RAF Regiment - Monte Cassino

The RAF Regiment From WWII to the Present Day

3" Mortar flight in action near Monte Cassino

The landings at Anzio on 22nd January 1944 threw immense strain on the Allied armies and Regiment units were diverted to a variety of non-RAF tasks in this period. Some field squadrons were used in the infantry role and placed under Army command: 2771 and 2788 Squadrons operated on the Cassino front under command of the 2nd New Zealand Division and 4th British Division respectively from 24th April to 27th May 1944.

In September 1944 2721 Squadron was attached to the Household Cavalry Regiment in the Sant’Archangelo area before accompanying Skinner’s Horse (an Indian Army regiment) from San Piero to San Sofia. There the squadron went into the front line and carried out patrols with the Lovat Scouts, whose commanding officer had to ask the squadron commander to “produce a less dashing level of activity as your patrolling is causing the enemy to increase his strength in this area.” A month later 2721 Squadron was heading for Ravenna with the 27th Lancers and after an assault crossing of the river Uniti, entered the town. From there the squadron advanced to the north-west to hold the line of the river Lamone between two Canadian regiments — Lord Strathcona’s Horse and the Governor General’s Horse Guards until relieved by 2788 Field Squadron. By this stage in the campaign 2721 Squadron had become the most decorated unit in the RAF Regiment, its awards including one Military Cross Military Medals and numerous mentions in despatches. Among the flight commanders in this squadron were two — Flying Officers JT O’Sullivan and RH Millhouse — who were to play prominent roles in the post-war Regiment.

In the battle for the Gothic Line in September 1944, 2744 Field Squadron was employed in providing navigation aids (which were now called Ground/Air Landmarks or GALs) for friendly aircraft. These had to be positioned as far forward as possible and it was while engaged on these tasks near Cattolica that Flying Officer SW Harris and his team of one junior NCO and one aircraftman driver encountered an enemy patrol. In the fire fight which followed both he and his driver were hit by enemy small aims fire. Having extricated his men from the engagement, although wounded in the chest and back, Harris went forward to recover the jeep in which he and his men had been travelling and drove them to safety. He was subsequently awarded the Military Cross.

In addition to those tasks in the forward area, the armoured flight of 2744 Squadron was used to provide Rover tentacles which relayed requests for close air support from Army units to the cab rank of ground attack aircraft keeping station above the front line. Flying Officer H H Wood-Glover and his armoured cars carried out this task with speed and accuracy and the squadron’s success in this joint-service role received much favourable comment from both Army and Air force commanders. Toward the end of the campaign one of the Squadron Officers – Flying officer J F Ringer was awarded the Military Cross and one of the Squadron NCOs Corporal RR Hope Received the Military medal.

Extract taken from "Through Adversity" by Kingsley M Oliver with kind permission from the author Kingsley M Oliver

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Cassino

In the preparations for the advance to Rome, the USAAF asked for an escorting force for their technical intelligence teams and 2721 Squadron landed at Anzio on 30th May 1944 to carry out this task. During the advance from Naples the squadron occupied Ciampino airfield, ten miles south-east of Rome, before becoming the first Allied troops to enter Ostia and Fiumicino. Then, with their American companions, they entered Rome on 6th June 1944 and were thus among the first British units to reach the Eternal City.

As the Allied armies continued their advance, some bombing attacks on German forces in the forward battle zone had fallen short of the Allied front line and hit friendly troops instead. Following a review of ways in which attacks on Allied ground forces might be avoided in future, RAF Regiment squadrons were tasked to co-operate with flying squadrons by laying out navigation aids on the ground to mark the forward line held by the Army.

3" Mortar flight in action near Monte Cassino (click picture to enlarge)

In November 1943 2906 Field Squadron began this task, using marker panels by day and flares by night to indicate the bomb line. In January 1944 they were relieved of this task at Montenero Petaciato and St Vito Chiento by 2857 LAA Squadron, who were themselves replaced in this role by 2856 LAA Squadron at Castel Frentano. Within a few days, 2856 Squadron were the victims of a USAAF bombing attack by Flying Fortresses which had mistaken the navigation aid markers for target indicators. Fortunately, there were no casualties on that occasion.

However, the single incident which caused the largest loss of life in a Regiment unit in Italy had occurred in August 1943 when a USAAF aircraft with an engine on fire attempted a crash landing on the airfield at Tortorella and slewed off the runway into tents occupied by No.2933 LAA Squadron. The ensuing fireball killed 15 squadron personnel, as well as the pilot, and injured many more Regiment NCOs and airmen.

On 1st January 1944 the Air Ministry ordered the reduction of the RAF Regiment force level in the Middle East and Central Mediterranean theatres to 8,500 officers and men. This was apportioned between the Middle East (5,000) and the Mediterranean (3,500) — which limited the Regiment combat units in Italy to five field and 15 LAA squadrons. This was achieved by disbanding 2904 and 2906 Field Squadrons and 2925 LAA Squadron

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