Abbreviations
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2IC 5670 A/ Addrd Adjt Airfd Amn A/Tk Bde Bn Br Bty CO Coln Comd Coy Det Div Equipt Ex Fd Fwd Incl Inf LMG LZ MG MO MR Offr OO OR Pdr Pl Posn QM RAMC RE Regt Rly RN RV Sec Tk Tps |
Second-in-Command Map Reference Acting Addressed Adjutant Airfield Ammunition Anti-Tank Brigade Battalion Bridge Battery Commanding Officer Commander Company Divisional Equipment Exercise Field Forward Including Infantry Light Machine Gun Landing Zone Machine Gun Medical Officer Map Reference Officer Operation Order Other Ranks Pounder Platoon Position Quartermaster Royal Army Medical Corps Royal Engineers Regiment Railway Royal Navy Rendezvous Section Tank Troops |
Month and year: July 1943
Commanding Officer : Lt. Col. G.V. Britten M.B.E.
1st to 2nd July 1943
Place: Kneis, nr. Msaken, 8 miles S.W. Sousse Map 1/500,000 SFAX Sheet N.1.32. N.E.
The Bn were allotted a Shut Firing Area in SOUSSE which consisted of the Arab Quarter (less Arabs). All COYS had periods given to them during which they were able to fire live amn. Certain injuries were caused to personnel by prematures and ricochets. Four men were hit by splinters from a P.I.A.T. bomb. Pte Benson "Recce Pl" lost part of his arm and his leg as a result of a premature explosion of a 74 Grenade. This firing was subsequently stopped owing to stray bullets being fired into the town of SOUSSE itself and hitting a gunner of a coastal defence Bty. and a lighthouse.
3rd July 1943
Place: Kneis, nr. Msaken, 8 miles S.W. Sousse Map 1/500,000 SFAX Sheet N.1.32. N.E.
EXERCISE "BIGOT" - briefing of Coy Comds
(a) 1/BORDER O.O. No.1.
(b) Nos. Composition of Glider Loads.
(c) Disposal Equipt. and Personnel not on Ex.
4th July 1943
Place: Kneis, nr. Msaken, 8 miles S.W. Sousse Map 1/500,000 SFAX Sheet N.1.32. N.E.
Capt Morrissey and the Bn. Rear Party arrived by road from FROHA.
5th July 1943
Place: Kneis
Preparation for BIGOT continued. Considerable difficulty experienced in obtaining special types of equipment.
6th July 1943
Place: Kneis
Commanding Officer addrd all officers (less Coy Comds) and NCO's on the importance of junior leaders in the coming operation. Briefing of all ORs commenced under coy arrangements. All ranks very enthusiastic and full of confidence. Q.M. very busy issuing extra amn and special equipment.
7th July 1943
Place: Kneis
Briefing continued. Still not received all amn required such as No.36 grenades, verey light cartridges. The whole Bn was called out to fight a fire which occurred during the afternoon at the Div Amn Dump. Much amn and equipment was lost incl all Glider Pilot Regiments personal kit. A mobile cinema visited Bn during evening.
8th July 1943
Place: Kneis
General Montgomery commanding 8th Army visited the Bn at 1030 hrs and addrd all ranks welcoming them to the 8th Army and saying that 8th Army has long lacked airborne tps. Major T. Haddon 2IC went to a conference at Div H.Q. at which details of bombing of "LADBROKE" prior to Bn attack were discussed and settled. No change in plan was made.
9th July 1943
Place: Sousse area
1850 -
1. 43 officers and 753 OR's of 1 BORDER REGT took off in 72 Wacos, 23 from airfd C (M.R. 5670, Sheet 73, 1/50000), 25 from airfd D (MR 6023) and 24 from airfd F (MR 3336) with the object of landing on an LZ in SICILY 4 miles South of SYRACUSE between 2217 and 2237 hrs, and capturing certain objectives in that town between 0245 and 0330 hrs, 10 July 43. This operation was part of a larger operation carried out by 1 Airlanding Brigade, of which the object was threefold - to capture and hold an important double bridge 1 mile S.W. of the town before it could be destroyed, to liquidate certain gun batteries and other strong points in the area, and to gain a foothold in SYRACUSE containing the garrison there if possible, until relieved by sea-borne forces.
2. This object was not achieved owing to the failure of the tug and glider pilots to land their loads in the prescribed LZ. This failure was thought to be due to three main causes:-
(a) Lack of navigational assistance to pilots on route and LZ.
(b) False appreciation of strength of wind, and consequent reduced range of gliders after release.
(c) Unwillingness of some tug pilots to fly into flak.
3. Of the 72 gliders mentioned in para. 1, 44 came down in the sea, 20 in Sicily, 7 in Africa and 1 in Malta. On a personnel basis, this meant that 64% of the Bn came down in the sea, 25% in Sicily, and 11% in Africa and Malta. The 4 officers and 191 OR's who came down in Sicily suffered 18% casualties in landing, chiefly from handcarts which broke away from their lashing-points, and 12% casualties in action, a total of 30%. Of the 28 officers and 478 OR's who landed in the sea, 19% reached Sicily by swimming and then joined the land party, suffering casualties in action on a similar scale; 23% have been reported drowned, missing believed drowned, or missing; 1% were killed or wounded by enemy action at sea; and 57% were picked up in the sea, and returned to base via Malta, Algiers, Alexandria and Suez. Most of those drowned managed to get out of the gliders, but then sank before succeeding in freeing themselves of their equipment and climbing onto the WACO's. The majority of the gliders floated for 6-7 hours before sinking or breaking up completely, though this time naturally varied with the payload and the force of the crash into the water, gliders which landed tailfirst last much longer than those which plunged straight in nose first.
10th July 1943
Place: Syracuse area
4. Glider loads put down on land were too widely dispersed to reach any pre-arranged RV's, though all except 2 were within 10 miles of Syracuse. Enemy posts and batteries in the area were numerous, and many small parties of the Bn, 5 to 10 men strong, did a useful and necessary job of work in neutralising or destroying these, and spreading confusion and dismay, leading ultimately to surrender in other Italian troops. The Recce Pl, one party under Capt Wilkie and another under Lt. Budger played an important part in these operations and some of D and S Coy assisted in the defence of Waterloo against Italian counter-attacks.
2200 -
5. About 2200 hrs, the C.O. and the 2IC both reached Bde HQ, 600 yards South of Waterloo, and by the following morning, more parties having come in during the night, the assembled Bn consisted of about 9 officers and 90 OR's. Resistance in the area had ceased, and rescue work continued throughout the night, many of the wounded who had previously be attended only be medical orderlies being evacuated successfully.
11th July 1943
Place: Syracuse area
0900 -
6. SYRACUSE had been occupied by the 17th Bde the previous night, and at 0900 hrs the Bn marched through the town and took up 3 defensive posns on the northern outskirts of Santa Lucia, with the object of repelling any counter-attack on Syracuse. Bn HQ was situated in the house of an aristocratic Fascist doctor. Small parties continued to come in during the day, and on the evening the Bn strength was 15 officers and 173 OR's. The officers were as follows:- Lt-Col BRITTEN, MBE, Major HADDON, Major COUSENS, Capt BLACK (RAMC), Capt WILKIE, Lieuts LAW, BUDGEN, HOPE-JONES, HARDY, REES, GREEN, WILSON, TATE, NEWPORT and DOUGLAS.
12th July 1943
Place: Syracuse area
7. Salvage and burial parties worked throughout the day in the landing area, and the Bn attempted to re-equip itself from all available sources, British and Italian, with weapons, amn, clothing and equipment. By the end of the day the Bn strength was 15 officers and 199 OR's. Pl posns were as on 11th July, with S Coy in a large unoccupied and unfurnished hotel. Messages of congratulatory appreciation were received from General Montgomery and Lt. General Dempsey.
13th July 1943
Place: Syracuse area
1200 -
8. The Bn received a warning order to move, and at 1545 hrs was on the road to the port of Syracuse. After numerous lengthy delays, 15 officers and 214 OR's were embarked on 3 Landing Craft Infantry Large, and left the harbour at 2030 hrs. 2 6-pdr guns could not be embarked, and had to be left for forwarding later. Aircraft, possibly hostile, were engaged at about 2230 hrs without apparent result.
14th July 1943
After sailing all day, the convoy reached Sousse Harbour about 2100 hrs, and were back in camp by 2230 hrs. 4 officers and 84 OR's who should have gone on the operation, but had been forced to land in Africa or Malta, were found to have already returned.
15th July 1943
Place: Kneis
Lieut. C.M. Douglas promoted A/Capt and assumed appointment of Adjutant vice Capt N.H. Stafford.
16th July 1943
Place: Kneis
2000 - 7 officers and 78 OR's arrived back from MALTA. Instruction issued on type of training to be carried out.
17th July 1943
Place: Kneis
Lt-Col G.V. Britten MBE relinquished comd of the Bn and left to take up an appointment in Algiers. Major T. Haddon promoted A/Lt-Col, assumed command of the Bn vice Lt-Col Britten. Major H.S. Cousens assumed duties of 2IC vice Lt-Col Haddon. Instructions issued for re-organisation of Bn on emergency establishment of S Coy, 4 Rifle Coys and nucleus R Coy.
18th July 1943
Place: Kneis
0815 - Full Battalion Church Parade.
19th July 1943
Place: Kneis
0930 - Bdr. P.H.W. Hicks D.S.O., M.C. addressed the Bn. He said that though the operation had not been a success from the air point of view, the fighting quality of the Bn had been amply demonstrated. He stressed the necessity for each glider load to be a self-contained fighting unit, and for each man to be 100% physically fit. He ended by warning the Bn that it might be required for further action at short notice.
1900 - 6 O.R's returned from Hospital in Malta.
20th July 1943
Place: Kneis
Major R. Stewart M.C. assumed command of A Coy. Major R. Stockwell assumed command of S Coy. Major J. Gibbon assumed command of C Coy. Capt D. Hennessey promoted A/Major, assumed cmd D Coy.
21st July 1943
Place: Kneis
1530 - 5 officers, and 134 OR's returned from Algiers.
23rd July 1943
Place: Kneis
1930 - Concert party in camp area by personnel from neighbouring airborne units.
25th July 1943
Place: Kneis
0600 - Major Armstrong left to visit wounded in Tripoli.
26th July 1943
Place: Kneis
C.O. and M.O. left by plane to visit wounded in Tripoli. Lt. Jack left to prepare Bn Rest Camp near coast 5 miles W. of Monastin on Sousse-Monastin road. Snipers Course under Capt Cleasby started on Classification Range built during preceding week by the Battalion, at 415325 (Ref Map Tunisia 1/50000 SW 64). 3" mortar course also started.
27th July 1943
Place: Kneis
0600 - C Coy left Bn area to camp in region of Bn Rest Camp for 3 days.
29th July 1943
Place: Kneis
1530 - C.O. and M.O. returned from Tripoli.
2000 - 9 OR's returned by 2000 from Exercise Husky. via Tripoli.
30th July 1943
Place: Kneis
C Coy returned, A Coy left for Bn rest camp 708478 1/50000 TUNISIA Sht 57.
31st July 1943
Place: Kneis
1730 - C.O's conference on proposed new emergency establishment. The major features, i.e. division of S Coy (+ MG Pl and 2 A/Tk Pls - Recce Pl) into 2 Coys, and increase of Inf Pl strength met with approval.
Appendix
Glider No.57
The glider took off from Strip C at 1915 hrs and circled to get into formation for about twenty minutes. As soon as all the gliders were in the air a course was set out to sea. Before take-off the crew were all instructed what to do in case of the glider coming down in the sea, on the correct landing zone, or a crash landing off the zone. The crew were all Bn HQ personnel, Lt Col Britten MBE, Capt N.A.H. Stafford, Capt G.G. Black, Lt J.S.D. Hardy, Sjt Burton, L Cpl Toman, L Cpl Smith, Pte Clark, Pte Ditte, Pte Cull, Cpl Day and Sgm Gilbert. The two pilots were Lt Loughran and an American pilot.
The trip was uneventful, and the glider, with a fairly heavy load, flew very well. The load included a handcart and five folding cycles, as well as two No.18 sets, carried by the signallers.
Two islands, which we took to be Linosa and Malta were the only land sighted until about 2000 hrs [2200 hrs?], when the coast of Sicily could be plainly seen off the port side. There was a little flak, but none of it came very near us at all. Our pilot cast off at what we, the crew, thought was the correct place, but which, was as near as the tug was willing to go without taking evasive action. We were actually quite a way out at a height of only 1300 ft. We glided all along the South coast of the Cap du Porco, heading straight for the LZ, but could not make landfall. Lt Loughran gave us "prepare to ditch", but his order was not heard at the back of the glider. The front emergency doors were jettisoned, and the rear doors still locked when the glider actually hit the water.
The fuselage filled absolutely immediately, but there was no panic at all. About half of the crew came through the doors, the remainder through the roof. The first man out started to split the roof as soon as they were clear, and thereby saved the lives of those still inside.
We formed up on the wings a little shaken, but really no worse, and were about to make a plan of action when we and another glider some 50 or 60 yds away were engaged by two MG posts on the cliffs. The enemy fired a few illumination rockets towards us, but their lights did not make the fire much more accurate.
Our only arms were three revolvers and about 18 rounds of amn, so it was useless trying to get all the crew ashore as a fighting unit. We decided to make for the shore in twos and threes, those of us that were armed keeping together to try to do something about the enemy posts. On arrival in shore we found ourselves at the bottom of a cliff face where it was impossible to get higher to get into position anywhere near the enemy posts. We decided to lay up until the following morning.
At 0220 hrs on the morning of the 10th, a bomber, which must have been hit by flak, dropped its bomb load in the water about thirty yards away from us, then crashed into the sea itself. Capt Stafford was wounded in the neck and the hand.
At first light we moved along the cliff face then climbed to a ledge fifteen or twenty feet higher. We found all the crew except three, gathered them together, and decided to swim out to the gliders to try to get some water and tinned food. Two or three of us were fairly successful, so the situation, apart from lack of arms, was not too bad. We also managed to get some of the first aid kits from the gliders.
At 1000 hrs Lt Col Britten decided to attempt to break through to the Bn area, a distance of six to eight miles, so he and Lt Hardy left at 1400 hrs, hoping to meet up with the Bn by first light the next day. We covered about 1000 yds in the first two hours, this in stockinged feet over the rocks was better than we had hoped, but we thought this too slow, so we pocketed our revolvers and decided to walk boldly through.
We met Lt Green at about 1700 hrs, he had a batch of thirty or forty prisoners, but no definite information about the Bn as a whole. We filled our water bottles, had some tea and pressed on.
At one place on our way we looked over a wall and saw some 60 Italians, soldiers and civilians. The soldiers were armed so we bluffed them that we had the situation in hand, took their arms and made them destroy them, explaining as best we could that as far as they were concerned the war was over. We could not of course take them prisoner. They gave us quite a cheer as we left.
As darkness set in we were stopped by two men of the Glider Pilot Regiment, they told us they were with a pl of the S. Stafford Regt. As their forming up area was more or less the same as ours they joined us, together we made for Waterloo.
The rest of our journey was more or less uneventful and we reported to Bde HQ at about 2000 hrs. By this time our feet were pretty tender, so we de-booted the first of the many PW.
We joined Major T.P.H. du Boulay at about 2100 hrs in the Bn area where we rested for the night. The Bn moved into SYRACUSE at about 0800 hrs the next day, and from there parties were sent out to collect the wounded, and arm the unarmed men with enemy weapons.
Capt Stafford was collected at about 1000 hrs on the 11th and sent off to the CCS on George Beach. The remainder moved to the Bn area on cycles with as much kit as could be collected from the gliders in an old Italian car.
17 Jul 43.
BNAF.
(sgd) J. Hardy Lt.
1st Bn The Border Regiment.
Report on Glider No.75
We emplaned at 1800 hrs on the evening of 9 Jul 43, Airborne at 1900 hrs. We had been flying 2½ hrs when we sighted Malta, that would be approx 2130 hrs. The pilot of the glider gave us the time of landing to his estimate would be somewhere around 2230 hrs. Unfortunately some of the men were very airsick, and did not feel too grand, but in the meantime time was getting on. Just about 2220 hrs we sighted our landing mark. We cast off and went straight off for our objective, and according to the bearing it was correct, so we thought we were making a pretty good landing. But to our amazement we landed in the sea, worst luck!!! Well, I being the senior representative in the glider, checked up on the men who had already been all got out, and then asked for the non-swimmers, of which there were only two. I organised them into small parties of threes, and told them to take one non-swimmer each. I put them on the bearing and gave them a land mark. The distance from the coastline was very deceiving, and I believe to my knowledge with the glider pilots, was approx 2½ miles. Eventually we set off to the coast line when I heard someone shouting "I can't make it". We were approx 500 yds from the shore when we were fired on from the shore. They eventually set a searchlight beam on to us which made things worse, and I thought to myself they had all been hit. I myself, along with one of the pl decided to drift down the coast towards the town. We had drifted 600 yds and finally decided to make for the shore. We made it all right and climbed the rocks. We reached the top, and next we came in contact with barbed wire. The wire consisted of three double rows of Dannert wire, and three single apron fences, but anyhow, we managed to get under and made it. To our surprise we are met with three gun posts which to my belief would be 9.2 guns assisted by two LMG posts. By this time we decided to act very quickly. The only thing we are armed with are 4 - 77 grenades and 2 - 36 grenades. We made for the first post which would be round 200 yds away. Finally we found two sentries on the lookout. We took action, and then we threw 2 - 77s and then they opened fire with automatic weapons of some description. We crawled to hiding and watched for the remainder of the gun crew which consisted of about five Italians but luckily they approached our hiding position, so we used the two 36 grenades, and finally we had to lie low for the remainder of the early hours of the morning of the 10 July 43. This action took place about 0200 hrs, and now at 0700 hrs of the same morning we heard activity inland, so we move inland, to try and contact some of the unit, but unfortunately we did not do so until we came in contact with an RE Bridging Party who gave us directions to the beach where I contacted a Bde Adjt, belonging to the 51st Bde HQ. He directed me to 86 area, where I came across some of the men belonging to the unit who directed me to Bn HQ where I reported to Major Haddon and Lt Green who assisted me to the coy area.
(Sgd) V. McSherry, Sjt. 4266478
Statement of 3600318 Sjt Davidson, J.
I was senior passenger in glider no.77. When we reached our objective we were greeted by a considerable amount of flak - the tug aircraft immediately sheared off out to sea.
When we reached the point where we were to release we were probably further out to sea than was really intended, and with the result that we were forced to land in the sea. The pilot of the glider warned us that such was the case and then made a perfect landing on the water.
There was a certain amount of chaos for a moment - then I managed to gain control, and ordered the equipment to be abandoned. In the meantime Cpl Edgar slit a hole in the top of the glider and the men scrambled out. I distributed the men along the wings and we all lay low as the enemy were firing at us.
We stayed there until approx midnight, and then on the advice of the pilot I ordered the men to prepare to abandon the glider. I enquired how many men were unable to swim - as we were possibly two or three miles from the shore. There were five non-swimmers and nine swimmers. I set the non swimmers off with two men escorting each. The medical orderly I undertook to take myself. There was rather a large fire on the mainland which we assumed to be a crashed plane or glider, and knowing that this would have attracted the attention of possible enemy in the vicinity I ordered the men to make for a point to the right.
We became separated in the dark, but by using a star as a guide I managed to reach the position I had been making for. The remainder of the men had apparently landed to my right.
I attempted to reorganise the men by using my torch, which I had carried together with my map and compass, in my hat, but this had no results. By the light of the flares dropped by planes, we were able to identify a pill-box on the beach well to my right so I immediately stopped signalling hoping that the men had also seen the position and would move along to the left and eventually reach me.
There were other people in the water who had apparently lost their nerve, and were screaming for assistance. Someone on the beach whom I could not identify, answered, and was shouting back to the man in the sea. This attracted the enemy, and someone was sent out to take the man prisoner.
Elliott and I lay low, but on their way back, the British soldier pointed to us, and said "Who's that?" I warned Elliott to keep perfectly still, and the Italian yelled to us to surrender for a while, and then sheered off.
We lay as we were until I judged it time we made a move. We had by then recovered sufficiently from our exhaustion to walk, so we proceeded to force our way through the wire.
Upon reaching the other side of the wire I made a small recce and decided to make for the hills using a hedgerow in case the country behind the wire was mined. However, we must have been expected. We were given a very warm reception by rifle fire. We immediately dropped to earth and crawled for cover. We were called upon to surrender. We took no notice at first, but then enemy opened up on us with MGs, as well, and their shooting was well above average.
We were definitely pinned to earth - we could not move an inch we were only about 20 yds from this posn, which was dug in at the corner of the hedgerow and the beach - well camouflaged by the bushes. We decided it was hopeless to carry on and in any case we had a perfectly good chance of being rescued by our own tps later in the day, so we surrendered.
We were treated decently - given blankets as we were saturated and very cold. The Italians searched us, and took way by 48 hrs rations and water bottle, and compass, in fact everything with the exception of my map which I managed to secrete on my person, and kept despite three further searches.
Later in the morning we were joined by other Airborne Tps who had crashed in the sea, and had been taken prisoner, until eventually all my glider load were present with the exception of Pte Eagles who I was informed had been drowned, Pte Birdsell who had no life-jacket, and being a reasonably good swimmer had set off on his own, with Cpl Edgar's permission, and had reached the beach well before the rest, and Pte Lane, and the two pilots who had been together.
Some time later in the morning we were marched away and taken by detours to various strong points. I calculated by what I could remember of the map that we were making towards Syracuse, and eventually we reached a road block which I correctly assumed to be on the road between the landing place and the town. L cpl Stevens informed me that he had managed to keep his button compass and we planned to make a break for it that night.
However, in the late afternoon, the position was attacked and we had the doubtful pleasure of being under our own fire. I might mention that the mortar fire was extremely accurate.
We attempted to help the venture by a little fifth coln work and started to tell the Italians that the English were all round the island and that they were completely surrounded. This seemed to affect them greatly, and eventually, the majority came and surrendered to us, the remainder started waving white flags.
When our tps came up I was placed in charge of a number of prisoners and told to take them to the docks. Pte Marriott took charge of some horses and wagons taking wounded to hospital, and later, I believe, did some very good work, collecting prisoners under fire. His particulars were taken by an offr at the hospital.
On the way back we met Col Jones who told us to join his little band who were going back towards the town of Syracuse - we did so and took up position South of Waterloo on the high ground. Later we were joined by the rest of the Bn.
I checked up on my glider load. Pte Eagles was reported drowned, Pte Lane and the two glider pilots reported missing. Pte Birdsell had met some of the S Staffords and had fought with them until reaching the Bn.
I might mention that the men were extremely good, especially Ptes Elliott and Marriott, who, though unable to swim gave every assistance to the men who pulled them out.
BNAF.
15 Jul 43.
(Sgd) J. Davidson, Sjt. A Coy. 1 Border.
Report on Glider No.86
On the night of 9 Jul 43 we left the airfd en route for Sicily. The crossing was good till we started to touch down at 2345 hrs. We landed two fields to the left of our original landing ground by the light of a glider that was on fire. Our party consisted of two offrs two NCOs and six OR, and we joined up with 8 RE and made our way to where A Coy S Staffords were attacking a pill box. We stayed for about an hour before resuming our journey to the Bn Assembly Area. During this time the town was being bombed. We met one bren gunner out of the Bn Mortars who had lost his team, so he attached himself to us and we finally reached the Bn handcart assembly area. From there we were told that a large tower overlooking the bridge and along the coast road was a strongly held enemy post. We were told to attack it, then when another two secs came up Sjt Irvine called us down into the grove behind it and we made our way down to Waterloo Bridge under MG fire, our own bren gunner was pinned down, and so could not make the bridge. When we reached the bridge we met a sec of the South Staffords's and they had only six bombs left. We joined up with them, then their CO came up, approx 0700 hrs. There was opposition there, and we were told to stay at the Bridge. We took up an all round defensive position till we were gradually forced on to one side of the river bank under heavy MG fire. We held out there till 1700 hrs when we had no ammunition left, and the CO S Staffords told us to surrender. It was then that Pte Pooley and L cpl Timmins were killed. We were taken prisoner and released by the Eighth Army at approx 1740 hrs, and we came back to hold the bridge as a counter attack was expected to be put in. We held the bridge with the S Staffords till the following day when we were told the Bn was reforming up the road from the bridge. From there we went through Syracuse to where Bde HQ was set up, and we were there for two days, prior to embarking for our base.
(Sgd) A. Brownlie, L cpl.
Glider No.88
On approaching the enemy coast, the tug and glider (No.88), in which we were travelling came under fire from the enemy ground defences. We took evasive action, breaking formation, and splitting up from the rest of the flight. We then released about two miles off shore, and crashed on the island about two hundred yds inland. The glider hit telephone wires, and then crashed into a wall. This was at approx two miles south of Cap Murro di Forco.
On landing we suffered the following casualties. Both glider pilots (broken legs), Pte Lathan (broken leg), Pte Davidson (body sprained or fracture leg), Cpl Coates (Head and leg injuries), Ptes Jones & Miller (lacerations of the head), remainder sustained bruises, cuts and shock.
The first thing we did, that is, those who were not badly injured, was to grab our weapons and the bren gun, and take up a defensive position round the glider, owing to the fact that we were subjected to fire from enemy ground forced immediately we landed.
Enemy fire ceased, and after checking our position, those who were able to do so moved off to try and locate the original landing zone, leaving one man behind to protect casualties. We travelled about half a mile North east and came across another crashed glider and a mortar det of the S Staffords who were in posn in a ditch about two hundred yds with their mortars and handcarts.
We joined forces and L cpl Morgan, a sjt, and a pte of the S Staffords went out on patrol for 30 mins to try and contact the remainder of our tps. On return they reported having met none of our tps, but enemy patrols. We were uncertain of our posn, and that of the Bn, so we decided to return to our glider, treat our casualties and try and contact any British tps in the vicinity. We sent out patrols throughout the night and made our casualties as comfortable as we could. We were unable to remove them from the wreckage because of the risk of complicating their injuries. We retrieved all serviceable arms and amn, but could not remove the handcart or its contents because of its damage state and danger of falling on the injured. When this was completed, and our patrols had returned we took up defensive posns round the glider covering the beach with our gun.
When it became light we saw another glider which had crashed about 150 yds from us on our right. This glider belonged to the Bn Mortar Pl. With it were the following. One glider pilot offr with both ankles broken who was lying in the middle of the field, one glider pilot sjt with both legs broken, Cpl Allen, and a Pte who had head and arm injuries. We attended to them, joined forces under command of the offr. He told us to take up a defensive posn around the area of both gliders.
Shortly after this enemy tps were seen approaching our posn from the beach. We engaged them, and they immediately retired to a blockhouse on the beach. L cpl Morgan and Cpl Waring recced the blockhouse, and owing to our strength (six fit men) and the numerous wire defences around the blockhouse, no available cover to use, we decided to contain them with fire.
We were subjected to fire from MGs, from another blockhouse about a thousand yds to our left front, our front being the beach.
About this time a party of S Staffords (1 sjt and 4 men) joined up with us, retrieved the 3" Mortar and bombs, and set it up in the vicinity of a house on our right, and proceeded to mortar the enemy posns.
We then came under heavy fire again by enemy tps on our right flank, and to the rear. We decided to use smoke (77 grenades) to cover our move to another posn, as we were well marked, and could not return fire effectively. The first grenade failed to go off, but the second one succeeded in setting fire to the stubble field in front.
This fire spread rapidly, and the offr who was injured was in danger of being caught in it. Cpl Waring went out, under fire, and managed to get the offr clear, and to the house. Also assisted by a Pte succeeded in evacuating the sjt pilot to the same place before their glider caught fire. This fire was instrumental in disturbing the enemy on the beaches by its rapid approach to them.
We were then joined by another party. They were as follows. Two glider pilots, one medical orderly and five RE, some of whom had no arms or equipment as they had been captured by the enemy and later rescued by the comrades they were with.
The medical orderly proceeded to our glider to attend to our casualties. We were again subjected to fire from snipers who had taken up positions round us. As shots were hitting the glider, and our casualties were in danger of being shot, the medical orderly placed a white flag above the glider and turned the glider into a dressing station because it was impossible to move the casualties, and at this time we had been subjected to a MG attack twice from a flight of three enemy planes.
We then decided to turn the house near us into a first aid post for the medical orderly, and defend it till dark, when we could move. The medical orderlies conduct during this period was first class, and all the injured were attended to by him.
At about seventeen hundred hours, owing to the mortar fire from our det, the enemy fire practically ceased, except for mortar fire which was very inaccurate and coming from forces inland.
Two men, Ptes Davison 12, and Brook of B Coy joined us after having swum ashore, and seeing us in our posn.
Enemy fire had now ceased altogether, and they were waving white flags. This was about 1600 hrs. We took them prisoner (five of them).
After a talk with the injured offr we decided to move towards Ladbroke, the offr saying he would be responsible for the injured and prisoners, and also the walking wounded who were to guard them. The following men were left behind for this purpose. Ptes Miller, Jones 14, Bennett and Davison and Brook who were unable to go with us owing to the fact that they had no boots.
We then formed three secs, the S Staffords under their Sjt, one sec of Border under myself, (L sjt Terry) and another party of RE and glider pilots under L cpl Morgan, and made our way towards Waterloo. We contacted our own troops at an ADMS under Lt Tate of D Coy, and came under his command, reporting our landing condition and casualties in that area. In these actions our casualties were nil.
(Sgd) F. Terry, L sjt, B Coy, 1 Border.
Glider No.96
We were released from the tug at approx 2215 hrs at approx 500 ft. We hit the water nose first, and the fuselage filled up almost immediately. One of the emergency doors could not open. A number escaped through the nose, and the remainder through the port door. The glider pilot told us to keep on the wings. He said to me that there should be fourteen people, and that he could only count thirteen: I checked up and found that the missing person was Pte Hurley. In about two hours time the aircraft started to break up. The wings broke from the main body, and we held to the nose of the glider as that was all that remained above water. We then had to abandon this support as it was sinking, and transfer to a glider wing which then appeared. At this time Sjt de Muynck decided that he and Cpl Clark should make for the shore as they were comparatively strong swimmers, so to have more support for the non-swimmers. Five minutes later Pte Richards decided to follow the two NCOs. I shouted to L cpl Manley on the other side of the wing - "is everything all right". He replied two of them have gone. I knew that these two were Ptes Casey and Fairbrass. These soldiers, for some time previously had been hysterical. About 0400 hrs Pte Gale drifted off from the glider, and we were too exhausted to go for him as we had been doing on several occasions. The last words we heard from Pte Gale were "I've had it lads". At approx 0430 hrs we were picked up by an invasion barge. I reported that Gale had drifted off half an hour previously but we could not find him. We were then transferred to the "Ulster Monarch" from which in turn we were taken aboard a Norwegian ship and landed at Malta on Monday morning. (My opinion is that Ptes Casey, Gale, Fairbrass and Hurley were drowned, and that Pte Richards may have either made the shore or was picked up.
(Sgd) T. H. Horner, L cpl, 3603472
Glider No.123 - No.2 Sec Recce Platoon
Glider No.123 took off from strip F at 1945 hrs on the 9th Jul. The take-off was good and we were soon airborne - almost immediately the bumps started and L cpl Otto was sick before we had been in the air fifteen minutes, and remained so until we landed. The flight was quite the roughest I have ever experienced and at times I thought the glider pilot would have to cast off. However, he held on. We had been in the air for about an hour when my seat collapsed, and at about this time other members of my sec were sick. At 2130 hrs I tried to issue tea. This was impossible owing firstly to the "bumps" and secondly it was sour. At 2215 hrs we sighted siracusa, and saw the flak going up. We appeared to go straight in, and the next thing I knew was our pilot had cast off, and was looking for a suitable place to land. We went in to land, hitting two trees, tearing off both wings and finished up with our nose buried in a small stone wall. The time was about 2245 hrs. The men got out of the glider very quickly, and my covering party was soon in posn without any orders from me. We then started to unload the glider and got all the cycles out. Of these I found several were punctured and two had buckled wheels, caused, I think by the crash landing. In order to get the handcart out we had to pull part of the wall down, and smash parts of the front of the glider. This made a lot of noise, and must have given our posn away to the enemy because they opened fire just as the handcart was being lifted out. My covering party returned fire while we tried to get the handcart over the wall. The enemy then opened up with a mortar and MG, and as the handcart was still on the wrong side of the wall I gave orders to take extra amn and leave the handcart and cycles. I then ordered the sec to move along the stone wall by bounds, each party moving being covered by a LMG and rifles. We moved in this way for about 500 yds. The sec was then reorganised, and we proceeded north for another 1000 yds. I now thought it time to make a plan and try to position ourselves. The glider pilots could give me no help as to our position except that they thought we were well south of our landing field. This agreed with my own ideas and I decided to move north going slightly west until I found the rly line, keeping off the roads as much as possible. As the sec moved we cut several lots of signal wires, and one lot of telephone wires. At 0215 the bombing of Siracusa started and confirmed my position, and at 0230 we hit the rly line just south of a small station which we searched, cut the signal wires and telephone wires. I had just ordered the sec to move along the rly line keeping 50 to 60 yds west of it when Col Jones and his party joined up with us, and we moved North. We had been moving for about 10 mins when Lt Col Hennicker MC stopped me and told me there was some sort of enemy post on the rly line, and ordered me to attack it. I formed up my sec in a ditch about 20 yds East of the rly line, the plan being to throw grenades and then immediately charge the enemy position. The grenade part went off well, but the charge was a little sticky - having taken the posn we found it contained three or four miserable "Home Guards". These were used to help Lt Col Hennicker MC who had been injured by a 36 grenade. Lt Col Hennicker's wounds were quickly dressed by L cpl Hill. Col Jones next ordered all maps to be burnt, keeping only one for himself, and we moved on again. At 0330, or thereabouts we saw what appeared to be a fairly large station. On closer inspection we discovered it was the station of St Teresa. Again telephone wires were cut, and it was decided to move inland in a westerly direction to find a house or some sort of building where we could spend the next day. We had been moving for about 10 mins when we hit another enemy posn. This one being on a road along which we were moving. Col Jones and I went forward to recce the position, and decided that the wire was too thick, and that we would leave it alone (I'm not sure that there were enemy in it - they did not fire on us), and move on to find our house. This we did - just as dawn was breaking we came upon a large farm and immediately took possession, and organised all round defence, washing and shaving etc. An excellent breakfast of fried onions and tomatoes, followed by melon, was eaten by all.
At about 0800 hrs an enemy bty opened fire. Col Jones decided we ought to do something and consequently he together with his batman, set out to try and locate the bty. We moved in bounds, Col Jones and his man covering my advance, and then moving up to me. This went on for about an hour until we came to another farm house. I climbed to the top of the house to try and locate the bty, but had no luck. We had tried to get information out of several farm hands, with little or no success. However we did get some sort of direction, and moved on. About this time the RN started shelling, and they seemed fairly close to us. It was whilst we were trying to position ourselves that Col Jones saw something white move about 150 yds away, and with the aid of our fd glasses we were able to see the enemy bty well camouflaged, surrounded by wire. We could also just see the outline of one gun. Col Jones then crawled forward to try and find a way into the position. After five minutes he returned with the information that there was a kniferest in the wire which he thought we could quite easily move. We then returned to our farmhouse to lay on the attack. The plan was as follows. My two bren guns under Capt were to move round the left flank, and to fire on the enemy posn, at the same time they were to set fire to a hayfield. This worked well. The rest of our small party was divided into a sten gun party, consisting of myself, two glider pilots, and one American glider pilot. It was our job to open the kniferest and lead the attack. Next came the rifles, five in all, plus Col Jones and Major Tomkins. We moved up into posn, the bren guns opened fire, and the hayfield was well alight. My party crossed the road and made for the knife rest. Actually it was Col Jones and myself who rolled the knife rest back. As we were doing this we noticed an enemy MG post about 30 yds away to our right flank. The gunner must have been surprised - anyway I don't think he opened up on us, and a 36 grenade, followed by a 77 soon hotted him up. By this time we were all in and advancing at a steady double, firing and making a hell of a lot of noise, throwing 36s and 77s into the enemy position. One enemy MG at the end of the bty opened up on us - he must have been a damn bad shot - in fact I think they all were. One unfortunate incident occurred - we had thrown a 36 grenade into an enemy dug-out, and on getting out the wounded we discovered a glider pilot who had been taken prisoner earlier in the morning. He was our only casualty. In a very short time we had the post cleared up, and found our bag to be 5 to 6 9" guns, four or five very dead Italians, about six wounded, and some fifty prisoners. During this time our RAMC Orderly was working on the wounded, and very quickly got them all patched up - mostly Italians. However he refused to leave until they had all been evacuated, although there was great danger of the amn dump going up, and the post was well alight by this time. With the aid of our prisoners we got all the wounded out and back to our farm house where we found a well earned cup of tea waiting. Just after we had taken the Italian bty the fwd pl of the Northamptons came up to us and Col Jones went off to find their CO. At 1500 hrs, or thereabouts we moved off to another farm house on the main road to Siracusa. Here we joined up with a sec of C Coy, some S Staffords and one or two other "odds". After re-distributing our amn, and forming ourselves into a Pl, we moved off to Waterloo Bridge, arriving just South of it at about 2200 hrs. By this time our tps were well ahead of us, and tks were rumbling along the road. There were also some good air battles going on overhead. Having arrived just south of Waterloo Bridge I was given a posn to hold facing the br - after we had dug in, eaten and posted sentries we got a few hours sleep, and at 0730 Sunday 11 Jul, I joined the rest of my Bn and moved into Siracusa.
(Sgd) W. G. Budgen, Lt, Comd No.2 Sec, Recce Pl, 1 Border
