February 1945
Last month saw a new Commanding Officer and a new location the 111 Fd Regt. Colonel Jago, who had been with the unit since September 1944 had been replaced by Colonel Grant. The unit had also moved from Yugoslavia back across the Adriatic to Bari in Italy. February would see 111 Fd Regiment rest, re-arm and train ready for new deployments elsewhere in Italy.
| 1st February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| The Regt had returned in January from operations with FLOYDFORCE in Jugoslavia, for leave, training, checking of status and equipment etc, and was disposed in areas south of BARI as follows: |
| 211 Battery (Major P. S. Turner MC RA) – GRAVINA (0053) |
| 212 Battery (Major J. B. H. Daniel RA) – SAN TERAMO (3247) |
| 476 Battery (Major E. M. Winterbottom RA) – SAN TERAMO (3247) |
| Regt HQ (Lt. Col. D. J. F. Grant MBE RA) – GRAVINA (0449) |
| RHQ had moved to GRAVINA, leaving “B” Echelon, Light Aid Detachment and Rear Details at VALENZANO. |
| 2nd February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Lines were laid to 211 Bty and to 4 Air Formation Signals at ALTAMURA, with connections with 212 and 476 Btys and by trunk lines to BARI exchange. |
| 3rd February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Lieutenant Colonel A. LYTTON MILBANKE RB (AAQMG, LFA) and Lieutenant Colonel ROBINSON RAMC (ADMS, LFA) visited the Regt to inspect accommodation and help generally in the billeting of subunits etc. Visitors first inspected 211 Bty, then had luncheon with RHQ and finally inspected 212 and 476 Btys. |
| 4th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Captain E. D. Roberts RA (still on Regimental strength but attached as Intelligence Office to HQ ADRIATIC Bde since September 44) visited the Regt to give a Week’s course of Instruction to a Battery Signals Instructors Course. |
| Large parties of 117 OR and 4 Officers went off on leave to ROME. 75 by Rail and 47 in unit transport. |
| 5th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Training programmes began for personnel not on leave including: – Signal Instructors Class – Capt. E. D. ROBERTS (One Week) – Gun Drill Class – Lieutenant J. LEEMING (One Week) – NCO MT Instructors Class – Lieutenant K. B. G. ANGUS (One Week) – Also individual Bty programmes including – gun drill, specialist classes, signallers classes, ABCA talks and discussions, P.T., recreational training, etc. |
| 7th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Major P. S. TURNER MC RA presided over Court Marshall. |
| Brigadier J. P. O’BREIN TWOHIG DSO invited Major W. H. CHEESMAN and Major J. B. H. DANIEL to “FLOYDFORCE” Dinner Party. |
“I went with Jack Howarth, we stayed at the Toc H club on the main street, had a good time. Operas at the Piccini, cinema shows, ballet, symphony, met Tony Ballard and Bobby MacMillan, a couple of Kiwis I know and we got fairly tight together. Went to “George and Margaret”, spent hours wandering around the town, the weather was glorious and I really did enjoy myself.
At the end of the week I had just about had my fill and was anxious to get back to work. Well back at Santeramo we didn’t do a great deal, the only thing in the workline was our trade test, all my blokes excepting Berwick passed easily. Our panorama drawing was the best in the Regiment, though I was gently chided, the blokes including myself had made them a little too real, chimney pots and smoke and clouds and all the trimmings.”
Diary entry from 7th – 14th February 1945 from Sgt Observer Frederick Sidney Williams, 212 Bty, 111 Fd Regt in his family’s memoirs “Our Fred’s War”.
| 8th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Captain TIDSWELL Royal Tanks (Education Officer LFA) gave lecture to 212 and 476 (morning) and 211 and RHQ (afternoon) on “Local Government”. |
| 17:00hrs – Major CHEESMAN (Second-in-Commmand) set officers TEWT, for all available Regt Officers, based on Arty support of Battalion attack, followed by discussion. |
| Rome leave party returned. |
| 9th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Major CHEESMAN and Intelligence Officer went to recce suitable area for 25 Pdr range to north of GRAVINA. |
| 10th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Week’s instructor classed ended. Captain ROBERTS returned to HQ Adriatic Brigade. |
| Major W. H. CHEESMAN RA, Captain W. M. DISHLEY RA, Major E. M. WINTERBOTTOM RA and Captain A. L. McTIFFIN DSO RA attended Land Forces Adriatic Dance in BARI. |
| 11th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Lieutenant K. B. G. ANGUS RA joined RHQ to act as adjutant while latter on leave to ROME. |
| 110 OR’s and 6 Officers sent on leave to ROME – road and rail parties. |
| 12th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Further training programmes continued. |
| 13th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Lieutenant A. DAY (LFA Intelligence Staff) gave lectures to 212 and 476 Btys and 211 and RHQ on “latest news from all fronts”. |
| 14th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Mobile CINEMA unit visited SANTERAMO and GRAVINA and showed two films. One on venereal disease and one “ordinary one”. Message received that Reverend J. C. Hill RA Ch.D. would return to Regt from the UK. |
| 25 OR’s sent on one week’s leave to Toc-‘H’ Hostel, BARI. |
| 15th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| 17:00hrs – Officers Discussion and lecture by Lieutenant A. G. A. Owen MC RA on latest methods used in calculation of “Correction of the movement” and CALIBRATION (Lieutenant Owen having recently returned from Gunnery course at R.A.T.D, EBOLI) |
| 17th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Second week’s training programme ended. |
| 18th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| 61 OR’s sent on leave to ROME. |
| 19th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Second in Command send on leave to ROME. Third week’s training programme started. |
| 20th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| 12 further vacancies for ROME leave received from HQ LRA, allotted to 476 Bty. |
| 21st February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Further 25 OR’s to Toc-H Hostel BARI for one week’s leave. |
| 4 OR’s (1 per Bty +1 RHQ) sent on LIAP leave to UK. |
| Report on operations with FLOYDFORCE completed and submitted to HQ LFA. |
| 22nd February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| 17:00hrs – 3rd weekly Officers’ discussion on “Duties of FOO – moving with infantry in the attack”. |
| 23rd February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Colonel GRANT and Captain McTIFFIN attended 2-day course on Education in BARI. |
| Lieutenant KETTLE (Royal Signals Officer) attended 1 day course on Education. |
| Permission received from LFA to use 25 Pdr range north of GRAVINA. |
| 24th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Lieutenant HARRIS left for BAF to collect air passage ticket to proceed to PALESTINE on course. |
| 25th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Lieutenant-Colonel BLAGDON MBE RA (64 HAA Regt RA) and Bty Commanders 111 Fd Regt walked over GRAVINA range and made plans for shooting. 110 OR’s left for leave in ROME by train. |
| 26th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| Major DANIEL, Captains CUTRESS, ROBINS, and Lieutenants ANGUS, HAYES, STEEVES and NAIRN left for ROME. |
| 27th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| C.O. Lectures to Officers on general military subjects (Infantry and Armoured Division Regimental line layout, C.M. Organisation, wireless communications). |
| 28th February 1945 – Gravina (Nr. Bari) |
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| 25 OR’s proceeded to Toc-H Hostel, BARI on leave. |