Run-In Shoot by RA in Overlord Assault

If it's the same clip I've seen, it shows pre-invasion trials, not D Day shooting. Notice how calm the sea is! As far as I know only self-propelled artillery or tanks were used for the run in shoot.



Michel

 

Agreed. It may be from early 1943 as trials were mentioned in the ETOUSA conference on assault landings in May-June 1943. .

 

WOODY 59
My father Lt Derek Findley was 95 on 11 May this year. I asked him and he remembered William Wood's name. Lt Bowman,the other Lt on LCT331 was my godfather, he was a Liverpudlian and sadly died in about 1974. His daughter Jacquie lives in Scotland but I have lost contact. Just completing rather late, the form to apply for Legion d'Honneur for my father.

He was in command of thefirst PRiest to fire an Lt Bowman of the second. he has given an oral record some years ago the Imperial War Museum as well as attending at Larkhill just before the 70th anniversary, to tell some of those who were going to the beaches what it was like, as he was too frail to travel to Normandy.

He still can recall the drill that they had to make up to fire the gun just at the right point on (I think) the top of the wave

 

AGRICOLAW

Nice to hear your father remembers my dad and wonderful to hear he's celebrated his 95th birthday. My dad would have been 96 this year. My brother and I went to Normandy last year on the 6th June. We visited the ceremony at la breche and then on to Hermanville.

 

Dear Phil

You may be interested, but there is a photo of Robert Stafford and a brief Bio see North East War Memorials Project - Every Name A Story Content

Regards

Jampas

 

Hello Jampas welcome

Phil was on the forum a month ago so I have sent him a message showing your update to the thread

regards
Clive

 

ManyThanks

Jampas

 

Clive

What Batteries made up the 7th Field Regiment, 9th Irish but what else was there.

Just a thought.

Regards
Jampas

 

Thanks

 

I assume from the last post you might already know 7 Field Regiment was made of 9, 16 and 17/43 batteries.

 

Yes Apologies, Thanks

JAMPAS

 

Revisiting this zombie thread this phrase caught my eye.

The most overlooked aspect of the Artillery on D Day is the role played by Anti tank and Anti Aircraft Gunners.

Each Assault division included an Anti tank Regiment with 16 M10 SP anti tank guns. On Sword beach I Troop of 45 Battery and E Troop of 67 Battery landed at H+45.

Each assault infantry brigade group was accompanied by an AA Battlegroup comprising a mixture of triple 20mm and 40mm Light and 3.7” Heavy AA guns with their radar. These were from four regiments of Light AA (73,114 and 120) with 40mm Bofors and 93 Light AA (20mm Polsten) and three regiments (86, 103 and 113) of Heavy AA. Each Light AA troop had six guns. Three mounted on Crusader chassis each towing a gun. The 20mm were triple Polstens NOT the often photographed twin 20mm Oerlikons in the RAC AA Crusaders. (Source 80 AA Brigade Loading list - Annex ? to WD Mar 1944)

AA Guns were some of the first Gunner equipment ashore. Major P F Tiarks BC 218th LAA Battery and four 40mm guns each of A and C Troops landed on Queen White and Red respectively at H+45, 0810 hours. Both beaches were under heavy fire from mortars and small arms. Major P F Tiarks was wounded in the hand by a mortar fragment. He and Captain Eburne were both were awarded the M C. Tiark’s citation refers to inspiring troops "in battle for the first time under trying conditions". Eburne's to "the beach was under heavy mortar fire and in the earlier stages under small arms fire from enemy strong points which had not been reduced. Casualties were occurring at a fast rate to personnel on the beaches. The task of these guns was to deploy initially on the beaches. This required the gunners to remain on their guns exposed to fire. (i.e. perched on a 40mm bofors gun mounted on a tank seven foot in the air.)

Some of these may have become part of the D Day fire plan by default. The ORS report claims that Queen beach was neutralised around H+50 )08.15 - five minutes after four SP Bofors and eight M10 SPs landed.