Page 22 - ABA Salvoes 1999-2024

the lighthouse. Unfortunately, there is a narrow stone bridge in the middle of the range where our DUKW got completely wedged. Frantic radio calls to the OP produced no clear response. The first serial was dive bombers from HMS INDOMITABLE. Apart from in films, none of us had ever seen live bombs wobbling down seemingly straight towards us. I am ashamed to say that I panicked and told the driver to put his foot down. This he did with the result that both walls of the bridge collapsed into the river as we sped to the far side of the range. By the time the Court of Enquiry was held, I had been posted to B Troop, 267 COBBRA in Trieste.
Trieste is situated at the top right hand corner of the Adriatic Sea about 100 miles to the east of Venice. It is an interesting city and was a delightful posting for young National Servicemen. For many years it was the only port, and the third largest city, in the Austro- Hungarian Empire. Then, in 1915, England and France bribed the Italians with the promise of being given the Sud Tirol and Trieste if they joined the Allies and opened a southern flank against the Axis powers. This was sometimes known as The White War as it was mainly fought in the Dolomites and the Julian Alps. In 1918 Trieste was duly handed over to the Italians. When Italy capitulated in September 1943, the Germans occupied Trieste. On 2 May 1945 the Germans in Italy surrendered and Tito’s partisans immediately occupied the city and conducted a four day reign of terror, massacring hundreds of Fascists and collaborators, before the New Zealand 2nd Division arrived to restore some law and order. Pending a decision to give Trieste to the Austrians, the Italians or the Yugoslavs, it was decided that the Free Territory of Trieste should be established. Accordingly, 5000 British and 5000 American military personnel were garrisoned in Trieste. After 24 Infantry Brigade and a huge British Command Headquarters had been appointed, there was no headcount remaining for an Artillery Regiment. Hence the need for B Troop 267 COBBRA. It was also decided that a naval vessel with guns would either be based in the harbour or within five hours sailing at all times. My arrival in Trieste brought the strength of the Troop up to 18. Capt Pip Bardell and Capt David Cooke, subsequently replaced by Capt Peter Marshall, did all the liaising, planning, networking and socialising while I did most of the work!
The work consisted primarily of trying to train up the resident ship in Bombardment (Naval Gunfire Support) communications and procedures. The ships were mainly destroyers from the American 6th Fleet, each of which carried their own ANGLICO team. An exercise day invariably started with waffles, maple syrup and coffee on board ship before both teams headed up into the hills for concentrated NGS procedures training. King George VI died on 6 February 1952. As B Troop was the only Gunner unit in BETFOR (British Expeditionary Trieste Force), we were charged with firing a 56 gun salute at the start of a memorial parade by 24 Infantry Brigade. To our surprise,
and dread, somebody found four old 17-pounder anti- tank guns and some blank ammunition left behind after the war. None of us had seen a 17-pounder before, most of us having been trained on 25-pounders, and we spent a frantic week trying to master the necessary gun drill. Came the day and our signallers turned gunners paraded with guns at the side of the huge drill square packed with three battalions of soldiers. At 5 minutes to 1100 hours Pip Bardell gave the order to ‘load’. Unfortunately, one of our newly trained gunners managed to ‘load’ and ‘fire’ in one smooth movement. Panic! Pip Bardell and I had a rapid debate as to whether to carry on, 5 minutes early, regardless or to hope that nobody would notice the odd bang going off early. By the time we had decided to carry on regardless it was already 3 minutes before 11 o’clock. Needless to say, we were buying drinks in the Mess for the next two weeks. Was this the first, last or only time that an AO unit has fired a Royal salute?
In March 1952 the Triestinos demonstrated against the continued occupation of their city. The responses of the British Governor, Major-General Sir John Winterton (to whom Michael de Sausmarez, later 881, subsequently became an ADC) and the American General were interesting. The Brits were confined to barracks whilst the Yanks strapped on revolvers or carried rifles and carried on as normal. When the demonstrators went too far, the local Italian police coped very well using water cannon to drench the rioters with bright red dye. This not only dampened their spirits but ruined their clothes and meant that they could not go out on to the streets for at least a week until the dye had worn off their faces and hands. Before that they would be immediately arrested. It seemed like a pretty good idea to me. All troops were finally withdrawn from Trieste in 1954.
Every year, the Brigade Commander of 24 Inf. Bde set a 3 day exercise to test the effectiveness of each of his three Battalions. Bob Lumb, later 881, as the senior Bombardier, and myself as the junior officer, lead FOB parties on these exercises. As the CO’s Artillery Adviser, I was kept in attendance. For the first Battalion exercise with the North Staffords we fulfilled our role to the best of our ability. Apart from the Umpires, we were the only troops to take part in all 3 exercises. Accordingly, the CO of the second Battalion, the Loyal Lancashire Regt, consulted me at great length as to what the North Staffs had done and how they had fared. By the time the third Batalion, the Northants, followed on for their turn, I found myself running the exercise with the CO. An interesting role for a very junior FOB.
The highlight of the social scene in Trieste was the arrival in June of the Mediterranean Fleet complete with the CinC Lord Mountbatten, Lady Mountbatten and their two daughters. Invitations to his cocktail party on board his flagship HMS GLASGOW were like gold dust, No chance of one for a guinea-pig subaltern. Fortunately I had a
20 | Amphibious Bombardment Association