Mobilisation Annual camp for the regiment was held at
Malvern 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 duplicate
38th (Welsh) Infantry Division, which became active on 18 September 1939.
81st (Welsh) Field Regiment Home defence On mobilisation 81st Field Rgt moved into
billets at
Gorseinon in West Glamorgan. Six weeks later it moved to
Pembroke, where a number of men were withdrawn and sent back to key civilian jobs. They were replaced by a draft of
militiamen. Parts of 53rd (Welsh) Division were sent to
Northern Ireland from October 1939, and 81st Fd Rgt joined it there in March 1940, being quartered first at
Ballymoney and later at
Kilkeel. By 3 April the whole division was stationed in Northern Ireland as part of
VI Corps. One of the lessons learned from the
Battle 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 of
25-pounders with
Quad 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 disbanded
Defence Regiments of the RA. 53rd (W) Division returned to mainland Britain on 30 April 1941, the division served under
III Corps and
Western Command in the Welsh Border counties. In April 1942 it was assigned to
XII Corps District, and concentrated in
Kent, with 81st Fd Rgt moving to
Sutton Valence near
Maidstone on 1 April. 81st Field Rgt moved into
Suffolk in August, returning to Sutton Valence the following month. In October it moved into the permanent barracks at
Sheerness where it was attached to
71 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: • 323 Fd Bty – 1st Battalion,
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (OBLI) • 324 Fd Bty – 1st Battalion,
East Lancashire Regiment • 459 Fd Bty – 1st Battalion,
Highland Light Infantry (HLI)
Normandy tractors advancing in Normandy August 1944 53rd (Welsh) Division was among the follow-up troops landing after
D-Day (6 June). Between 15 and 17 June 81st Fd Rgt moved to Marshalling Camp 2 at
Canning Town, close to
London Docks. Embarkation commenced on 19 June, 342 Fd Bty at
Royal Albert Dock, the rest of the regiment at
East India Docks and
Royal 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 the
Subles district south of
Bayeux on 27 June. On 1 July 53rd (W) Division relieved
15th (Scottish) Division on the
River Odon after the
Battle of 'Scottish Corridor'. 53rd Division was then involved in the
Second Battle of the Odon from 15 July, 71 Bde capturing Cahier and holding on to it by hard fighting. In early August, fearing heavy casualties among the units of a single recruiting area, 53rd (W) Division dispersed the battalions of
Royal Welch Fusiliers (RWF) comprising
158 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. When the breakout from the Normandy beachhead began in early August, 53rd Division cleared the banks of the
River Orne as far as
Grimbosq and
Thury-Harcourt and then fought its way towards
Falaise to help in closing the
Falaise Pocket. 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 of
Bonnœil. 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 attacked
Le 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) overlooking
Ronai and
Habloville 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. By late August 53rd (W) Division's units were across the
Seine and driving over open country towards the
River Somme. On 4 September the division cleared
St Pol and was working its way through the canal area west of
Lille.
Netherlands There was a pause at the Meuse-Escaut Canal before
Operation Market Garden was launched on 17 September. XII Corps had an important subsidiary role clearing the country west of
XXX 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 at
Wintelre, west of
Eindhoven, 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 the
Nijmegen bridgehead captured during Market Garden. While at Nijmegen one FOO was killed, and the regiment's CO, Lt-Col Tyler, was wounded and evacuated. , 23 October 1944 After the failure of Market Garden, XII Corps was ordered to advance westwards towards
's-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 the
Royal 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 by
158 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. 81st Field Rgt moved to
Wessem with 71 Bde on 1 November to relieve the
Independent 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 of
Roermond. 71 Brigade attempted an assault crossing of the
River 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 Battalion
Royal 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. 53rd (W) Division was not involved in the assault crossing of the
Rhine (
Operation Plunder) on 23/24 March, but crossed on 26 March and the next day attacked through
Hamminkeln to Dingden. It then took part in the drive to the
Elbe. 81st Field Rgt entered
Hamburg early on 4 May, the day that the
German 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. From Spring 1941 the division was in Southern England as
IV Corps' Reserve, stationed behind
47th (London) and
55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division along the
Sussex Coast. The regiment formed its third battery, 496 Fd Bty, on 31 March when it was stationed at
Aldershot. 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.
Operation Torch 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 near
Algiers. After landing and consolidating the beachhead, they were to capture
Blida Airfield and secure the roads around
Birtouta. The landings began exactly on time at 01.00 on 8 November 1942, met no opposition from the
Vichy French, and the whole brigade group was ashore before 12.00. It was in position around Birtouta by nightfall. 11 Brigade Group began the march towards
Tunis ( 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 on
Medjez el Bab on 25 November failed, but other forces bypassed it and the brigade occupied it the next day and pushed on for
Tebourba, only about from Tunis. Early on 27 November, 1st Battalion
East Surrey Regiment was widely extended in front of Tebourba when it was attacked by the hastily formed German
Kampfgruppe 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. The renewed Allied offensive in Tunisia began on 8 April 1943 with operations to open the Oued Zarga–Medjez road. For 78th Divisions' attack on
Chaouach and
Toukabeur 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 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. On 23 April it attacked Longstop and Tanngoucha again (the
Second 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. 78th Division was then positioned for a direct drive on Tunis (
Operation Vulcan). This was launched by
IX Corps, supported by all the guns of
V 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.
Sicily 78th Division had been selected for the
Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) as early as January 1943, and after the end of the Tunisian campaign went into training at Hammamet. It was assigned to
Eighth 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 near
Cassibile 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 the
Battle of Centuripe. Large amounts of 25-pounder ammunition had been gathered for this operation. 78th Division's task was first to relieve
3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade across the
Dittaino river at
Catenanuova and expand the bridgehead, then to capture the hill town of
Centuripe. 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. 78th Division was then sent round the west side of
Mount Etna. 38 (Irish) Brigade crossed the
Salso on 4 August and the
Simeto on 5 August, with strong artillery support. German resistance then stiffened, and 78th Division had to put in a full-scale attack at
Bronte and
Maletto before capturing the key point of
Randazzo on 13 August. By now the Germans were evacuating Sicily, and the division was ordered to stand fast.
Italy The Allies landed on mainland Italy in early September 1943. 78th Division began to arrive on 22 September, and immediately began advancing towards
Foggia and its important
complex of airfields. Next, it was sent to cross the
Biferno and capture
Termoli, 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 by
Panzers was developing. The situation was dangerous on 5 October until
Royal Engineers completed a bridge for tanks and guns to get across in support, after which the advance was resumed. At the end of October 78th Division was ordered to capture
Vasto 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 the
Sangro, 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 6th
Royal 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 to
Fossacesia, and took Rocca on 1 December. In the first three days of the
Battle of the Sangro, the field regiments fired over 600 rounds per gun. Afterwards the division was sent to rest. 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 take
Monte Cassino, and 78th Division had been moved across Italy to be in
XIII Corps' reserve for this. All the field guns in the corps were involved in the preliminary bombardment and then the
Creeping barrage laid on for the attacking divisions on 11/12 May. 78th Division was committed to the battle on 15 May in the
Liri Valley. At first light on 19 May,
36 Bde was launched at
Aquino, 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 the
Hitler 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 reached
Roccasecca railway station. The Germans began to withdraw that night, and XIII Corps began a slow pursuit along Highway 6 against rearguards. 78th Division reached
Alatri on 2 June and then went into reserve. 78th Division returned to the line for the
Battle of Lake Trasimene, working its way up the west bank of the
Tiber against strong opposition, 10–24 June, securing
Pescia and its river but suffering heavy casualties. The exhausted division was then sent to the Middle East for rest and refit, embarking for
Egypt on 23 July. 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 around
Fano and then moved into the
Santerno Valley, on appalling roads that even defeated the 'Quad'. The division held Monte Cappello and
Monte Battaglia, but advancing was difficult, and the capture of Monte La Pieve and Monte Spadura took from 13 to 24 October at heavy cost. Fighting on the Italian Front largely shut down for winter, but not before more abortive attacks by 78th Division in December. 78th Division returned to V Corps for the Allied
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy (Operation Grapeshot). Once the
Senio was crossed, 78th Division was to push through towards the Bastia Bridge on the
Reno and on to
Argenta. The operation was launched on 9 April behind massed artillery and went according to plan, with 78th Division clearing
Cotignola 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 the
River Po, arriving on 22 April. After more stiff fighting, the division crossed in pursuit of the disintegrating German forces. Fighting on the Italian Front ended on 2 May after the
Surrender of Caserta, and 78th Division entered Austria as part of the occupation force on 8 May 1945, advancing towards
Villach and
Klagenfurt. 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. ==Postwar==