'G' Battery R.H.A

Appendix No1

List of Officers and W.O.s at 17th. May 1940

Report by 2/Lt M.C. Lanyon 'G' Bty. R.H.A

Appendix No2

on action at LE THON on 25th May 1940

Report by Capt J.A. Norman 'G' Bty. R.H.A

Appendix No4

on section action at on 27 May 1940

Signed J.A. Norman 'Capt . R.H.A                  

REPORT OF THE  "B" TROOP ACTION AT RATTE-KO. MAY 19th 1940, by CAPT. G.N. NICHOLSON. R.H.A

O.S. France Sheet 40 POPERINGHE

Appendix No5

On the night of May 28th-29th the Battery moved Northwards from CASSEL towards BERGUES, 2776, and extricated themselves from the stream of refugee trafic, North of REXODDE, 3572, deploying and taking up covering positions half a miles N.E. of the main POPERINGHE-BERGUES-DUNKERQUE road in the area of WEST HOECK 352748. At 0900 hrs on May 29th, "B" Troop received orders to move two guns forward to a point where two side roads converged on the main road at RATTE-KO, 333746. The Troop Commander and G.P.O. (2/Lts G.N. Nicholson and G.R.A. Wixley) went forward with the left Section ("G" Subsection under Sgt Foster, "H" under Sgt. Bartle), and established a position directly on the West of the main road, which cover both side roads in enfillade, a Command Post in a ditch between the Guns, and an O.P. set up in the bed-room of a nearby cottage, manned in turn by 2/Lieuts. L.O.M. Barstow and H.C. Oulton. Here they dug shallow Gun Pits and sat waiting for Dinners and enemy, while a disorderly rabble of British and Allied Troops tramped past along the road behind the Coast.

As the afternoon drew on, reports of the enemy's approach came in, and a Platoon of the Fife and Forfars went forwad patrolling in Bren Carriers. We were asked to give supporting fire to these in an attack which was planned to be made from rising ground about 400 yards in front of the Troop Position. The stream of refugees thinned and the place seemed queerly quiet after the uproar of troops, horses and vehicles which had clattered by all morning. From the O.P. there came suddenly the command 'Take Post' ; and there ensued an orderly confusion of fire orders received over the phone at the Command Post and relayed through the noised by the Troop Commander and the G.P.O., the rifle fire from in front of a the Fire and Forfars engaged the enemy, and the noise of Guns, as a tank hull down in a nearby farm, fires tracer shells and S.A.A. across the fields at them, and was finally silenced by their answering volley of fire. They had somegood shooting, and certainly put one tank out of action, successfully destroyed the farm in case of other lurking tanks and stemmed the attack at this point. Soon all that could be heard was the crackle of ammunition and fireworks exploding in an ammunition vehicle burning by the road side in front of Bartle's position, and the quiet orders of the Nos.1 as the got their Gun Pits straighten out after the engagement. There were no casualties, though Foster's Gun Camouflage Net was burning and his Gas-Mask and Greatcoat had been pierced by a shot from the enemy tank.

There were still nineteen rounds to be fired: and as the Fife and Forfars withdrew behind the position, the Section found themselves along beside the deserted road, supported by only a few on the Welsh Guards who had gathered from a position further down the road. They waited and watched with slight apprehension on the white Verey lights of the enemy's advanced troops quietly moving forward as the evening darken. At last, about 1900 Hrs, orders were received to close on the Battery, at WEST HOECK; so loading up the still unfired nineteen rounds they limbered up and withdrew down the road from RATTE_KO in what must have been one of the Section's quickest, though most disciplined moves.