53rd (Bolton) Field Regiment was a Royal Artillery (RA) unit of Britain's part-time Territorial Army (TA) during World War II. It was descended from the Bolton Artillery, first formed in the Lancashire town of Bolton in 1889. It served in the Battle of France, at the end of which its personnel were evacuated from Dunkirk. It was then sent to the Middle East where it joined 8th Indian Division and fought with this division in the Italian Campaign. It was reformed in the postwar TA, and its successor unit continues as a battery in the present day Army Reserve
Origin
The Bolton Artillery was formed as part of the Volunteer Force in 1889. By the outbreak of World War I it was a 'brigade' of the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) in the East Lancashire Division of the Territorial Force. During World War I it served with the division (later the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division) in Egypt, Gallipoli, and on the Western Front. It reformed after the war, becoming the 53rd (Bolton) Brigade, RFA, when the TF was reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA) in 1921, with the following organisation:Frederick, pp. 489, 515.Army List, various dates.Litchfield, pp. 116–8.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 35–41.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 67–74. Brigade Headquarters at Silverwell Street, Bolton 209, 210, 211 (East Lancashire) Batteries 212 (East Lancashire) Battery (Howitzer)
The brigade was once again part of 42nd (EL) Divisional Artillery. In 1924 the RFA was subsumed into the Royal Artillery (RA), and the word 'Field' was inserted into the titles of its brigades and batteries.War Office, Titles & Designations, 1927. In 1938 the RA modernised its nomenclature and a lieutenant-colonel's command was designated a 'regiment' rather than a 'brigade'; this applied to TA field brigades from 1 November 1938.
After the Munich Crisis the TA was rapidly expanded. On 8 April 1939 Harry Goslin, captain of the Bolton Wanderers football team, announced to the crowd at Burnden Park that after the match he and his team would go to the TA drill hall to sign up. Most of the team was posted to 53rd (Bolton) Field Regiment.Purcell & Gething.
With the expansion of the TA, most regiments formed duplicates. Part of the reorganisation was that field regiments changed from four six-gun batteries to an establishment of two batteries, each of three four-gun troops. For the Bolton Artillery this resulted in the following organisation from 25 May 1939:Frederick, p. 528.
53rd (Bolton) Field Regiment Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) at Silverwell Street, Bolton 209 (East Lancashire) Field Bty 210 (East Lancashire) Field Bty
111th Field Regiment RHQ at Bolton 211 (East Lancashire) Field Bty 212 (East Lancashire) Field Bty
World War II
The Bolton Artillery mobilised on 1 September 1939, just before the outbreak of war, as part of 42nd (EL) Infantry Division, but from 27 September the newly formed 66th Infantry Division took over the duplicate units including 111th Fd Rgt.Western Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files.Farndale, Years of Defeat, p. 21.Joslen, p. 68.Joslen, p. 97. 53rd (Bolton) Fd Rgt was still equipped with 18-pounders on the outbreak of war. It went to Swindon when 42nd (EL) division was training in Berkshire and Wiltshire. In April 1940 the division began crossing to France to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter II.Farndale, Annex A.
When the German offensive began on 10 May, the BEF advanced into Belgium under Plan D, and by 15 May its leading divisions were in place on the River Dyle. 42nd (EL) Division was to move up to reserve positions on the River Escaut in France. 53rd Field Rgt took up positions at Froidment on 15 May with 100 rounds dumped by each gun, and remained there during 16 and 17 May. It opened fire on Defensive Fire (DF) tasks at 08.25 on 18 May and fired all day, receiving some sporadic CB fire in return. The following day the regiment engaged a large number of targets, mainly vehicles and horsedrawn artillery. The regiment fired 6000 rounds in its first 36 hours of war.Farndale, Years of Defeat, p. 40.
But the Wehrmacht's breakthrough in the Ardennes threatened the BEF's flank, and it had to retreat again. By 21 May the whole BEF was back on the Escaut.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter III.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter IV. As the Germans thrust behind the BEF, 42nd (EL) Division found itself south of Lille and facing east. By 26 May 53rd Fd Rgt was fighting hard in the area of Lambersart when orders came to move to Dunkirk. The decision had been made to evacuate the BEF through that port (Operation Dynamo). The personnel of 42nd Divisional Artillery including 53rd Fd Rgt were evacuated on 30 MayEllis, France & Flanders, Chapter XIII.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter XIV.Farndale, Years of Defeat, pp. 69, 83.
Home Defence
Units returning from France were rapidly reinforced, re-equipped with whatever was available, and deployed for home defence. 53rd Field Rgt concentrated at Newcastle upon Tyne and then moved to Bedale in North Yorkshire where the division assembled. 42nd (EL) Division went south to join IV Corps in September and the regiment was stationed at Wokingham while the division trained in Berkshire.Collier, Map 17.Farndale, Years of Defeat, p. 102. The regiment was eventually fully equipped with Mk II 25-pounder guns. 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, but it was not until late 1940 that the RA had enough trained battery staffs to carry out the reorganisation.Farndale, pp. 99–100. 53rd Field Rgt accordingly formed 438 Fd Bty on 29 March 1941 while the regiment was stationed at Woodbridge, Suffolk, when 42nd (EL) Division was serving in XI Corps.
53rd (Bolton) Field Rgt fielded a football team (the Wartime Wanderers) based on the Bolton Wanderers players who had joined up in 1939. The team was photographed while the regiment was stationed in Suffolk, and later played an 'international' match against Polish troops whole stationed in Iraq.Team photo at Bolton's Memories.
In the autumn of 1941 it was decided to convert 42nd (EL) Division into an armoured division. 52nd (Manchester) and 53rd (Bolton) Fd Rgts left on 20 October, and 111th Fd Rgt at the end of the month. 52nd and 53rd joined 76th Infantry Division defending Norfolk. During 1942 large reinforcements were sent from the UK to Middle East Forces, and 52nd and 53rd Fd Rgts were chosen to join them. 53rd Field Rgt left 76th Division on 6 June 1942 and embarked for the Middle East with S Bty of 100th (Gordon Highlanders) Anti-Tank Rgt attached.Joslen, p. 99.
Alamein Once the regiment arrived in Egypt, the personnel of S A/T Bty left to join 149th (Lancashire Yeomanry) A/T Rgt on 19 September. Eighth Army was preparing for the decisive Second Battle of Alamein, for which 53rd Fd Rgt was attached to 44th (Home Counties) Division.Joslen, p. 570.
44th (HC) Division was to lead one of XIII Corps' thrusts through the enemy minefields on the first night, 23/24 October (Operation Lightfoot), following a massive artillery barrage. A route was found through the first belt of minefields ('January') on the first night and 44th (HC) Division succeeded in passing the second minefield ('February') the next night, but the armour was unable to exploit beyond.Playfair & Molony, Vol IV, pp. 42–3, 46–7. The second phase of the offensive, Operation Supercharge, was launched on the night of 27/28 October. Eventually, the armour broke through, and next day came signs that the enemy was withdrawing. 44th (HC) Division took some part in the pursuit to El Agheila, collecting prisoners, but XIII Corps was short of transport and was left behind as Eighth Army drove westwards. Shortly afterwards 44th (HC) Division HQ was disbanded, and its units distributed.Joslen, pp. 71–2.Playfair & Molony, Vol IV, pp. 92–3; 220.
Iraq 53rd Field Rgt now became an army level unit in Middle East Forces.Joslen, p. 485. The regiment moved to Iraq, arriving on 3 January 1943, when it came under the command of 8th Indian Division (along with 52nd (Manchester) Fd Rgt).Joslen, p. 504. The division was in Tenth Army, forming part of Paiforce defending the vital oilfields of Iraq and Persia and the line of communications with the Soviet Union.Joslen, p. 489.Playfair, Vol III, Appendix 6. By the spring of 1943 the victories in North Africa and on the Eastern Front had removed the threat to the oilfields, and troops could be released from Paiforce for other theatres. 8th Indian Division moved to Ninth Army in Syria with 53rd Fd Rgt arriving on 30 April 1943.
8th Indian Division was then selected for the forthcoming Italian Campaign. 53rd Field Rgt arrived back in Egypt on 13 September and then embarked with the division for Italy on 18 September.
Italy 8th Indian Division began disembarking at Brindisi on 23 September, where 53rd Fd Rgt arrived next day.Molony, Vol V, pp. 345–6, 433. The division joined V Corps, which was leading Eight Army's advance up the east coast of Italy. Operations were slowed by rain and mud, but on the night of 1/2 November 8 Indian Division began attacking across the River Trigno, part of the Barbara Line. 1st Battalion 13th Frontier Force Rifles fought its way up the wooded spurs against the German 3rd Parachute Regiment, and the following night 3rd Bn 8th Punjab Regiment crossed the river to add its weight. On the night of 3/4 November the two battalions attacked Tufillo, 'taking in their stride a German counter-attack which was blown to pieces by the divisional artillery'. There was confused fighting in the dark amongst burning scrub, and by morning the two battalions were pinned down under heavy fire. The Germans were however being forced to thin out their defences, and the paratroopers withdrew, allowing the whole of 8th Indian Division to advance.Molony, Vol V, pp. 454–6, 459–61.
Mozzagrogna The Germans took up another delaying position, the Bernhardt Line, behind the River Sangro. Eighth Army closed up to the river on 9 November and prepared to assault the position. 78th Division developed a bridgehead, and on 27 November, after the flooded river had fallen, 8th Indian Division took Mozzagrogna on the escarpment beyond. A German counter-attack recaptured the village early on 28 November, but a fresh attack by 1st Bn 12th Frontier Force Regiment, accompanied by all the divisional and corps artillery, finally captured it by 01.30 on 29 November. The following night 1st Bn 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles and 1/12th FFR captured the dominating ground beyond Mozzagrogna, completing the rupture of the Bernhardt Line.Molony, Vol V, pp. 481–2, 485–90, Maps 28–9. The division continued to advance with short, powerfully supported attacks against stubborn resistance, where artillery ammunition supply became the limiting factor. Winter weather brought an end to operations in late December.Molony, Vol V, pp. 505–6.
During the fighting on the Sangro the former footballer Harry Goslin, by then a lieutenant with a Military Cross, was killed by mortar fire on 18 December while acting as a forward observation officer for his battery.Goslin at CWGC records.
Monte Cassino