14th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery, 4th British Infantry Division: service records

Hi all, I'm Charlotte, and I'm interested in the 14th anti tank regiment in Italy as my Grandpa was a first class layer on a 17 pounder anti tank gun (and despatch rider) at Monte Cassino, (thankfully he'd written this down). I've sent for his army service records and am now trying to work out the abbreviations etc and the dates of different entries on them. Currently reading the book, Monte Cassino, opening the road to Rome by Richard Doherty.

 

Welcome

Firstly post the records on the forum
Members will help you decipher them

Secondly there are a couple of members on the forum who offer a copy service at a reasonable rate from the National Archives.They would source the war diaries for you

Regards
Clive

 

For info a number of threads re the 14th on the forum

14th Anti Tank Regiment RA

 

Thanks, will have a look at that.

 

Charlotte.

14 Anti Tank Regiment were part of 4 Infantry Division and fought with them at the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino in May 44. On arrival on the Cassino front in Apr 44, the Division was initially employed in a holding role in the mountains to the left of Cassino, then in the area in front of Monte Belvedere before being quietly withdrawn to prepare for the start of the Fourth Battle on 11 May 44.

4 Infantry Division then fought up the centre of Italy - Lake Trasimeno, Arezzo and then Florence before being shifted to the coast in readiness for the attack on the Gustav Line at Rimini in Sep 44. They had a major part in the breaking of the Gustav Line in support of the Canadians. After that, they were sent to Greece to fight Communists.

Each Infantry Division had its own Anti Tank Regiment so wherever the Division went so did your grandfather.

Regards

Frank

 

Thanks for that info. We know he ended up in Rome, and had a weeks leave there as they had been so busy, but we don't think he went to Greece. Nice to have a few more place names to add to his war history.

 

Hi

I have the War Diaries for 14 AT Regt for December 1944 and January 1945.

If you want a copy, send me your email address using the forums private conversation tool (inbox).

Hope this helps

Gus

 

Morning, this is the first time I've used a forum, so hopefully I'm doing this right? I've uploaded my Grandpa's service records and there are one or two bits that's beaten me, so I'm looking for a bit of help with them.

1 - On the first page it says 'Posted to Hela strength'. Am I right in thinking this is an Army name for getting all the troops together for posting, as the next entry is a posting order?

2 - Where he embarks for overseas, on 13/12/43, it looks like the journey took about 20 days, to 1/1/44. does that sound about right?

Any other comments welcome. Thanks.

 

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

The “hela” acronym has me stumped. I’ve never come across it on a service record previously. Wonder if it is actually “hera” = Home Establishment Royal Artillery? I’m fairly confident that in any ‘interpretation’ that “he” will mean home establishment. EDIT TO ADD - Perhaps even Home Establishment Light Artillery?

The measurement of the duration of convoys to North Africa based on entries on the service records can sometimes be imprecise.

The start date is usually recorded as the date the draft leaves barracks en route to the port of embarkation. There can then be 24 hours+ on the ship in port before it sails - quite often to go to another U.K. port to meet up with the rest of the convoy (troops often joined ship in Liverpool and sailed up to Gourock or Greenock to join the rest of the convoy) before setting off on the actual voyage on a date perhaps 7 days after the draft left barracks.

None of those intermediary steps are shown in the service record but a 20 days “journey” does seem about right for a trip from U.K. via the Mediterranean to North Africa.

Steve

 

Charlotte has posted her grandfather’s service records (B1030 in a separate topic here -

14th anti tank regt, 4th British infantry div service records

Steve

 

Many thanks for that info, Grandpa used to turn green just looking at the sea, so 20 days at sea must have been quite an experience for him!

 

You’re welcome.

It could’ve been alot worse!

If he’d been on a draft to India he’d be looking at 10 weeks at sea. It took that long to get to Egypt pre 1943 when convoys went down the west coast of Africa and then up the other side to Suez as the Mediteranean was unsafe fir troop convoys.

Some of the ships even went as far away as Brazil en route to Egypt to avoid German U boats!

Steve

 

I would say it is "held strength". Look at the "d" in the word "interposted", it seems very much like the letter "a".

Richard

 

Excellent deduction!

Thanks very much for the correction.

Steve

 

Ah yes, fresh eyes looking .

 

Charlotte.

From his Service Record, he was with 14 AT Regt RA from 10 Feb 44 to 26 Jun 45.

Regards

Frank

 

Thanks for that, Frank. I see now on the records these dates now you pointed them out to me.

 

Charlotte.

At Cassino during the Fourth Battle in May 44, 14 AT Regt RA provided the troops to deploy and operate the rafts on the River Rapido/Gari in support of 28 Infantry Brigade and 10 Infantry Brigade who were to cross first and secure the far bank.

Getting lots of infantry across quickly and safely was key to building up sufficient force to clear the Germans away from the riverbank. If successful, engineers could then come forward and build bridges for the armour to cross.

Regards

Frank

 

Thanks again Frank for this info.

 

Charlotte.

If you would like to see for yourself, do get in touch.

Regards

Frank