17 Jan 44 New Information re KOYLI

 

                           NEW INFORMATION RECEIVED SINCE BOOK PUBLISHED

                                              From Norway to Burma by Roger Holgate

17 Jan 44

The 5^th and 56^th (Divisions) were told they were to cross the river (Garigliano) in advance, to create a bridgehead that would be four miles deep and eight miles in length.   Once the Bridgehead had been secured, 5^th Division with 1 KOYLI, was expected to capture a gorge, southwest of San Giorgio, an advance of ten miles that would be the key to the Liri valley.   To carry out their tasks the Division was allocated forty-five assault boats, several rafts and pontoons, a kapok foot bridge, and a construction kit for an eighty-foot-long Bailey Bridge.   They were to go in on the left of 56^th Division and attack towards the high ground of San Vito, Monte Natale, and Mount Scauri, with the intention of penetrating as far as Castellonorato.   The attack would be made without a preliminary bombardment, to preserve the advantage of surprise.

    At 9pm on 17 Jan 44 5^th and 56^th Divisions began to cross the Garigliano in assault boats and rafts that had been brought forward and hidden close to the bank, over the previous few nights.   The experience gained in crossing the (River) Volturno now proved vital.   “Beachmasters” were appointed to each crossing place, and controlled the flow of traffic, up to the water’s edge and back again.   The initial assault by 17^th Brigade ran into serious trouble as the assault craft that were intended to support the crossings from the sea were unable to navigate the eleven mile stretch of waterway with sufficient accuracy, mainly due to a failure to set up navigation lights in sufficient time.   The result was that the bridgehead was much smaller than had been envisaged, and the 17^th found themselves trapped in  minefields that stretched from the beaches to the landing grounds.   5th Division ‘s second assaulting Brigade managed to cross, and began to advance towards Tufo, despite some confusion caused by navigation issues, but exhaustion, caused by the fact that they had been required to carry heavy equipment as well as fighting off the German counter attacks was setting in 

The Garigliano Front 17 January 1944

 

Battle For Monte Natale - book

Book Review by the Historical Miniatures Gamimg Society

 “…all excerpts are scrupulously organized and Strafford certainly did his research, including visiting the battlefield and taking contemporary photos of particular spots.” -Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

19 Jan 44 KOYLI capture Point 201

1 KOYLI ‘A’ & ‘C’ Cos. on Point 201. ‘B’ Co. and HQ in Tufo. All 1 York & Lancs. Cos. in Tufo. 1 Green Howards ‘A’ and ‘B’ Cos. at Point 141 Monte Del Duca. ‘C’ and ‘D’ Cos. and HQ in Minturno. The main road going to the right is the Lateral Road which links up with Castelforte in the East.

1 KOYLI War Diary 

19 Jan 44 – 1300

Two Companies were established on their objectives having suffered themselves few casualties and taking 3 prisoners and probably inflicting many casualties on the enemy. After a stiff little battle Point 201 was ours and a Forward Observation Post established on it. Shortly after Point 201 was occupied, a sharp, but not very heavy counterattack was put in from the East of the village of Tufo and was directed mainly against ‘B’ Company and Battalion Headquarters. An interesting point of this counterattack was that the enemy artillery support was given from guns due West of Tufo whilst the attack came in from the East. During this attack several men were killed in Battalion HQ. and it was decided to move immediately. Battalion HQ accordingly moved nearer the village in the hope of getting out of enemy shelling. These hopes were not successful as the Battalion HQ was shelled heavily during their stay in this area. 

    No heavy counterattack was put in by the enemy against the Battalion HQ in this new area, although on more than one occasion small groups of enemy which were forming up on the Northern slopes of Point 201 were broken up by artillery fire and small arms fire. The night was uneventful – local activity only between patrols. 

Accordingly, by the night 19-20 January the Battalion was firmly established on the Tufo – Point 201 ridge. No rations or supplies of any kind could reach us and by that night we had been 24 hours on one haversack ration and had only what we carried with us for the night.

19 Jan 44 A Bofors gun crew in the Garigliano area.

 19 Jan 44

These men belong to a Bofors gun crew in the Garigliano area. They are doing some sewing and one is observing the sky for enemy planes. In the background transport on the Via Appia can be seen.

The crewmembers' names are also known: Sergeant T.R. Young of Barrhead near Glasgow; Bombardier N. McLean of Staffen, Isle of Skye; Lance Bombardier R. Ruddernam of Walsham-le-Willows, Suffolk; Gunner W. Elliot of Mile End, Glasgow; Gunner J. Prendergast of Bootle, Liverpool and the Padre is Captain Ritchie of Dunfermline.

"A Royal Artillery Bofors gun crew making repairs to their uniforms during operations to cross the Garigliano river in Italy, 19 January 1944. doing some sewing. Transport on the Via Appia can be seen in the background. (Photo Captain Richard Gade: IWM TR 1527) 

19 Jan 44 - Regimental Aid Post

          

Private J. Blundell and Gunner J.R. Howarth in their slit trench at a Regimental Aid Post, 

                                             (Photo Capt. R.F. Gade, IWM TR 1528)

 

NEW INFORMATION RECEIVED SINCE BOOK PUBLISHED.

 Book: Battle For Monte Natale Page 65 

1 Green Howards War Diary 19 Jan 44 – 1050 Leading elements of ‘C’ Company entering town [Minturno] followed shortly by ‘A’ Company. ‘B’ Company passed through to Point 141. Meet opposition, eventually getting one Platoon onto the feature. Remainder of Company held up by machine gun and mortar fire. Battalion HQ and ‘D’ Company to area 789960 [just North of Minturno] ‘A’ Company sent Platoon to assist Platoon of ‘D’ Company on Point 141 and get established.

"Mark Howard, historian researching the 98 Field Regiment Royal Artillery”

Lt. Col TB Davis Regimental History of the 98 Field Regiment Royal Artillery

19 Jan 44

“15 Brigade attacked the ridge, with Major Payne and the 471 Battery Observation Posts in support, and after a hard struggle the Green Howards fought their way into Minturno during the afternoon.”