Guns and Bugles

181 Field Regiment Royal Artillery conversion to The Royal Artillery training with the 15th Scottish Division.

Only 3 days after the conversion to a Royal Artillery Regiment with barely enough time for the men to get over the shock, the main body of men were on the train bound for Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. Here they were to be joined by some 300 Royal Artillery veterans, some who had fought in North Africa, they would help shape the old 6 KSLI into Gunners. Several of the Ex-KSLI officers elected to convert to Artillery and these men were sent for their training to Larkhill, to re-join their old unit at a later date.

There was much confusion in the early days, it was clear the War Office was not remotely prepared and there was a shortage of Artillery equipment and uniform, for the first few weeks a mish mash of old KSLI and new R.A. uniform was worn together; at this point they were unofficially called the ‘Shropshire gunners’. The initial training began in earnest, the ex-KSLI officers returned, newly trained in the operation of a field regiment R.A. A new military language had to be learnt, privates became gunners, Corporals- Bombardiers etc…. By the end of the year the newly formed 181 field regiment was ready for its next stage of training and a move north, to the moorlands of North Yorkshire, Newbiggin, Friskney, and Otterburn gun ranges.

Before the move, the regiment had a new C/O Lt.Col. E.O. Herbert, who thought it fitting that the newly formed regiment should have a regimental badge of distinction to reflect their Infantry ancestry. This was approved by the War Office and came in the form of a gold bugle embroidered onto a cloth patch of infantry green to be worn on each sleeve by every member of the regiment. The ex-KSLI men were immensely proud of this distinct badge, but not so much the veteran gunners who had their own traditions, but military backgrounds were soon forgotten, and the regiment fought as one under the same banner throughout the North-West Europe campaign.

Soon after moving north, without pomp or ceremony It was announced that 181 field regiment would be affiliated in the order of battle of the 15th Scottish Division – the only English artillery regiment of three, the only other sassenachs in the division were the 1st Middlesex machine gun battalion. The men of the regiment wore the divisional sign on his sleeve, this being a rampant lion inside the letter ‘O’ worn above the gold bugle badge.

To cap it all, in June 1943 at a grand regimental parade each man exchanged his field service cap with the cap Tam O’ Shanter, the traditional headwear of the Scottish Soldier the Officers wore the Balmoral Bonnet, a slightly smaller version, and photographs were taken.

By this time the men were fully trained, having taken part in various exercises with the Infantry, tanks, and other arms. They continued their training, perfecting their shooting, working together as a team, getting fit, ready to take the fight to the enemy. They were to become a spearhead division blazing a trail of glory, bringing tributes and praise from Normandy to the Baltic coast.

Briefly – A Royal Artillery field regiment is made up of 3 batteries, each battery had 2 troops. Each troop had 4x 25- pound field guns. In battle, each troop was brought on to target by a coordinated system of Forward Observation posts, a battery H.Q. and a troop command post by signallers. A barrage of all 24 guns was called a ‘Mike’, at times a barrage of all the guns from all 3 field regiments in the division (72 guns in all) was called for, this was called an ‘Uncle’. The 25-pounder could also be used as an anti-tank gun by firing over open sights – This happened on several occasions in Normandy, when the enemy was less than 1000 yards away! The field gun was manned by 6 men, commanded by a sergeant (known as No1) The gun layer, whose job was to bring his gun onto target, the gun had to be re-laid as per instructions from the No1. The layer bore great responsibility, one or two degrees out could result in the shells over shooting and alerting the enemy, or worse, bringing shells down on his own men – every gunner’s nightmare. The other four men would be fusing the shells and loading the gun. The guns were responsible for massive destruction and accounted for many enemy dead, very often the men, as they moved forward, were shocked by the devastation they had created, with their guns, stacks of bodies, animals, buildings, machinery, weapons of all sorts, smashed and tangled into a huge mess.

Briefly – In WWII a division consisted of about 15,000men divided into three self-supporting brigades, each brigade would have three infantry regiments, a field artillery regiment, its own supporting troops, i.e… workshops engineers, medical support, machine gun battalion, recce battalion, signallers etc….

Officers and men B Troop 177 Bty 181 Field Rgt RA JUNE 1943 – C/O Capt Julian Cory-Wright KIA 26 June 1944 first day in action the only Officer to be killed in action, Lt Tommy Stokes replaced him as troop leader.

Officers 178 Bty 181 Field Regt RA. Ridley Hall June 1943. As an acknowledgment to the Regiments Infantry beginnings the Officers retained their Green Infantry lanyards and KSLI buttons on their dress uniform.

Rear: 2: Lt Angus McLeod (D troop C/P); Lt Peter Clements (C troop C/P); Lt Buchanan (D troop C/P); Lt Ivor Jones (D troop C/P); Lt Dick Todd (C troop C/P*)

Front: Lt John Meredith (C troop FOO*); Capt John Mattin (I/C C troop); Maj Dick Moorshead (Battery Commander); Capt Andy Shaw (I/C D Troop FOO); Lt David Trewby (I/C HQ troop)

*FOO: Forward Observation Post *CP: Command Post

Charlie and Dog Troops 178 Battery 181 Field Regt RA Ridley Hall June 1943

CHARLIE TROOP – Back rank; Bdr Hall; Bdr Forknall; Bdr Fox; u/k; Sig Balcombe; u/k; Willey; Sig Smith 63; Dvr Lewis Sig Adams U/k; Smith 88.

3^rd rank; Gnr NEAL; Dvr McInery; Fox; Basnett; u/k; Dvr Compton; u/k; Ball; Scott(cook); Gnr u/k; u/k; Byant; Smith.

2^nd rank; Evans 33; Parsons; Dvr Cotton; Sig Barnes; Sig Abbis; u/k; Sig Whittingham; Sig Broomhall; Sig Adams u/k; Sig Huyton; Sig Woods; Sig Edwards; Sig Braithwaite; Hassle; Farlough.

Front rank; Bdr Dalton; L/Bdr Kilby; Bdr Mottram; Bdr Sturley; Sgt Darby; BSM Cook; Lt Clements; Capt. Meredith; 2/Lt Todd; Sgt Gunn; Sgt Powell; Sgt Packer; Bdr Aspley;  Bdr Eden.

This series of photographs were taken when the regiment had been formed for just over twelve months. At this time, they were still training and had been affiliated in to the 15^thScottish division This was my Father’s Troop and was the focus of my book ‘Guns and Bugles’. The whole of the Regiment had recently been presented with their Tam O’Shanter in place of their FS Caps in a formal parade just prior to this photo.    

Officers and men of D Troop 178 Bty 181 Field Regt RA; C/O Capt A.Dudley G.Shaw. His little dog mascot went with the troop through North-West Europe. I have since received a fully named copy of this photograph, which appears on page 140.

HQ TROOP 178 Bty 181 FIELD REGT R.A. RIDLEY HALL 1943 

Rear rank; u/k; Bty clerk; u/k; u/k; u/k; Bdr cook; u/k; u/k; u/k; u/k; Sig Jones; u/k; Bdr Bennett; Dvr King; Dvr Kendrew; Gnr Evans; Dvr Snooks; Devaney; u/k; (MT Stores).

2^nd Rank; u/k; u/k; Dvr Spence; Sig Garvey; u/k; u/k; Sig Billingham; u/k; u/k; Bdr Ftr Evans; L/Bdr Ashton Dvr tapperal; u/k; u/k; Gnr Jones, Cook; Gnr Evans (Dvr mech).

3^rd rank; u/k Sig; u/k Dvr; Chamberlain; u/k; Dvr Garland; u/k; Dvr Hall; u/k Driver; Sig Symes; Brown,Cook; Clewes (Fitter); Gnr Forrest (Cobbler); Dvr Clark (Water Wagon).

Front rank; Sig Pye; Gnr George; Dvr.Lucas; u/k; u/k Cook; Dvr Ingeson; BQMS Norcross; Capt David Trewby;  Lt Angus Mcleod; BSM Norton; Sgt/Sig Hunt; Bdr Marsden; Snape; Owen.                                                                                               

Part of E Troop possibly taken after the war note some of the men wearing collar and ties. Sadly, remains unnamed apart from the C/O Centre, Major Jack Cunis MC. Notice the soldier front rank, extreme right wearing two long service stripes on his lower sleeve one for 2yrs, two for 5yrs. E Troop/179 Bty.

Part of E Troop – 179 Bty; Again, largely unnamed. Rear L/R; 2nd Cpl. Titley, 8^th L/Bdr winkle;10^th Bdr Griffin 2^nd Rank L/R; 7^th Bdr Dytham; 11^th Gnr Hanley. 4^th Rank L/R; 2^nd Sgt Howarth; 5^th Lt Hewitt; Capt Prutton MC; Lt Murray; 11^th Sgt Bourne. Front rank L/R; 3^rd Gnr Jervis.

Rear L/R; Lt P Mulholland; Lt EWK Jones; Lt RJ Hewitt; Lt Murray; Lt JH Boyd; Lt JP Porter. Front L/R; Capt NG Prutton; Capt RG Bristowe; Maj T Sedgwick; Capt P Attewell.

This superb photo taken from a 60-year-old negative was sent to me by Philip Mulholland. Taken just 9 days prior to embarking for France. Capt Prutton and Capt Attewell were both awarded the Military Cross. These men were all ex-KSLI Officers

2nd Rank: Gnr Ellerton (510 Coast Rgt); Pte Hughes (7 Sea H); Pte Hadley (7 Sea H); Fus Lilley (9 PTC); Rfm Broadley (9 Cams)

3rd Rank: Tpr McCullough (15 Reece); Bdr Hayes (508 Cst Rgt); L/Bdr Eden (181 Fd Regt); L/Cpl Sanderson (6 RSF); Cpl Brooker (15 Reece); Pte Brown (8R.Scots); Pte Bishop (8R.Scots).

Front Rank: Pte Sharkey (2 Glas H); S/I Shakelton (APTC); Lt JL Lambert (SOPT 15 Div); S/I Newton (APTC); Pte Hart (7 Sea H)

Seated: Rfm Carpenter (9 Cameronians); Gnr Whittacher (510 Coast Regt); Tpr Shaw (15th Recce Regt)

L/Bdr Ted Eden D Troop 178/181 Field Regt, who went on to win the Divisional Middleweight Championship.

NCO’s 178 BATTERY/HQ  RIDLEY HALL JUNE 1943

Rear; Sgt Packer; Sgt Darby; Sgt Foster; Sgt Powell; Sgt Hunt; *Sgt Gunn; Sgt Clarke; Sgt Holdsworth

Front; Sgt Layton; BQMS Norcross; BSM Cook; RSM Norton; BSM Oliver; Sgt Guy; Sgt Leighton

*Killed in Action 25.06.44 A-Sub, C Troop, 178 Bty.

G-SUB SECTION D TROOP 178 BTY – Ridley Hall June 1943.

Rear; Gnr’s Norman; Francis; Lovegrove; Hutchins; Collier. Front; Sgt’s Foster; Leighton; Gnr Hyde

Left: 4040028 Gnr George Neal. Right: 4040442 Gnr Frank Foster

My Father and his pal, taken not long after the formation of 181 Field Regt. When, both men served in‘Q’ Bty, which trained the gunners. After the formation of the Batteries proper, Dad went to C Troop, and Frank to D Troop. They were both appointed L/Bdr on the same day but while dad relinquished his stripe, Frank went on to make Sergeant.

Left: 4039326 Dvr/Mech C. Ashton. Right: 113716 Gnr/Dvr C.Spence

Pals for- ever. These two became very close friends in the army and remained so for the rest of their life keeping in touch and exchanging visits. My research inspired them both to attend the 50^th Anniversary of the liberation of Tilburg in Holland in 1996.

181 Field Regiment endurance team competition 1943 – L-R; U/K; U/K; L/Sgt Clee; Gnr Hartshorne; Gnr Smith 88; Sgt Hollaway; L/Sgt Packer. Middle rank; L/R; Gnr Bill Smith; U/K; Lt TJ Stokes; U/K; U/K. Front rank unknown.

Another superb photo taken from a 60 year old negative, with the men in full order, after completing a divisional endurance competition. This is the only photograph I have of the men wearing their steel hats, and carrying rifles, though not in conflict.

Regimental Orders 18^th November 1943

The following under mentioned will represent the Regiment in the 44^th Brigade endurance team on Saturday 20^th November. To assemble, at RHQ by 1000hrs. dressed, and equipped and wearing greatcoats. Haversack rations will be carried.

Lt TJ Stokes RHQ	Gnr Holt or RHQ
Sgt Holloway 179 bty	Gnr Lewis 178 bty
L/Sgt Packer 178 bty	Sig Robinson RHQ
L/Sgt Clee 177 bty	RESERVES
Gnr Milne RHQ	Lt EWK Jones 179 bty
Gnr Green 179 bty	Sgt Desborough 177 bty
Gnr Jones RHQ	Bdr Dalton 178 bty
Gnr Moss RHQ	Gnr HartsHorne 178 bty
Gnr Bromley 179 bty	Gnr Smith88 178 bty
Gnr Smith 63 178 bty	Gnr Moore 177 bty

• Path of the Lion. (Maps)