80 years on.

Just another minor battle in another war (regarding previous postings).

21st September 1944 the enemy were in strength opposite the 2nd North Staffs at Marradi in the Lamone Valley.

The leading Artillery, the 67th Field Regt were supporting 2 North Staffs at Biforco.
Here they were under constant observation by the enemy but could not move as there was no other suitable ground. The weather was atrocious, cold, wet and the river flooded. Gun pits filled with water and the ground under some of 446 Battery’s pits fell into the river. It was impossible for vehicles to leave the road and every round had to be manhandled to the guns. Worse was the incessant mortar and Artillery fire.
Every Battery had casualties daily but they were supporting both 1st Division and the 8th Indian Division infantry.
The enemy were firing six guns into 265 Bty area onto both troops without let up for four hours.
Four of their seven guns in use at the time were damaged. “A” Troop Command Post suffered a direct hit.
Most of the limbers caught fire and ammunition began to explode, eventually the Battery had to retire to nearby railway tunnels.
BSM Andrews, Sgt Oakley, Sgt Howes and Sgt Packer were all seriously wounded, plus others with minor injuries.
446 received all the rounds that went over 265 but 266 were able to keep firing.
265 moved out under cover of darkness returning to A Echelon for food, rest and repairs.
Marradi fell to the 2nd North Staffs on 24th September but further progress was hampered by the weather and a new enemy Division rushed to the area to stop the Allies advance.
On the 28th the Gordons took Mt Gamberaldi, to the east the Loyals Mt Grizzano.
The rain swamped every gun pit to knee depth and every battery had casualties daily.



Advancing through Marradi (Averill Family Collection)


Mt Gamberaldi under fire (Mennell Family Collection)



View attachment 392436
Signpost Marradi (Hartridge Family Collection)


Sketch from "A History" by PM

Railway Tunnel before Biforco 2019 (Hartridge Family Collection)

 

somehow my new Laptop jumped to the 21.September

The US air force bombed Manila, and
German troops left the Pelapones in Greece.

Stefan

 

RAF article about 700 paratroopers from various countries who did a parachute drop on 21st September 2024 to commemorate 80 years since the Battle of Arnhem, aka Operation Market Garden.

https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/article...-a400m-marks-80-years-since-battle-of-arnhem/

 

A 99 year old veteran of the Battle of Arnhem travelled to Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery to lay a wreath.

99-year-old WWII Operation Market Garden veteran lays wreath at 80th anniversary Arnhem commemoration

 

Meanwhile in Llandudno:
D-Day: Knitted life-size tank goes on show in Llandudno

The knitted tank is on show at Victoria shopping centre from Saturday until 2 November, and the Longest Yarn between 2-28 October.

 

103 Squadron Lancaster ND861 PM-H took off from Elsham Wolds at 1424 on the 4th January 1945 on a training flight. Shortly afterwards, it crashed during blizzard conditions into the River Humber near Hull; all six aboard were fatalities and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
P/O C J Weight
P/O G E Widdicombe
F/O M D Pickersgill
Sgt H G Backway
Sgt C F Hillier
Sgt C Lloyd

They were remembered yesterday:
Hull: Ceremony in memory of lost WW2 Lancaster bomber crew

Additional detail is at:
4th Jan 1945 – 103 Sqn RAF Elsham Wolds - Avro Lancaster III - ND861 – P/O C J Weight RAFVR and crew - Training

 

To absent friends.

 

Bit more than 80, but it rings through the centuries.

“From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.”
― William Shakespeare, Henry V

BTW,
Timothée Chalamet
(Paul Atredies in "Dune")
has a movie called "The King" which concerns Henry V's victory there.