I have several postcards sent home by my father from Crieff in Scotland, can anyone tell me were the 78th division training in Scotland prior to operation Torch, Thank you, John.
John - It's more than likely as there was a big exercise up there prior to the whole force taking off from Greenock for Algiers - two full Tank Brigades were in Ayrshire - so it's more than likely that 78 also 4th and 6th Armoured were all up there around Perthshire as well. There was a really big exercise all over the south of Scotland - I think it was "Buster" where the Churchill Tanks were driven more than usual to see if they could stand long mileages. I have an entry here for 25th Aug '42 at Langholm, Ayrshire - " 2 i/c Mjor Sir L.H. Everard visits 1st Guards Bde of 78th Div to give lecture" - so they had to be around in Scotland at that time
Just looking at Divsional History. Page xviii, in the Prologue. Now, in August 1942 , with their first and only divisional exercise "Dryshod" , barely over , and the troops settling back into billets and camps conveniently close to the Clyde , the Division's planning staff was suddenly ordered to London.
Owen - bang on - "Dryshod" started July 27 with movement order - then immediately we had "Jumbo" ended 23rd Aug with whole regiment running cross country infull battledress - aaaarrrrgh - then we had combined training with 1st Guards Bde until 9th september followed by Gen Anderson to have an inspection to see if we were fit to go ! Then they all left us - we finally got there in March '43 - stright into first Medjez !
Owen - don't knock the "dusty" old books - I have read the Canadaian History of the Italian campaign - and I have just linked the Kiwi History to Phillip and had a sneak look at the operation "Diadem" and I must say that the KIWi account is away ahead of anything else I have read - particularly the section " Cassino to Trieste" - closer to the real account as it happened without the nationalistic propaganda for Hollywood's benefit - well worth a good read. Cheers
Tom,Owen, many thanks for your response to my question, interesting stuff, I'm sure i'll have more 78th div. questions over the coming weeks so i hope i don't become a nuisance !, once again,thank you, kind regards,John.
JWP - can't possibly be a nuisance in asking about the exploits of 78th Div - they wer one of the best Divs in both North Africa and Italy - and even when they got into Vienna - apart from a slight hiccup with the Agile and Sufferin' Highlanders when a few Russians ended up dead - and the Agile's found themselves way down south near Spittal - Ron Goldstein served with 78th in North Africa-Sicily and Italy - he has a diary which is very comprehensive - we can always ask him the hard bits ! Cheers
