July 1944
Operation “FLOUNCED”, the 111 Fd Regt’s first raid in June, had been of mixed success. Although the concept of raiding with artillery support had been proved somewhat successful, there were large issues with the operations execution, including the loss of two Colonels captured as PoW’s. Still, with the summer equinox behind them, the 111 Fd Regt were settling into island life. The Regiment had constructed a canteen where men could “buy tea and buns in the afternoon or a glass of wine in the evening” and were taking part in sporting activities on the island against other British units.
| 1st July 1944 – Vis |
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| Regimental canteen (“The Joiners Arms”) opened at RUKAVAC (8083) |
| 2nd July 1944 – Vis |
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| Water Polo match vs 2nd Btn Highland Light Infantry. Regiment won 3-0. Island Cross Country Race. Gnr Nunn – 9th. Regt Team secured 3rd place. |
| 3rd July 1944 – Vis |
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| C.O’s conference of Bty Commanders – subject discipline etc. |
| 4th July 1944 – Vis |
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| 211 Bty 25 Pdr practice. Island Football – Regt beat 2 Commando 6-0. |
| 6th July 1944 – Vis |
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| Regimental sporting event – D.R’s competition. |
| 7th July 1944 – Vis |
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| 17:00hrs – Miniature range practice for all Regimental Officers. |
| 9th July 1944 – Vis |
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| Final of Island Football knock-out. Regt beat 2nd Btn Highland Light Infantry 2-0. |
| 10th July 1944 – Vis |
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| C.O. reconsidered the possibilities of Operation “Theorem I”. Regimental Sports committee meeting to discuss future events. Second in Command left VIS for BARI to visit and inspect Regimental Rear details. |
| 11th July 1944 – Vis |
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| Lieutenant-Colonel Elliot went off on Recce of KORCULA island – in conjunction with party from 2 Commando. Captain A. L. McTiffin DSO went with 43 (RM) Commando to HVAR Island to recce possible landing beaches, gun areas, O.P’s and details of enemy dispositions. Lieutenant J. A. R. Barnes RA went to PELJESAC to recce an alternative route from the OP at E571916 to avoid the village of NAKOVAN (V5184) which is regularly patrolled by the Germans. |
| 12th July 1944 – Vis |
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| Regimental arty practice – 212 Bty with 25 Pdrs – further experiments with charge “1 ½”. 211 Bty with 75 mm guns. |
| 13th July 1944 – Vis |
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| Captain A. L. McTiffin DSO returned from HVAR, having being captured by a German patrol, and later escaped, together with his NCO L/Bdr Entwistle, who was wounded in the knee by a grenade (the German patrol was later captured by 43 (RM) Commando). Information received that German troops now in DUBA (V5786) where guns were to have been landed in Operation “THEOREM I” and also occupying O.P’s in area reece’d by Barnes. |
| 14th July 1944 – Vis |
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| Captain A. J. Nott arrived from Italy, having handed over command of rear details (MONOPOLI) to Captain J. E. J. Woodward MC. |
| 15th July 1944 – Vis |
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| Lieutenant J. A. R. Barnes RA returned from Peljesac – having observed two Germans from 100 yards – in occupation of “his” O.P. |
| 17th July 1944 – Vis |
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| Lieutenant Colonel J. S. Elliot MC – returned from KORCULA Island – having covered the whole island as far as Korcula town (E.5588) with detailed information of enemy dispositions etc. At Korcula town, POSTRANA (E5385) and PUPNAT (E4787) and particulars of periodical patrols to the WEST of the island. |
| 18th July 1944 – Vis |
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| With enemy troops at DUBA, a new method of executing the intention of Theorem I VIZ “to cause casualties and damage and reduce morale of Garrisons in OREBIC and KORCULA” had to be considered and as a result of the C.O’s recce, a positive method was to land the guns at LUMBARDA (E5983, 6083) which would also include the Garrison of POSTRANA within range. Therefore Major P. S. Turner RA and Lieutenant A. G. A. Owen left for KORCULA. The former to reece O.P. areas overlooking KORCULA towards POSTRANA – the latter to reece gun areas at LUMBARDA and an OP, to observe OREBIC and KORCULA town on BADIJA Island (E5787, 5887). Also Captain G. C. McLeod-Carey and Lieutenant J. W. Nicholls went to KORKULA Island to reece beaches for landing guns in areas of DUGI RAT (3982) and BABINA (3889) and OP overlooking PUPNAT (E4787) as another project. |
| 20th July 1944 – Vis |
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| Weekly Regimental Sporting Event – Tabloid Sports. |
| 23rd July 1944 – Vis |
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| Lieutenant A. G. A. Owen and Lieutenant J. W. Nicholls returned from their reeces. Island aquatic sports at RUKAVAC won by the Regt. Lieutenant J. Leeming left for KORCULA Island with Naval Reece Party to take soundings of the beach at LUMBARDA and to evolve detailed plan for landing guns and getting them into action. |
| 24th July 1944 – Vis |
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| 07:00hrs – Lieutenant Leeming returned. |
| 26th July 1944 – Vis |
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| 211 Bty Exercise – Guns embarked on RCL’s at RUKAVAC and landed on beach at MILNA (816860) where the beach is shallow and similar conditions found to those at LUMBARDA. |
| 27th July 1944 – Vis |
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| Major P. S. Turner returned. Exercise “BULLY”. Guns landed from MILNA at RUKAVAC and brought to Regimental Football Ground and fired as an 8-gun troop, and ranging on DATUM POINTS to bring quick and accurate fire on nearby targets. Major Turner and Lieutenant Owen left for KORCULA. |
| 28th July 1944 – Vis |
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| The revised plan of Operation “THEOREM I” now renamed “DECOMPOSE II”. Operation “DECOMPOSE II” approved by LFA but postponed 48hrs owning to other commitments by RAF. |
| 29th June 1944 – Vis |
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| Second in Command returned from MONOPOLI. |
| 30th July 1944 – Vis |
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| 11:30hrs – Operation Order No. 1 Decompose II issued. CO’s verbal orders attended by all officers participating. |
| 14:30hrs – Signals exercise to practice working with wireless sets as in Appendix ‘E’ to Operation Order. |
| 18:00hrs – Captain McTiffin’s party left to take over from Lieutenant Owen as “Regimental Agent” with allied mission at LAGOSTA Island. |
| 31st July 1944 – Vis |
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| 19:00hrs – Main body embarked on LCI’s, guns on RCL’s at RUKAVAC for Operation “Decompose II”. |
| 20:15hrs – Fleet sailed from RUKVAC. |
“On my birthday, I prepared for the first “job”. 211 Bty were to land on Korcula’s southeastern tip about 5 a.m. on August 2nd and were to shell the Peljesac peninsular and Korcula town until eight and then beat it quickly. As a blind an L.C.I. was to build a dummy smoke stack and mount a huge wooden gun, fit two 75s firing blanks which would emit huge flashes and hope to draw the enemy fire off the guns.”
Diary entry from 30th July 1944 from Sgt Observer Frederick Sidney Williams, 212 Bty, 111 Fd Regt in his family’s memoirs “Our Fred’s War”.