8th Army Battle of Anzio

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by Taylorca, Dec 25, 2013.

  1. Taylorca

    Taylorca New Member

    I am trying to find photos and information about my Grandad who fought in the Battle of Anzio. I have very little information on him and I have been looking through many sites to no avail. Can someone please help me decipher the following information as I do not know what it means; and this is all I have come up with so far
    My Grandad is Robert Reginald Daniels

    Service # 816968
    330 Bty
    100 Lt
    A.A Regt.
    Royal Artillery

    DOB - 1907 / 08

    He died February 18 1944

    I appreciate any assistance in this matter.

    Thanks

    Carin
     
  2. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Carin,

    Only a small help here - 100 LAA were attached to British 56th Infantry Division, who were fed into the Anzio Bridgehead from 3rd February 1944 onwards.

    Of course the landings at Anzio fell under the 5th Army umbrella.

    No doubt the war diaries and personal service records may illuminate more detail about your granddad's service period in Italy (and elsewhere)


    WO 170/484


    Description:


    56 Infantry Division: R.A.




    Date:
    1944 Jan.- June


    Held by:
    The National Archives, Kew


    Legal status:
    Public Record


    best
     
  3. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

  4. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Carin.

    100 LAA Regiment Royal Artillery was 56 BR Infantry Division's integrated light anti aircraft unit - it went wherever the Division went.

    Your grandfather would have been killed during the massive German counter attack that started on 16 Feb 44.

    Regards

    FdeP
     
  5. Alanst500

    Alanst500 Senior Member

  6. mapshooter

    mapshooter Senior Member

    Death date is a clue. One bty of 100 LAA Regt landed on 14 Feb and joined the three btys of 90 LAA regt and one bty of 56 LAA that had landed on 5 Feb. Another two btys of 100 LAA arrived by 19 Feb with 331 bty remaining in action aboard LSTs in Anzio harbour.

    This means you may need to look at the War Diary of 90 LAA not 100 LAA Regt. 90 LAA cas in Feb include 17 KIA, 100 LAA 7 KIA. It's not clear which regt had command of 330 Bty on 18 Feb. 100 LAA was relieved by 18 LAA in March and returned to Naples but remained formally under command of 56 Div.
     
  7. Taylorca

    Taylorca New Member

    Thank you very much to all of you who responded to me. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

    I do have a few more questions though; What does 330 Bty mean ?


    Thanks again,

    Carin
     
  8. Combover

    Combover Guest

    330th Battery.
     
  9. Taylorca

    Taylorca New Member

    Thank you "Combover"



    Carin
     
  10. mapshooter

    mapshooter Senior Member

    In UK batteries were uniquely serially numbered by type, although there was often a gap between the numbers of the regular army batteries and of the Territorial Army and subsequent war formed batteries. As well as 330 LAA Battery there was a 330 Field Battery and probably a 330 HAA Battery, there may have been other types but I'd guess probably not. Bty was and is the official abbreviation for Battery, although inevitably in an army of conscripts unofficial abbreviations also got used. A battery was and is the sub-unit of an artillery regiment, and equivalent to a infantry company or armoured squadron. A LAA bty was roughly 250 men.
     
    Combover likes this.
  11. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Mapshooter.

    What was the original doc that had 330 LAA Bty RA arriving at Anzio on 14 Feb 44? I have the Bty and its 18 x 40mm SP Bofors arriving on 10 Feb 44 and their task as being to reinforce protection of the six Fd Regt Gun Area in the British Sector.

    Regards

    FdeP
     
  12. mapshooter

    mapshooter Senior Member

    Assuming it was 330 Bty, Routledge.
     
  13. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Map shooter.

    Thank you. I need to recheck Routledge.

    Regards

    FdeP
     

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