RA Officer captured during the opening hours of Op Lightfoot

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Volitans, Dec 24, 2022.

  1. Volitans

    Volitans Member

    Good evening all,

    Bit of a question regarding Operation Lightfoot.
    I'm currently going through 111th Fd Regt War Diary. For some reason the October War Diary starts on 24th October 42 and this is the first entry...

    24th October 1942 - Field, south of El Alamein
    08:10hrs - Casualty report from 212 battery. Killed in action - 3. Wounded and evacuated – 1. Superficially wounded – 2. Capt. K. W. Mellor R.A. suspected wounded and missing.
    13:00hrs - Capt. Mellor reported safe having been prisoner in Italian hands and escaped

    I'm only starting to learn about Op Lightfoot, but I'm confused as to how Italians would have been able to capture an RA officer especially since they would not be at the very tip of the attack.

    Can anyone shed some light on this? Perhaps any enemy incursion would be mentioned in a war diary of a unit nearby?

    If it helps, 111th were attached to 50th Infantry Division south of Ruweisat Ridge.
     
  2. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    "I'm confused as to how Italians would have been able to capture an RA officer especially since they would not be at the very tip of the attack".

    With due respect,you need to read a book or two about the Royal Artillery my friend.
    Suggest Ubique by AM Cheetham or Gunners in Normandy by F. Baldwin.

    The Artillery Observers, known as FOO (Forward Observation Officers) were literally in the front of most attacks and rear guard in withdrawals to provide covering fire for the infantry.

    Tunisia April 1943
    This was the Good Friday message with which the 2IB and the 67th FOO’s went into battle.

    The Plan
    The Gordons to attack point 144 on the right with Major Shepherd and
    Lt France.
    The Loyal’s to attack 156 with Major Kerr and Lt Rose.
    The 2nd North Staffs to attack 174 with Capt Whitehouse and Lt Hartley.
    The FOO’s went forward over Banana Ridge with the infantry at 0200 crossing the main Tunis road moving up to point 101.
    They then split 265 left, 266 right and 446 centre.

    Anzio February 1944
    The Recce were deployed as infantry without their vehicles and very thin on the ground,
    The Germans were in battalion strength against less than a company of Recce.
    Major Whatley and Capt Roberts were in support, helping to save them from being over run, directing Regimental and
    Divisional fire for over two hours. The enemy were in the open in broad daylight, the Artillery fire prevented them reaching the Recce lines.
    Capt Roberts was so busy directing fire that he did not notice that his Recce Section was withdrawing until the attackers almost reached him.
    Together with his Toc carrier crew they found themselves with Germans either side of them coming under small arms fire before re-joining their own
    lines.
     
    Chris C likes this.
  3. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Until Italy absented itself from the war 3/9/1943 the agreement between Germany and Italy was that the Italians took responsibility for all Allied POWs, that probably explains why your subject was held by the Italians and escaped from them. It does not mean he was captured by the Italians; I am not that familiar with the actual war in North Africa.
     
  4. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    My knowledge of the Desert War in North Africa is low, I began my studies in Tunisia 1943.
    However this link might help.

    Second Battle of El Alamein | National Army Museum

    I dropped by in between visitors so may have misunderstood your query.

    Good luck in your endeavours.
     
  5. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    Given that there were all of five hours between his reported missing and having escaped the Italians, he probably was captured by the Italians.

    I suspect Uncle Target is right and Capt. Mellor was in command of a FOO party. Maybe they took a wrong turn somewhere.

    All the best

    Andreas
     
    Chris C likes this.
  6. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Djebel Djaffa Tunisia April 1943
    About this time I went out to post a couple of Tommy Gunners to cover the farmyard gate.
    I’d just got them in position and was sneaking back when there was a hell of a flash from about ten yards away which must have been a grenade.
    When I recovered there were three Jerry parachute troops with machine pistols all round me.
    “Hands up.” they said in English “Fall in three ranks. ”(there were two others with me to make “three ranks”)
    which under the circumstances, we felt obliged to do.
    However while being ushered through the yard gate, I managed to bump one against the other and nip out round the front of the building where I knew of some good cover. They fired a few hopeful shots but obviously couldn’t be see me.
    So after a while I did a long and painful detour on hands and knees through a cornfield and came into my own lines again, being shot at by an enthusiastic tommy gunner who’d heard Jerry’s shouting “Don’t shoot I’m English” all night and was rightly sceptical of me when I made the same profession.

    Italy December 1944
    On 10th December Major Shepherd went up to inspect his OP at Rovine on Monte Calderaro it having just been taken over from the 1st Argylls by the 6th Gordons.
    He went at night as it was impossible to move in daylight without drawing fire from German lines.
    Rovine OP had a clear view of Monte Castellaro across the valley only 700 yds to the peak.
    Major Shepherd went with an escort party including Major Rose 2 i/c of the Gordons. He was to await an escort to return to their HQ.
    He did not wait and left alone, it was only 200yds to the Gordons Company HQ at Callanco and he had become used to working alone.
    He was never seen again. A search party found his steel helmet on the path he had taken so it was assumed that he had been captured.

    Photos Courtesy Shepherd Family Collection.
    1.OP Party in the Apennines Italy 1944 Using Mules to transport Radios and Batteries.
    2. Toc Truck (Tracked OP Party Carrier) Tunisia 1944.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Dec 26, 2022
    Mark Surridge likes this.
  7. Volitans

    Volitans Member

    Thanks for the response Uncle Target.
    No offence taken. I had gotten confused and assumed the captured Captain was near the 25pdrs (probably thanks to a Christmas Eve tipple) and failed to think that he might have been a FOO.
    Currently reading through "Gunfire!: British Artillery in World War II" by Stig Moberg at the moment, but will check out your suggestion too!

    Thanks again
     
    Uncle Target likes this.
  8. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Might buy that book myself on kindle.
    Looks interesting.
     
    Volitans likes this.
  9. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Hi Voltans Thank you for the tip.
    I bought the book on kindle. Just a few notes, hope that you don't think I am being pushy.
    Not read too far into it yet. Raced trough the Contents. It gives a well illustrated background as to how a Field Regiment works and who does what but so far lacks much in the way of context.
    It also seems short on references to Italy which is in fact largely ignored as his main influences seem to be Montgomery and Horrocks.

    I note that you are studying 111 Field who after the Western Desert went to Italy then the Balkans.
    Unlike the Western Desert Italy was not flat open country but the 111th were in 8th Army who advanced up the Eastern side of Italy encountering Monte Cassino and the rivers that ran from the central highlands into the Adriatic, so were involved in fighting in closed spaces constricting Artillery movement. They also undertook amphibious landings.
    There may be other Artillery books which cover the 8th Army progress through Italy better but I am not aware of them.

    Moberg does however refer to 2nd Field Regt at Anzio which is the subject of Ubique by AM Cheetham. It only costs a few pounds (used) on line.
    Arthur Cheetham won an MC as a FOO with 2nd Field at Monte Grande overlooking Bologna.

    I will leave you to it now.
    Enjoy your project.
     
    Last edited: Dec 27, 2022
    Mark Surridge likes this.

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