NEW INFORMATION received since book published:
Book: Battle for Monte
Natale page 97
98 Field Regiment Royal
Artillery War Diary
20 Jan 44 – 1725
‘E’ Troop, 471 Battery
Observation Post, location 783966 [Hill in front of Cemetery]. Approx. eight
German Self-Propelled Guns and Mk. IV tanks in vicinity of road 780970 [Santa
Maria Infante]
Mark
Howard, historian researching the 98 Field Regiment Royal Artillery” :
Lt. Col TB Davis Regimental
History of the 98 Field Regiment Royal Artillery
20 Jan 44
l Battalion the York and Lancaster Regiment on
the right, supported by Captain Jerdein and E Troop Observation Post, seized
Monte Natale, a mile to the north of Minturno. During the afternoon the O.P.
was dive-bombed and Sergeant Howard was slightly wounded. Then, as the light
faded, the enemy counter-attacked in force and infiltrated to the right of the
position. The O.P. was heavily shelled and twice cuts in the remote control
cable were repaired under heavy fire by Bombardier Keast. Later, further German
advances cut off the O.P. completely, but Captain Jerdein managed in the dark
to work his to the way round to the south of the Monte Natale feature and
succeeded, in spite of heavy machine-gun fire, in joining the York and
Lancasters and his own O.P. vehicle just before the position was evacuated.
With the O.P. vehicle
Bombardier Belcher and Gunner Alcott had spent an uncomfortable night, having
first been closely shelled by a German self-propelled gun and then after dark
having tried in vain to contact their missing Troop Commander on foot. However,
Captain Jerdein completed an excellent day's work by backing the O.P. vehicle,
half trapped by shell craters, down a twisting, sunken lane and finally leading
the whole party back to Rear Headquarters Battalion near Point 172, north of
Minturno.”
20 Jan 44
“While this fighting was in
progress Captain Ian Anderson had been trying to lead three 471 Battery O.P.
Shermans up onto the Minturno ridge, but they had all become bogged in heavy
going on the far bank of the Garigliano.
Pressing on without them, he was on the point of reaching Point 172 when
his Dingo overturned and he had to be evacuated with an injured back.”
Bombardier Reggie Keast who won the Military Medal at Monte Natale as signaller to Captain Jerdein, 471 Battery Observation Post.
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