Life in the Army- Chapter 22

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Roger Marsh of the ‘Action Desk — Sheffield’ Team on behalf of Arthur Ward, and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Refer to Chapter 1-- A4345544 -for links to other chapters.

LIFE IN THE ARMY

by
ARTHUR WARD

Chapter 22 — The Plain of Lombardy

September 28, 1944
We had squad parades etc. and the Major came round and inspected the Sextons. He said, "Good show," to me.

We put up bivvies and dug slit trenches but on quiet nights, I used my camp bed (what a luxury!!).

I received 4 letters from Mother, Nessie, Arthur Percival and a sea mail with baby Maureen's photograph in it. She was my niece whom I had never seen.

Once again it was raining heavily every day.

September 30, 1944
We moved by main road and over the River Marrechia and down the Rimini to Marino Road into a gun position just off the road. It was too muddy to move far from the road.

Straight behind us were 277 Battery and 400 yards to the right was my old unit 279th Bty (both 70th Field Regt. RA).

October 01, 1944
I walked across to `C' Troop Command Post and saw my mate Al White. I stayed for 2 hours and had a chat with some of the lads I used to know, including Sgt Ernie Kaye, Sgt Fred Lindsay, GG Dawson, Keeble, Dawson (Ex Batman) and on the way back in the wagon lines I saw Derek Lockwood, Sgt Simpson, Gnr Barker, Harry Earle and Bdr Turner (Ex A Bty, 11th (HAC).

We stayed in this position for 6 days and Al White came to see me every day.

I also had a visit from Sgt Bernard and Sgt Hardaker who were very interested in the Sextons.

It rained for another 3 days and then it became warm and sunny.

In the last 6 days, I had fired over 1,000 rounds HE (High Explosive).

I had to sleep in the Sexton in case any fire orders came through.

There was very little enemy activity except for odd shells falling about 500 yards away. A few planes came over at night to keep us awake but the crackerjack bombs were not too near to us.

October 05, 1944
Bdr Harry Ward was killed at the OP near his tank RF.

We moved again and I saw Bill Turner but I was not able to talk to him.

The mail was coming through a bit better now.

Progress in the battle was slow but very determined.

Now that the roads were drying up we are getting more supplies through.

Gen Montgomery gave orders that searchlights were to be used low over the battle area as artificial moonlight. This helps us a lot on dark nights especially when we are on the move.

October 08, 1944
We moved on the road via the town of San Arcangelo, and across a bailey bridge over the River Rubicon, to a gun position among cabbages, and trees of pears and apples, which came in very useful.

We were firing very regularly during the day and harassing fire at night.

We were very near the front line and we could hear machine guns chattering and enemy mortar bombs were falling about 600 yards away.

On the second day of this attack the Germans were pushed back, so our position was much more comfortable.

We pitched tents for the gun crew but I still had to sleep in the Sexton by the tannoy, and the order to `Take Posts' came every night for us to fire Harassing or Defensive fire tasks.

October 15, 1944
We had to put down a smoke screen for our infantry and we were told that it had been very effective.

On this day my Gunner/Signaller John Holmes was put on the OP Tank RE and in exchange I had his mate Gnr/Sig Buxton.

Orders "Prepare to Move" but it was a false alarm.

We all received a message from the new 8th Army Commander General McCreery. The old C.O General Leese had gone to Burma.

The weather was still very warm but damp and cold at night.

We were issued with a second suit of battledress and winter woollies.

At this time, the tanks of 1st Armoured Division had had a very rough time as we were fighting in country unsuited for advancing tanks, and there was not the number of tanks required for replacements, so it was decided to break up the 1st AD and for us to work with the 2nd Armoured Brigade and support various Infantry Divisions, so at times we supported 46th (Oak Tree) Division, 78th (Battleaxe) Division, 56th (Black Cat) Division and 4th Infantry Division.

In one of these attacks the Queen's Bays had been caught in a wadi defended by Tiger tanks and self propelled guns. They lost 24 tanks in one action and ‘A’ Bty FOO was with them and Captain Drage and all his crew were killed.

Captain Drage had not long since come back to the Battery after a spell as Adjutant at RHQ.

We moved miles through Longiano on the Badia Road and through Montegallio where we were under observation from the enemy for most of the way. Our priest had a petrol leak but after ½ hour we were able to repair it, then we carried on.

We passed the gun positions and echelons of 277th Bty and I saw Sgt Major Ben Lawson and Charlie Metcalfe.

We were held up in a traffic jam in Montegallio for nearly 2 hours.

We got into a gun position just before dark and started firing straight away. The Germans were 4,000 yards away over a ridge

We planned defensive fire at 2,000 yards but did not fire on them.

We had quiet nights except for firing harassing fire.

We supported Durham Light Infantry of 46th Division with tanks from 10th Hussars and 2nd Armd Brigade, and they pushed on without opposition to Cesena. We advanced 6,000 yards in quick time.

October 19, 1944
The Royal Fusiliers made a bridge head over the River Savio south of Cesena.

Sgt Freddie Cull (‘A’ Bty) came to see me as he was passing on his way to Rome for 7 days leave so I gave him some films for him to have developed.

October 20, 1944
The Royal West Kents passed through the Fusiliers. The weather was fine for 7 days except for showers, usually during the night.

RAF fighter bombers were over all day making sorties and at times we saw medium bombers passing over.

We were firing an average of 100 rounds a day per gun.

My limber gunner Bill Short went back to RHQ for 3 days rest.

46th Division were pulled out of action so we came under command of 4th Infantry Division.

We heard that when 1st Armd Div was broken up, they had had very heavy casualties and Brigadier Goodbody (our ex CO) had resigned his command.

October 21, 1944
We had to be ready to move at 08:00 hours but at 07:45 hours we had to fire 30 rounds each on a DF task.

We then moved at 13:30 hours along 4th Div axis down a very steep hill, which was in full view of the enemy OP's and from the hill we could see the much talked about Plain of Lombardy

PLAIN OF LOMBARDY
We went into action ½ mile from Cesena behind a high ridge.

Just over the ridge was the River Savio which was strongly held by the enemy.

Our Infantry had a small bridgehead across the river but could not get a proper bridge built. The Infantry swam across.

We had stray shells fall in the Battery area before dark, but after dark we were heavily `stonked' and mortared, but luckily no casualties. Odd shells and mortars fell all night.

October 22, 1944
Nice sunny morning, but we dare not fire as we were only 3,000 yards from the enemy lines and we did not want to give away our position.

We had to bury all our ammunition (for protection), and the gunners were sleeping in slit trenches and No.1's slept on the Sextons.

We had a fairly good night although shells and mortars were landing at intervals not very far away.

The Germans were up to their usual tricks, letting us have it during the night. We were also being troubled by NEBAL WERFERS which we called `moaning minnies', because they gave out a long shriek or whine before exploding. They were an early type of rocket and fired 6 barrels at once. They were very deadly.

We fired to a fire plan at 05:30 hours, of 120 rounds a gun and the Infantry then attacked and the enemy scarpered (retreated fast).

We had a couple of quiet days when we fired a few rounds, and the Germans slung a few back at us.

October 25, 1944
We moved again through Cesena and over a long pontoon bridge built by the sappers.

This must have been a hard and dangerous job for them for the river was in flood and over 100 yards wide and pretty deep.

The span of the bridge was about 40feet high.

We moved into position near a crossroads, but we only fired 2 rounds at 02:00 hours.

Then we had to stop firing as the enemy had withdrawn out of range.

October 26, 1944
We moved at 07:00 hours on to the main Riminni Forli - Bologne road and took up position near Forlimpopli. We were travelling on Route 9, which was a well known main road from the south of Italy to the north, and our prime target when we started in action in Italy was said to be Bologne on Route 9. Were we nearing the end of our fighting? Only time would tell!!

We were only 3,200 yards from the river Ronco which the Germans held very strongly. The KRR (Kings Royal Rifles) of 1st Armd Div. Had a small bridge head across the river.

Rain started falling heavily on this day and I am writing my diary whilst sitting in the Sexton, fairly dry, as we have constructed a timber frame and slung over the top, a tarpaulin sheet and 3 Bivvies. The ground outside is standing in water and the gun crew are in a tent with duck boards as a floor to walk on.

At present they are peeling spuds, cooking cabbages, cauliflower and boiling duck for dinner. These are `trophies' collected from the surrounding countryside.

L/Bdr Davies has gone to a rest camp for 3 days, and I have Gnr Sims (a builder from Worksop) in his place.

1st Armoured Division (now reformed) are running a film show every day at San Arcangelo, but I have not been able to go yet - it is called the `Rhino Rialto' picture house.

Jerry sent many shells over during the night, which were landing on the road about 300 yards away.

We heard that Captain Henderson of ‘A’ Bty had gone over the river with an Infantry patrol - all were captured except him, as he picked up a German Luger pistol, shot a German with it and then swam back to safety across the river.

October 27, 1944
We heard that our Battery Commander Major D Morris had won a bar to his MC (Military Cross), and his signaller Bdr Bennett (Percy, who was a pal of mine from Hastings) had won an MM (Military Medal).

Still raining!!!

We moved back 1,500 yards down Highway 9 to a gun position in the 10th Indian Division area.

We stayed for one night, then next day tried to move. First the half tracks became stuck in the mud, then Don Sub, then finally all vehicles were stuck so fast that no-one could move.

Our Sextons were buried to the top of the tracks in soft sticky and very wet mud.

The move had to be cancelled and we all carried our kit into the farm buildings, which we found nearby.

My sub section was in a farm house with our GPO (Gun Position Officer) Lt Whitby. We were with a very good Italian family who made us very welcome.

I slept in a "civvy" bed and we used the farm as though we owned it. The Italian farmers were only too pleased to let us do this, as they were glad that the Germans had gone as there had been some ill treatment by the German soldiers.

They had 3 lovely looking girls (or women) aged 20, 22 and 25 and 3 younger boys, 2 old men and 2 old women so we were pretty well overcrowded.

We stayed for 3 days and it rained most of the time.

I was made NCO in charge of billeting arrangements. After dark we all gathered round a blazing kitchen fire telling tales and drinking many glasses of local vino. What a life!!!

During the 4th night, we were pulled out of the muddy field by LAD trucks, and on to the Highway 9 through Forlinpopli, turned left off the main road and we slept in the barn on another farm.

When daylight came, we built a platform with bricks and rubble and put the Sextons on the hardcore, so that we were back in action.

During the next 4 days we fired about 350 rounds per gun, and then the enemy retreated out of range, so we stayed in the same place for a rest.

November 12, 1944
Went to a cinema in Cesena and saw Andy Hardy's "Courtship".

We started playing troop football matches.

‘E’ Troop 2 v ‘F’ Troop 1
‘E’ Troop 2 v ‘F’ Troop 0

Freddie Cull (‘A’ Bty) returned from leave in Rome and brought my snaps with him (developed in Rome).

November 14, 1944
Prepare to move. I had a bad cold so I went to bed at 05:30 hours with 2 Aspros and a hot lemon water.

I am writing my diary whilst in bed. Snaps received were of L/Bdr Jones (gun fitter), Sgt Legon and brother, the lads in the cookhouse, J Legon and Me (on a motorbike).

November 15, 1944
Moved via San Martini, S Varano and near Forli, where we had to cross the river by a ford, so we were hoping that our Sexton engine did not stall. Fortunately we forded the swollen river OK, to be met by the sight of dead German soldiers who must have been killed whilst defending the bridge before it was blown. (Took snap of C sub fording the river).

We moved into a position by a farm house and during a quiet time we constructed an oven.

We raided the fields for potatoes, cabbages, apples and pears from the orchards and one of my sub Gunner (Taffy) Williams was an expert at catching rabbits and fowl which roosted in the trees. They were easy prey, as he would climb up the tree and they were too terrified to move in the dark. He was also an expert at killing poultry and removing the feathers. All this helped out with the meagre rations that we were receiving.

During the night and day, we were putting down several concentrations of fire to a fire plan, and barrages for the Infantry to attack. Nearly every night, we fired harassing fire to give the enemy sleepless nights, but they did the same to us.

Also the enemy Nebelwurfers were very active. These were enough to frighten anyone to death with the noise, besides the damage done by their rockets.

‘F’ Troop were on the receiving end of a very heavy stonking one night, but luckily no-one was hurt.

The enemy were also concentrating their fire on a bridge at Forli.

However some of the lads managed to get down to Forli, to a cinema in the afternoons if quiet.

At this time, leave was started to Blighty. Only men with a minimum of 4 years overseas were allowed to go. From our Battery went L/Sgt Jack Lamer, Bdr Bennett MM, L/Bdr Bowden for 4 weeks at home

Advances were being made by the 9th Lancers and Queens Bays who were operating with KRRC and 46th Div.

The Germans had pulled back behind the river Cosino but they were strong in this area.

They were bombed by medium and heavy bombers of the RAF.

We often saw thunderbolts (Fighters) in action firing rockets and dropping bombs.

Pr-BR

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