WAR DIARY.

Month and year: April 1944.

Commanding Officer: Brig. C.H.V. Pritchard.

Place: MONTE TROCCHIO.

9th April 1944.

Easter Sunday: a quiet day. The padre of 4 Bn visited Bde HQ and conducted a short service at 0900 hrs in the visitors car park. The Bde Comd had to visit Div HQ and he was unable to attend, however a second service was arranged at 1930 hrs at which he and other members of the Bde Staff attended.

In the afternoon the Bde Comd and Bde IO visited 5 Bn HQ, to see whether there were any difficulties over the relief of 5 Bn by 10 RB which was to take place that night. The relief was carried out after dark and was completed without incident.

10th April 1944.

The Bde Comd having discussed with OC 2 Para Sqn RE the policy that he should adopt in the recce of the River GARI in conjunction with the Bn patrols left for A.A.I. leaving Col. Barlow, CO 6 Bn, in temporary comd of the Bde. Later in the day the BM received a message from G1 to say an old friend of the Bde, whose name was associated with sheep, and commanded a unit of the same number as a famous pill, would arrive at Bde HQ with the Bde Comd on his return. It did not take the combined brains of the HQ Staff long to guess that this ‘friend’ was likely to be General Down, Comd 9 Airborne Div.* Their guess was right, and at 1600 hrs the two arrived at Bde HQ. Gen. Down was on his way to England from India, and stopped at Italy to visit the Bde. His visit was most welcome, and for two hours the Bde Comd related to him, the history of the Bde since the [1st Airborne] Div left ITALY.

Early in the evening he climbed M. TROCCHIO with the Bde IO and from the top he was able to see the whole of the Bde front as well as MONTE CASSINO and the town. After dark the General, and the Bde Comd visited 4 Bn HQ, from there they were accompanied by the CO, and they moved forward to the station. Just as they were crossing a bridge in one of the fwd Pl areas an enemy arty barrage was brought down on the bridge. The Bde Comd was hit by flying shrapnel and his head was cut, and his arms burned by phosphorous. Another member of the party was severely wounded but the General and CO 4 Bn were untouched. The Bde Comd was evacuated to the ADS where his wounds were dressed. He returned to Bde HQ at 0300 hrs the following morning.

During the night 10/11 April, 6 Bn carried out a very detailed and accurate recce of the River GARI on the Bn sector. By this time the fwd posns of the Bn had been moved very much closer to the river and although we had not yet complete domination of the river the move fwd had prevented enemy patrols crossing to our side of the GARI.

[* At this time Maj-Gen. E.E. Down was the G.O.C: 44th Indian Airborne Division.]

11th April 1944.

General Down and the Bde Comd left Bde HQ at 0800 hrs to visit the Bn’s and the other units under comd of the Bde. They then visited the ‘B’ Ech’s of the units. The General returned to Bde HQ for lunch and left for NAPLES soon afterwards where he was to board a plane to take him to LONDON.

Meanwhile the DAA & QMG and the Bde IO visited HQ 10 Corps to collect information regarding the future sector which the Bde was going to hold. As 10 Corps was on the move at the time, information was not forthcoming, but it was ascertained that the Bde was to come under comd 2 NZ Div once more. With this information the party then visited 2 NZ Div HQ and learned that the Bde was to take over a mountainous sector NORTH EAST of CASSINO from 6 NZ Bde on or about night 17/18 Apr. The present sector was to be taken over by 21 Bde of 8 Indian Div.

Except for one sharp arty barrage brought down on the station area, there was little shelling on the Bde front.

At 2045 hrs the Bde Comd and LO left Bde HQ to visit C Coy of 10 RB, this is the right hand fwd coy of the Bn, and is situated on a prominent spur dominating the ground in front of it. Although there was no moon, the night was comparatively light and the Bde Comd was able to obtain a good idea of the ground in this area.

12th April 1944.

At 0745 hrs the Div Comd visited Bde HQ and discussed with the Bde Comd the progress already made by the Bde in moving fwd the FDL’s especially those of 10 RB who had already moved fwd in front of ST ANGELO. They then climbed MONTE TROCCHIO and observed the Bde front from an arty OP. the mist had lifted and visibility was good. Later the Bde Comd left for Corps HQ.

The CO of 10 RB arrived at Bde HQ just before lunch and brought with him the Pl Comd of the Pl which had patrolled the area opposite ST. ANGELO to point out various posns and minefields on the air photograph.

On the whole this was a quiet day. The usual tea time stonk on Bde HQ area took place, but no shell fell within 50 yds of Bde HQ.

After dark D-Coy of 5 Bn relieved A-Coy 4 Bn in the area of the CASSINO Station, and later the remainder of the Bn relived the rear Coys of 4 Bn. The whole relief was carried out, without incident.

Researched and transcribed by Robert Hilton