The Eyes and Ears of the Regiment 67 Regt. RA

[Chris Harris]

I am trying to find a copy of this book which was published in 1995.
Written by Richard Whitfield published by Four Square Publications of Upton on Severn.
It is the history of 67 Field Regiment RA (TA) from 1939-1946 and is currently out of print.
Apparently the author was a member of the Regiment.
If he is still alive I would very much like to make contact as I have a few things that might surprise him.
I would also welcome any contact with surviving members or their relatives.
Particularly if they knew Bill Beadle.
Bill lies in Florence War Cemetery his vehicle having struck a landmine on 2.9.44 whilst advancing from Florence to the Gothic Line.

I was in contact with some of 67 Regt members who served in WW2 the 1960’s through 267 Field Regiment RA which re-formed with 25 pounders for a few years before being disbanded.
I would consider any written memorabilia from either Regt if you would wish to part with it.
IWM have some magazines from Anzio ‘P’ Battery Social Club Monthly News which I would like to see as they don’t seem to be able to let me have copies.

If you want to know about 67th Field Regiment RA I can probably help you but have massive gaps in their endeavours that I would like to fill.
I am horrified that these men made so much effort to be forgotten within a generation.

[Chris Harris]

No longer required.

[Frank de Planta]

Chris.

If you would like to understand how 67 Fd Regt RA supported 1 Inf Div during their time at Anzio, do get in touch.

I am guiding a group there on 7-10 Jun 18.

Regards

Frank

F.deplanta@btinternet.com

[steve titterton]

Chris, my grandfather, Alf Titterton served with 67 Field Regiment from Sep 1939 to Jan 1946. I have been researching his service and have some original field service documents. I did a battlefield trip to Italy in October last year following much of the route of the 67th and visited most of the graves of my granddads comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice, including Bills.
I would be happy to swap any information.
regards Steve Titterton

[Chris Harris]

Hi Steve, please contact me to make direct contact if you can access my email address.
I always seem to have trouble logging in with this site.

Cheers Chris

[David Shepherd]

Hi Chris, I wanted to drop you a quick line as I came across your post having Googled the 67th Field Reg which my grandfather David Shepherd served in. He was captured and died of his wounds in December 1944 and is buried at Argenta Gap.

My father recently gave me a copy of The Eyes and Ears of the Regiment which details my grandfather’s capture on p223. We have all the letters he wrote to his father and sister and letters from his CO after his capture as well as numerous photographs my grandfather took whilst with the 67th.

Despite the letters and photos I know very little about his war years as my grandmother wouldn’t speak about them. I’d welcome the opportunity to share any information.

Best regards,
David Shepherd

[Chris Harris]

What a surprise to get a reply from the relative of one of the key members of 67th FR RA (TA)
I would very much like to meet you if at all possible as I have much to discuss regarding David Shepherd MC.
As a lad I was attached to 267 FR RA (TA) the successors to 67. Several of our instructors served at Banana Ridge, Anzio etc but I don’t recall their names.
I coincidentally inherited the letters of Bill Beadle who is referred to in the History of 67th Field Regiment with much respect by Peter Mennell who wrote the history in 1946. It was used by Richard Whitfield for his book Eyes and Ears of the Regiment.
I have deposited the original letters of Lt Hedley Noel Beadle and a book of transcribed letters, in the Archives at Worcester as there are a number of other documents ref 67 FR deposited there.
If you should be able to get there I would very much like to meet you.
ring me on 07902 494696 to have a brief chat.

[Frank de Planta]

David.

You will have seen from a previous post that 67 Fd Regt RA supported 1 Infantry Division at Anzio. The beachhead was a grim place to be, particularly on the gun lines which were highly vulnerable to German observation from all the surrounding hills.

If you would like to see what happened to him, I am guiding a group their on 7-10 Jun 18 and another on 23-27 Jun 18.

Check out the details on http://www.cassinobattlefields.co.uk if the idea grabs you.

Regards

Frank

[Scott]

My Grandfather served with the 67th in 266 Battery.I have a copy of the eyes and ears that my daughter took a photo of every page for reading on the pc.
Also i have the war diaries from Jan ’43 to Dec ’45.
I have a couple of pics noted as being from 1940’s but no idea where they were taken.
I’d like to find out any info i’m not aware of and also see any pics.
Can anybody advise me to where to look for Battery/Troop pics of 266?

Regards
Scott

[Chris Harris]

Hello Scott,
Would you like to contact me on the phone number above.

I can certainly help you where to find several photo’s and probably help you with the pics.

Chris

[Scott]

Chris it was great to chat and thank you for your help.

David Shepherd, we would both like to hear from you if your around.
You have things that would be great to see.

Regards
Scott

[Chris Harris]

Thanks Scott it was good to share our knowledge and resolve one of my most challenging questions as well as help you with yours.

Chris

[Nick parker]

I am the grandson of Harold Parker who served with the regiment in North Africa, Italy and Palestine. He won the MC whilst acting as a FOO on the Gothic Line.

[Chris Harris]

I have a photo of him in the Officers Mess picture when Lt Col Hobson left in June 1943.
My number is above if you would get in touch.
There is a small group of people working on a project if you are interested.

Chris

[Chris Harris]

Hi Nick forgot to put your name on response above.
There are a few of us working on the Regiments history if you would get in touch. See 11th June above.

Cheers, Chris

[Frank de Planta]

Nic.

Get in touch with me through http://www.cassinobattlefields.co.uk and I will dig out the MC citation for your grandfather.

If you are interested, I am guiding a group on the Gothic Line on 10-13 SEP 19. You are welcome to join us if this grabs you.

Regards

Frank

[Chris Harris]

There are a number of people who have left messages ref Eyes and Ears wishing to make contact.
More would possibly make contact if it were easier to do so.
I am now part of a small group of people related to members of the 67th Field Regiment RA. We have accumulated information and personal photographs of them and invite others to join us in the hope that we can put together either a publication or a website so that their endeavours will not be forgotten. Whatever the result, you can make contact with enthusiastic and knowledgeable people who share your interest.

Please contact me on: radworthyboy@gmail.com

Cheers, Chris

[David Shepherd]

Chris/Scott,

Firstly apologies this is the first time I’ve logged back on to the website since I posted last May. Unfortunately my father Michael, Major Shepherd’s son passed away in August of last year. He was so happy that I that I’d made contact with yourselves and would certainly have encouraged me to find out more about my grandfather!

I would love to help in any way that I can, we have all my grandfather’s personal war effects from his letter’s home, photographs, citations and even his field binoculars.

Chris I have left you a voicemail, I can be contacted on 07785 822184, my email is dmwshepherd@yahoo.com I’m based in Worcestershire so happy to meet-up when convenient.

David

[Chris Harris]

Message received and understood. Thanks for the phone call this afternoon.

Chris

[Helena Fetto]

Hi

I am the granddaughter of Captain Peter Mennell. I am very keen to join this group and hope to share information from a wealth of letters he wrote to his mother.

[Chris Harris]

Thanks for the message.
Peter was another mainstay of the 67th.
Your contact is very much appreciated.
Documents re PM in the post as promised.
Chris

[David Hartridge]

I think it is time that I updated you all to say what an incredible few weeks I’ve experienced since finding this Forum. My Uncle John Hubert Hartridge (UJ) was killed on Friday 13th October 1944 in a unique situation in a farmhouse just outside Palazzuolo in Eastern Italy. He was asleep when a shell landed on the window sill of his room and killed him outright and badly injured another. Dave Shepherd, who appears above in this Forum, turns out to be the grandson of Major David Shepherd MC who was UJ’s Battery Commander and who wrote to my Grandparents informing them of UJ’s death. I contacted him and relayed the information of my uncle’s death. This prompted him to visit his Mother and search through war-time letters from David Shepherd that were, as yet, unread. As a result it now transpires that Major David Shepherd was billeted in the same room as UJ and was called out to a telephone call just before the shell landed. I now have copies of the two letters that he wrote home recalling his incredible luck and the tragic death of UJ… Also I’m in touch with Chris Harris who also has provided a lot of information and we are meeting up shortly. And now I learn that Peter Mennell went to Oundle School where all our family have attended so I shall be in touch with Helena who I see has just joined this Forum too. It is all quite overwhelming and will make our pilgrimage to Faenza this October to visit UJ’s grave exactly to the day, 75 years later all the more meaningful.. He was killed two months before I was born.

[David Hartridge]

Here is another update following an incredible journey this last 4 months learning so much about my Uncle John’s participation in the Gothic Line campaign with the 67th Field Regiment which has just culminated in an amazing trip back to Faenza to visit his grave in the War Cemetery there. We were there exactly 75 years to the day: 13th October 1944, albeit it was a Sunday this time, not a Friday!
Chris Harris has been fantastic in putting together booklets of information and a suggested Battlefield Tour which we did on the Saturday from Borgo San Lorenzo to Faenza via Marradi and Palazzuolo. I contacted the local information centre and was put in touch with two local guides who spent the day with us. They were so knowledgeable.
Not only did we travel the Arrow Route but we also visited the Farmhouse at Badia Si Susinana where the shell landed on the window sill of Uncle John’s bedroom and virtually killed him outright. It was an emotional trip and then we had a few hours in the cemetery on Sunday, which is a beautiful peaceful place. We left a glass poppy and a plaque at his graveside.
On the way back to Bologna we visited Argenta Gap War Cemetery too and paid our respects to Major David Shepherd MC who is buried there. He was Uncle John’s Battery Commander and shared the same room as Uncle John in the farmhouse. He was called out of the bedroom for a telephone call minutes before the shell landed. He wrote to my grandparents informing them of Uncle John’s death.
Our duty has been done… a big “Must Do” ticked off in my life…I’m indebted to this Forum for setting me off on such an incredible journey…Thank You…

[Chris Harris]

Thank you David, the whole journey has been quite an adventure from trying to find a copy of a book to making contact with members of families of men who served in the 67th Field Regiment. We have accumulated several hundred letters, photos and other documents with which we can help others to identify relatives, their travels and locations. It is something of a hobby.
I honestly felt that I should give it up now as I have done enough but maybe I will give it a bit more of a go. With all our resources we might make a good illustrated story of their endeavours.
Anyone who is related to the Regiment is welcome to get in touch.

Chris

[Chris Harris]

See above for details

Chris

[Faye McCluckie]

I don’t know whether anyone can help or point me in a direction for more information. My Dad, Thomas Hynes, got the Italy Star. (Also the Africa Star.) He was at Anzio for the whole of the battle and was a gunner. I have his army number and obtained the contents of his service file from the Army Personnel Centre. This shows his unit as 67th Field Regiment R.A. However, there is very little information and the handwriting doesn’t make it easy to comprehend.
I am going to Anzio in October. I would love to know where he came ashore and any other details of his movements with his regiment. Can anyone give me any pointers? Thanks so much.

[Frank de Planta]

Faye.

Look further up this thread and you will see Chris Harris’s email address. Chris has a copy of Eyes and Ears. This is the history of 67 Field Regiment RA.

67 Fd Regt RA were one of three Field Regts supporting 1 Infantry Division – their guns directly supported the three Infantry Brigades of the Division – 2 Infantry Brigade, 3 Infantry Brigade and 24 Guards Brigade.

The Regt was deployed in the Padagione Woods – the gun areas immediately behind the front line which centred on the Flyover at Campo di Carne. Guns were controlled by teams of gunners who lived up on the front line with the infantry. Your father was therefore in the gun lines firing the guns or up at the front line controlling those guns.

I am a guide at Anzio so if you need any extra information, do get in touch though my website.

Regards

Frank

http://www.cassinobattlefields.co.uk

[Scott]

My Grandfather was in the 67th Field.

I have a digital (every page of the book photographed) copy of Eyes and Ears I can send you.
Also I have copies of the regiments war diaries from Sept 39 – Jan 46 that say when and where they were.

Feel free to give me a shout.

Scott

Scottlotsoftrix@aol.com

[Faye McCluckie]

Frank,
Thank you very much for taking the trouble to reply to me. You have made things clearer for me already as I am not well versed in how the military groupings work. Your information already gives me a few more lines of enquiry. I would love to know where my Dad actually landed as well so I can visit that place/beach.
Scott in the next post kindly offered the digital copy of The Eyes and Ears of the Regiment so I may be able to find out more again from this and the diaries.
I will go to your website and take a look. Thank you so much for your help. How I wish Dad was still here to have talked to about it all!
Regards,
Faye

[Frank de Planta]

Faye.

It is tricky because 1 British Infantry Division initially landed on Peter Beach 10km up the coast from Anzio itself – the area between Tor San Lorenzo in the north and Lavinio in the south. But, because the beach turned out to be awful for getting vehicles ashore and off it, the Division quickly switched all further landings to Anzio harbour which the Rangers & Commandos had quickly secured for use on the first night. I am confident that the guns would have come ashore at the harbour but cannot be certain without seeing the War Diaries.

Get hold of me through my website and I will send you a map showing the landing sites.

Regards

Frank

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