Ron, Excellent - a contemporary diary describes it well. That area north of Firenzuola was clearly a right mud heap, and got worse... the Americans were still "trying" to push onto Bologna and using the 78th Div to ease them over the line... best
Shaun To be brutally honest, I was probably just trying to get both the the farmer & Major Mouland off my back You do, however raise an interesting point that perhaps others can comment on Ron
Whilst looking at my personal diaries and the Regimental ones I couldn't help noticing the irony that despite the regiment's valiant contribution to the war effort it didn't stop us being disbanded before the year's end ;( This, from the Rgtl Diary: 1944 On 10th Nov, the MGRA, Maj Gen A Homby inspected the regt and in his address afterwards announced with regret that the regt was to be disbanded and the personnel used as reinforcements as required in arms for which they were suited. On 19 Nov an officers selection board visited the regt and interviewed most of the officers. An OR selection also arrived and began work. On 22 Nov the SOP guns were handed in to 13 Vehicle Park, Foligno and the towed guns were handed in to the main gun park at Tome. The regt was ordered to move to Afragola and on 4 Dec the regt left Tavernelle and moved to Rome and moved from Rome on 5 Dec to Afragola. There are no further records for the regt but the Diary of 90 LAA Bty shows that the regt did arrive at Afragola on 5 Dec and posting out of personnel began on 6 Oct with those selected for RE or R Sigs. On the 7th those ORs selected for other RA units or the RASC Garrison Bn and RjEME were despatched. On 8 Dec all MT was despatched to Foligno and Prato. The personnel rear party moved to Cericola on 8 Dec and the regt was effectively disbanded on 18 Dec. Ron
1945 Oct 26th - Regt now under command 56th (Lon) Div. i quite often get my knuckles rapped for being rather vague about how my unit was "attached to" or "part of" a particular Division. It is therefore rather comforting when I look through the Regimental diary of the 4th QOH and see that we were officially "under command" of the 56 London Div. Ron
Thanks Ron love seeing diary entry's especially the ones from after the end of hostilies (if is actually a correct phase) seems that they weren't over for your gang. the rest of the world was getting on with they're lives while 10's of thousands were still trying to hold it together in the Balkans. Matt
Matt You are quite right to point out the fact that WW2 did not finish on VE oe even VJ day for virtually all of the combatting forces. It was not until early 1947 that I and I millions of other troops were released from military service to get on with our lives and I personally have never been able to cut off my memoirs at an arbitary date in 1945. Ron
Saturday 28th. October 1944 Rain & more rain. Changed engine oil. Larry & Steve in from 84 Bty. Larry certainly looks ill. After dinner relieved Ted up the mountain and was it eery! At this particular time I was at RHQ and we were billeted in a farmhouse at the bottom of a hill. Wireless reception and transmission was practically nil and so we used to haul the 22 set to the top of the hill daily to get any type of action. Lew (AKA Larry Fox) and Steve were my old buddies from 84 Bty and I remember how good tit was o meet up with them again How glad I am that I kept diaries ! Ron
Personal Diary Tuesday 15th. May 1945 Over the border at Thorn into Austria. Everything changed. Marvelous scenery. My first contact 'proper' with the German race. We are told 'No Fraternisation'-- quite unnecessary. Regimental Diary 4th QOH May 15th - Verbal orders received from 78 Div to establish PoW camp at FERNDORF for 500 PoW.
My Dad, CQMS Edmund O'Sullivan and his comrades from 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles spent 8 days in Wolfsberg from 11th to 19th May 1945: "..We arrived at Wolfsberg and were allocated billets, which were less spacious than at Klagenfurt. One platoon was put in charge of the camp. Their quarters were large but spartan. The camp had been very short of food until two days before when the RAF had literally bombed them with food parcels. There were damaged tins of every type of food everywhere. The RAF did not use parachutes as these could have drifted into the town, then held by an enemy still at war. Low-flying aircraft tipped the food out over the camp. I don’t know if a warning had been given. If not, some people would have been injured.” That evening, the men spent their time cleaning uniforms and polishing boots. The next day E Company paraded and were inspected by Major Bill Hood who was impressed. He told them that they would be allowed out that evening but they were not to fraternise with the population. Of course, they had never heard the term before. Hood explained what it meant. That evening, they walked out looking like conquering heroes but soon drifted back. Wolfsberg was small, there was nothing to do, nothing to buy and they could not talk to anyone.” The following morning, I had driven to the POW camp to issue rations. The sergeant told me he had put the former camp commander under guard. He asked me to inspect his quarters and to be strictly regimental. I entered the room and the unfortunate man was ordered to stand rigidly to attention. The sergeant treated the prisoner harshly as he had a bad report about the commander from the former inmates. To my disgust, he had given the German a tin of bully beef but no opener. I thought, ‘Are our people any better than they in dealing with helpless victims?’ ... ...The English prisoners were allowed relative freedom until they could be transported back to England as were the French and others. The Russian POWs were kept under close guard. They would remain so until an exchange could be effected for the many thousands of British and Commonwealth prisoners in Russian hands. A Russian commission turned up and were negotiating conditions for the swap....” best
May 17th 1943 Dambusters Raid One of the most iconic missions of the Second World War was completed on this day in 1943, when Wing Commander Guy Gibson led 19 Lancaster bombers on the ‘Dambusters’ raid into Germany’s Ruhr Valley. http://home.bt.com/news/world-news/may-17-1943-dambusters-raid-strikes-blow-to-the-heart-of-nazi-germany-11363981445292 http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/17/newsid_3623000/3623223.stm
Original Dambuster raid. 53 killed 3 POW Killed before the end of the war: 32 Survived the war 48 Still living 3
Friday 14th July 1944 Left area at 1230, 30 men & kit to a cattle truck. Heat terrific & not feeling too well. Hope it passes over. Larry (Fox) in same truck. Saturday 15th. July 1944 * Not much sleep, passing all the old places. San Angelo, Cassino, Mignano, Caserta. Life in truck is pretty hectic & dirty! Arrived Barletta. Sunday 16th. July 1944 * Arrived in Taranto at 2 o'clock. 5 mile march to Div. area with most of equipment. Blazing sun made it pretty grim. Changed all my gear & handed in Big Pack. (Kit bag ?)
Surviving Chindits from Op Thursday were being evacuated after the costly campaign at white city and Mogaung in 1944
On this day 25/26 August 1940 the first Bomber Command attack on Berlin. In 1940 Bomber Command despatched 934 aircraft to Berlin of that number 573 actually attacked the city. 472 tons of HE bombs were dropped and 53 tons of incendiaries. 106 aircraft were lost
On this day 27 August 1944 - The first major bomb raid by day on Germany by Bomber Command, the target being the Homberg Synthetic Oil Plant. The targets at Homberg were as follows - Naval, Industry, Transport, Oil. During 1944 Homberg was attacked 22 time by Bomber Command. 1,725 aircraft were dispatched and 1,565 actually attacked the target. Bombs Dropped during 1944...... 6,824 tons of HE. 205 tons of Incendiary. In total, 7,029 tons were dropped. 34 aircraft were lost.
I occasionally look at my wartime diaries to see what i was doing on a certain day. Such as below, when the regiment was about to leave Egypt, where we had been resting and re-equipping after a gruelling period in Italy. Saturday 26th. August 1944 Left camp at 0700 on Div. convoy, drivers only, to about half a mile away where we are on five minutes notice to move. In evening tried to see Jack. Sunday 27th. August 1944 At 1530 left area and drove to vehicle line-up point by dockside. Not allowed into Alex itself. Went down to the beach with Stan Clark & Firpo. No bon! Monday 28th. August 1944 Left transit area at 1.30 & drove half a mile onto quayside. My ship is "Homer Lee" a Yankee merchantman. Met Merry of Philadelphia who I'd drunk with in Alex. Our truck is aboard. Ron
On this day 3/4 September 1939 The first leaflet drop was carried out by Whitley's on Hamburg, Bremen and the Ruhr.
Sunday 3rd. September 1944 Ship sailed out of Alexandria at 9.30 am. Baloon was brought out to us by motor boat, already inflated! Convoy formed up about 5 miles out. Our present course N.W. Ron
On this day, 4 September 1939 The first attack by Bomber Command on enemy warships was carried out by Blenheim's and Wellington's on the German heavey cruiser Von Scheer
