79th (Lowland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
79th (Lowland) Field Regiment, RA 279 (Ayrshire) Field Regiment, RA | |
---|---|
Territorial Army | |
Role | Field artillery |
Size | 2–4 Batteries |
Part of | 52nd (Lowland) Division |
Garrison/HQ | 111 South Harbour Street, Ayr |
Engagements | Battle of the Scheldt Operation Blackcock Operation Veritable |
79th (Lowland) Field Regiment was a
Origin
The 1st Ayrshire and Galloway Artillery Volunteers were formed as part of the Volunteer Force in 1859. By the outbreak of World War I it had become 2nd Lowland Brigade[a] of the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) in the Lowland Division of the Territorial Force. During World War I it served with the division (later the 52nd (Lowland) Division) in Egypt and Palestine.[1][2][3][4]
The 2nd Lowland Brigade re-formed in 1920, and was redesignated as the 79th (Lowland) Brigade, RFA, the following year when the TF was reconstituted as the
- HQ at Drill Hall, 111 South Harbour Street, Ayr
- 313 (Ayr) Bty at Ayr
- 314 (Irvine) Bty at High Street, Irvine
- 315 (Kirkcudbright) Bty at Drill Hall, Kirkcudbright
- 316 (Kilmarnock) (Howitzer) Bty at John Finnie Street, Kilmarnock
In 1924 the RFA was subsumed into the Royal Artillery (RA), and the word 'Field' was inserted into the titles of its brigades and batteries.[3][5][6] The establishment of a TA divisional artillery brigade was four 6-gun batteries, three equipped with 18-pounders and one with 4.5-inch howitzers, all of World War I patterns. However, the batteries only held four guns in peacetime. The guns and their first-line ammunition wagons were still horsedrawn and the battery staffs were mounted. Partial mechanisation was carried out from 1927, but the guns retained iron-tyred wheels until pneumatic tyres began to be introduced just before World War II.[7]
In 1938 the RA modernised its nomenclature and a lieutenant-colonel's command was designated a 'regiment' rather than a 'brigade'; this applied to TA field brigades from 1 November 1938.[2][3][5]
Mobilisation
The TA was doubled in size after the
79th (Lowland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) at Ayr
- 313 (Ayr) Field Bty
- 314 (Irvine) Field Bty
130th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery[b]
- RHQ at Kilmarnock
- 315 (Kirkcudbright) Field Bty
- 316 (Kilmarnock) Field Bty
World War II
Training
On the outbreak of war 79th (Lowland) Field Regiment mobilised in 52nd (Lowland) Division. Apart from a period in June 1940 when the rest of the division was briefly deployed to France (and the regiment was attached to
One of the lessons learned from the Battle of France was that the two-battery organisation did not work: field regiments were intended to support an infantry brigade of three battalions. As a result, they were reorganised into three 8-gun batteries. On 6 July, when it was stationed at Chippenham in Wiltshire, 79th (L) Fd Rgt reorganised as A, B and C Btys, but by March 1941 these had been numbered as 313, 314 and 457 Fd Btys.[1][10][16]
In May 1942 52nd (L) Division began training in
This pretence was kept up for some time after the Normandy invasion began on
Scheldt
The rest of the division landed at
The next objective was the island of Walcheren. Troops of 157th Bde and 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade fought their way over a narrow causeway with massive artillery support and secured a precarious bridgehead. When the exhausted Canadians were withdrawn the Commander, Royal Artillery (CRA), of 52nd (L) Division, Brigadier L.B.D. Burns, took command of the operation with an improvised HQ known as 'Burnfor'. A second lodgement on Walcheren was achieved by infantry of 157th Bde using stormboats and then wading across soft mud. Meanwhile, on 1 November a seaborne assault had been carried out on the west end of Walcheren Island, and 52nd (L) Division's 155th Bde had landed at Flushing on the south shore (Operation Infatuate I) behind artillery support 'on a vast scale' from across the Scheldt. Thereafter 52nd (L) Division's brigades fanned out across the island and mopped up the remaining defenders by 8 November.[29][30]
Operation Blackcock
52nd (L) Division remained under Canadian command, holding the line south of the
Operation Veritable
First Canadian Army next launched Operation Veritable to clear the Reichswald between the Rivers Maas and Rhine. This began on 8 February, and 52nd (L) Division was sent to reinforce it on 12 February. Moving down the bank of the Maas the division captured Afferden, but found itself held up by the old shell-proof Bleijenbeek Castle. However, by 3 March the division was making good progress through the wooded country south west of Weeze. On 9 March after a stiff fight it cleared the Haus Loo fort at Alpen, one of the last German outposts west of the Rhine.[13][34][35]
Germany
Although 52nd (L) Division was holding the Rhine bank, it was designated as a follow-up formation for the crossing (Operation Plunder) and was not involved in the initial assault. However, its guns took part in the initial 'Pepperpot' bombardment before 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division passed through 52nd (L) Division to lead the assault for XII Corps. 15th (S) Division had over 700 guns of all types on call when the bombardment began at 23.30 on 23 March. The infantry set off across the river in amphibious vehicles at 02.00 on 24 March, and made rapid progress inland to link up with the airborne troops who landed during the morning (Operation Varsity).[36][37] 52nd (L) Division began crossing on 25 March, its leading units coming under the command of 15th (S) Division as they mopped up the bridgehead and linked up with 6th Airborne Division.[38][39] Second Army then began a rapid advance across Germany. Part of 52nd (L) Division cleaned up pockets of Germans round Ibbenbüren while the rest of the division crossed the Dortmund–Ems Canal.[40]
As Second Army raced forwards, 52nd (L) Division was switched to XXX Corps for the attack on Bremen.[41] Lt-Gen Brian Horrocks, commanding XXX Corps, considered that at this stage of the war, 52nd (L) Division was one of the best in Second Army because it still retained a number of the original personnel (which was a consequence of its late arrival in the theatre).[19] From 20 to 26 April XXX Corps closed in on Bremen against stubborn resistance. The division then had to control rioting and looting in the chaotic city.[42][43][44]
After
Postwar
When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, the 79th reformed at Ayr as 279 (Lowland) Field Rgt, in 85 (Field) Army Group Royal Artillery.[3][5][46][47][48][49][50]
The Lowland regiments were reorganised on 1 July 1950 when 85 (Fd) AGRA became HQ 52nd (Lowland) Divisional Artillery once more and 279 (Lowland) Fd Rgt absorbed the
With the ending of National Service there was a reduction of the TA in 1961, and most of 279 (Ayrshire) Fd Rgt amalgamated with 280 (City of Glasgow) Fd Rgt to form 279th (City of Glasgow & Ayrshire) Fd Rgt with the following organisation:[3][47][50][51][52]
- RHQ at Troon
- P (1st City of Glasgow) Bty
- Q (Ayrshire) Bty
- R (3rd City of Glasgow) Bty
Surplus personnel of 279 (Ayrshire) Fd Rgt were transferred to 576 (General Transport) Company, Royal Army Service Corps.[47][50]
When the TA was reduced into the
Footnotes
- ^ In contemporary RA usage a brigade was a lieutenant-colonel's command consisting of independent batteries 'brigaded' together; it was not comparable with an infantry or cavalry brigade commanded by a brigadier-general.
- ^ The regiment was authorised to use its parent's 'Lowland' subtitle on 17 February 1942.[3][5]
Notes
- ^ a b Frederick, pp. 649, 678, 691.
- ^ a b c Army List, various dates.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Litchfield, pp. 278–9.
- ^ Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 109–51.
- ^ a b c d e f g Frederick, pp. 490–3, 521, 531.
- ^ a b Titles and Designations, 1927.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 15–7.
- ^ Farndale, Years of Defeat, p. 9.
- ^ a b Scottish Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files.
- ^ a b Sainsbury, pp. 17–20; Appendix 2.
- ^ Joslen, p. 79.
- ^ Farndale, pp. 92–3.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Joslen, pp. 85–6.
- ^ Collier, pp. 107, 125, Maps 5, 6, 17, 20.
- ^ Farndale, pp. 95–6, 103, Annex D.
- ^ Farndale, pp. 99–100.
- ^ Collier, Map 25.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 247–9.
- ^ a b Horrocks, p. 264.
- ^ Levine, pp. 191–3, 211–2, 216–7, 222–3.
- ^ Hart.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 247–8.
- ^ Ellis, p. 30
- ^ Joslen, pp. 344–5.
- ^ Ellis, p. 84.
- ^ Stacey, p. 388, Appendix E.
- ^ Ellis, pp. 106–7, 111–3.
- ^ Stacey, pp. 397–8, 401–2.
- ^ Ellis, pp. 113–9, 123.
- ^ Stacey, pp. 403–8, 412, 414–6, 421–2.
- ^ Stacey, pp. 435–6.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 265–8.
- ^ Ellis, pp. 241–7.
- ^ Ellis, pp. 264–7, 271, 274, 276.
- ^ Stacey, pp. 482, 490, 494, 508, 514–5, 521.
- ^ Ellis, p. 285.
- ^ Martin, pp. 274–85.
- ^ Ellis, p. 293.
- ^ Martin, p. 294.
- ^ Ellis, pp. 305–6.
- ^ Ellis, pp. 309–11.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 292–3.
- ^ Ellis, p. 316.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 262–5.
- ^ Stacey, p. 622.
- ^ Farndale, Years of Defeat, Annex M.
- ^ a b c d e Frederick, pp. 1000–1, 1005.
- ^ Litchfield, Appendix 5.
- ^ Watson, TA 1947.
- ^ a b c d e 266–288 Rgts RA at British Army 1945 on.
- ^ a b c Litchfield, pp. 304–5.
- ^ Litchfield, p. 287.
- ^ Frederick, p. 1043.
- ^ Litchfield, pp. 294–5.
References
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56), London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
- ISBN 978-1-84574-055-9
- Maj L.F. Ellis, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West, Vol II: The Defeat of Germany, London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-59-9.
- Gen Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, ISBN 1-85753-080-2.
- J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
- J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-009-X.
- Mark Frost, ' "Everyone Thought I was Finished": The Remarkable Comeback of Lieutenant-General Sir Neil Ritchie', Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Winter 2020, Vol 98, No 395, pp. 379–97.
- Stephen Ashley Hart, 'The Forgotten Liberator: The 1939–45 Career of General Sir Andrew Thorne', Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Autumn 2001, Vol 79, No 319, pp. 233–49.
- Lt-Gen Sir Brian Horrocks, A Full Life, London: Collins, 1960.
- Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/London: London Stamp Exchange, 1990, ISBN 0-948130-03-2/ Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-843424-74-6.
- Joshua Levine, Operation Fortitude: The Greatest Hoax of the Second World War, London: Collins, 2011, ISBN 978-0-00-739587-3.
- Norman E.H. Litchfield, The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, ISBN 0-9508205-2-0.
- Lt-Gen H.G. Martin, The History of the Fifteenth Scottish Division 1939–1945, Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1948/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2014, ISBN 978-1-78331-085-2.
- Lt-Col J.D. Sainsbury, The Hertfordshire Yeomanry Regiments, Royal Artillery, Part 1: The Field Regiments 1920-1946, Welwyn: Hertfordshire Yeomanry and Artillery Trust/Hart Books, 1999, ISBN 0-948527-05-6.
- Col