1st Medium Regiment RCA

[macrusk]

By the time the rest of the divisional artillery had reached their new area south of Frosinone, the need of the advancing infantry for supporting fire was coming to an end., The enemy’s retreat along Highway 6 was fast becoming a rout. Ferentino was captured on 2 June, and Anagni on the following day. The 6th South African Armoured Division was in the process of taking over from the 1st Canadian Division, a brigade at a time, while the advance was continuing…..

…Brigadier Ziegler was able to get priority on a 10-mile stretch of highway for half an hour in order to move the 1st and 3rd Field Regiments forward from Frosinone to gun areas beyond Ferentino. A quiet tip was passed to the 5th Medium Regiment to have Regimental Headquarters and one battery ready on wheels, to await the code-word “Poodle.” “Poodle” came through at 6:30 A.M. on 3 June, and as the two field regiments, travelling with the barest minimum of transport, took to the road – the South African tanks having been moved well over to the verge to make room – the 23rd Medium Battery and Lt.-Col. Hanna’s R.H.Q. squeezed in behind them.

An officer of the 5th Medium has described the mad dash that followed.

They were off. Vehicles and guns roared away at top speed past the waiting tanks, whose crews lined the road and cheered us as we swung along. Fifty miles an hour, and the heavy guns bounced like corks on a high sea; fifty miles and hour over shell-marked Route 6 to the cheers of the tankmen, and on through the battered remains of Ferentino, to wheel at last off the road and into position on a plain sprawled under the hilltop village of Anagani.

Within minutes of their arrival in their new gun areas, regiments were deployed and in action. The South African Divisional Artillery were still somewhere back along the crowded roads; and during the day the 4.5’s of the 5th Medium fired several times in support of the South African infantry and armour, as well as engaging by Air O.P. enemy transport withdrawing along roads north of Anagni.

It was the final contribution by Canadian artillery in the battle for Rome. The evening of the 4th brought news that the city had fallen to troops of the United States Fifth Army. Guns came out of action as the 1st Canadian Corps was ordered into army reserve and began moving to a rest area in the valley of the upper Volturno.

The battle had lasted less than a month, but in that comparatively brief period two strong German defence lines had been smashed, and the Eighth Army had advanced more than 40 miles. Canadian guns had been in action almost without rest. Illustrative of the vast expenditure of ammunition was the 2nd Medium Regiment’s record of having fired 22,000 rounds in 21 days. Artillery staffs, particularly those of the 5th Armoured Division in the pursuit phase of “Chesterfield,” had gained useful experience in meeting the challenge of providing close support at all times in a moving battle. In this the gunners had been splendidly aided by No. 654 Air O.P. Squadron R.A.F., whose observers, besides registering targets and directing shoots, had given valuable information about the location of forward troops and enemy dispositions, and had undertaken the reconnaissance of roads and potential gun areas.

[macrusk]

The move of the various headquarter and units of the artillery of the 1st Canadian Corps to the Volturno Valley took place during the second and third week of June 1944. The C.C.R.A. and his staff returned with Corps Headquarters to its former location at Sant’ Angelo d’Alife, near Raviscanina, with the 1st Divisional Artillery extending eastward to Piedimonte d’Alife. A dozen miles farther east Headquarters 1st AGRA and its regiments were in Guadia – San Lorenzo area, on the north bank of the Calore, major tributary of the Volturno. Last to be transferred was the 5th Divisional Artillry, which left Pofi on the 14th and 15th, to settle temporarily about Dragoni, on the Volturno’s west bank, opposite Piedimonte.

“Plans were for a real rest before embarking on training programmes.” So the war diary of Headquarters 1st Divisional Artillery hopefully recorded on 9 June. It would take a little while to arrange for the necessary training areas; and divisional and corps staffs were still working on their reports of the recent operations and drawing up lists of “lessons learned” that must be the subject of special attention in future training. In the meantime the regiments were directed to carry out maintenance on guns and equipment while settling down in their new areas and, as far as was consistent with these instructions to arrange for a maximum of rest and leaves. Units dispatched their men for periods of up to five days in Rome, Naples and Pompeii and week-long leaves at the big rest camps at Bari and Salerno. Officers enjoyed a brief period of relaxation at Amalfi and other places on the beautiful Sorrento Peninsula…..Unit parties were taken on excursions to bathing beaches in Salerno Bay and the Gulf of Gaeta. The 11th Army Field Regiment established its own regimental rest camp at Gaveta, on the northwestern tip of the Gulf of Naples….

Administrative staffs and the auxiliary services did what they could to make life as agreeable as possible in the unit areas. There were almost nightly movies; and an occasional visiting band or concert party staging a performance in the regimental lines could be assured of an enthusiastic reception, particularly when, as in the case of the Canadian Army Show, there were such additional bonuses as a number of good-looking CWAC’s in the cast. Softball and volley ball teams battled in knock-out competition for the Corps supremacy. The 1st Medium’s softball nine made a lot of money for its backers as it won its way to the AGRA championship, only to lose out to an R.C.A.S.C. team in the Corps play-offs. The Corps championship was taken by the representatives of the 5th Armoured Division, the 5th L.A.A. Regiment, which defeated the P.P.C.L.I., winners in the 1st Division. A well-organized Canadian Forces Sports Day took place at the Sant’ Angelo airstrip on 27 June. Corps Troops, whose competing team was made up largely of gunners, finished on top, followed in succession by the 5th and 1st Divisions.

Once suitable areas had been established, units began an active programme of training. …From the AGRA ranges southwest of Benevento medium regiments carried out predicted and observed shooting at a target area on the slopes of Mount Taburno half a dozen miles to the west. The artillery staffs at formation headquarters held study periods which took into account some of the problems encountered in the recent fighting….In the rolling country south of San Lorenzo, Headquarters 1st AGRA staged Exercise “Gothic,” a two-day scheme involving the 1st C.B.O. Staff, the 1st Survey Regiment and the command post staffs of the medium regiments in a practical examination of the counter battery aspects of a set-piece attack (the deployment area was considered as being “somewhere in Northern Italy.)…

Reveille at 5:00 made for a long day. To avoid the oppressive heat of the afternoon, training began early each morning and stopped before midday. After the noon meal, a prolonged siesta might be followed by volleyball or softball. Evenings would find many patronizing the unit canteen, where men who had become a bit browned-off from training which was accompanied by no immediate prospect of a return to action “vented their felling in vio Rosso and sweet song.”…

While the Canadian Corps was in the Volturno Valley an important reorganization took place in the 5th Armoured Division. Operations in the rugged Italian terrain, which suited well the enemy’s style of close defensive fighting and his delaying tactics in withdrawal, had pointed to the necessity of providing the Eighth Army with a second infantry brigade. A request from General Burns to have an operational brigade from Canada sent to Italy was vetoed by the War Office on the grounds that no “diversions from Overlord” could be allowed. Instead, a new formation, the 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade, to be commanded by Brigadier D.C. Spry, was formed from units already in Italy. Affecting the artillery was the transfer of the 11th Army Field Regiment to the 5th Armoured Division to support the battalions of the new brigade, and the conversion of the 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment to become one of those infantry battalions. Having to change their patches and drop “Army” from their name by no means pleased the members of the 11th Field Regiment. The 8th Field, with whom they had been brothers in arms and sometimes rivals in army field days at Bordon, welcomed them warmly to the 5th Division, and the festive evening held on 22 July, when Lt.-Col. Birks and his Regiment invited the officers, warrant officers and sergeants of the 11th Field to a buffet supper followed by a corn roast with liquid refreshments, was an occasion long to be remembered.

[macrusk]

On 15 July the 1st L.A.A. Regiment paraded before Lt.-Col. Thorne for the last time as artillery and then turned in its Bofors guns to Ordnance. The war in Europe had reached a stage in which the overwhelming Allied air superiority over orthodox air attack had left little for the A.A. gunners to do. Many heavy anti-aircraft batteries were already winning recognition as medium artillery as they were being employed almost exclusively on ground shoots. Being less suited to such a role, light A.A. units were reduced in number and their personnel absorbed into infantry. Conversion of the 1st L.A.A. Regiment in The Lanark and Renfrew Scotttish Regiment went ahead rapidly, Lt.-Col. Thorne being succeeded in the command by an infantry officer, Lt.-Col. W.C. Dick. At about the same time a change in the establishment of a light anti-aircraft regiment reduced the size of a battery from three to two troops. The 2nd and 5th Regiments sadly gave up three troops each. Of the resulting surplus personnel, some officers and the N.C.O.’s and tradesmen went to the 2nd Canadian Base Reinforcement Depot at Eboli; the remaining personnel ceased to be artillery on transferring to the new infantry battalion. The 5th L.A.A. Regiment was further depleted when it gave up most of its 47th Battery to form a Movement Control Group for the 5th Canadian Armoured Division, which had been plagued by traffic confusion during the fighting in the Liri Valley. The new unit was given special training in traffic control duties, and it rendered valuable service during the rest of the campaign in Italy, during the transfer to North-West Europe, and its operation in Holland.

The stay in the Volturno Valley culminated on 31 July with a special inspection by an important senior officer, “General Collingwood,” who turned out to be no less a person than King George VI. His Majesty, who was accompanied by the Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean, General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, had come to decorate Major Mahoney, of the Westminster Regiment, with his V.C.

From http://wwii.ca/page3.html

[Major John Keefer Mahony
Melfa River, Italy
May 24th, 1944
The Westminster Regiment
'On the 24th May, 1944, "A" Company of the Westminster Regiment (Motor), under the command of Major Mahony, was ordered to establish the initial bridgehead across the River Melfa.

The enemy still had strong forces of tanks, self-propelled guns and infantry holding defensive positions on the east side of the river. Despite this, Major Mahony personally led his company down to and across the river, being with the leading section. Although the crossing was made in full view of and under heavy fire from enemy machine-gun posts on the right rear and left front, he personally directed each section into its proper position on the west bank with the greatest coolness and confidence. The crossing was made and a small bridgehead was established on ground where it was only possible to dig shallow weapon pits. From 1530 hours the company maintained itself in the face of enemy fire and attack until 2030 hours, when the remaining companies and supporting weapons were able to cross the river and reinforce them.

The bridgehead was enclosed on three sides by an 88 mm. Self-propelled gun 450 yards to the right, a battery of four 2cm. A.A. guns 100 yards to the left, a Spandau 100 yards to the left of it, to the left of the Spandau a second 88 mm. Self-propelled gun, and approximately a company of infantry with mortars and machine-guns on the left of the 88 mm. gun. From all these weapons, Major Mahony's company was constantly under fire until it eventually succeeded in knocking out the self-propelled equipment and the infantry on the left flank.

Shortly after the bridgehead had been established, the enemy counter-attacked with infantry supported by tanks and self-propelled guns. The counter-attack was beaten off by the company with its P.I.A.T.'s (1), 2" mortars and grenades, due to the skill with which Major Mahony had organized his defences. With absolute fearlessness and disregard for his own safety, Major Mahony personally directed the fire of his P.I.A.T.'s throughout this action, encouraging and exhorting his men. By this time, the company strength had been reduced to 60 men, and all but one of the Platoon Officers had been wounded. Scarcely an hour later, enemy tanks formed up about 500 yards in front of the bridgehead and in company with about a Company of infantry, launched a second counter-attack. Major Mahony, determined to hold the position at all costs, went from section to section with words of encouragement, personally directing fire of mortars and other weapons.

At one stage, a section was pinned down in the open by accurate and intense machine-gun fire. Major Mahony crawled forward to their position, and by throwing smoke grenades, succeeded in extricating the section from its position with the loss of only one man. This counter-attack was finally beaten off with the destruction of three enemy self-propelled guns and one Panther tank.

Early in the action, Major Mahony was wounded in the head and twice in the leg, but he refused medical aid and continued to direct the defence of the bridgehead, despite the fact that movement of any kind caused him extreme pain. It was only when the remaining companies of the regiment had crossed the river to support him that he allowed his wounds to be dressed and even then refused to be evacuated, staying instead with his company.
The forming and holding of a bridgehead across the river was vital to the whole Canadian Corps action, and failure would have meant delay, a repetition of the attack, probably involving heavy losses in men, material and time, and would have given the enemy a breathing space which might have broken the impetus of the Corps' advance.

Major Mahony, knowing this, never allowed the thought of failure or withdrawal to enter his mind, and infused his spirit and determination into all his men. At the first sign of hesitation or faltering, Major Mahony was there to encourage, by his own example, those who were feeling the strain of battle. The enemy perceived that this officer was the soul of the defence and consequently fired at him constantly with all weapons, from rifle to 88 mm. guns. Major Mahony completely ignored the enemy fire and with great courage and absolute disregard for personal danger, commanded his company with such great confidence, energy and skill that the enemy's efforts to destroy the bridgehead were all defeated.

The great courage shown by Major Mahony in this action will forever be an inspiration to his Regiment and to the Canadian Army.']

Next will be The Assault on the Gothic Line

[macrusk]

Thank you, Mr. Canning, for the additional information and the referenced book. Someday, I hope I can pay my respects to those lost in Italy, in addition to those in NW Europe.

[Tom Canning]

Michelle - you will note on your message #32 - that when a request for an extra brigade for 5th Armoured Div was vetoed by Ottawa - it was just after D day and the losses were adding up and decimating the reserves available -at about the same time the big arguements were flowing about conscription etc - as a consquence both 5th and 1st Divs were short of trained troops and paid the price in increased casualties during the month long Gothic Line battle.
Another book you should get hold of as soon as you can is "None of Us were Brave' by Stan Scislowski of the Perth Regt - 11th bde of 5th Armoured - he writes agood tale and also his account of his visit to Cassino cemetery long after the war - BUT you might need three boxes of Kleenex - her is the link ...




BBC - WW2 People's War - Remembrance at the Cassino War Cemetery