NEW INFORMATION 1KOYLI 18 Jan 44

 

NEW INFORMATION RECEIVED SINCE BOOK PUBLISHED

From Norway to Burma by Roger Holgate

18 Jan 44

On the morning of 18 Jan 44 the assault Brigades had formed up and were attacking everywhere, enlarging the bridgehead.   Casualties had been heavy, and it was realised that such a rate of attrition could not be sustained for too long.

            On the night of 18 Jan 44, the three Battalions of 15 Brigade were sent in.   Brigadier Martin led the crossing of 1 KOYLI, 1 Green Howards and 1 York & Lancs., on a motley of boats and rafts, as the enemy observation posts directed artillery fire onto them.   Three rafts were destroyed.   The engineers had been unable to construct a bridge because of that same fire, and although they managed to throw a boat bridge across the river by 2am, the first vehicle to cross struck a mine, and the wreckage took 3 hours to clear.

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