1941 – 1942

1942

      With the Regiment still based at Portrush and Portstewart, about mid-January 1942 the Regiment received an Intake of 103 men from 14 ITC [Infantry Trg Centre], 18 ITC, and 3 Depot Bn R Sigs.  These men were distributed between RHQ and all Batteries.  They had received about 6 weeks military training.  There were 6 junior officers who had joined the Regiment during January.  At the end of January, the Regiment moved, with 61^st Inf Div, to new Stations;  63rd (Ox Yeo) AT Regt RA (less 2 Btys) at Moy; 249 Bty at Lisnaskea; 252 Bty at Gortin.  All these locations are between Dungannon and Armagh.
     The Regiment is now (in February) at Derrygally Camp, just outside Moy and during February Junior NCO’s classes were held.  There was a further intake of 32 men, but the general standard of this intake was very low, and many had to be posted away owing to them being below the required medical category (A1 or A2) for an Anti-Tank unit.  2/Lt CA Papworth posted to the Depot RA, Woolwich on transfer to RIASC [Royal Indian Army Service Corps].  At the end of February, the Regiment was visited by Maj-Gen C StQ O Fullbrook-Leggatt, DSO, MC., GOC 61^st Div.
     During March, there were further postings, in and out, of the Regiment of several junior officers. The CRA, Brig FCF Cleeve, DSO, MC inspected the Regiment on 21^st March.  15 RAF NCO’s were attached to the Regiment during the period 15 Feb 42 – 8 Mar 42 for instruction in Anti-Tank work with the 75mm gun.  They fired the gun at Hog Park Point on 20 Feb 42.  During the present football season, the Regimental football team won the Southern Area Championship.
     Also in March 1942, the entire Regiment took the War Office Selection Board, or WOSB.  [These were a scheme devised by British Army psychiatrists during World War II to select potential officers for the British Army.  They replaced an earlier method, the Command Interview Board, and were the precursors to today’s Army Officer Selection Boards.  Some of the methods used at WOSBs were used by the Army psychiatrists in early investigations of problems with repatriated prisoners of war].
     On 7^th April the CO, T/Lt-Col JAE Hirst had been selected for appointment as GSO I [General Staff Officer (Gde 1)], HQ Nigerian Division retaining his T/Rank.  He relinquished his appointment of CO of this unit.
     Maj John Thomson was promoted to the A/Rank of Lt Col  on 9^th April, relinquished his appointment of 2i/c of this unit and assumes appointment of CO.  T/Maj WG Bryan was appointed 2i/c of the Regt on the same day.  Three junior officers were promoted to W/substantive Lt’s during April, with a further intake of 13 gunners.
     On 1^st May, T/Capt CE Brackenbury relinquished appointment of Adjutant, promoted A/Maj and assumed command of 252 Bty, in place of Maj Bryan, appointed 2i/c as above.  Lt Jim Priestley assumes appointment of Adjutant with the rank of A/Capt on the same day.
     Part of 252 Bty, under command of 2/Lt AM Webber, with Sgt Mullinger, and Sgt Sharman, as gun No’s 1, fired at an A/Tank demonstration given at Tyrella Range (Co Down) before the CIGS [Chief of the Imperial General Staff] and other high-ranking officers on 20^th May.
     Over the 22^nd/23^rd May the Regt was engaged on exercise “Tank” set by the CRA (Brig FCF Cleave, DSO, MC, RA).  The main object of the exercise was the ferrying of 2pdr guns across the River Blackwater at night.  This was done by means of Recce and Assault boats.  A further intake of 24 ORs arrived on 23^rd May.
     At the end of May the Regt was moved to new locations again.  The main body of the Regt went to Portrush, with 249 Bty to Toome Bridge (35 mi S/East of Portrush), and 252 Bty to Magilligan (15 mi west of Portrush).
     Early in June the Army Commander, Lt-Gen HE Franklyn, CB, DSO, MC, visited each Battery.  This visit was followed shortly after by a visit from the Inspector R Artillery (Brig CB Findlay, CBE).  Over the 11^th – 14^th June, the regiment fired at practice camp at Hog Park Point.
     Maj J Stockton (301 Bty) was posted from this unit to 51^st Anti-Tank Training Regt RA on 19^th June.  T/Capt M Hope was granted the rank of A/Major, and assumed command of 301 Bty.  W/Lt FG Beynon was granted the rank of A/Captain on the same day.  A further 9 junior officers joined the Regt in June, along with an intake of 50 ORs.
     Their Majesties, the King and Queen, visited troops in Northern Ireland.  On 26^th June, 249 Bty had the honour to give a demonstration of rafting guns across the river at Toome, which was watched by their Majesties.
     Over 1^st – 8^th July the whole Regiment took part in exercise “ATLANTIC”, the largest yet held in N Ireland and the first in which United States troops had taken part.  The climax of the exercise occurred in the last two days when the 1^st (US) Armoured Division attacked prepared positions occupied by the 61^st Division.  Practically all the guns in the Regiment had good shots at American tanks.  This stage of the battle was watched by the Polish Prime Minister (Gen Sikorski), the CIGS (Gen Sir Alan Brooke) and other high officers.
     On 9^th July, Major (A/Lt Col) John Thomson was promoted T/Lt Col.
     At the end of July, the Regt was told that 301 Bty were to be posted to the 97^th AT Regt RA and would be renamed “S” Bty.  This decision came about due to a change in Artillery doctrine and change to a 3 Bty/4 Tp regiment.
     Throughout July, 2pdr courses for infantry had been organised by the Batteries and many officers and men have been instructed in the use of the 2pdr.  The regiment was greatly excited at the beginning of this month by the news that they were moving back to England shortly, and there was very great disappointment when the move was cancelled.  The Regiment has been in N Ireland for two years now.
     At the beginning of August, 2 Junior officers had been posted to Depot RA, Woolwich for overseas draft.  A further 6 officers had been posted to various Field Regts.  Two drafts, comprising in all, 34 gunners, 20 drivers, and several tradesmen, were posted from this Regiment to Depot RA, Woolwich for overseas draft.  The Regiment has been hit very hard by these drafts, and the attachment of officers to Field Regts, plus the posting out of 301 Bty.  Also, on 6^th August the 75mm guns were sent away, and the 2pdr guns of 301 Bty distributed among the 75mm Troops.
     Over the 4^th – 8^th August, the Regiment took part in exercise “DEFIANCE” and, as on exercise “ATLANTIC”, many guns have good shoots at US tanks.
     On 22^nd August, Capt LP Hodgson, RAMC, who had been attached to the Regiment for more than two years, was posted to the School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool.  Lt Jolly, RAMC, was attached to the Regiment in his place.
     The main body of 301 Bty left for England on 24^th August; the Battery now becomes ‘S’ Battery, 97^th AT Regt RA [97 AT Regt RA was formed from batteries of 63 & 64 AT Regts at Liburn Towers, Wooler, Northumberland.  It served with 15 Infantry Division].  [Due to this posting the Regt lost many of its original officers and men, as it did when 251 Bty was posted away into the 85^th AT Regt back in September 1941 (the Battery which 301 Bty replaced)]  The Regiment is now composed of three Batteries, made up of four Troops of four guns in each troop.  The officers who left with 301 Bty were :- Maj M Hope, Capt FG Beynon, 2/Lts MI Hore, M Brennon, HS Campion, E Tebbitts, JH Duffy, and PHA Clarke.
     On 25^th August, 249 Bty moved from Brecart Camp, Toome and took over the billets in Portrush, previously occupied by 301 Bty.
     Over 1^st – 4^th September, the Regiment went to Tyrella for practice camp.  ‘B’ Troop, 249 Bty won the inter-Troop competition, with 55% hits.
     On 7^th September, Maj-Gen C StQ O Fallbrook-Leggatt, DSO, MC, paid a short visit to the Regt to say farewell, on relinquishing command of 61^st Inf Division.  Lt Jolly, RAMC, was posted away, and Capt Lavertine, RAMC was attached in his place.
     Over 21^st – 28^th, the regiment took part in exercise “PUNCH”.  As the enemy possessed no armoured forces, the Batteries did not have so much to do as on the two previous exercises.  249 and 250 Batteries successfully rafted guns across the River Bann.  On the last two days the whole Regiment had, at short notice, to adopt an infantry role, in order to ward off a threatened attack on the bridgeheads on the West bank of the Bann.
     Capt Lavertine, RAMC was attached to another unit, and his place was taken by Capt Hodgson, RAMC who returned to the Regiment on 24^th September.  An intake of 33 gunners and 5 drivers arrived and were posted to RHQ and the Batteries on the 29^th.
     Brig AA Middleton RA, Brigadier RA, BTNI in his comments on exercise “PUNCH”, specially commended the Regiment for their quiet efficiency in rafting across the River Bann on the night 25/26 September.
     Maj-Gen John O Carpenter, CBE, MC, GOC 61^st Inf Division [new Divisional Commander] inspected the Regiment on 13^th October.
     W/Capt LP Hodgson, RAMC left the Regiment (again) on posting to No 11 Depot RAMC, Beckett’s Park, Leeds, for overseas service on 15^th October, and was replaced by Lt Maleam, RAMC.
     252 Bty moved from Magilligan to Portrush on 21^st October, and thus the Regiment was concentrated in one place for the first time for well over two years.
     At the end of October, after many false alarms the new equipment began to arrive at last.  36 – 6pdr guns arrived today, but without any stores at all.  Two separate drafts of men (40 in total) joined the Regt this month, with one junior officer leaving and two joining the Regt.
     On 4^th November, A draft of 88 men arrived, almost all were under 20.  The remaining 12 – 6pdrs came, and stores for them arrived a day or two later.  It is understood that the stores for the other 36 guns are on the way.  The transfer of 2pdr guns to Infantry Battalions had begun on the 8^th , and completed about three days later.
     Brig FCF Cleeve, DSO, MC, CRA 61^st Division paid a farewell visit to the Regiment on 13^th October, before taking up an appointment in England.  Lt RG Stitt, RAMC was attached as MO on 27^th, in place of Lt Maleam, RAMC.  Two more Junior officers arrived at the unit at the end of November.
     17 men completed their Signalling Course under the Signals officer, Lt Youds, on 16^th December.  It was expected that in time they would replace “H” Section, 61^st Inf Div Signals, who would return to Div Signals.  On 19^th December, Lt CB Cartwright was attached to RA Mechanised Transport School, at Rhyl.  Lt JK Henderson returned to the Regiment after two years attachment as ADC to a General in England and India.  He was attached immediately to HQ RA, 61^st Div on 21^st December.  Two more junior officers had been posted away to drafts for overseas service.