After sailing from Tilbury on the 12th June 1944 (D+6) the 15th Scottish Division landed between the 15th and 19th June, the first batteries of 181 field regiment 178 & 179 Bty’s landed at Courselles without incident, but because of severe weather 177 Bty. was delayed and landed further along the coast at St. Come-de-Fresne, having lost much of it’s equipment in the storm. The map above indicates the gun positions of 178 Bty. as they followed 44 Lowland Brigade driving a corridor through Normandy, in order to secure the bridge over the River Odon at Gavrus.
After sweeping through Normandy the Allies trapped the German army at Falaise, the 15th Scottish Division was held in reserve whilst the bulk of the Wermacht was destroyed in the Falaise gap. The remains of the German army made a rush to the river Seine with the allies and the 15th Scottish Division in hot pursuit and by the 26th August they were on the banks of the Seine, crossing the next day at Port-de-Joie, 178 Bty was the first field regiment to cross. The pursuit continued into Belgium with, initially little resistance until reaching the canals and waterways in Northern Belgium. There was much heavy fighting at Gheel on the Albert canal, as the division the division fought to hold a small bridgehead on the Escaut Canal. members of 181 field regiment were awarded 3 military crosses, 4 military medals and a Distinguished service order for the fighting in this battle for the bridgehead. Heavy fighting continued through Holland as the Germany army had re-gathered and fought fiercely as the war approached the German border.
On the 25th March 0200 hrs, the 15th Scottish division was central to the crossing on the Rhine, 181 field regiment crossed that afternoon from St. Mariensburg, the first field regiment across. Now the Division was fighting on German soil and the fanatical elements of the German army were fighting tenaciously with heavy battles at Neustadt and Uelzen, On the 30th April between 2200-2300 hours 181 field regiment once again had the honour of being the first field regiment to cross the River Elbe, pushing deeper into Germany. 178 battery fired the final rounds of the war, and on the 4th May the guns fell silent. four days later the war was declared over.
Guns and Bugles 