80th (Lowland-City of Glasgow ) Field Regiment: 317 Battery 318 Battery 458 Battery- 25 pounders

Unit No.

 

29 October 1944: The Regiment moved from Belgium to area near S´Heerenhoek in support of the Walcheren operation.

 

31 October 1944: The fire plan was to start at 23.35hrs amd this was the first time at which the regiment was to fire its first round at a real enemy.Regiment had taken position Nieuwdorp.

 

3 November 1944: OP party moved with the 6th Camerons. As time went on the enemy fire continued and their nfantry lost many men and the gunner OP had also lost two killed (Gunners Smith and Owen) and L-Sgt Quinn wounded.

 

5 November 1944: During the advance to Middelburg, passing through the village of Nieuwland, an officer of 458 Battery acting as FOO with 6 H.L.I gained the distinction of being the first officer in the Regiment to fire his rifle, his target was an enemy infantryman, too far away to use a pistol and too close to use a 25pdr, needles to say he missed!.The regiment moved to area est of Arnemuiden.

 

6 November 1944: Harrasing fire was put down  on Veere harbour and its land approaches during the night.

 

7 November 1944: The Regiment moved to another position in the area of Kleverskerke, so as to get within range of the northern most point of the Island.

 

8 November 1944: Covering fire was put down for the Commandos from 05.50Hrs on certain selected targets such as lines of withdrawal and known mortar and gun positions. By noon all resistance on the island had ceased. The only enemy left unaccounted for were a few odd parties marooned by the floods on the first floors of houses and farms between Middelburg and the Northern most point.

 

9 Novermber 1944: A recce party went off from the Regiment to the villlage of Heinkenszand that afternoon, the main body moving there for a period of rest and refitting.

 

10 November 1944: 458 Battery was ordered back into action at Kleverskerke, to be prepared to deal with any enemy parties who were marooned and who refused to give thermselves up to 156 Bde. The Battery was not called upon to fire a shot and rejoined the Regiment on the 12th. Thus ended the Walcheren operations.

 

19 November 1944: The Regiment moved to Belgium.

 

25 November 1944: The Regiment moved to the villlage of Nieuwkuijk. The front to be held was a very long one.79 Field Regiment covering 155 Bde from about Heide and 186 Field Regiment covering 157 Bde from about Nieuwstraat, the Regiment were superimposed in the centre. OPs were maintained, two per battery, along the line of the river in the case of 458 and 317 Batteries, and in the houses along the main road cum-front line by 318 Battery. Except for 318 Battery OPs which were the acme of comfort in houses, most of them were of the unpleasant and wet variety in slittrenches. 458 Battery had one if the former, whichwas an uninviting spot in the persistently wet weather then being experienced. 317 Battery had a good OPin a house in Heusden right on the river bank, they took great pains to conceal it, smoking in the OP not being permitted lest the smoke blow out of the window. The approach to this OP was alleged to be fraught with danger. It was an unpleasant walk out to 317 Battery second OP in Doeveren on a wet day along a very muddy track, draped in a gas cape and carrying a rifle. Of the batteries in the Regiment 458 were in action in Vlijmen, 317 with RHQ in Nieuwkuijk and 318 in Drunen. The approach to the regimental area ran north from Helvoirt up a country lane, crossing the Afwateringskanaal by a bailey bridge nicknamed "Sagging Susie" a fearsome affair which one was glad to get across. Gujnpits were ap roblem as the country was completely waterlogged. This was particularly the case in 318 Battery who were forced to move D Troop position to the north side of the village, rather to the relief of the inhabitants who did not like the guns firing over their houses at less than 50 yards range. 458 Battery also moved F .Troop to a new position in Vlijmen station yard where they were able to dig a proper postion in the slight embankment on which it stood Physical communication between 318 Battery and its OPs was apt to be difficult. Both the road and railway bridges over the Canal at Baardwijk had been destoyed by the enemy. The former had been replaced by a Bailey bridge, this was in full view of an enemy artillery OP.

 

3 December 1944: The regiment was relived by 15 Field Regiment RCA and moved to Boxtel. All three batteries were accomodated in a very large convent school. RHQ in a smaller school nearby.

 

5 December 1944: Regiment moved to a concentration area north of Beek. RHQ was in an empty house, the men were billetted in twos and threes on the local dutch population. BC of 318 Battery had a house next to a church,

 

6 December 1944: The Regiment moved to Germany.

 

12 January 1944: The regiment moved from Germany to Limburg, 318 Battery had a troop each side of Etsenrade, 317 Battery was in the orchards north of Jabeek, while 458 Battery was near the crossroads at Bingelrade. RHQ was established in the village school of Jabeek. The Regiment would be in close support to 156 Brigade for operation Blackcock. 317 to 4/5th RSF, 318 to 6 Cams and 458 Batery to 7 Cams. In the meantime a very large ammunition dumping programme was being carried out in the gun are, in which both our own ammunition lorries and those of the Ammo Coy. RASC were used. The amount required was 600 rounds per gun. During these days of prepartion a new weapon appeared on the scene in the form of a rocket projecting battery, it was manned by Canadians, and put itself in action just in front of 317 Battery.It had a range of 8000yards and a salvo was equivalant to what a Medium Regiment could fire only over a period of hours.

 

17 January 1944: The Operation starts, RHQ was established beside Tac 156 Bde in a house in Broeksittard.

 

19 January 1944: The Regiment moved up to Stein, a very small and battered village already occupied by the troops that had captured it. The guns occupied three positions during the ten days of the operation, fired over 40.000rounds between them, about one fifth of this amount just over 8000 rounds was fired between 06.00 and 10.00hrs on the 18th.

 

6 February 1944: The regiment moved back to Neerbeek. The trip qas hard as it poured with rain, and at times 317 and 458 in particular, each had ten out of twelve quads bogged.

 

9 February 1944: The Regiment left Neerbeek and went to Horst. The roads were deteriorated rapidly and some had very bad tracks, we took over for 7 Field Regiment, and on the whole things might have been worse. Billets were reasonably comfortable, and in the case of 317 Regiment, excellent wagon lines were available. RHQ was at Kastenraal , 317 at Oostenrijk, with OP at  Blitterswijk, and Bn HQ Meerlo, 318 at Tienraij, with OP east of Tienraij and 458 at Zandhoek.

 

14 February 1944: The Regiment moved to area of Malden on the Mook-Nijmegen road.

 

15 February 1945: The regiment moved to Gennep, the guns went into action south of Gennep on the edge of the flood water of the Maas.

 

17 February 1945: The Regiment fired in support on the attack on Afferden, a counter battery strafe started at 14.10hrs.later that day the Regiment moved up to positions near Afferden. The Regiment was a piece of sandy heath land slightly higher than that surrounding it. Each Battery had a farm as CP (458 got two!) and digging was very easy. RHQ was poor, the annoying part of it all was that 79 Field Regiment, had a much larger and better house as RHQ close by, and one suspected the two 2ICs had settled the issue by tossing a coin, probably a double headed one produced by the 79 Field rep.

 

26 February 1945: OPs of 458 Battery moved with 6 H.L.I. to capture Groote Horst, they were to be supported by a barrage.

 

28 February 1945: The Regiment move to Germany.