111 Field Battery, RA - Special Force role?

I've done a bit of staring at the internet and I think the two photos are at Rukavac on Vis, which makes sense as that's where the RCLs seem to have been loaded/unloaded before/after ops. One of the buildings (the blue one) has been replaced by a newer one, I think.

 

Amazing detective work! Is "Rob Crane" short for "Robbie Coltrane"?

 

In case it's of any interest to people, I've done all I can for the moment, I think. I've managed to tally up both Operation Decomposed 2 and Operation Grandfather 1 with accounts written by a COPP man who did reconnaissance beforehand, and they add a bit of colour to things - real "boys' own" stuff with German patrols lurking round the corner, and encountering a local who'd previously worked in Australia and spoke great English, plus a Partisan ambush:

Operation Decomposed 2 reconnaissance

Operation Decomposed 2

Operation Grandfather 1 reconnaissance

Operation Grandfather 1

Volitans, Drew5233 - I've doffed my cap to the both of you - please let me know if you'd rather I deleted the references. Thank you!

I realised that COPP worked with 111 Field Regiment quite a lot afterwards, e.g. in Dubrovnik and Kotor as part of Floydforce. I've added a full list of known COPP ops in this theatre to a 'hub' that also goes to town on other details about the theatre - I have to admit, I find it all fascinating - a real clash of cultures, in many respects.

Yugoslavia hub

Always happy to have feedback and to have errors pointed out to me! (Isn't this forum a great resource?)

Thank you all!

 

Astonishing story about the defecting German artillery soldier on the last link and some sharp comments on what would befall the local inhabitants once the Partisans took control.

 

Rob, fantastic work!

Regarding what David just mentioned and the point that Bickmore made about the PoW directing fire onto his own position, this is an excerpt from the 111ths diary I read a few weeks ago.


Would love to read more of Bickmore's stuff. Is it available online?

 

I bet the chaps who came across from the German positions would have done pretty much anything to have remained in British hands, rather than risk being held by the Partisans.

Sadly Peter Bickmore passed away in August - there's currently an obituary for him on the Coastal Forces Veterans' homepage, if you scroll down.

The book he pulled together was 'self published' by the CFV - I've not seen it online but if I come across it I'll flag it up. I bought a copy from a second-hand bookshop in Gosport. It's called With Tito's Partisans 1943-1945.

It has a chapter that seems to have come from elsewhere titled 'Adriatic Adventure - 111th Field Regiment Royal Artillery' - sadly, they don't seem to have known the original source, but it might be in amongst this at the IWM.

 

Hi all,

Just thought I'd post something I've been working on for the past few years.
I have been transcribing all of the war diaries for the 111th Field Regt and have been uploading them to a website I've been slowly building.
It's not complete yet, but its still good enough for a browse

Bolton Artillery – Home of the 111th Field Regiment during WW2