September 1943
With Sicily now captured, mainland Italy lay tantalisingly close at just over 3 miles across the Strait of Messina (slightly longer than the second Severn crossing). Unlike the end of the campaign in North Africa, there was no real need to regroup and retrain for the next stage of battle, with the intention to strike rapidly.
With the Strait being so narrow, the Eighth Army were able to use their artillery guns to pound the defences on the Italian mainland from the hills surrounding Messina in Sicily, with the 111 Fd Regt firing 310 rounds per gun during the opening bombardment (7,440 rounds total) in under 2 hours.
| 1st September 1943 – Messina |
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| All Regt guns moved up into their previously prepared positions. |
| 2nd September 1943 – Messina |
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| Final preparations for artillery barrage. |
| 3rd September 1943 – Messina |
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| 03:45hrs – (Z-45) Guns opened fire on left “A” of Barrage – followed by counter battery tasks. |
| 04:00hrs – Landings on Italy began. Regiment returned fire on barrage. |
| 05:10hrs – End of Barrage. Guns directed upon concentrations. |
| 05:30hrs – End of artillery programme of 310 rounds per gun fired in support of 5th Division Invasion Troops. |
| 15:00hrs – Commanding Officer instructed by C.C.R.A. 30 Corps that Regt would come under command of 4 Armoured Brigade forthwith. |
“At three a.m. everything was ready and at three-thirty everything opened up. I collected Jim Rogers and Bill Yates and I climbed up a nearby hill to see the fun. Bill was drunk and fell asleep on reaching the top.
We had a wonderful view, flashes for miles around and at five-thirty the biggest thrill of all, we saw the landing craft going in. During the next three days we idled about, playing Lili Marlene and Hutch on our wheezy old gramophone. Then back to Catania.”
Diary entry from September 1943 from Sgt Observer Frederick Sidney Williams, 212 Bty, 111 Fd Regt in his family’s memoirs “Our Fred’s War”.
| 4th – 6th September 1943 – Messina |
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| Awaiting instructions to move to join 4 Armoured Brigade |
| 7th September 1943 – Messina |
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| 12:00hrs – Regiment moved from MESSINA via TAORMINA, GIARAE to ACIREALE (0291) – to join 4 Armoured Brigade. |
| 8th September 1943 – Acireale |
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| Reconnaissance of Regimental Area in new Brigade Area – South-West PATERNO. |
“On, I think, September 8th we moved to Acireale and got that day the news that Italy had chucked in the glove. Bill Sapstead, Bob Newman, Jimmy Smith, Rogers, Jock and I all went out and drank well in illicit dens, then back to camp to continue the orgy. We rang church bells and everyone went quite mad. I passed completely out whilst proposing the battery toast. What a night!”
Diary entry from September 1943 from Sgt Observer Frederick Sidney Williams, 212 Bty, 111 Fd Regt in his family’s memoirs “Our Fred’s War”.
| 9th September 1943 – Acireale |
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| 10:30hrs – Regiment moved to new Armoured Brigade area South-West PATERNO (8279). |
| 10th September 1943 – South-West of Paterno |
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| Lieutenant R. S. J. Nairn evacuated to hospital. |
| 11th September 1943 – South-West of Paterno |
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| Preparation for Brigade inspection by Army Commander. |
| 12th September 1943 – South-West of Paterno |
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| 10:00hrs – Brigade parade and inspection for Brigade Commander (Army Commander visit cancelled) followed by church service. |
| 13th September 1943 – South-West of Paterno |
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| Lieutenant R. S. J. Nairn rejoined Regt from hospital. Regt training and maintenance. |
| 17th September 1943 – South-West of Paterno |
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| Major C. H. A. Barnes (Second-in-Command) evacuated sick. |
| 22nd September 1943 – South-West of Paterno |
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| Demonstration on Arty ranges West Paterno by 211 Bty to 4 Armoured Brigade of Registration of Zones and Neutralisation of targets in support of attack by a Tank Regt. Regt reverted to Command of 30 Corps. |
| 23rd September 1943 – South-West of Paterno |
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| Received order from 30 Corps placing Regt under command of 5 AGRA. Warning Order: Prepare to move TARANTO approximately 5 October. |
| 24th September 1943 – South-West of Paterno |
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| Preparation to move. Captain J. S. Cutress evacuated sick. |
| 27th September 1943 – South-West of Paterno |
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| Regiment moved from South-West Paterno via MISTERBLANCO, CATANIA, ACIREALE, IONA, TAORMINA to MESSINA Major C. H. A. Barnes rejoins Regt. |
| 28th September 1943 – Messina |
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| 06:00hrs – Regt crossed Messina Straights in LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank), and LCM’s (Landing Craft, Mechanised) to GALLICO (North REGGIO). |
| 07:30hrs – RHQ reached assembly area GALLICO. |
| 09:30hrs – A Troop – 211 Bty reached assembly area GALLICO. |
| 10:30hrs – Part 212 Bty reached assembly area GALLICO. |
| 10:45hrs – RHQ and A Troop set off for CATANZARO – leaguering East of road junction to NICASTRO. |
| 12:45hrs – B Troop 211 Bty reached assembly area GALLLICO. Departed at 13:35hrs. |
| 13:30hrs – Remainder of 212 Bty arrived. Bty departed at 14:10hrs. |
| 16:00hrs – 476 Bty arrived GALLICO. |
“We shipped from Messina to Reggio di Calabria in small landing craft and drove from the port to an area some four miles out for tiffin. Whilst feeding, an Italian woman came up and made us all smile by speaking the broadest Yorkshire dialect. We moved through not too outstanding countryside to Taranto and camped just beyond for six or seven days.”
Diary entry from September 1943 from Sgt Observer Frederick Sidney Williams, 212 Bty, 111 Fd Regt in his family’s memoirs “Our Fred’s War”.
| 29th September 1943 – Catanzaro |
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| 05:30hrs – 476 Bty set off for CROTONE – via CATANZARO |
| 16:00hrs – Regt less 476 Bty arrived CROTONE. |
| 30th September 1943 – Crotone |
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| Regt arrived SARACENA, 75 miles South West of TARANTO. |