| 1st Glamorganshire Artillery Volunteers | |
|---|---|
 Waistbelt clasp of the 1st Glamorganshire Artillery Volunteers, c1890 | |
| Active | 1859–1961 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Territorial Army |
| Type | Artillery Regiment |
| Role | Garrison Artillery Field Artillery |
| Garrison/HQ | Cardiff Swansea (from 1890) |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Sir Edward Stock Hill,VD |
The1st Glamorganshire Artillery Volunteers was formed in 1859 in response to a French invasion threat. Raised as a coast artillery unit, it later became part of theRoyal Field Artillery in theTerritorial Force and served during both World Wars until amalgamated in 1961.
The enthusiasm for theVolunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Volunteer Corps composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the RegularBritish Army in time of need.[1][2][3] A number of Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs) were formed for coastal defence inSouth Wales, and by 8 November 1861 they had been consolidated into the1st Administrative Brigade of Glamorganshire Artillery Volunteers based atCardiff with the following components:[4][5][6][7]
The 1st Glamorgan AVC at Swansea was raised by CaptainGeorge Grant Francis. The unit's initial training was given by the permanent staff of the Swansea-basedRoyal Glamorgan Artillery Militia (RGAM). In 1860 a pair of18-pounder muzzle-loading cannon arrived in Swansea for the Volunteers who installed them on the Swansea Embankment. The RGAM, which had no guns of its own, were able to use them for their 1860 annual training. A proposal to mount a heavy battery for the RGAM on thesalient angle of Swansea Pier was abandoned when it was found that the structure would not support its weight. In June 1861 five68-pounder muzzle-loaders were installed in a two-tier battery atLighthouse Island offMumbles Point. A sergeant and five gunners of the Coast Brigade of theRoyal Artillery were responsible for maintaining the battery, but its manning was the responsibility of the RGAM and the Volunteers. In the late 1870s at least two of the 68-pdrs were replaced by80-pdr rifled muzzle-loaders[a] on traversing slide carriages, but financial stringency prevented any further modernisation and the battery's armament remained unchanged to the end of the 19th Century.[8]
Captain John Hewett of the 3rd Glamorgan AVC[9] commanded the 1st Admin Brigade as aMajor, laterLieutenant-Colonel.[10] Lieutenant-Col Hewett became theHonorary Colonel of the 1st Admin Brigade on 22 July 1864, when MajEdward Stock Hill of the 3rd Glamorgan AVC succeeded him in command;[11] Capt Francis of the 1st Glamorgan AVC had previously been promoted as second major of the brigade on 6 May 1864 and became second lt-col on 27 April 1868.[12]
Also attached to the Admin Brigade were the1st Glamorgan Light Horse Volunteers (formed at Cardiff 15 February 1861, disbanded 1873)[5][13][14] and the1st Monmouthshire AVC atNewport (attached from 1864 to 1866).[5][6][15]
In May 1880 the Corps were consolidated as the1st Glamorganshire Artillery Volunteer Corps with 17 batteries provided by the following Corps:[4][5][6]
In 1890 the unit's headquarters was moved to Swansea from Cardiff and the Cardiff batteries were detached to form a new2nd Glamorganshire AVC as a separate unit.[4][5][12] The commanding officer (CO), Sir Edward Stock Hill,Member of Parliament forBristol South, first appointed on 22 July 1864, remainedLieutenant-Colonel Commandant of both units, though each had its own lieutenant-colonel andHonorary Colonel.[12]
The Glamorganshire Artillery Volunteers formed part of theWelsh Division of theRoyal Artillery (RA) from 1882 until 1889 when they were absorbed into theWestern Division.[4] By 1893 the War Office Mobilisation Scheme had allocated the 1st Glamorgan Artillery Volunteers to the defences atMilford Haven.[16] In 1899 the artillery volunteers became part of theRoyal Garrison Artillery (RGA). On 1 January 1902 the RGA's divisional structure was abolished, and the unit at Swansea was designated the1st Glamorganshire RGA (Volunteers).[6][12][17]
When theVolunteer Force was subsumed into the newTerritorial Force (TF) under theHaldane Reforms of 1908,[18][19] the 1st Glamorganshire RGA (V) transferred to theRoyal Field Artillery with the following organisation:[5][6][12][20][21][22][23]
1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade RFA
The unit was the senior field artillery brigade in the TF'sWelsh Division, and was equipped with5-inch breechloading howitzers.[12][21][23][27][28][29]
After the order to mobilise was received on 4 August 1914, the units of the Welsh Division assembled at their drill halls. The 1st Welsh Brigade mobilised at Swansea under the command of a regular officer,Major (Temporary Lt-Col, TF) J. Henry.[12][23][30]
By 11 August the Welsh units had completed their concentration and TF members were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service. Four days later theWar Office (WO) issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. Then on 31 August the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate batteries, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas.[23][29][31][32]
At the end of August the Welsh Division concentrated atNorthampton to continue its training. On 18 November the division was warned for garrison duty inIndia, but this was cancelled and in December it moved toCambridge, then toBedford in May 1915. In July the infantry of the division (now renamed the 53rd (Welsh) Division) embarked for service atGallipoli, but the divisional artillery remained at Bedford. In October the batteries were re-armed with modern4.5-inch howitzers and on 8 November they handed over their obsolescent 5-inch howitzers to their 2nd Line unit, which had just arrived at Bedford.[23][29][30][33][34]
53rd (Welsh) Divisional Artillery was now ordered to France to join theBritish Expeditionary Force (BEF) on theWestern Front. It embarked on 20 November and had concentrated atPont-Remy by 25 November, from where parties were sent to various divisional artilleries for instruction in front line duties.[23][29][30][35]
Meanwhile, after suffering appalling casualties at Gallipoli, 53rd (Welsh) Division had been withdrawn toEgypt to refit. On 30 January 1916 the divisional artillery was ordered to rejoin the rest of the division. The batteries entrained at Pont-Remy, embarked atMarseilles on 3 February and disembarked atAlexandria on 11 February. By 22 February the artillery had rejoined the division at Beni Salama. For the rest of the year the recuperating division was stationed in theSuez Canal defences.[23][29][36][35]
In May 1916 the TF field brigades were numbered, the 1st Welsh being designatedCCLXV (265) Brigade, RFA, and the batteries became A and B. Then on 25 December 1916 the divisional artillery was reorganised: A (1/1st Glamorgan) (H) Bty became C (H) Bty inCCLXVII (1/Cheshire) Bde, which took over the number CCLXV, while B (1/2nd Glamorgan) (H) Bty became C (H) Bty inCCLXVI (1/II Welsh) Bde; the Brigade Ammunition Column was absorbed into the Divisional Ammunition Column.[6][21][23][29][30][32][37]
Both batteries fought with their new brigades throughout theSinai and Palestine Campaign of 1917–18, including the Battles of Gaza, the Fall of Jerusalem, and the final victory at Megiddo.[23][29][38]
Although formation of the 2nd Line units began in September 1914, the 2nd Welsh Division (68th (2nd Welsh) Division from August 1915) did not concentrate at Northampton until April 1915, moving in the summer to replace the 53rd (Welsh) Division at Bedford. Training of the units was made difficult by the lack of arms and equipment, and the requirement to provide drafts to the 1st Line overseas. In June the first saddlery and horses began to arrive, but no guns until August, when the brigade received fourFrench De Bange 90 mm guns. Some ammunition wagons arrived in September, and eight more 90 mm guns in October. Training began to speed up. In November the 90 mm guns were handed in, and the brigade moved to Bedford to take over the 5-inch howitzers from the 1st Line.[23]
68th (2nd Welsh) Division was now assigned a role in Home Defence and joinedFirst Army (Home Forces) inCentral Force, with its units quartered across Eastern England. In May 1916 the brigade was numberedCCCXL (340) Brigade and the batteries became A and B. However, like the 1st Line brigade, it was broken up before the end of 1916 to provide howitzer batteries to the field gun brigades: A (2/1 Glamorgan) (H) Bty went toCCCXLII (2/Cheshire) and B (2/2 Glamorgan) (H) Bty went toCCCXLIII (2/IV Welsh). They continued to serve with these brigades in Home Defence inNorfolk andSuffolk until the end of the war.[21][32][33]
The 1st Welsh Brigade, RFA, was reformed in the 53rd (W) Division on 7 February 1920 with 1st, 2nd and 3rd Glamorgan Batteries (the 3rd being transferred from the2nd Welsh Brigade). It was redesignated the81st (Welsh) Brigade, RFA, when the TF was reorganised as theTerritorial Army (TA) in 1921 (becoming a Field Brigade, RA, in 1924 when the RFA was subsumed into theRoyal Artillery). At the same time it absorbed theGlamorgan Yeomanry giving the following organisation:[6][12][21][14][39][40][41]
The brigade, including the newly-converted yeomanry, held its first brigade training camp atPorthmadog in August 1921, and attended the first postwar divisional camp atAberystwyth in the summer of 1922. In 1925 the divisional camp was held on theIsle of Man giving the brigade experience in embarking and disembarking guns and equipment.[40]
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, at first with tractors, then withFordson lorries, but the guns retained iron-tyred wheels until pneumatic tyres began to be introduced just beforeWorld War II.[40][42]
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.[12][21][39][40]
In 1938 the RA also adopted a new organisation for field artillery regiments, changing from four six-gun batteries to an establishment of two batteries, each of three four-guntroops. 81st (Welsh) Fd Rgt began this process by combining 321 and 322 Fd Btys into 321 Fd Bty, and 323 and 324 Fd Btys to form a new 322 Fd Bty. However, this arrangement was short-lived, because the TA was doubled in size after theMunich Crisis of 1938, and most regiments split to form duplicates in 1939 before the outbreak ofWorld War II. For 81st (Field) Rgt this resulted in the following organisation from 8 May 1939:[21][39][40][43][44][45]
81st (Welsh) Field Regiment, RA[46][47]
132nd Field Regiment, RA[47][48]
Annual camp for the regiment was held atMalvern in the summer of 1939, where the details of the split into two regiments were settled. The TA was mobilised on 1 September 1939, just before the outbreak of war. 81st Field Rgt remained part of 53rd (Welsh) Division, while 132nd was assigned to the duplicate38th (Welsh) Infantry Division, which became active on 18 September 1939.[40][45][49][50]
On mobilisation 81st Field Rgt moved intobillets atGorseinon in West Glamorgan. Six weeks later it moved toPembroke, where a number of men were withdrawn and sent back to key civilian jobs. They were replaced by a draft ofmilitiamen. Parts of 53rd (Welsh) Division were sent toNorthern Ireland from October 1939, and 81st Fd Rgt joined it there in March 1940, being quartered first atBallymoney and later atKilkeel. By 3 April the whole division was stationed in Northern Ireland as part ofVI Corps.[40][49][51][52][53]
One of the lessons learned from theBattle 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, each of two four-gun troops of25-pounders withQuad gun tractors. By December 1940 81st (Welsh) Fd Rgt reorganised as A, B and C Btys, and on 14 January 1941 these were numbered as 323, 324 and 459 Fd Btys. The additional men for 459 Fd Bty came from disbandedDefence Regiments of the RA.[39][40][42][54]
53rd (W) Division returned to mainland Britain on 30 April 1941, the division served underIII Corps andWestern Command in the Welsh Border counties. In April 1942 it was assigned toXII Corps District, and concentrated inKent, with 81st Fd Rgt moving toSutton Valence nearMaidstone on 1 April.[40][49] From 15 May 1943 53rd (W) Division in XII Corps became part of21st Army Group training for the Allied invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord).[49][55] 81st Field Rgt moved intoSuffolk in August, returning to Sutton Valence the following month. In October it moved into the permanent barracks atSheerness where it was attached to71 Infantry Brigade, which had just joined 53rd (W) Division. The regiment was to support 71 Bde in the forthcoming campaign, with the batteries allotted as follows:[40][49][56]
53rd (Welsh) Division was among the follow-up troops landing afterD-Day (6 June). Between 15 and 17 June 81st Fd Rgt moved to Marshalling Camp 2 atCanning Town, close toLondon Docks. Embarkation commenced on 19 June, 342 Fd Bty atRoyal Albert Dock, the rest of the regiment atEast India Docks andRoyal Victoria Dock. Their ships joined a convoy off Sheerness on 24 June and the regiment under the command of Lt-Col A.W. Tyler had landed in Normandy and was concentrated with other units of the division in theSubles district south ofBayeux on 27 June.[40][49][47][46][57]
On 1 July 53rd (W) Division relieved15th (Scottish) Division on theRiver Odon after theBattle of 'Scottish Corridor'.[58] 53rd Division was then involved in theSecond Battle of the Odon from 15 July, 71 Bde capturing Cahier and holding on to it by hard fighting.[59][60][61] In early August, fearing heavy casualties among the units of a single recruiting area, 53rd (W) Division dispersed the battalions ofRoyal Welch Fusiliers (RWF) comprising158 Infantry Brigade and 4th BN RWF was transferred to 71 Bde, with 342 Fd Bty affiliated to it. On 3 August 71 Bde planned two battalion-sized raids. 81st Field Rgt was to have fired two smokescreens for Operation Bayonet, but it was cancelled. It did fire in support of Operation Bugle, but that was called off soon after it launched because the German mortar fire was too heavy and the infantry withdrew.[49][56][62]
When the breakout from the Normandy beachhead began in early August, 53rd Division cleared the banks of theRiver Orne as far asGrimbosq andThury-Harcourt and then fought its way towardsFalaise to help in closing theFalaise Pocket.[63][64] On 13/14 August 71 Bde made a night advance and at midday on 14 August 4th RWF was ordered to continue the advance to Point 240, south-east ofBonnœil. The battalion was accompanied y the battery commander and two Forward Observation Officers (FOOs) from 342 Fd Bty, who brought down defensive fire (DF) when the battalion was subjected to attacks by tanks, infantry and artillery; it held the position thanks to the effective DF. On 17 August 71 Bde attackedLe Mesnil-Villement, Houx and Point 244 supported by a fireplan involving the whole divisional artillery. The attack was successful and the fireplan described as 'immaculate'. 1st OBLI then followed up with an attack on Pointed 241 and 262. Next day the division had its Observation Posts (OPs) overlookingRonai andHabloville and the killing ground 'Serpent' where German forces were fleeing through the narrowing Falaise Gap. The guns fired 'Uncle' (all guns in the division) and then 'Victor' (all guns in the corps) targets steadily throughout the day on the enemy escape routes. The situation was chaotic: three gunners of 81st Fd Rgt driving back to collect ammunition were misdirected into an apparently deserted village where they found and captured three Germans. Driving out, the Germans warned them of mines, so they dismounted and cleared the mines from the road under fire from Germans still in the village. They then handed over their prisoners to the nearest infantry before collected the ammunition for their battery.[65]
By late August 53rd (W) Division's units were across theSeine and driving over open country towards theRiver Somme.[66][67][68] On 4 September the division clearedSt Pol and was working its way through the canal area west ofLille.[69][70]
There was a pause at the Meuse-Escaut Canal beforeOperation Market Garden was launched on 17 September. XII Corps had an important subsidiary role clearing the country west ofXXX Corps' main thrust. 81st Field Rgt crossed the canal on 19 September and went into action supporting the advance of 71 Bde. There was particularly atWintelre, west ofEindhoven, which the Germans held for two days, with the regiment firing several barrages and taking some casualties from return fire. The divisional artillery's flank was open, and had to be protected by a company from the divisional reconnaissance regiment; around 50 Germans were taken prisoner within the regiment's gun lines. Afterwards the guns fired frequent Harassing Fire (HF) tasks as the enemy slowly withdrew in front of 53rd Division. On 7 October, the regiment moved into theNijmegen bridgehead captured during Market Garden. While at Nijmegen one FOO was killed, and the regiment's CO, Lt-Col Tyler, was wounded and evacuated.[71][72][73]
After the failure of Market Garden, XII Corps was ordered to advance westwards towardss'Hertogenbosch. 81st Field Rgt left Nijmegen on 18 October and took up its new gun positions by midnight on 20 October. The regiment had to provide its own patrols because there were no infantry between the guns and the enemy – the attacking infantry only moved up at the last moment. Lieutenant-Col R.V. Hills took over as CO on 20 October, and the next day Major R.J.H. Lloyd, who had been in temporary command, was wounded. The attack on s'Hertogenbosch (Operation Alan) began at 06.30 on 22 October, the infantry of 71 Bde advancing behind a timed programme fired by the guns. The regiment also fired at preselected targets on call, and fired coloured smoke to indicate targets for theRoyal Air Force (RAF). The infantry made slow progress, but by the end of 23 October 71 Bde was nearing its objectives. Next day 81st Field Rgt fired in support of a fresh attack by158 Brigade, which went well as the division fought its way into the outskirts of the town; it took two more days of house-to-house fighting to clear the old town, while the artillery fired HF tasks on the Germans' escape routes.[74][75][76][73]
Next XII Corps was switched to clearing the country between theWessem-Nederweert Canal and the Zig Canal as 21st Army Group closed up to the River Maas.[77] 81st Field Rgt moved toWessem with 71 Bde on 1 November to relieve theIndependent Belgian Brigade on the canal line. On 9 November the FOO with 1st HLI and his signaller were captured by an enemy patrol as they went OP before first light. When the regiment moved to south of Weert, there was no infantry protection in front, and enemy patrols set off tripwire flares close by. On 14 November the division crossed the canal (Operation Mallard) with support from the guns, and on 16 November the regiment struggled across the temporary bridges with 71 Bde, ending the day in front of the defended locality ofRoermond. 71 Brigade attempted an assault crossing of theRiver Maas towards Roermond on the night of 21/22 November. Bridging operations were held up until the divisional artillery was able to suppress the German guns. 4th BattalionRoyal Welsh Fusiliers, supported only by 81st Fd Rgt, made several abortive attempts to cross the anti-tank ditch, but 1st OBLI succeeded, aided by a smokescreen fired by 81st Fd Rgt.[73]
Further operations were halted by winter weather. 71 Brigade Group including 81st Fd Rgt went for rest inBocholt, Belgium. In December the regiment was required to transfer 25 of its men to the infantry to make up for losses in the campaign so far. On 20 January 1945 the division moved to the Eindhoven area to refit and train for a special operation. On the night of 4/5 February the regiment moved its guns into concealed positions nearGroesbeek, while the rest of the men were confined to barracks in Nijmegen and the divisional signs on vehicles were painted over.[73]
The Battle of the Reichswald (Operation Veritable) opened at 05.00 on 8 February with the heaviest concentration of artillery employed by the British Army so far in the war. The bombardment hit enemy gun positions, HQs, and communications. After a pause and dummy attack at 07.40 to induce the Germans to man their guns, theCounter-battery fire was resumed and abarrage was laid down to protect the assaulting columns. At 10.30 the full barrage made its first lift and the advance began. 81st Field Rgt fired in support of 71 Bde as usual. 53rd Division's objectives were the Brandenburg and Stoppelberg features in the northern part of theReichswald. Opposition was not strong but the terrain was difficult. By 02.00 on 9 February the leading units were through theSiegfried Line defences and closing on the Stoppelberg. That feature was taken during the morning and the division pushed on to the edge of the forest, but it was hard to get guns and vehicles along the muddy forest tracks. 81st Field Rgt reported that the second-in-command's OP tank had to be used to tow out bogged guns and tractors ('its only use; in all other respects it was an infernal nuisance'). It took several days for the division to push on through Pfalzdorf towardsGoch, mopping up opposition and fending off counter-attacks. Goch fell on 21 February.[73][78]
53rd (W) Division was not involved in the assault crossing of theRhine (Operation Plunder) on 23/24 March, but crossed on 26 March and the next day attacked throughHamminkeln to Dingden. It then took part in the drive to theElbe.[79] 81st Field Rgt enteredHamburg early on 4 May, the day that theGerman surrender at Lüneburg Heath, ending the fighting on 21st Army Group's front. The regiment handed in its guns on 30 May and converted to an infantry role with the occupation forces.[40]
81st (Welsh) Field Regiment was placed in suspended animation on 24 June 1946.[21][39][40]
38th (Welsh) Division underwent training through the winter of 1939–40 in South-East Wales as part of Western Command. Training was hindered by the lack of equipment. After theBritish Expeditionary Force wasevacuated from Dunkirk, the divisions at home under training only had about six World War I-era guns apiece. On 15 July the division joined III Corps, part of the Mobile Force stationed in Wales and NW England.[50][80][81][82][83]
From Spring 1941 the division was in Southern England asIV Corps' Reserve, stationed behind47th (London) and55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division along theSussex Coast.[50][84] The regiment formed its third battery, 496 Fd Bty, on 31 March when it was stationed atAldershot.[39] 38th Division's Commander, Royal Artillery (CRA), Brigadier H.J. Parham, developed techniques for concentrating large numbers of guns onto a single target in a very short time, and demonstrated them on the artillery ranges atLarkhill onSalisbury Plain.[85] When the three-battery establishment was introduced in 1941, 132nd Fd Rgt formed 496 Fd Bty.
132nd Field Rgt was authorised to use its parent unit's 'Welsh' subtitle on 17 February 1942.[39] It left 38th Division on 15 July 1942, when it joined78th Division. This was a new formation being assembled from disparate units forFirst Army in preparation for the Allied invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch).[47][48][50][86]
11 Infantry Brigade Group from 78th Division, including 132nd Fd Rgt, landed in the first wave of Operation Torch. Forward Observation Officers from the artillery accompanied the two assault battalions as they landed on 'Apples Green' and 'Apples White' beaches nearAlgiers. After landing and consolidating the beachhead, they were to captureBlida Airfield and secure the roads aroundBirtouta. The landings began exactly on time at 01.00 on 8 November 1942, met no opposition from theVichy French, and the whole brigade group was ashore before 12.00. It was in position around Birtouta by nightfall.[87]
11 Brigade Group began the march towardsTunis (500 miles (800 km) distant) on 15 November as the first support troops began unloading at Algiers docks and the air forces began operating the airfields. The group's attack onMedjez el Bab on 25 November failed, but other forces bypassed it and the brigade occupied it the next day and pushed on forTebourba, only about 20 miles (32 km) from Tunis. Early on 27 November, 1st BattalionEast Surrey Regiment was widely extended in front of Tebourba when it was attacked by the hastily-formed GermanKampfgruppe Lüder. The Surreys suffered heavy casualties and 322 Bty supporting them lost all eight of its guns. The division was involved in bitter defence for the Tebourba Gap against German attacks on 1–3 December, and another bitter battle round Longstop Hill on 22–24 December.[88]
The renewed Allied offensive in Tunisia began on 8 April 1943 with operations to open the Oued Zarga–Medjez road. For 78th Divisions' attack onChaouach andToukabeur the divisional artillery was joined by all the heavy artillery and the foothills were captured without much difficulty; both villages had been taken and an advance of 10 miles (16 km) made by the end of the following day. On 14 April the division attacked the hills overlooking Longstop Hill, in four days of hard fighting, but could not hold the final hill, Tanngoucha.[89] On 23 April it attacked Longstop and Tanngoucha again (theSecond Battle of Longstop Hill), despite an army-wide shortage of 25-pounder ammunition. This time the positions were taken and held after several days of fighting.[90] 78th Division was then positioned for a direct drive on Tunis (Operation Vulcan). This was launched byIX Corps, supported by all the guns ofV Corps including 78th Division. The operation was launched on the evening of 5 May and extended the following day. The weight of artillery fire was immense, with all the guns averaging 368 rounds per gun in the first 24 hours, and the infantry made steady progress. Tunis fell on 7 May and all remaining Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered by 13 May.[91]
78th Division had been selected for theAllied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) as early as January 1943,[92] and after the end of the Tunisian campaign went into training at Hammamet. It was assigned toEighth Army as a reserve formation for the operation, which began with assault landings on 10 July. 78th Division embarked on 23 July and landed on the beaches nearCassibile between 25 and 28 July. It began moving into its concentration area south of Monte Scalpello on 26 July and completed its concentration on 30 July, just in time to participate in theBattle of Centuripe.[86][93]
Large amounts of 25-pounder ammunition had been gathered for this operation. 78th Division's task was first to relieve3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade across theDittaino river atCatenanuova and expand the bridgehead, then to capture the hill town ofCenturipe. The division began the movement promptly, and began the attack on Centuripe a day early. The divisional artillery deployed wherever it could find positions along the road; as the Official Historian commented: 'In Sicily there grew up the art, further developed in Italy of placing field and medium guns in positions which would have been seen in earlier days, as freakish'. The initial advance across 'immensely difficult terrain' was accomplished, but then there was bitter fighting for the town itself. On the afternoon of 2 August the division's reserve,38 (Irish) Bde was sent in, supported by 132nd Fd Rgt and the rest of the divisional and corps artillery. The town was cleared by first light the next day.[94]
78th Division was then sent round the west side ofMount Etna. 38 (Irish) Brigade crossed theSalso on 4 August and theSimeto on 5 August, with strong artillery support. German resistance then stiffened, and 78th Division had to put in a full-scale attack atBronte andMaletto before capturing the key point ofRandazzo on 13 August. By now the Germans were evacuating Sicily, and the division was ordered to stand fast.[95]
The Allies landed on mainland Italy in early September 1943. 78th Division began to arrive on 22 September, and immediately began advancing towardsFoggia and its importantcomplex of airfields.[86][96] Next, it was sent to cross theBiferno and captureTermoli, with two brigades sent round the coast by landing craft and one wading across the river on 3 October. Unfortunately, heavy rain the next day made the river impassable, just when a counter-attack byPanzers was developing. The situation was dangerous on 5 October untilRoyal Engineers completed a bridge for tanks and guns to get across in support, after which the advance was resumed.[97]
At the end of October 78th Division was ordered to captureVasto and the high ground beyond, but rain and mud bedevilled preparations. The division seized Vineyard Hill on 3 November and the enemy began to withdraw that night. By 9 November the division had reached theSangro, which formed part of the Germans'Bernhardt Line. Patrols could cross the river, but a fullscale operation was needed to establish a bridgehead. Despite the weather the Royal Engineers repaired roads and built bridges. When the weather abated the 6thRoyal Inniskilling Fusiliers of 38 Bde broke out of the bridgehead and captured Santa Maria on 29 November, supported by all the divisional artillery and a number of other regiments. Next day the brigade swept down the Li Colli ridge toFossacesia, and took Rocca on 1 December. In the first three days of theBattle of the Sangro, the field regiments fired over 600 rounds per gun. Afterwards the division was sent to rest.[98]
Progress in the Italian campaign bogged down during the winter of 1943–4. The Allies' spring campaign in 1944 began with a renewed attempt to takeMonte Cassino, and 78th Division had been moved across Italy to be inXIII Corps' reserve for this. All the field guns in the corps were involved in the preliminary bombardment and then theCreeping barrage laid on for the attacking divisions on 11/12 May. 78th Division was committed to the battle on 15 May in theLiri Valley. At first light on 19 May,36 Bde was launched atAquino, supported by all three regiments of field artillery and masked by mist. But when the mist cleared it became obvious that the German positions (part of theHitler Line) were very strong and the attack had to be called off. However, the weight of artillery overwhelmed the German guns and by 25 May the leading troops of the division reachedRoccasecca railway station. The Germans began to withdraw that night, and XIII Corps began a slow pursuit along Highway 6 against rearguards. 78th Division reachedAlatri on 2 June and then went into reserve.[99][100]
78th Division returned to the line for theBattle of Lake Trasimene, working its way up the west bank of theTiber against strong opposition, 10–24 June, securingPescia and its river but suffering heavy casualties. The exhausted division was then sent to the Middle East for rest and refit, embarking forEgypt on 23 July.[86][101] Casualties in Eighth Army meant that the division had to return to the Italian front in the autumn, landing on 15 September. The division began assembling aroundFano and then moved into theSanterno Valley, on appalling roads that even defeated the 'Quad'.[86][102]
The division held Monte Cappello andMonte Battaglia, but advancing was difficult, and the capture of Monte La Pieve and Monte Spadura took from 13 to 24 October at heavy cost.[103] Fighting on the Italian Front largely shut down for winter, but not before more abortive attacks by 78th Division in December.[104]
78th Division returned to V Corps for the AlliedSpring 1945 offensive in Italy (Operation Grapeshot). Once theSenio was crossed, 78th Division was to push through towards the Bastia Bridge on theReno and on toArgenta. The operation was launched on 9 April behind massed artillery and went according to plan, with 78th Division clearingCotignola and then moving into the lead. On 13 April 38 Brigade provided the break-out force of battalion groups with field artillery regiments in support. Once the Reno had been bridged, 38 Bde fought its way through and broke out once more, heading for the critical 'Argenta Gap'. By now 25-pounder ammunition was running short, but on 18 April 38 Bde cut in behind Argenta and 78th Division was leap-frogging its brigades up the Via Adriatica. Then it headed for theRiver Po, arriving on 22 April. After more stiff fighting, the division crossed in pursuit of the disintegrating German forces.[105] Fighting on the Italian Front ended on 2 May after theSurrender of Caserta, and 78th Division entered Austria as part of the occupation force on 8 May 1945, advancing towardsVillach andKlagenfurt.[86][106]
132nd (Welsh) Field Regiment was placed in suspended animation on 31 December 1945 and formally disbanded when the TA was reformed on 1 January 1947.[21][39][47][107]
When the TA was reconstituted in 1947 81st (Welsh) Fd Rgt reformed at Port Talbot as281st (Welsh) Field Regiment in 53rd (Welsh) Division.[21][39][107][108][109][110]
281st (Welsh) Rgt still had a Glamorgan Yeomanry battery, and on 30 September 1953 the regiment was redesignated281st (Glamorgan Yeomanry) Field Regiment, effectively ending the Glamorgan Artillery Volunteers lineage. On 31 October 1956 the regiment absorbed the Glamorgan batteries of 408 (Glamorgan and Pembroke) Coast Rgt and 887 Locating Battery, which had been formed in Cardiff in 1947.[21][14][108][110][111][112]
This was followed on 1 May 1961 by amalgamation with282nd (Welsh) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Rgt and283rd (Monmouthshire) Field Rgt to form:[21][108][110][113]
282nd (Glamorgan and Monmouthshire) Field Regiment, RA
Finally, when the TA was reduced into theTAVR in 1967, the combined regiment became211 (South Wales) Battery, Royal Artillery atNewport in104 Light Air Defence Regiment, with the following organisation:[21][108][110][113][114][115]
In 1986, 211 Bty provided acadre for a new 217 (County of Gwent) Bty atCwmbran, but this was reabsorbed by 211 Bty in 1992, when the battery was reduced to:[113][115]
211 (South Wales) Bty continues in104th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) in theArmy Reserve today, currently as a close support unit equipped with theL118 light gun.[116]
Between 1920 and about 1938 the officers and men of 324 (Glamorgan Yeomanry) Bty continued to wear the Glamorgan Yeomanry'sWelsh Dragon cap badge. As collar badges, the officers wore giltWelsh leeks on their blue patrol jackets and bronzePrince of Wales's feathers, coronet and motto in service dress, while the other ranks wore Welsh dragon badges. During and after the Second World War, the whole of 81st and 281st Field Rgts wore RA badges, but after 1967 their successors in the Glamorgan Yeomanry Troop of 211th (South Wales) Bty in 104th Light Air Defence Rgt were allowed the dragon collar badge in No 1 uniform.[21]
The following served asHonorary Colonel of the unit:[12]