370 Bty 113 Lt. A.A. Regiment

Sword would make sense, given they were, from what I can find online, tasked with defending the Orne and Caen canal bridges?

thanks again

 

Regiment boarded ships on 16/6 arrived off Juno on 18/6, weather too rough to land, Rece party went ashore at Colombieres-sur-Seuile.
Both ships with remainder of regiment ordered to Sword, HQ established at Hermanville. Still too rough to disembark hence the delay untill 25/6.

 

Thanks Richard. Very interesting! May I ask your source so that maybe I can pick up and continue to read? Really appreciate it

 

Thanks so much. That’s saved me a trip to the archives!

 

Ahhh posted whilst typing this:


The dates are split.
My Grandfather (369 Battery) said his battery/unit were stuck in ships during the heavy storms off Normandy for 5 days, running out of food after 3 days (not that anybody could keep anything down!)

The War Diaries (which are on this brilliant forum under the '113th path through Europe’ - which will save you a trip to Kew) back this up with their timings.
A Marshalling Area sheet shows 768 personnel and 162 vehicles on 13th June, planned to land on Sword.

This (Main) group were anchored off Juno on 16th June.
WD stating too rough to land with offloading commencing 24th June and last craft load landing ashore 0830hrs on 26th June.

A Recce group went earlier and were based 'just off the beach’ landing on 18th June.

The first fatality was 28 June (A Kenny) from 370 Battery, who was killed at Cheux.

I have a couple of period accounts with elements of 370 Battery leaving England on 8th July and unloading 11th and 12th July.
The 370 linking up with 368 and 369 at a farm North of Caen on the 12th July.

 

thanks Nick! Those accounts would be interesting to read if possible. I found the diaries on that post however 27th and 28th June are missing! Don’t suppose you have a copy? Worth asking I thought!

 

I am compiling the 113th on the Belsen website with all units that featured there but with a section on the 113th here: https://www.belsen.co.uk/category/113th-laa/ as my Grandfather, a sign writer on civvy street, produced the famous memorial plaques. It is something I started on the 75th anniversary as a lockdown project.

All the 113th names I have are in the Name Directory, with some pulled out where I have photos or further references via the link above. I still have a number of 113th personnel to add.

It has been a brilliant archive to work on and to postively identify several members of the unit on the official Belsen photos is particularly rewarding as it proves that they were there.

 

Great work!!