Page 4 - ABA Salvoes 1999-2024

ABA President’s Foreword
On behalf of the Amphibious Bombardment Association and all its members, serving and retired, I am hugely grateful to Mike Sharp for his unstinting work as Chairman over the most disruptive period in the recent history of the AO units, particularly his swansong: this memorable compilation of our history. Some things change - equipment and tactics for example - but other aspects remain unchanged: the teamwork and camaraderie amongst NGFO parties and the ability to find humour in some very serious situations. I am also grateful to the Royal Artillery Historical Fund for their assistance with this project. Major Gerry Akhurst, currently authoring the history of the Royal Artillery in the Falklands Campaign, tells me that 148 Battery’s records are more comprehensive than any other battery involved: unsurprising and almost certainly reflected in other campaigns. I hope you enjoy this entertaining and thought-provoking overview of more than 80-years of Amphibious Bombardment.
Lt Gen (Ret’d) Chris Brown CBE
ABA Chairman’s Introduction
This special edition of Salvoes marks 25 years since the creation of the Amphibious Bombardment Association. In 1999, the ABA was formed to bring together the soldiers, and sailors who have served within an amphibious bombardment unit in an association that aims to maintain links and record its history. Whether they be from our founding community who fought with the Combined Operations Bombardment Units during WW2, or any of the units that held the amphibious bombardment baton between then and 148 (Meiktila) Commando FO Bty RA. The association welcomes both past and present serving members who have experienced operating in this unique role. The articles within this edition have all been previously published and have been selected to represent the span of operations over the last 80 years. It is with regret that we are unable to publish a more comprehensive edition - a second journal could easily have been filled! Rest assured our back copy of Salvoes is secured and available to anyone who wishes to dig a little deeper into our history. It reminds me of when I attended an ABA reunion and asked one of our COBU originals what his role was during D-Day. I should have expected the response “which D-Day?”.
It is with gratitude that I thank the team led by Malcolm Fordyce who had the initiative to establish a very special club in the ABA 25 years ago. When I read these articles two things stand-out. Firstly, the quality of the people who are attracted and had the motivation to volunteer for a unit with a unique and specialist role which demands huge amounts of self-sacrifice. Secondly, and as the Defence returns to a warfighting focus, is the importance of naval bombardment. With new munition technologies on the horizon and new ships for the Royal Navy being built, the need for a unit that is able to deliver timely and accurate fires in the littoral should be assured.
We owe a huge amount of gratitude to those who have supported the publishing of this special edition. It would not have been possible without the financial support of the RAA/RAI and the RA Historical Society. We are also hugely grateful to Nicole Hicks, widow of Gerry Hicks, for her kind donation to this project. I hope you enjoy reading it. It really is amazing what this small band of soldier, sailors have done over the years!
Lt Col Mike Sharp MBE RA
2 | Amphibious Bombardment Association A Naval Gunfire Support Team - Faraid Head, Cape Wrath, Scotland.