Help required unit of Forward Observation Officer in RA Italy Campaign

I attach two photos of Maurice Stanbury Rowdon (265247), who was mentioned in despatches in 1946 but served as a Forward Observation Officer with the RA in Italy and also spent time in Cairo, Greece and Austria.

He wrote a book called Of Sins and Winter (Chatto and Windus 1955) about his experiences and I also have his second unpublished memoir, but all I and his widow know is that he was part of the 46th division, 10th Corps in Italy. He is vague about his actual unit and the individuals he served with. I would like to know more exact details or regiment, battalion, etc.

In his unpublished memoir he mentions a Captain H, also a F.O.O., who won an MC somewhere near Sessa Aurunca, on a ridge where Captain H killed one German and seized a Schmeizer. Who is this Captain H? I know he was a Yorkshireman (by origin) . Apparently in the citation he isn't described as a Forward Observation Officer.

Can anyone tell more about the uniform Maurice is wearing, can you tell me about the cap badge, it doesn't look like a normal Royal Artillery cap badge! Maurice is the taller of the two men in the first photo.

Is anyone an expert on the roles of Forward Observation Officers in Italy? Is there any literature?

Any info that you may be able to provide would be very much appreciated. His widow has requested his service record but this can take some time.

Thank you.

 

Forward & Air Observation

 

I was an infantry officer rather than a gunner but if I recall correctly, gunner officers wore the bomb with 'ubique' underneath rather than the wheeled cannon with 'royal artillery' underneath. That was worn by the Other Ranks.

I know that the sappers adopt the same approach.

Regards

FdeP

 

I know a bit about the Gunners in Italy.

The Field artillery Regiments in the 46th Infantry Division were 70, 71 and 172 Field Regiments

The 70th (West Riding) TA Field Regiment and 71st (West Riding) TA Field Regiments were, as the name suggests formed from TA soldiers from Yorkshire which fits your Yorkshireman.

An action close to Sessa Aurunca can only have taken place in very late october-November 1943 or early November. Here is a link to a map showing the overall situation. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-MTO-Salerno/maps/USA-MTO-Salerno-4.jpg

The gunner officers from these Regiments awarded the MC were

70 Fd Regt
Captain (Temporary Major) Bill Hudson was awarded an MC for his service in Italy The citation mentions the Cocuruzzo spur, as one of many actions. This is about 10 miles N of Sessa Aurunca He was a Battery Commander and not an FOO.

Captain Michael Frewer is awarded an MC for an attack a couple of weeks earlier - but no mention of killing Germans and stealing schneiders.

Capts David Purnell and Sydney Garland win an MC each at Salerno

Capt Harry Craggs and Jack Welsh get MCs for fighting alongside the infantry in Tunisia. The Germans overran the 6th Lincolns.

71 Field Regiment

Captain Hartley is awarded the MC for his work in early 1944 about 20 miles North of Sessa Aurunca

Capt David Henry Tildesley wins an MC at Salerno and a bar to it (i.e. a second MC) for an action 20 miles N of Sessa Aurunca in Jan 1944.

Lt Edward Slade gets an MC for his work as an FOO in mid October S of Sessa Aurunca

You need to get to the National Archives and check the war diaries

There are several very readable books about the Italian Campaign. The best ones on the Gunners tend to be regimental histories.

Possibly the best known gunners in Italy are more famous for their feats on stage or on the football pitch. Spike Milligan's book "Mussolini his part in my downfall" is about his experiences as a gunner signaller.

The Wartime Wanderers is the story of the pre war Bolton Wanderers football team who joined the Bolton TA Artillery in March 1939. Their captain Harry Goslin was an FOO and killed in action on the River Sangro.

 

You can start to get an idea of what observers did from
Organisation and Equipment - Observers

 

Many Thanks everyone. This is very useful.

 

I've just had a look at my collection of diaries and 70 and 71 Field Regts were with 52 Div in 1940 but there are no Officer Field Returns in the diaries to check.

Ref the citations you can download them for free if you follow the info on the forum on how to do it.

Why don't you encourage his wife to apply for his service records-She'll get them for free.

 

This might be of interest:

Forward Observation Officer later Forward Observer Bombardment: training, reports etc 1943-1945

| The National Archives

 

This might be of interest:

Forward Observation Officer later Forward Observer Bombardment: training, reports etc 1943-1945

| The National Archives

I think the Forward Officr Bombardment reports are to do with Royal Artillery spotters for naval ships rather than field regiments, but thanks, I am interested in these units.

 

This might be of interest:

Forward Observation Officer later Forward Observer Bombardment: training, reports etc 1943-1945


No, different thing altogether, apart from being part RA. "Bombardment" is the key word, it means they weren't in RA regts. They were joint service units conrolling naval gunfire against shore targets. These observation parties were mix of RA (officer and Ack) and RN telegraphists. Their role didn't have much in common with that of observers in field, etc, regts.

 

No, different thing altogether, apart from being part RA. "Bombardment" is the key word, it means they weren't in RA regts. They were joint service units conrolling naval gunfire against shore targets. These observation parties were mix of RA (officer and Ack) and RN telegraphists. Their role didn't have much in common with that of observers in field, etc, regts.


I know that, and have spotted for ships in my time. However, the link is a red herring for the the original poster who knows her relative was an officer in an normal RA unit in 46 Division, but it seemed rude to discourage the person who posted the CBU link.

 

Calm down calm down <said in a scouse accsent> I have thick skin and I did say might

Back to FOO's if you want to find out get the units war diary - I'm happy to order all three check which one lists the officer and copy it. Be warned though Italian files are known to be thick and can range between 500 and 1,000 pages. Officers are easy to find in war diaries via the Officer Field Returns at the end of every monthly entry

<Group Hug>

 

Other details which would help are the names of the infantry units that the FOOs are attached to. This narrows it down.

 

I've just had a look at my collection of diaries and 70 and 71 Field Regts were with 52 Div in 1940 but there are no Officer Field Returns in the diaries to check.

Ref the citations you can download them for free if you follow the info on the forum on how to do it.

Why don't you encourage his wife to apply for his service records-She'll get them for free.


Hi everyone

Has anyone worked out if these citations can still be downloaded using TNAs new Discovery portal as any documentsonline URLs won't work anymore.

Gus

 

Hi everyone

Has anyone worked out if these citations can still be downloaded using TNAs new Discovery portal as any documentsonline URLs won't work anymore.

Gus

You can download an individual citation, but you need to pay £3.36 unless you visit TNA However, if you know reference for the whole the But as a rather bizarre pricing policy or possible some "technical doifficutleis" today you seem to be able to download the whole microfilm free of charge!

 

Brilliant Thanks Owen

 

Don't pay...We get them for free here

 

I know that, and have spotted for ships in my time.

Keep calm and look at the timings of our posts. As a former IG I expect better attention to detail from you

 

Many apologies. It wasn't posted in anger. Both were rather late at night.