What was life like in a Light Ack Ack unit ?

Discussion in 'Veteran Accounts' started by robcod, Feb 12, 2009.

  1. Driver-op

    Driver-op WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    As a newcomer I've just come across this discussion, and wondered if I may join in. I too was a wirelesss operator but with the 92nd LAA, and was attached to a special troop which with self propelled Bofors landed on D-Day. The troop of six guns excelled itself protecting Pegasus and Horsa bridges by downing 17 confirmed Jerries during the first five days. Afterwards I had plenty of interesting jobs as the wireless link on ground shoots and when a gun was taken forward to protect and warn an Auster spotter plane. The best of these was working with HMS Rodney, I was on the link between the plane and the warships guns and heard the selection of targets, the ranging shots and the destroying of targets - then onto the next one, great stuff. On one ground shoot in Holland from behind the infantry start-line with a line of six guns, I saw our spotter plane brought down by one of our own shells, it was an army group barrage. Just behind the guns was a nunnery and a very elderly nun was on the roof replacing dislodged tiles, we were waiting for H-hour to start firing and thought the poor old dear would fall off with shock. The officer refused permission to tell her to come down, might give away vital information by revealing H-Hour. Anyway, while he wasn't looking we got her down with seconds to spare. So, yes, in Normandy the Bofors did many tasks, and the gunners stuck a swatika on their gun sheilds for each plane downed and a house for a ground target. OK?
     
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  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Hello Driver op
    many thanks for your update also any photos/info you could share would be great.

    my father was posted to the 92nd LAA in Dec 1944 from the 116th LAA.

    he was a driver/mechanic


    regards
    Clive
     
  3. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Driver-op

    If I havn't already welcomed you aboard then consider yourself well and truly welcomed !

    As an ex Driver/Op who became a Loader/Op I am always glad to see another of our ilk aboard and your story about the elderly nun is a very good one for openers :)

    Best wishes

    Ron
     
  4. macrusk

    macrusk Proud Daughter

    Hi Ron,

    I can't believe I never asked you about being in a LAA unit before!

    For others see The History of the Third Canadian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (3LAA) - World War II Forums re 3LAA of the 2nd Division. The sight now includes some photos of men who served in this regiment - in particular the 16th Battery. My Dad was a Gunner in A Troop of the 16th Battery until Sept 1944 when he was transferred to 21AG. I'm still not certain of his role in 21AG - expect it was related to his being a Signaller - and still need to get his complete records, but need it to be a Freedom of Information Request since he hasn't been gone 20 years. I will be on a Canadian Battlefields tour that will include WWI sites, and since it is primarily a 65 Years Liberation Tour, shall include non-Canadian WWII sites starting with Pegasus Bridge. I will be trying to learn as much as possible before we go in April.
     
  5. Driver-op

    Driver-op WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Macrusk. When I was a wireless operator in Scotland with the 92nd LAA Regt, I and a buch of other operators, were sent to Newton Stewart to join a Canadian LAA unit who were taking our regiment's place in going to Sicily. Our job was to acquaint them with the new 22 wirless set which replaced the 19 set, needless to say the replacement was much inferior to the original. So we learned to drink coffee and smoke, was it Sweet Caporal, cigs? They were a really great bunch of lads and have fond memories of them. We saw them off to embark, and remember they had painted their wind-screens with matt camouflage paint, leaving just a slot for the driver to see out of. No idea of the identity of the regiment though.
     
  6. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Driver-op

    Some bells rang for me just now on re-reading the unit name 92nd LAA.

    I went back to the BBC WW2 Peoples War achives and at the end of my piece found this comment:
    BBC - WW2 People's War - Training To Be A Driver/Wireless Operator

    Hi Ron
    Like you I was a Driver/Op with a LAA Regt. I trained in 1943 at Congleton in Cheshire, I thought it a dismal unfriendly place and disliked it. When we passed out we were allowed to put up our badges which were the crossed flags of a signaller, no way as flash as yours! I was then posted to the 92nd LAA Regt in the 3rd British Infantry Division. We were issued with Bedford Wireless trucks which were the latest issued by the army. We moved to Scotland and soon found out we were to take part in the forthcoming invasion of France. I was not too pleased to find that for the D-Day landing I was to be posted to one of the Troops with SP Bofors. I put the details in my story which is named Fox Troop on Pegasus and Horsa Bridges.
    What vehicles did you have, and were you on 22 sets?
    Regards
    Jim Holder-Vale



    Any connection to you ?

    Ron

    ps
    Michelle
    re:
    Hi Ron,
    I can't believe I never asked you about being in a LAA unit before!


    it's never too late :) :) :)
     
  7. Driver-op

    Driver-op WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Yes Ron.
    I knew we had conversed before on the BBC website, I was about to mention that but you have beaten me to it, anyway, thanks for the kind welcome. I know when I was doing my Dvr/Op training at Congleton (how I hated that place) we heard rumours your wireless trucks were in fact a fast car of some type, forgotten which. For D-Day all vehicles had to be four wheel drive so the Bedford was replaced with a Canadian Ford, looked great but the engine tended to die if you stopped and refused to start again. It happend on the beach on D-Day!
     
  8. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Driver-op (or may I call you Jim ?)

    When were you actually at Congleton or more specifically when were you first posted abroad ?

    I have to admit that Congleton failed to impress me but that was probably after the delights of Whitby.

    I am still in close touch with Larry Fox (who did his Driver/Op training at Congleton ) and we both travelled out to North Africa together and joined the same unit.

    We will talk more, I'm sure

    Best regards

    Ron
     
  9. Driver-op

    Driver-op WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Clive.
    I had heard your father was posted to the 92nd in December 1944, we were in Holland then and it was bloody cold living in a slit-trench. You know the history of the 92nd is now on this website as The Loyals but unfortunately none of the pictures have been loaded as yet. I have some and will put them on here when I have sorted them and found how to upload them.
    Jim
     
  10. Driver-op

    Driver-op WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Ron.
    I was at Congleton late '42 early '43 so spent Christmas there and the natives pretended they couldn't see us as we wandered round the streets on Christmas day, mean lot of s*ds. From there I was posted to the 92nd in Folkestone which was being shelled by the Hun from Calais. While there the regiment was being kitted out with new SP guns and Bedford wireless trucks. My first posting abroad was on D-Day, I had a another posting to Germany when I was commissioned in the Royal Fusiliers.
    Jim
    Jim
     
  11. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Jim (Apologies for calling you Tim !)

    My first posting abroad was on D-Day


    I award you top prize for the understatement of the week/year :)

    By comparison, my own first overseas posting was to Algiers in April '43 when the war in the Middle East was almost over. I see that, like me, you got your Bedford 15cwt Wireless Truck fitted, in my case with the 19 set but I presume in your case with the 22 set.

    I also see that you were first "bloodied" at Folkestone, my first experience of life in the fast lane was in Hove in Sussex.

    I just happened to be sitting alongside one of our Bofors when we were strafed by a visiting hit-and-run raider, later identified for me by Peter G as a Focke-Wulf:
    BBC - WW2 People's War - German ‘Tip and Run Raiders’ over Hove in 1943

    Finally, I see you sayI had a another posting to Germany when I was commissioned in the Royal Fusiliers.

    was this another example of a Light Ack Ack regiment being broken up when they were no longer needed ?

    To be continued ..............................

    Ron
     
  12. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Hello Jim

    many thanks for your updates
    I have posted a few photos and trying to search out more.


    regards
    Clive
     
  13. Driver-op

    Driver-op WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    No Ron. They were looking for silly b*****s to train up and fight the Japs, had a wonderful time at OCTU in Snowdonia, then as the bomb decided the fate of the Nips posted to Warley Barracks, Essex, as infantry training officer. Last three months to Germany at 5 Brigade HQ. The 92nd had to go one without me and did a damn good job of it. I had a very interesting war.
     
  14. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Jim

    No Ron. They were looking for silly b*****s to train up and fight the Japs, had a wonderful time at OCTU in Snowdonia, then as the bomb decided the fate of the Nips posted to Warley Barracks, Essex, as infantry training officer. Last three months to Germany at 5 Brigade HQ. The 92nd had to go one without me and did a damn good job of it. I had a very interesting war.


    I'm sure that since those days, you must have often considered that the coin fell on the right side for you . What I also find of interest is your last sentence, namely the use of the phrase " interesting war".

    If ever I am asked "what kind of war did you have ?" I always give exactly the same answer :)

    Ron
     
  15. Mike Leonard

    Mike Leonard Junior Member

    Greetings, Rob

    I've been researching my late Grandfather's war service for a while now. He was with 82 battery 25th LAA Regt on Bofors guns. You ask about horizontal fire. A couple of days ago I read about a 2nd Lt ordering Bofors shells to be pumped into Mark 4 Panzers in North Africa. I've also read about red tracers being fired horizontally at intervals at night to indicate lines of advance towards the enemy during large planned desert assaults. Later, in northwest Europe, when German air attacks declined in frequency, Bofor gunners joined other (heavier) artillery units in bombarding German ground units attempting to form up for counter-attacks.

    Regards

    Mike Leonard
     
  16. Mike Leonard

    Mike Leonard Junior Member

    Rob

    Just sent you some info on your question about horizontal fire. I see your main question was about life in a light ack ack unit. I think if you haven't seen it already, you'd be interested if you were to look at information by ww2talk member 'tmac'. Search for "True Loyals" etc., (92 LAA Regt).

    Regards Mike Leonard
     
  17. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Driver-Op

    How did your guys feel when this order was issued in Normandy in July 44, banning the Bofors from firing unless authorised to do so in day light hours, due to friendly fire incidents.

    [​IMG]
     
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  18. IrishSoldier

    IrishSoldier Member

    My neighbour, an elderly gentleman named George Hamlet (92) served with the RA on Crete until his capture at Malame in 1941. He was a bofors gunner on the docks at Suda bay and his gun crew shot down several Stuka's over the couse of a week or 10 days. He is a great guy for his age, I will chat to him later and get more detail of his unit and experiences as a gunner...
    Dave
     
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  19. stevewdraper

    stevewdraper Junior Member

    The guy I'm meeting has never used the internet or a computer in his life, so I think he'll be amazed at something like this Forum for example, where there are so many knowledgable people.
    Hi my grandad was in the ack acks,captured in Crete and sent to Stalag 4c.
    Doyou know what happened to the lads after they were captured because grandad wouldn`t talk much about it.
    Thanksfrom Steve
     
  20. IrishSoldier

    IrishSoldier Member

    Steve,
    George Hamlet my neighbour was captured on Crete. He was a Bofors gunner, which was Light Anti aircraft or Ack Ack as they were called. He ended up in a succession of camps but Stalag 3D near Berlin was the main one. Every man will have a different story, but if you grandfather was in the RA then it is almost certain to be very similar to what happened to George. They were located at Suda Bay and 4 batteries of Bofors were deployed around the harbour area to try and keep the Stukas away from the ships as the evacuation of British & Commonwealth troops ( mostly New Zealanders ) was underway. When the last ship left Suda bay, those soldiers remaining were told to make their way to the small village of Sfakia across the island on the southern coast. This involved a 60 mile trek across mountain ranges with very little food or water. When he reached Sfakia it was too late and the last ships had left. Capture by the Germans followed very quickly. They were then marched back the 60 miles across the island and eventually held in a makeshift barbed wire prison for almost 2 months at Suda bay before they were loaded onto an old tramp steamer for the journey to POW camps in Germany & Poland. Conditions on the ship were dreadful with all prisoners locked in a filthy hold with no light, no toilet facilities and hardy any food or water. By the time they were loaded onto railway box cars for the final leg of the journey they were already suffering badly from disease and malnutrition. Most prisoners from Crete went to Spandau and from there they were eventually dispersed in camps all over Germany & Poland, in Georges case he spent alot of time in Stalag 3D near Berlin, and ended up in a place called Zernsdorf. This might give you some picture of what happened after capture Steve, but every man has his own story...
    regards Dave
     
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