An Account of the Actions of the 58th (Suffolk) Medium Regiment RA During May 1940
Whilst not directly involved in fighting in the immediate area around Le Paradis, this diary from the Suffolk Regiment describes the retreat to Dunkirk, something the Norfolks, the Royal Scots and other regiments were fighting to support, although this was unknown to them at the time.
10th May
Germany invaded Holland and Belgium. At this time the regiment at Aix-Noulette was under 50 Div. II Corps, whose role it was under “Plan D” to advance via Roubaix – Sottegem – Alost to the left of the B.E.F. front covering Louvain with I Corps on the right, and III Corps moving up at a later date into reserve on the line of the River Escaut. 50 Div. was the reserve div. of II Corps, and was not to move until the last of II Corps.
As the guns were still on iron-tyred carriages, they were to go to Brussels by train.
15th May
The guns, with Lt. Brennan, 2nd/Lt. Macqueen and 50 O.R’s entrained at Lens under orders from G.H.Q. to R.T.O. Lens, for Bazieux and thence destination unknown.
Major Briscoe, R.A.M.C. was posted away and left. He went to G.H.Q to. become Assistant Director of Hygiene.
As about 3 Officers and 20 Other Ranks who were on leave in England had not rejoined us the following temporary promotions were made:
Lt Hitchcock to Captain
B.S.M. Fordham to R.S.M.
Sgt. Wrapson to B.S.M. of 230 Battery
It was decided to carry on without an R.Q.M.S. for the present.
17th May
11 p.m. The C.O. having been to G.H.Q. and thence to III Corps H.Q. had learned that the Regiment was now to go forward and come into action with III Corps instead of 50 Div. II Corps, and was to come under orders of H.Q.M.A. III Corps. The problem now was to connect with guns.
The C.O. and Major Ellis left Aix Noulette at 11:30 p.m. with all the Scammels for Oyghem in an attempt to locate and pick up the guns. Lt. Diamond went to see the R.T.O. at Lille and to rendezvous at Oyghem.
Saturday 18 May
4 a.m. The Regiment under Major Walter, left Aix-Noulette, and went via Bethune – Armentiers, Comines, Menin, Courtrai to Oyghem, arriving at about 9 a.m. where they found the Scammel party.
Major Walter and Capt. Twomey went to H.Q.M.A. III Corps at Marcke and received orders to meet C.C.M.A. at Anseghem Church with Battery Reconnaissance groups at 12.00 hrs. They returned to Oyghem picked up Battery Reconnaissance groups and proceeded to Anseghem. After the conference with C.C.M.A., 230 Battery went independently to reconnoitre a position in 4th Div area and came under Right Group M.A. Commander O.C. 69 Medium Regiment.
O.C. 58 Medium Regiment was to command Left Group M.A. in support of 44 Div. consisting of 229 Medium Battery. 241 Battery 69 Medium Regiment, (4.5” guns), and C. Battery/52 Heavy Regiment, (9.2” Howitzers), the last named to come into action when ordered.
The reconnaissance was carried out in the afternoon by Maj. Walter, Capt. Twomey, and Maj. Mason. This reconnaissance was very difficult as the Divisional Artillery positions were already fixed, and the Field Artillery had taken all the positions within 6” Howitzer range of the targets and zones given to us.
Positions for A and B Troops were eventually found just outside 44 Divisional area in the Belgian Army zone opposite Oudenarde.
“A” O.P. at Windmills in front of Petegem. “B” O.P. at road cutting between Oudenarde and R.H.Q. at Kleighoek farm.
A main W.L. was established at Spittals Wood but R.H.Q. and 229 Battery kept essential vehicles well forward.
The party then returned to Oyghem and brought 229 Battery (less guns) and R.H.Q. into action. (See Op. Order No. 1).
Meanwhile, O.C. 230 Battery was unable to find his Group Commander at the map reference given for his H.Q. He met the same difficulties on trying to find a position, but eventually selected one, and brought his Battery (less guns) into his W.L. at Krote for the night.
The weather was warm and sunny, and the sky blue and clear. It had been like this for most of our time at Aix-Noulette, and remained so right up to our return to France by the Comines bridge on 25 May when we had a little rain.
Sunday 19 May
230 Battery found that the positions selected had been occupied by a Field Battery. O.C. 230 Battery, eventually made contact with O.C. Right Group M.A. and in accordance with his instructions selected a position just sought of the railway line and two O.P’s. The Battery moved into the new W.L. about 3,000 yards N.W. for the night.
229 Battery continued to fix and occupy their positions (less guns).
Gun positions were dug and lines laid to O.P’s.
The advancing Bosche was in contact with our F.D.L.’s all along the line by nightfall, but our outposts remained on the east of the Escaut at Bois D’Enclus and Nukerk all night.
About midnight 19/20 May 40, 2nd/Lt. Macqueen arrived at R.H.Q. with an account of the adventures of the gun party and news that eight guns were at or near Lille. A message was sent to 229 Battery W.L., and 2nd/Lt Hindle with 8 Scammels left to collect these guns.
The guns had arrived at Berchem St. Agatha near Brussels, and were unloaded just when the withdrawal from the Louvain line was commencing and the flats were taken away by train. Orders were received to put the guns out of action, as there were no tractors for them; and dial sights, sight clinos, obdurating pads and locks were taken off and handed to the R.E.s.
The gunners were just about to take sled hammers to the sight brackets, wheels, etc when there seemed to be a chance of saving them. 2nd/Lt Macqueen and Lt. Brennan pestered an R.E. Unit and other Regiments and L.A.D.s and finally succeeded in getting the guns in relays, travelling at high speed on their iron tyres, back to Sottegem.
Eight were taken by rail from Sottegem to Courtrai, and by an error of the railway staff, on to Lille. The remainder were taken by an R.E. unit in relays to Berchem on the Escaut and on to Oyghem.
Monday, 20th May
The enemy attacked heavily all along the line at dawn, and it soon became evident that his main effort to cross would come opposite Melden. Dive bombing raids were made on Oudenarde.
The first shooting by the Left Group M.A. was done by 241/69 Medium Regiment 15.45 hours on enemy A.F.V.s. East of the wood near Melden, and on bridging convoys on roads on high ground 3,000 yards east of Oudenarde. The guns were shot off the map on information from”B” O.P. of 229 Battery and corrections were sent by Capt. Grimwood through our R.H.Q. at which the battery commander of 241 was at the time.
The eight guns from Lille arrived at 229 Battery W.L. in the afternoon. They were in a bad way and were examined. Wheels and spokes were loose, recuperator gears out of adjustment, sights and obturator pads missing, etc.
As the result of great work by the Battery fitters, S.Sjt Catling and Sjt Chatfield, and of the L.A.D., five guns were brought into action about 7 p.m. and the battery did some good shooting on Melden chiefly off the 1/50000 map. Sjt Sutcliffe’s gun, A Sub, fired the first round. From this time onwards the numbers of guns of the Regiment in action varied from four to eight. Owing to their shaky condition, guns were continually failing to run up, and were rickety on their carriages, and going out of action for various reasons. The fitters of both batteries and the L.A.D. worked unceasingly on them, and kept as many in action as was humanly possible.
230 Medium Battery in the Right Group M.A. dug their positions, laid telephone lines to O.P.s and manned O.P’s. They sent back many useful shelling connections and situation reports. The bulk of the battery remained at the W.L. still having no guns. At 8:30 p.m. they received the order from Right Group Comdr. to move the whole of the battery back to their W.L. and await orders from O.C. 58 Medium Regiment, to whose command they were to revert.
During the night a message was received from H.Q.M.A. to the effect that from information received, it was evident that the main enemy attack would develop about 5,000 yards north of Oudenarde, and that our guns must be prepared to shoot in this direction, and as far left as a bearing of 30°. As zero lines had been laid out on a zero line of 140° this meant manhandling guns out of gun pits into a new line and forsaking the harassing fire tasks which were in progress at the time. The detachments of 229 Battery worked all night on this heavy task.
At approximately midnight 20/21 May, orders were received from H.Q.M.A. to withdraw all 230 Battery, and all spare vehicles of 229 Battery and R.H.Q. to Heule, 3 miles north of Courtrai. Great difficulty was experienced in getting these orders through to 230 Battery and they did not in the end move until nearly 9 a.m. arriving at Heule about midday. During the night R.H.Q. were shelled by H.E. 5.9”; no damage and no casualties.
The remaining eight guns were collected by 230 Battery from Oyghem where some R.E’s had taken them from Berchem. 230 Battery took them straight to A.F.W.at Ypres.
Tuesday, 21 May
Enemy pressure increased on 44 Divisional front, the Germans wading across the Escaut at various points in front of Melden, some units being armed with one sub-machine gun per man. They pushed on in spite of counter attacks to Petegem, though the original line on the right and left were held. Our Infantry suffered very heavy casualties.
In consequence of this, and information gained from officers’ patrols, the letter “Precautionary Measures” was sent out.
During the morning H.Q.M.A. ordered the withdrawal of 229 Battery by Troops at times left to the discretion of O.C. 58 Medium Regiment to positions about Spittals Wood. “A” troop withdrew about 2 p.m. to positions previously reconnoitred by the 2nd in command and Adjutant at the eastern corner of the wood.
From 11 a.m. onwards all the day a single enemy reconnaissance aeroplane, quite unmolested, flew low over the whole 44 Div. area, and ranged German Batteries on all our Battery positions, some regiments sustaining heavy casualties.
“B” troop 229 Battery had, by about 4 p.m. already moved out to temporary alternative positions in a field about 600 yards from the battle positions to do some more shooting on Melden and the Escaut crossings, and had the pleasure of watching their old positions being shelled.
Later, B troop withdrew past R.H.Q. to Spittals Wood, Major Mason withdrawing in rear of his battery reported at R.H.Q. and as R.H.Q. were ready to leave, the 5.9” shelling opened on them again, all took cover in the slit trenches and there were no casualties. R.H.Q. moved back to a café in rear of Spittals Wood with W.L. in a deserted convent up a side road to the North.
A and B troops with no O.P’s did some further shooting on Melden and the Escaut from the 1/50000 map.
During the whole evening and the night the enemy put down lifts and switches of harassing fire in and around the wood.
Wednesday, 22 May
At 1 a.m. a message was received from H.Q.M.A. ordering the whole of the regiment to withdraw by a specified route (through Heule) to an assembly area in the woods between Gheluvelt and Ypres. Orders were issued to the batteries and R.H.Q. to proceed independently, and 229 Battery and R.H.Q. moved off about 3 a.m. (see Operation order No. 3). The batteries were then disposed about the woods, and rear R.H.Q. established at Stirling Castle, in a very fine private house on the cross roads which was given that name in the last war.
230 Battery took over the guns 229 had, five of which had been in action at Oudenarde, and 229 Battery took over seven of the eight guns which 230 Battery had sent to A.F.W. at Ypres, as the latter would only accept one of them into workshops.
The C.O. went to get orders from C.C.M.A. and on his return gave verbal orders to those concerned.
Major Walter and Capt. Twomey went to reconnoitre Advance R.H.Q. and decided on a farmhouse at Commerstraat and Major Ellis and his reconnaissance group went to reconnoitre his battery position and O.P’s.
Thursday, 23 May
229 Battery remained in the Gheluvelt wooded area which became the W.L. and Rear R.H.Q.
During the morning there was an air raid on Ypres and on the Regiments W.L. and R.H.Q., some bombs falling fairly nearby. Our anti-aircraft fire seemed singularly ineffective. Gnr. Mollison was wounded in the arm by a machine gun bullet from an aeroplane – our first casualty. 230 Battery prepared and dug their positions and O.P’s and laid line.
The positions were occupied in the early morning. Enemy advanced troops reached the line of the canal Menin-Courtrai by the evening.
As the 44 Div. almost ceased to exist after the casualties sustained at Oudenarde, the line in front of us was held b the Belgian 3 and 4 Infantry Brigade.
NOTE. – It was considered inadvisable to mention this fact in Operation Order No. 4.
Friday, 24 May
The Germans crossed the canal at Besseghem and pushed the Belgians back about 1,000 yards and advanced left handed towards Wevelchem, driving prisoners in front of them. We sent out many Officers’ patrols day and night to gain information, and 230 Battery did some shooting on the bridges over the canal, on Besseghem and Lauwe.
Saturday, 25 May
In his orders to withdraw the C.C.M.A. left the time at the discretion of O.C. 58 Medium Regiment, but support was to be continued as long as possible. The withdrawal was to be by Wervicq bridge to assembly area at wood 695510. C and D troops in their withdrawal came into action in temporary positions about Dadizeele, and did more shooting on Lauwe and Wevelgem, which was by this time in German hands.
An unfortunate incident occurred when replenishments of ammunition and petrol were sent up to 230 Battery in this position from the W.L. The party ran into some German infantry who were advancing fast on all sides, and a petrol lorry and an ammunition lorry, also 2 motor cycles, as well as the following personnel were captured: Gnr. Boon, F. G., Gnr. Borrett, G; D.R.s (229 Battery), Bdr. Hale, H.J. L/Bdr. Baalam, J. C., Gnr. Blakeley, T. (230 Battery) some others made a run for it and escaped.
Meanwhile at about 14.00 hours a message was sent to O.C. 229 Battery in the W.L. and to the Q.M. to withdraw the remainder of the Regiment to an assembly area south of Wervicq in France, and to reconnoitre a Battery position covering Mouscouron-Menin. (See copy of message at end of Operation Orders).
O.C. 58 Medium Regiment then arrived at H.Q. 230 Battery near Dadizeele and ordered 230 Battery to come into action in the neighbourhood of Oude – Kruiseeke with an R/T O.P. at the cutting in the Menin – Roulers Road. At this time the Belgians were retreating rapidly. The Germans had taken Menin and advancing units had moved up almost to Wervicq, and it became known almost simultaneously to Os.C. 229 Battery, 230 Battery and R.H.Q. that the bridge at Wervicq had been blown or destroyed by enemy action.
O.C. 229 Battery therefore took his party round through Comines and O.C. 230 Battery confronted by oncoming German tanks and A.F.V.s abandoned the plan of coming into action again in Belgium, and took his Battery through Comines into France.
At the same time Capt. Newton found that the locality selected for the O.P. was in German hands, and that the Belgians were instead holding the line of the more westerly road running S.W. to Gheluve. He made the line of the more westerly road running SW to Gheluve. He made good his escape, and communicated this information to III Corps H.Q. and to his B.C. by R/T.
By about 19.00 hours the C.O. 2nd in Command, Adjutant, and A/Adjutant crossed the Comines bridge just as it was about to be blown, and joined the Regiment fully assembled on French territory.
The officer sent to reconnoitre the assembly area found 4 Div. H.Q. and other units in possession, and it became necessary to take the Regiment a mile further south, and endeavour to scatter them in side roads and farms, all this took some time, and it soon became pitch dark, and some rain fell. Most of the Regiment remained in trucks, and got what sleep they could in their seats. The positions and O.P.s had been reconnoitred but could not be further prepared in the dark. 230 Battery were by this time very tired. At about 1 a.m. Sunday 26 May 40., 229 Battery moved back, with guns to La Croix.
Sunday, 26 May
230 Battery took six guns into action just north of Le Crumesse with O.P. on 60 ring Countour 3,000 yards south of Halluin. R.H.Q. at road junction 712503. These were excellent positions, and a magnificent O.P., but no shooting was done at all, as by this time the B.E.F.
Communications were cut and there were no further supplies of ammunition or rations available. German horsed and motorised convoys were seen pouring westwards between Wevelgem and Menin.
During the morning 229 Battery took over the guns in action and the O.P. and 230 Battery personnel and vehicles went to a W.L. with the remainder of 229 Battery vehicles at Croix au Bois behind the Deule canal.
Later in the day R.H.Q. on the orders of the C.C.M.A. moved back to a farm at 691471. Throughout the day and night other of our artillery were shooting, but we were ordered to remain silent and conserve our ammunition. We were given S.O.S. tasks but no harassing fire tasks. During the afternoon Major Walter and 2nd/Lt. Drake left under orders from C.C.M.A. for Dunkirk and England to join a home forces lecturing tour. The returning trucks and drivers were taken back to Dunkirk by Lt. Diamond who was proceeding independently, and as a result of enemy action on the ships they travelled on, Gnr. P. W. Robbens was reported missing.
Monday 27th, May
About midnight 26/27 May, 40, Lt. Diamond, who had been sent as liaison officer to H.Q.M.A. at La Tache arrived with a message ordering the Regiment to destroy the guns and proceed to Hogstaad near Dunkirk via Quesnoy – Messines – Vlamertinghe – Elverdinghe.
The batteries destroyed their guns by removing dial sights, sight clinos and breech mechanism, and knocking sight brackets, wheels, etc about. They then proceeded as independent columns on the route given to Hogstaad. By about 11.30 a.m. the Regiment was assembled at Hogstaad and proceeded on orders from a movement control staff officer to Houthem, where they sorted out what kit they could carry, and burnt all correspondence, etc.
2nd/Lt. Hindle, on a motor cycle, proceeded to Dunkirk but was given no orders for the Regiment. Capt. Twomey then went to II Corps H.Q. in whose area the regiment was rendezvoused, and was told to send an officer in to a different address in Dunkirk, and to take all the vehicles for destruction, east of the Canal east of the road Hogstaad – Furnes.
The C.O. went to Dunkirk and obtained a movement order in writing for the regiment to march to Bray Les Dunes immediately, for embarkation.
Capt. Twomey and R.S.M. Fordham assembled all the vehicles of the Regiment with one driver each, and led them to the place ordered for destruction, here they were knocked about, and put out of action to the best of the ability of the few men in the short time available, and the party returned to rejoin the regiment.
The Regiment marched on foot to Bray-Les-Dunes (about ten miles) arriving about 9 p.m. and were told off in groups under officers, and remained for the night on the sea-front.
No rations had been available for issue on this day, and the two days of preserved rations had been used up; the last two drawings of rations had been on less than a half scale. Water was scarce. The weather all day was again hot and sunny, vast columns of smoke drifted from Dunkirk, over the beach, and Bray – the result of enemy bombing raids in which oil tanks and buildings had been set on fire.
Tuesday, 28th May
In the morning while the Regt. was on the dunes, German planes attacked Bray and machine-gunned our columns coming into it. There was a lot of anti-aircraft fire. In the embarking arrangements on Bray beach, we were given Serial Number 2 for embarkation, but many other units arrived thick and fast through the night and day, and it became evident that all could not be embarked here, so the 58 Medium Regiment with various others were ordered to march along the sands to embark at Dunkirk (about 6 miles). After a short march a part of the beach was reached which was crowded with units, and on which embarkation was proceeding at two points. As the Regiment could not proceed beyond all this congestion, the C.O. found and reported to an Embarkation Office where a Brigadier seemed to be in charge in a private house just behind the Belgian Coast Guard Fort in the dunes. Here we were allotted Serial No. 26 (verbally) for embarkation on the beach, and the Regiment prepared to spend the night spread along a portion of the dunes.
Just before dark several new ships, chiefly minesweepers, were sighted approaching, and Lt. Hitchcock waded into the sea, hailed the boat put off from one of these, and commenced to embark 230 Battery.
229 Battery and R.H.Q. were then brought up in parallel columns to form additional embarking parties in other boats.
The Minesweeper, H.M.S. Kellet could only take 450 of our men, and they were embarked. They consisted chiefly of 230 Battery and R.H.Q. and a few 229 Battery, with also the H.Q.M.A. Staff of III Corps and a number of “hangers on” from other Regiments. When H.M.S. Kellet put off, Major Mason was left in charge of 7 other officers and 230 men chiefly of his own battery, and R.H.Q. and a few of 230 Bty. and of our F/3 R.A.S.C. section. These returned to the dunes for a short sleep.
Wednesday, 29th May
In the early morning, another vessel was seen approaching the beach opposite us, and we hailed the small boats, and managed, in spite of a choppy sea and an income tide to get 12 more men off before the embarkation authorities arrived and took over the boats and embarkation. On making contact again with the embarkation office, it was then discovered that they knew nothing of our being allotted serial No. 26, which was in fact allotted to some other unit, Serial No. 33 (last on the list) was therefore allotted to us, and a signed slip given as a pass, several other units having arrived during the night.
About 9 a.m. we were marched on to a point further along the beach where serials were being sorted out and we then formed in a long beach queue of units forming up at various embarking points. We had found that three other units were included in serial No. 33, and we lost the toss with these, and were again that much further back in the queues. In addition several units came in front of us, when it was given out that serial numbers had been abolished.
In the afternoon we abandoned this beach as hopeless, and marched for Dunkirk, in the hopes of embarking on what was left of the Mole after the German air raids.
After being stopped by a beach piquet lined up from the dunes to the sea, we managed to take over their duties, and stopped further units from going past this point.
We then followed behind the last of the units in front of us, but progress was very slow, as the beaches were by now crowded with troops. During one halt we scraped holes to take cover from a German air raid, and witnessed a very intensive dive bombing raid on the vessels just off the coast and on Dunkirk, and its mole, lasting two hours. One destroyer was sunk, another hit, and one transport sunk, and two set on fire, but the crowded beaches were fortunately left alone.
The night was spent continuing the march to Dunkirk very slowly with very short marches and long halts owing to congestion. At each halt all went to sleep in the ranks where they halted. Dunkirk was shelled by land guns at night.
Thursday, 30th May
In the morning we were told that embarkation seemed fairly hopeless, that we must go back well into the dunes, dig in against air attack, and establish a Command Post on the forward edge of the dunes, and await orders. Later by mere luck we found out that the beach had been divided into sections, and making contact with the other units of our section, we organised it in groups of 60 men – there were 32 groups in our section of about 200 yards – and drew from the hat the order in which the groups would embark. Again we drew badly on this deal. About 3.30 p.m. Major Mason attended a conference in which beaches were amalgamated and serial numbers again allotted. He managed to obtain serial No. 7 for the Regiment, but it was discovered that 4 Medium Regiment were also in that serial, and on the toss we again lost, and had to be behind them. Ships were expected at 6.30 but did not arrive until 10 p. m., and loading was very slow and continued all night. The enemy shelled the dunes and beach intermittently all night.
Friday, 31st May
At daylight there was still all of 4 Medium Regiment to embark and two embarking points with a number of small boats loading troops into two small Dutch coasting vessels – a Destroyer having been previously filled and put off.
Major Mason and Capt. Underwood and 2/Lt. Stevenson loaded troops at one point and Capt. Grimwood, Capt. Twomey and Lt. Brennan at the other point. The tide was coming in fast and the waves were increasing under a fair wind. The water was finally up to the armpits. Having loaded all 4 Medium Regiment the remainder of 58 Medium Regiment were eventually got on and at about 8 a.m. the ships left the coast for Margate pier, where we arrived at 6 p.m. Trains then took troops to various parts of the country at random.
The bulk of the regiment was assembled at Larkhill between 2 and 11 June, 40, and on 12 June, 40 moved to Poole, Dorset, where they were billeted awaiting re-equipment.
Germany invaded Holland and Belgium. At this time the regiment at Aix-Noulette was under 50 Div. II Corps, whose role it was under “Plan D” to advance via Roubaix – Sottegem – Alost to the left of the B.E.F. front covering Louvain with I Corps on the right, and III Corps moving up at a later date into reserve on the line of the River Escaut. 50 Div. was the reserve div. of II Corps, and was not to move until the last of II Corps.
As the guns were still on iron-tyred carriages, they were to go to Brussels by train.
15th May
The guns, with Lt. Brennan, 2nd/Lt. Macqueen and 50 O.R’s entrained at Lens under orders from G.H.Q. to R.T.O. Lens, for Bazieux and thence destination unknown.
Major Briscoe, R.A.M.C. was posted away and left. He went to G.H.Q to. become Assistant Director of Hygiene.
As about 3 Officers and 20 Other Ranks who were on leave in England had not rejoined us the following temporary promotions were made:
Lt Hitchcock to Captain
B.S.M. Fordham to R.S.M.
Sgt. Wrapson to B.S.M. of 230 Battery
It was decided to carry on without an R.Q.M.S. for the present.
17th May
11 p.m. The C.O. having been to G.H.Q. and thence to III Corps H.Q. had learned that the Regiment was now to go forward and come into action with III Corps instead of 50 Div. II Corps, and was to come under orders of H.Q.M.A. III Corps. The problem now was to connect with guns.
The C.O. and Major Ellis left Aix Noulette at 11:30 p.m. with all the Scammels for Oyghem in an attempt to locate and pick up the guns. Lt. Diamond went to see the R.T.O. at Lille and to rendezvous at Oyghem.
Saturday 18 May
4 a.m. The Regiment under Major Walter, left Aix-Noulette, and went via Bethune – Armentiers, Comines, Menin, Courtrai to Oyghem, arriving at about 9 a.m. where they found the Scammel party.
Major Walter and Capt. Twomey went to H.Q.M.A. III Corps at Marcke and received orders to meet C.C.M.A. at Anseghem Church with Battery Reconnaissance groups at 12.00 hrs. They returned to Oyghem picked up Battery Reconnaissance groups and proceeded to Anseghem. After the conference with C.C.M.A., 230 Battery went independently to reconnoitre a position in 4th Div area and came under Right Group M.A. Commander O.C. 69 Medium Regiment.
O.C. 58 Medium Regiment was to command Left Group M.A. in support of 44 Div. consisting of 229 Medium Battery. 241 Battery 69 Medium Regiment, (4.5” guns), and C. Battery/52 Heavy Regiment, (9.2” Howitzers), the last named to come into action when ordered.
The reconnaissance was carried out in the afternoon by Maj. Walter, Capt. Twomey, and Maj. Mason. This reconnaissance was very difficult as the Divisional Artillery positions were already fixed, and the Field Artillery had taken all the positions within 6” Howitzer range of the targets and zones given to us.
Positions for A and B Troops were eventually found just outside 44 Divisional area in the Belgian Army zone opposite Oudenarde.
“A” O.P. at Windmills in front of Petegem. “B” O.P. at road cutting between Oudenarde and R.H.Q. at Kleighoek farm.
A main W.L. was established at Spittals Wood but R.H.Q. and 229 Battery kept essential vehicles well forward.
The party then returned to Oyghem and brought 229 Battery (less guns) and R.H.Q. into action. (See Op. Order No. 1).
Meanwhile, O.C. 230 Battery was unable to find his Group Commander at the map reference given for his H.Q. He met the same difficulties on trying to find a position, but eventually selected one, and brought his Battery (less guns) into his W.L. at Krote for the night.
The weather was warm and sunny, and the sky blue and clear. It had been like this for most of our time at Aix-Noulette, and remained so right up to our return to France by the Comines bridge on 25 May when we had a little rain.
Sunday 19 May
230 Battery found that the positions selected had been occupied by a Field Battery. O.C. 230 Battery, eventually made contact with O.C. Right Group M.A. and in accordance with his instructions selected a position just sought of the railway line and two O.P’s. The Battery moved into the new W.L. about 3,000 yards N.W. for the night.
229 Battery continued to fix and occupy their positions (less guns).
Gun positions were dug and lines laid to O.P’s.
The advancing Bosche was in contact with our F.D.L.’s all along the line by nightfall, but our outposts remained on the east of the Escaut at Bois D’Enclus and Nukerk all night.
About midnight 19/20 May 40, 2nd/Lt. Macqueen arrived at R.H.Q. with an account of the adventures of the gun party and news that eight guns were at or near Lille. A message was sent to 229 Battery W.L., and 2nd/Lt Hindle with 8 Scammels left to collect these guns.
The guns had arrived at Berchem St. Agatha near Brussels, and were unloaded just when the withdrawal from the Louvain line was commencing and the flats were taken away by train. Orders were received to put the guns out of action, as there were no tractors for them; and dial sights, sight clinos, obdurating pads and locks were taken off and handed to the R.E.s.
The gunners were just about to take sled hammers to the sight brackets, wheels, etc when there seemed to be a chance of saving them. 2nd/Lt Macqueen and Lt. Brennan pestered an R.E. Unit and other Regiments and L.A.D.s and finally succeeded in getting the guns in relays, travelling at high speed on their iron tyres, back to Sottegem.
Eight were taken by rail from Sottegem to Courtrai, and by an error of the railway staff, on to Lille. The remainder were taken by an R.E. unit in relays to Berchem on the Escaut and on to Oyghem.
Monday, 20th May
The enemy attacked heavily all along the line at dawn, and it soon became evident that his main effort to cross would come opposite Melden. Dive bombing raids were made on Oudenarde.
The first shooting by the Left Group M.A. was done by 241/69 Medium Regiment 15.45 hours on enemy A.F.V.s. East of the wood near Melden, and on bridging convoys on roads on high ground 3,000 yards east of Oudenarde. The guns were shot off the map on information from”B” O.P. of 229 Battery and corrections were sent by Capt. Grimwood through our R.H.Q. at which the battery commander of 241 was at the time.
The eight guns from Lille arrived at 229 Battery W.L. in the afternoon. They were in a bad way and were examined. Wheels and spokes were loose, recuperator gears out of adjustment, sights and obturator pads missing, etc.
As the result of great work by the Battery fitters, S.Sjt Catling and Sjt Chatfield, and of the L.A.D., five guns were brought into action about 7 p.m. and the battery did some good shooting on Melden chiefly off the 1/50000 map. Sjt Sutcliffe’s gun, A Sub, fired the first round. From this time onwards the numbers of guns of the Regiment in action varied from four to eight. Owing to their shaky condition, guns were continually failing to run up, and were rickety on their carriages, and going out of action for various reasons. The fitters of both batteries and the L.A.D. worked unceasingly on them, and kept as many in action as was humanly possible.
230 Medium Battery in the Right Group M.A. dug their positions, laid telephone lines to O.P.s and manned O.P’s. They sent back many useful shelling connections and situation reports. The bulk of the battery remained at the W.L. still having no guns. At 8:30 p.m. they received the order from Right Group Comdr. to move the whole of the battery back to their W.L. and await orders from O.C. 58 Medium Regiment, to whose command they were to revert.
During the night a message was received from H.Q.M.A. to the effect that from information received, it was evident that the main enemy attack would develop about 5,000 yards north of Oudenarde, and that our guns must be prepared to shoot in this direction, and as far left as a bearing of 30°. As zero lines had been laid out on a zero line of 140° this meant manhandling guns out of gun pits into a new line and forsaking the harassing fire tasks which were in progress at the time. The detachments of 229 Battery worked all night on this heavy task.
At approximately midnight 20/21 May, orders were received from H.Q.M.A. to withdraw all 230 Battery, and all spare vehicles of 229 Battery and R.H.Q. to Heule, 3 miles north of Courtrai. Great difficulty was experienced in getting these orders through to 230 Battery and they did not in the end move until nearly 9 a.m. arriving at Heule about midday. During the night R.H.Q. were shelled by H.E. 5.9”; no damage and no casualties.
The remaining eight guns were collected by 230 Battery from Oyghem where some R.E’s had taken them from Berchem. 230 Battery took them straight to A.F.W.at Ypres.
Tuesday, 21 May
Enemy pressure increased on 44 Divisional front, the Germans wading across the Escaut at various points in front of Melden, some units being armed with one sub-machine gun per man. They pushed on in spite of counter attacks to Petegem, though the original line on the right and left were held. Our Infantry suffered very heavy casualties.
In consequence of this, and information gained from officers’ patrols, the letter “Precautionary Measures” was sent out.
During the morning H.Q.M.A. ordered the withdrawal of 229 Battery by Troops at times left to the discretion of O.C. 58 Medium Regiment to positions about Spittals Wood. “A” troop withdrew about 2 p.m. to positions previously reconnoitred by the 2nd in command and Adjutant at the eastern corner of the wood.
From 11 a.m. onwards all the day a single enemy reconnaissance aeroplane, quite unmolested, flew low over the whole 44 Div. area, and ranged German Batteries on all our Battery positions, some regiments sustaining heavy casualties.
“B” troop 229 Battery had, by about 4 p.m. already moved out to temporary alternative positions in a field about 600 yards from the battle positions to do some more shooting on Melden and the Escaut crossings, and had the pleasure of watching their old positions being shelled.
Later, B troop withdrew past R.H.Q. to Spittals Wood, Major Mason withdrawing in rear of his battery reported at R.H.Q. and as R.H.Q. were ready to leave, the 5.9” shelling opened on them again, all took cover in the slit trenches and there were no casualties. R.H.Q. moved back to a café in rear of Spittals Wood with W.L. in a deserted convent up a side road to the North.
A and B troops with no O.P’s did some further shooting on Melden and the Escaut from the 1/50000 map.
During the whole evening and the night the enemy put down lifts and switches of harassing fire in and around the wood.
Wednesday, 22 May
At 1 a.m. a message was received from H.Q.M.A. ordering the whole of the regiment to withdraw by a specified route (through Heule) to an assembly area in the woods between Gheluvelt and Ypres. Orders were issued to the batteries and R.H.Q. to proceed independently, and 229 Battery and R.H.Q. moved off about 3 a.m. (see Operation order No. 3). The batteries were then disposed about the woods, and rear R.H.Q. established at Stirling Castle, in a very fine private house on the cross roads which was given that name in the last war.
230 Battery took over the guns 229 had, five of which had been in action at Oudenarde, and 229 Battery took over seven of the eight guns which 230 Battery had sent to A.F.W. at Ypres, as the latter would only accept one of them into workshops.
The C.O. went to get orders from C.C.M.A. and on his return gave verbal orders to those concerned.
Major Walter and Capt. Twomey went to reconnoitre Advance R.H.Q. and decided on a farmhouse at Commerstraat and Major Ellis and his reconnaissance group went to reconnoitre his battery position and O.P’s.
Thursday, 23 May
229 Battery remained in the Gheluvelt wooded area which became the W.L. and Rear R.H.Q.
During the morning there was an air raid on Ypres and on the Regiments W.L. and R.H.Q., some bombs falling fairly nearby. Our anti-aircraft fire seemed singularly ineffective. Gnr. Mollison was wounded in the arm by a machine gun bullet from an aeroplane – our first casualty. 230 Battery prepared and dug their positions and O.P’s and laid line.
The positions were occupied in the early morning. Enemy advanced troops reached the line of the canal Menin-Courtrai by the evening.
As the 44 Div. almost ceased to exist after the casualties sustained at Oudenarde, the line in front of us was held b the Belgian 3 and 4 Infantry Brigade.
NOTE. – It was considered inadvisable to mention this fact in Operation Order No. 4.
Friday, 24 May
The Germans crossed the canal at Besseghem and pushed the Belgians back about 1,000 yards and advanced left handed towards Wevelchem, driving prisoners in front of them. We sent out many Officers’ patrols day and night to gain information, and 230 Battery did some shooting on the bridges over the canal, on Besseghem and Lauwe.
Saturday, 25 May
In his orders to withdraw the C.C.M.A. left the time at the discretion of O.C. 58 Medium Regiment, but support was to be continued as long as possible. The withdrawal was to be by Wervicq bridge to assembly area at wood 695510. C and D troops in their withdrawal came into action in temporary positions about Dadizeele, and did more shooting on Lauwe and Wevelgem, which was by this time in German hands.
An unfortunate incident occurred when replenishments of ammunition and petrol were sent up to 230 Battery in this position from the W.L. The party ran into some German infantry who were advancing fast on all sides, and a petrol lorry and an ammunition lorry, also 2 motor cycles, as well as the following personnel were captured: Gnr. Boon, F. G., Gnr. Borrett, G; D.R.s (229 Battery), Bdr. Hale, H.J. L/Bdr. Baalam, J. C., Gnr. Blakeley, T. (230 Battery) some others made a run for it and escaped.
Meanwhile at about 14.00 hours a message was sent to O.C. 229 Battery in the W.L. and to the Q.M. to withdraw the remainder of the Regiment to an assembly area south of Wervicq in France, and to reconnoitre a Battery position covering Mouscouron-Menin. (See copy of message at end of Operation Orders).
O.C. 58 Medium Regiment then arrived at H.Q. 230 Battery near Dadizeele and ordered 230 Battery to come into action in the neighbourhood of Oude – Kruiseeke with an R/T O.P. at the cutting in the Menin – Roulers Road. At this time the Belgians were retreating rapidly. The Germans had taken Menin and advancing units had moved up almost to Wervicq, and it became known almost simultaneously to Os.C. 229 Battery, 230 Battery and R.H.Q. that the bridge at Wervicq had been blown or destroyed by enemy action.
O.C. 229 Battery therefore took his party round through Comines and O.C. 230 Battery confronted by oncoming German tanks and A.F.V.s abandoned the plan of coming into action again in Belgium, and took his Battery through Comines into France.
At the same time Capt. Newton found that the locality selected for the O.P. was in German hands, and that the Belgians were instead holding the line of the more westerly road running S.W. to Gheluve. He made the line of the more westerly road running SW to Gheluve. He made good his escape, and communicated this information to III Corps H.Q. and to his B.C. by R/T.
By about 19.00 hours the C.O. 2nd in Command, Adjutant, and A/Adjutant crossed the Comines bridge just as it was about to be blown, and joined the Regiment fully assembled on French territory.
The officer sent to reconnoitre the assembly area found 4 Div. H.Q. and other units in possession, and it became necessary to take the Regiment a mile further south, and endeavour to scatter them in side roads and farms, all this took some time, and it soon became pitch dark, and some rain fell. Most of the Regiment remained in trucks, and got what sleep they could in their seats. The positions and O.P.s had been reconnoitred but could not be further prepared in the dark. 230 Battery were by this time very tired. At about 1 a.m. Sunday 26 May 40., 229 Battery moved back, with guns to La Croix.
Sunday, 26 May
230 Battery took six guns into action just north of Le Crumesse with O.P. on 60 ring Countour 3,000 yards south of Halluin. R.H.Q. at road junction 712503. These were excellent positions, and a magnificent O.P., but no shooting was done at all, as by this time the B.E.F.
Communications were cut and there were no further supplies of ammunition or rations available. German horsed and motorised convoys were seen pouring westwards between Wevelgem and Menin.
During the morning 229 Battery took over the guns in action and the O.P. and 230 Battery personnel and vehicles went to a W.L. with the remainder of 229 Battery vehicles at Croix au Bois behind the Deule canal.
Later in the day R.H.Q. on the orders of the C.C.M.A. moved back to a farm at 691471. Throughout the day and night other of our artillery were shooting, but we were ordered to remain silent and conserve our ammunition. We were given S.O.S. tasks but no harassing fire tasks. During the afternoon Major Walter and 2nd/Lt. Drake left under orders from C.C.M.A. for Dunkirk and England to join a home forces lecturing tour. The returning trucks and drivers were taken back to Dunkirk by Lt. Diamond who was proceeding independently, and as a result of enemy action on the ships they travelled on, Gnr. P. W. Robbens was reported missing.
Monday 27th, May
About midnight 26/27 May, 40, Lt. Diamond, who had been sent as liaison officer to H.Q.M.A. at La Tache arrived with a message ordering the Regiment to destroy the guns and proceed to Hogstaad near Dunkirk via Quesnoy – Messines – Vlamertinghe – Elverdinghe.
The batteries destroyed their guns by removing dial sights, sight clinos and breech mechanism, and knocking sight brackets, wheels, etc about. They then proceeded as independent columns on the route given to Hogstaad. By about 11.30 a.m. the Regiment was assembled at Hogstaad and proceeded on orders from a movement control staff officer to Houthem, where they sorted out what kit they could carry, and burnt all correspondence, etc.
2nd/Lt. Hindle, on a motor cycle, proceeded to Dunkirk but was given no orders for the Regiment. Capt. Twomey then went to II Corps H.Q. in whose area the regiment was rendezvoused, and was told to send an officer in to a different address in Dunkirk, and to take all the vehicles for destruction, east of the Canal east of the road Hogstaad – Furnes.
The C.O. went to Dunkirk and obtained a movement order in writing for the regiment to march to Bray Les Dunes immediately, for embarkation.
Capt. Twomey and R.S.M. Fordham assembled all the vehicles of the Regiment with one driver each, and led them to the place ordered for destruction, here they were knocked about, and put out of action to the best of the ability of the few men in the short time available, and the party returned to rejoin the regiment.
The Regiment marched on foot to Bray-Les-Dunes (about ten miles) arriving about 9 p.m. and were told off in groups under officers, and remained for the night on the sea-front.
No rations had been available for issue on this day, and the two days of preserved rations had been used up; the last two drawings of rations had been on less than a half scale. Water was scarce. The weather all day was again hot and sunny, vast columns of smoke drifted from Dunkirk, over the beach, and Bray – the result of enemy bombing raids in which oil tanks and buildings had been set on fire.
Tuesday, 28th May
In the morning while the Regt. was on the dunes, German planes attacked Bray and machine-gunned our columns coming into it. There was a lot of anti-aircraft fire. In the embarking arrangements on Bray beach, we were given Serial Number 2 for embarkation, but many other units arrived thick and fast through the night and day, and it became evident that all could not be embarked here, so the 58 Medium Regiment with various others were ordered to march along the sands to embark at Dunkirk (about 6 miles). After a short march a part of the beach was reached which was crowded with units, and on which embarkation was proceeding at two points. As the Regiment could not proceed beyond all this congestion, the C.O. found and reported to an Embarkation Office where a Brigadier seemed to be in charge in a private house just behind the Belgian Coast Guard Fort in the dunes. Here we were allotted Serial No. 26 (verbally) for embarkation on the beach, and the Regiment prepared to spend the night spread along a portion of the dunes.
Just before dark several new ships, chiefly minesweepers, were sighted approaching, and Lt. Hitchcock waded into the sea, hailed the boat put off from one of these, and commenced to embark 230 Battery.
229 Battery and R.H.Q. were then brought up in parallel columns to form additional embarking parties in other boats.
The Minesweeper, H.M.S. Kellet could only take 450 of our men, and they were embarked. They consisted chiefly of 230 Battery and R.H.Q. and a few 229 Battery, with also the H.Q.M.A. Staff of III Corps and a number of “hangers on” from other Regiments. When H.M.S. Kellet put off, Major Mason was left in charge of 7 other officers and 230 men chiefly of his own battery, and R.H.Q. and a few of 230 Bty. and of our F/3 R.A.S.C. section. These returned to the dunes for a short sleep.
Wednesday, 29th May
In the early morning, another vessel was seen approaching the beach opposite us, and we hailed the small boats, and managed, in spite of a choppy sea and an income tide to get 12 more men off before the embarkation authorities arrived and took over the boats and embarkation. On making contact again with the embarkation office, it was then discovered that they knew nothing of our being allotted serial No. 26, which was in fact allotted to some other unit, Serial No. 33 (last on the list) was therefore allotted to us, and a signed slip given as a pass, several other units having arrived during the night.
About 9 a.m. we were marched on to a point further along the beach where serials were being sorted out and we then formed in a long beach queue of units forming up at various embarking points. We had found that three other units were included in serial No. 33, and we lost the toss with these, and were again that much further back in the queues. In addition several units came in front of us, when it was given out that serial numbers had been abolished.
In the afternoon we abandoned this beach as hopeless, and marched for Dunkirk, in the hopes of embarking on what was left of the Mole after the German air raids.
After being stopped by a beach piquet lined up from the dunes to the sea, we managed to take over their duties, and stopped further units from going past this point.
We then followed behind the last of the units in front of us, but progress was very slow, as the beaches were by now crowded with troops. During one halt we scraped holes to take cover from a German air raid, and witnessed a very intensive dive bombing raid on the vessels just off the coast and on Dunkirk, and its mole, lasting two hours. One destroyer was sunk, another hit, and one transport sunk, and two set on fire, but the crowded beaches were fortunately left alone.
The night was spent continuing the march to Dunkirk very slowly with very short marches and long halts owing to congestion. At each halt all went to sleep in the ranks where they halted. Dunkirk was shelled by land guns at night.
Thursday, 30th May
In the morning we were told that embarkation seemed fairly hopeless, that we must go back well into the dunes, dig in against air attack, and establish a Command Post on the forward edge of the dunes, and await orders. Later by mere luck we found out that the beach had been divided into sections, and making contact with the other units of our section, we organised it in groups of 60 men – there were 32 groups in our section of about 200 yards – and drew from the hat the order in which the groups would embark. Again we drew badly on this deal. About 3.30 p.m. Major Mason attended a conference in which beaches were amalgamated and serial numbers again allotted. He managed to obtain serial No. 7 for the Regiment, but it was discovered that 4 Medium Regiment were also in that serial, and on the toss we again lost, and had to be behind them. Ships were expected at 6.30 but did not arrive until 10 p. m., and loading was very slow and continued all night. The enemy shelled the dunes and beach intermittently all night.
Friday, 31st May
At daylight there was still all of 4 Medium Regiment to embark and two embarking points with a number of small boats loading troops into two small Dutch coasting vessels – a Destroyer having been previously filled and put off.
Major Mason and Capt. Underwood and 2/Lt. Stevenson loaded troops at one point and Capt. Grimwood, Capt. Twomey and Lt. Brennan at the other point. The tide was coming in fast and the waves were increasing under a fair wind. The water was finally up to the armpits. Having loaded all 4 Medium Regiment the remainder of 58 Medium Regiment were eventually got on and at about 8 a.m. the ships left the coast for Margate pier, where we arrived at 6 p.m. Trains then took troops to various parts of the country at random.
The bulk of the regiment was assembled at Larkhill between 2 and 11 June, 40, and on 12 June, 40 moved to Poole, Dorset, where they were billeted awaiting re-equipment.