22nd Field Regiment RA Italy

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by Carol Rowley, Nov 16, 2021.

  1. Carol Rowley

    Carol Rowley New Member

    I am trying to piece together some of my fathers time in Italy. I have the battles around Cassino etc but can’t find where and when he landed in Italy and when and where he left for Greece. Anything would be useful
    TIA Carol Rowley
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

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  3. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    There is a thread re this unit. from Google: 22nd Field Regt RA
    Might save a lot of work for you.

    He's quick that Owen!
     
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  4. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Carol.

    22 Regt RA directly supported 10 Infantry Brigade throughout the war in Italy. That would put your father in support of the 10 Inf Bde assault over the Rapido on 11-13 May 44 that included the building of the Amazon bridge. You need to check out Terence Cuneo's amazing painting entitled 'Crossing the Rapido'.

    If your father was in one of the Artillery Groups then he would have been up with one of the three infantry battalions of 10 Inf Bde - either 1/6 East Surreys, 2 Beds & Herts or 2 DCLI. If he was on the gun line then he would have been somewhere behind Monte Trocchio.

    After Cassino, they fought up the centre of Italy - Lake Trasimeno, Arezzo and Florence from Jun-Aug 44 before being moved across to the Adriatic to assault the Gothic Line at Rimini in Sep 44.

    After that they slowly pushed on into the Po Valley until Nov 44 when they were moved to Greece to suppress the Communist insurgency.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  5. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

  6. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Hi Carol

    4th British Infantry Division (4 Inf Div) were sent to Greece in December 1944 to reinforce troops who were fighting against a Greek Communist Insurgency trying to sieze power and had all but a 2 square mile of the centre of Athens under their control.

    The three 4 Inf DIv Royal Artillery (RA) regiments (22, 30 & 77) and their Anti-Tank Regiment (14) were merged and used in an infantry role for the duration of the civil war and renamed the 4th Inf DIv RA Rifle Battalion. Only a handful of field guns were brought over.

    The structure of 4th Inf DIv Rifle Battalion was (names and numbers added where available):

    A Company (from 22 Fd Regt RA formed 13 Dec 44 arrived Glifadha 16 Dec 44)

    Major G.S.Goode, RA Company Commander
    Captain G. Thornton, RA 2 I/C
    Lieutenant D.G.E. Hoare, RA 1. Platoon Commander
    Lieutenant R.H. Twinch, RA 2. Platoon Commander
    Lieutenant A.F. Howell, RA 3. Platoon Commander
    Lieutenant M.E.B. Peters, RA Company HQ Duty Officer

    B Company (from 30 Fd Regt RA formed 11 Dec 44)

    Major J.G.N. Watson, RA (112 Bty) Company Commander
    Captain H.G. Pearce-Batten, RA (104 Bty) 2 I/C Till 25 Dec 44
    Captain T.E. Nuttal, RA (112 Bty) 2 I/C From 25 Dec 44
    Lieutenant W. H. Todd , RA (104 Bty) 1. Platoon Commander 1 Off and 36 ORs - 3 Sections of 10 from 104 Field Bty
    Lieutenant Newman, RA (111 Bty) 2. Platoon Commander 1 Off and 36 ORs - 3 Sections of 10 from 111 Field Bty
    Lieutenant J.C.R. Fieldsend, RA (112 Bty) 3. Platoon Commander 1 Off and 36 ORs - 3 Sections of 10 from 112 Field Battery
    Lieutenant E. Brown, RA (112 Bty) Company HQ Duty Officer HQ Coy 3 Offs and 22 ORs

    C Company (from 77 Fd Regt RA formed 12 Dec 44)

    Major F.P.C. Trahearn, RA Company Commander
    Captain , RA 2 I/C
    Lieutenant , RA 1. Platoon Commander 1 Platoon from 305 Field Battery
    Lieutenant , RA 2. Platoon Commander 1 Platoon from 306 Field Battery
    Lieutenant , RA 3. Platoon Commander 1 Platoon from 455 Field Battery
    Lieutenant , RA Company HQ Duty Officer Coy HQ from 305 Field Battery

    D Company (from 14 A-Tk Regt RA formed 11 Dec 44 - 6 Offs 130 ORs)

    Major R.H. Adams, RA Company Commander
    Captain , RA 2 I/C
    Lieutenant , RA 1. Platoon Commander
    Lieutenant , RA 2. Platoon Commander
    Lieutenant , RA 3. Platoon Commander
    Lieutenant , RA Company HQ Duty Officer

    E Company (from 22 Fd Regt RA formed 20 Dec 44 arrived Glifadha 26 Dec 44)

    Major H.A.M. Earle, RA Company Commander
    Captain E.G. Smith, RA 2 I/C
    Lieutenant D.B. Bradshaw, RA 13. Platoon Commander
    LieutenantM.G. Reed, RA 14. Platoon Commander
    Lieutenant J.H.Whitelaw, RA 15. Platoon Commander

    F Company (from 77 Fd Regt RA formed 1 Jan 45)

    Major , RA Company Commander
    Captain , RA 2 I/C
    Lieutenant , RA 1. Platoon Commander 1 Platoon from 306 Field Battery
    Lieutenant , RA 2. Platoon Commander 1 Platoon from 306 Field Battery
    Lieutenant , RA Company HQ Duty Officer Coy HQ from 306 Field Battery


    I have the war diaries for 22 Fd Regt RA, in Dec 1944 and Jan 1945 . PM me your email address if you want a copy.

    Hope this helps

    Gus
     

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