 34 who were evacuated on 31st, which appears to be the same number as were "available" to move on the 30th? My reading is the 50 men who were detailed off never made it back? Does anyone have any info on this?

    My interest is that my wife's uncle, Gnr. William Thomson from Greenock, is listed as MIA sometime 29/05 - 02/06. I'm wondering if this "missing party" might be a likely scenario for him - does anyone know of any other gunners who were in this detail, and maybe survived or whose graves are identified?

    OK, here's what I have :

    -------------------
    24th May 1940 RONCQ (NE of Lille, just inside French border with Belgium)
    Wireless reports that the Germans have got through to BOLOGNE, thus affecting our lines of communication. Incoming mails held up + great economy called for in supplies and ammunition. No. 912793 Gnr Morrison H, 306 Bty, hit by MG bullet from low-flying plane attack and died as result of wound.

    25th May 1940
    In support of 10th Infantry brigade. Moved RHQ to their HQ at chateau in RONCQ at 0600 hrs. Enemy reported on front + Btys in action.

    26th May 1940
    Occasional enemy shelling. RHQ bracketed at lunchtime + Brig. Barker’s (10th Inf. Bde.) car destroyed in garden. 10 Inf Bde move their HQ. Orders received evacuate to BEVERN all personnel except those required to man guns + fire control. Guns to remain in action until amm. expended and then be destroyed.

    27th May 1940
    All non-essential personnel left for BREVERN early this morning. Enemy reported to have broken through at COMINES. 10 Inf Bde rushed away to reinforce in that area. Bn. Coldstream Guards took over their front. 4.5in Hows (10) destroyed at 1900 hrs. Remaining seven 18pdrs + skeleton RHQ moved at 2035 hrs to occupy posn E. of YPRES in sup. 11 Inf Bde. 306 Bty move to BEVERN.

    28th May 1940 E. of YPRES
    4 guns lost; eventually turned up at BEVERN + were destroyed. 305 Bty in posn approx. 515645 with 3 x 18 pdrs. News received that Belgium had ceased fighting + BEF therefore had to move quickly to defend N. flank. We moved to hide S. of CROMBEKE 4569 for night.

    29th May 1940 CROMBEKE
    09:00 Ordered to destroy last 3 guns (18 pdrs) and withdraw to COXYDE area N. of FURNES 4587. All vehicles except 3 destroyed at FURNES before crossing canal + tps march AM. Strength now 11 offs + about 90 ORs also M.Perreau (A.deR.) Great aerial activity + bombing. Navy in action, firing inland. Spent night in sand dunes.

    30th May 1940 COXYDE
    Dug in on sand hills + foraged for food. Shelled frequently throughout day, occasional bombing. Received orders to form ourselves into infantry coy with some REs + prepare + hold reserve line, but after contacting 11 Inf Bde (the Div reserve) this was changed and we detailled (sic) a rifle party of 25 ORs under 2/Lt F. Hannay + a digging party of 25 ORs under 2/Lt Gorley to be ready to join 5 NORTHANTS on reserve line at 2100 hrs. Moved our HQ at 2130 hrs to COXYDE BAINS, near 4 Div RA HQ.
    23:00 hrs Ordered to proceed with available personnel (8 Offrs + 34 ORs) to embark at LA PANNE at midnight. The rifle + digging ptys had not been collected by 5 NORTHANTS transport as arranged + as the detail was cancelled, ???? Geistenberg? remained to collect them + lead them towards LA PANNE. CO had already started them marching from COXYDE.

    31st May 1940 LA PANNE
    03:00 hrs Loaded from beach to rowing boats + rowed to HMS Basilisk. The following were on board – Lt. Col. Dunholm, Major RW Fulton,Capt ????, Capt J ???,Capt. J Simmsgill, Capt R Kerr, 2/Lt FW M???, 2/Lt RM Dawson (sigs offr), ???, J. Pereau + about 34 ORs.
    10:06 Disembarked at DOVER.

    :poppy:
    -------------------

    Cheers
    Colin
     

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