5th Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
Encyclopedia
The 5th Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, was one of six Canadian medium regiments that saw service in Britain and continental Europe in the Second World War, the others being the 1st
, 2nd, 3rd
, 4th, and 7th Medium
Regiments. (There was no 6th Medium.)
The 5th Medium Regiment was formed in England from two non-permanent batteries, namely the 7th Medium Battery (Montreal, Quebec) and the 23rd Medium Battery (Toronto, Ontario), on 22 September 1941. The regiment at this time was temporarily placed under the command of Major A. Bruce Matthews, who subsequently was promoted to Lt. Colonel. Prior to the creation of the 5th Medium Regiment, the 7th Medium Battery had been paired with the 2nd Medium Battery (Charlottetown, PEI) of the 1st Medium Regiment RCA. Similarly, the 23rd Medium Battery also belonged to the 1st Medium Regiment RCA and had been paired with the 3rd Medium Battery (Kingston, Ontario
). It was not uncommon for members of each Battery to identify themselves by geographic location instead of by Battery number (e.g., as an Islander if 2nd Battery, or from Kingston, if 3rd Battery). Throughout the war there was always a friendly rivalry between these Medium batteries.
After the completion of the regiment's formation in England, in a manner of questionable legality, the 5th Medium became the first fully armed medium regiment in the UK. Paraphrased from the 5th Medium unpublished diary: in an “alcoholic orgy of bargaining,” two Battery captains, Reiner and Hogarth, ‘bought’ eight new 5.5 inch guns
from an officer in charge of the supply gun park for the bargain price of 300 cigarettes. All the guns arrived by the end of September 1941 making the 5th Medium the first regiment to be fully outfitted with armaments. Similarly, Lt. General AGL McNaughton
was interested in conducting user trials of this new weapon. The 5th Medium conducted the user trials of the new artillery piece in January 1942 at Larkhill, England.
By October 1942, Lt. Colonel Matthews left the unit and was replaced by Lt Colonel Suttie. In this time before Christmas
, the 5th Medium conducted a live fire demonstration for Lt. General AGL McNaughton
and continued further training at Sennybridge. After two lively Christmas parties, the 5th Medium settled down for more training in the New Year.
At 0830 on 24 October 1943, Major Reiner informed the regiment of their anticipated movement towards a theater of action. The 23rd Battery, along with the Regimental HQ and the Signals section entrained at Leatherhead Station
, while the rest of the 7th Battery at Woking station
bound for Glasgow
. According to the official orders outlining the operation (Code named “Timberwolf”), it was stated that all “units will be on 12.00 notice to entrain, from 0001 21 October 1943.” On the afternoon of 26 October 1943 the 5th Medium boarded the Dutch liner, Sloterdijk (or Sloterdyk) in Glasgow
along with elements of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division
, HQ 1st AGRA, 2nd Medium RCA, and 11th Field Regiment RCA. On the evening of the 27th, the ship set sail in its convey in a northerly direction.
The troop ship continued into the North Atlantic causing a great deal of sea sickness. By estimates, it was documented that the waves and swells were 15-20+ feet in height. To keep the men occupied, pamphlets were given out detailing hygiene in tropical countries and notes for troops heading to North Africa
. The convey traveled unmolested by aircraft or U-boat
attack through the Atlantic and reached the straits of Gibraltar early in the evening of 4 November 1943.
On 6 November 1943, at 18:07, while north of Philippevile, North Africa
(now known as Skikda), the men had just completed a treasure hunt for 100 playing cards hidden throughout the ship when the convey was attacked by German aircraft. The predetermined Bren gun defenses were effective at creating a wall of tracers around the ship. The convey shot down two bombers and the all clear was called at 20:00. The only casualty aboard the Sloterdijk was an American sailor who was shot (by accident) in the leg by Grn Greenshields. Later, it was found that No. 14 Hospital Ship had been damaged and disabled in the attack, and two other ships were lost, none carrying Canadians. The No. 14 Hospital Ship was towed towards Philippevile
but sunk enroute without loss of life on board.
By 8 November 1943, the Sloterdijk docked outside of Palermo
Harbour, Sicily
at 02:10. An advanced party left the ship at about 08:30 and the rest of the 5th Medium disembarked at 11:00 and marched 3 miles (4.8 km) outside the city to the staging point in a swampy field. As American trucks began to bring up supplies, the 5th Medium moved to a rock quarry as it was dryer than the swamp. A rock slide, caused by heavy rains, killed Grn. Chiasson when he was struck by a falling boulder. Two others required hospitalization, one of which required the amputation of a leg. The 5th Medium spent the rest of the night without cover, tents or food in torrential downpours of rain.
After boarding box cars, the 5th Medium left Lolli Station, Palermo
, on 10 November 1943 towards their more permanent area in Zafferana. Traveling by train, the entire 5th Medium reached the Villa Angela on the slope of Mt. Etna by 11 November 1943. The next few days in Zafferana consisted of continued training and inspections (and numerous swims in the Mediterranean). On the 16-17 November 1943, the 7th and 23rd Batteries moved to Ionia. The training and checking of equipment continued, with events like mail arriving from Canada and even a minor earthquake
occurring. The discipline was very strict, although it was noted that members of the 5th Medium were able to send a few parties into the city of Catania to gather wine. Also the amount of dysentery
from men trading cigarettes for contaminated figs, oranges, dates and nuts were numerous because of the unsanitary handling of the food by the peasants.
As the winter approached the 5th Medium moved to Altamura
on 11 January 1944. On 24 February, eight new 4.5 inch guns
arrived. Now complete with armament and equipment, the 5th Medium moved forward along the Adriatic coast to the river Sangro towards the Ortona line
. The night of the 24 February 1944, the 5th Medium remained behind the line in outside of Lanciano
awaiting the movement into the front.
The 5th Medium found action in the Adriatic front held by the 5 British Corps. At this point, the 5th Medium had little to do but the odd counter-battery
and in support of the 8th Indian Division's attempt at capturing German soldiers in the houses across the Moro.
By mid-April, the 5th Medium received its orders to move again for a spring offensive on Cassino
in the Liri Valley. On 27 April 1944, the 5th Medium began moving under the cover of darkness, stopping during the day in order to conceal their movements. By 11 May 1944, everything was in order for the assault on the German held Gustav line
.
At 23:00 on 11 May 1944 (Operation Honker), almost 2,000 Allied artillery pieces began firing on Cassino and the Gustav line. The 5th Medium's task during the attack was predetermined fire plans, shoots on hostile batteries, nebelwerfer
s and other targets of opportunity. By 3 June 1944, the regiment came out of action and began its move towards Pofi.
By 11 June 1944, the regiment had returned to its old concentration area in Guardia. Training continued and by 3 August 1944, the regiment began to move again to an area near Spolatto. On 15 August 1944, Brigadier Huckvale, Commander of 1 Army Group Royal Artillery
informed the regiment that it was going back into action north of Jesi
, close to the Gothic Line
.
The 5th Medium found the Germans dug in along the Metauro
and moved into a forward position on 24 August 1944. On 25 August 1944 at 24:00, the regiment participated in a large artillery barrage, but nowhere near the size conducted at Cassino
. The fighting in this area continued for another week and the 5th Medium went out of action again on 2 September 1944 and took up a position outside of San Giovanni. They remained in this position for 13 days, in part due to the stiff resistance the 5 British Corps were facing from the Germans. Movement again occurred on 16 September 1944 to Coraino. On the night of 21 September 1944, the rain reduced the hillside the regiment was located into a “mass of mud”. The Germans also were laying accurate fire on the roads leading from the area, thus restricting the regiment's movement. Equally, all equipment was “stuck at all possible angles and places” in the mud necessitating a postponement of movement until the next day. Eventually, after much winching and digging, the equipment was freed from the mud and the regiment made its way to a position south of Rimini
.
The regiment spent four days at the position in Rimini suffering many counter-battery attacks from German artillery. They then moved through the ruins of Rimini on the north side. The regiment remained in this position until 12 October 1944 when the advance on the front was again slowed at Savio. The regiment remained in action, doing little firing until 11 November 1944 when it moved into a rest area at Cesenatico
. After spending two weeks at Cesenatico, Operation “Chuckle” began with intentions to capture Bologna
and contain the 28 German Divisions in Italy. Bagnacavallo
and Ravenna
were eventually taken and the 5th Medium halted its advance along the Senio River which was decided would be the winter front line. The 5th Medium was eventually shifted to a new location near Godo. By 19 February 1945, the regiment came out of action and moved back to Cesenatico for movement to a new theater of action.
On 23 February 1945 the 5th Medium learned that it was leaving Italy for North-West Europe. The regiment spent a week and a half in a camp outside of Naples
(Camp Lammie) before boarding the ship, Ville D’Oran, on 12 March 1945 in Naples harbour.
On 13 March 1945, at 10:30, the 5th Medium disembarked in Marseilles and was transported to a camp outside the city. The next day, in convoy, the 5th Medium moved through the Rhone Valley of France
, into Belgium
. On 19 March 1945, the regiment settled in the town of Waregam. After numerous cancelled movement orders, the 5th Medium eventually received orders to move into Holland, outside of Nijmegen, firing on 1 April 1945 at 23:00 on targets along the Rhine and IJssel
. By 15 April 1944, the 5th Medium moved to a new position north of Valberg
, remaining there until 19 April 1945 when the regiment took up its last offensive position near Barneveld
.
On 26 April 1945, the 5th Medium received orders that it would not fire again, unless in retaliation. By 2 May 1945 a local truce had been declared to allow food conveys through to the Dutch citizens. On the evening of 4 May 1945, the regiment received word that the cessation of hostilities would occur on the following day and subsequently, a double issue of rum
was authorized within the regiment to all personnel.
After VE Day
on 8 May 1945, the regiment moved towards Hippo and eventually to Doorn
. The last day of the regiment's official existence was 30 June 1945. The final notation in the 5th Medium's war diary ends: “This is the last entry of the war diary of the 5th Cdn. Med. Regt., RCA. FINTO -- KAPUT”
1st Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
The 1st Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery was one of six Canadian medium artillery regiments which served in England, Italy, and northwest Europe during World War II.-History:...
, 2nd, 3rd
3rd Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
The 3rd Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery was raised as a medium artillery regiment of the Canadian Army on January 26, 1942. Formed in Petawawa, Ontario, it was made up of two former coastal batteries, the 5th from the west coast and the 87th, from the east coast.-History:The regiment was...
, 4th, and 7th Medium
7th Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
The 7th Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, was one of six Canadian medium regiments that sawservice in Britain and continental Europe in the Second World War, the othersbeing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Medium Regiments....
Regiments. (There was no 6th Medium.)
The 5th Medium Regiment was formed in England from two non-permanent batteries, namely the 7th Medium Battery (Montreal, Quebec) and the 23rd Medium Battery (Toronto, Ontario), on 22 September 1941. The regiment at this time was temporarily placed under the command of Major A. Bruce Matthews, who subsequently was promoted to Lt. Colonel. Prior to the creation of the 5th Medium Regiment, the 7th Medium Battery had been paired with the 2nd Medium Battery (Charlottetown, PEI) of the 1st Medium Regiment RCA. Similarly, the 23rd Medium Battery also belonged to the 1st Medium Regiment RCA and had been paired with the 3rd Medium Battery (Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
). It was not uncommon for members of each Battery to identify themselves by geographic location instead of by Battery number (e.g., as an Islander if 2nd Battery, or from Kingston, if 3rd Battery). Throughout the war there was always a friendly rivalry between these Medium batteries.
After the completion of the regiment's formation in England, in a manner of questionable legality, the 5th Medium became the first fully armed medium regiment in the UK. Paraphrased from the 5th Medium unpublished diary: in an “alcoholic orgy of bargaining,” two Battery captains, Reiner and Hogarth, ‘bought’ eight new 5.5 inch guns
BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun
The BL 5.5 inch Gun was a British artillery gun introduced during the middle of the Second World War to equip medium batteries.-History:In January 1939 a specification was issued for a gun to replace the 6 inch 26 cwt howitzers in use with most medium batteries...
from an officer in charge of the supply gun park for the bargain price of 300 cigarettes. All the guns arrived by the end of September 1941 making the 5th Medium the first regiment to be fully outfitted with armaments. Similarly, Lt. General AGL McNaughton
Andrew McNaughton
General Andrew George Latta McNaughton, CH, CB, CMG, DSO, CD, PC was a Canadian army officer, politician and diplomat.- Early life :...
was interested in conducting user trials of this new weapon. The 5th Medium conducted the user trials of the new artillery piece in January 1942 at Larkhill, England.
By October 1942, Lt. Colonel Matthews left the unit and was replaced by Lt Colonel Suttie. In this time before Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, the 5th Medium conducted a live fire demonstration for Lt. General AGL McNaughton
Andrew McNaughton
General Andrew George Latta McNaughton, CH, CB, CMG, DSO, CD, PC was a Canadian army officer, politician and diplomat.- Early life :...
and continued further training at Sennybridge. After two lively Christmas parties, the 5th Medium settled down for more training in the New Year.
At 0830 on 24 October 1943, Major Reiner informed the regiment of their anticipated movement towards a theater of action. The 23rd Battery, along with the Regimental HQ and the Signals section entrained at Leatherhead Station
Leatherhead railway station
Leatherhead railway station is a railway station serving the town of Leatherhead in Surrey, England. The station is managed by Southern, who provide train services along with South West Trains....
, while the rest of the 7th Battery at Woking station
Woking railway station
Woking railway station is a railway station in England, serving the town of Woking, Surrey. It is a major stop on the South Western Main Line and is used by many commuters...
bound for Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. According to the official orders outlining the operation (Code named “Timberwolf”), it was stated that all “units will be on 12.00 notice to entrain, from 0001 21 October 1943.” On the afternoon of 26 October 1943 the 5th Medium boarded the Dutch liner, Sloterdijk (or Sloterdyk) in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
along with elements of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division
5th Canadian (Armoured) Division
5th Canadian Division was a Canadian division during World War II. Following its redesignation from '1st Canadian Armoured Division', the bulk proceeded overseas in one main convoy, arriving in the UK at the end of November 1941....
, HQ 1st AGRA, 2nd Medium RCA, and 11th Field Regiment RCA. On the evening of the 27th, the ship set sail in its convey in a northerly direction.
The troop ship continued into the North Atlantic causing a great deal of sea sickness. By estimates, it was documented that the waves and swells were 15-20+ feet in height. To keep the men occupied, pamphlets were given out detailing hygiene in tropical countries and notes for troops heading to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. The convey traveled unmolested by aircraft or U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
attack through the Atlantic and reached the straits of Gibraltar early in the evening of 4 November 1943.
On 6 November 1943, at 18:07, while north of Philippevile, North Africa
Skikda
Skikda is a city in north eastern Algeria and a port on the Gulf of Stora, the ancient Sinus Numidicus. It was known as Philippeville until the end of the Algerian War of Independence in 1962...
(now known as Skikda), the men had just completed a treasure hunt for 100 playing cards hidden throughout the ship when the convey was attacked by German aircraft. The predetermined Bren gun defenses were effective at creating a wall of tracers around the ship. The convey shot down two bombers and the all clear was called at 20:00. The only casualty aboard the Sloterdijk was an American sailor who was shot (by accident) in the leg by Grn Greenshields. Later, it was found that No. 14 Hospital Ship had been damaged and disabled in the attack, and two other ships were lost, none carrying Canadians. The No. 14 Hospital Ship was towed towards Philippevile
Skikda
Skikda is a city in north eastern Algeria and a port on the Gulf of Stora, the ancient Sinus Numidicus. It was known as Philippeville until the end of the Algerian War of Independence in 1962...
but sunk enroute without loss of life on board.
By 8 November 1943, the Sloterdijk docked outside of Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
Harbour, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
at 02:10. An advanced party left the ship at about 08:30 and the rest of the 5th Medium disembarked at 11:00 and marched 3 miles (4.8 km) outside the city to the staging point in a swampy field. As American trucks began to bring up supplies, the 5th Medium moved to a rock quarry as it was dryer than the swamp. A rock slide, caused by heavy rains, killed Grn. Chiasson when he was struck by a falling boulder. Two others required hospitalization, one of which required the amputation of a leg. The 5th Medium spent the rest of the night without cover, tents or food in torrential downpours of rain.
After boarding box cars, the 5th Medium left Lolli Station, Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, on 10 November 1943 towards their more permanent area in Zafferana. Traveling by train, the entire 5th Medium reached the Villa Angela on the slope of Mt. Etna by 11 November 1943. The next few days in Zafferana consisted of continued training and inspections (and numerous swims in the Mediterranean). On the 16-17 November 1943, the 7th and 23rd Batteries moved to Ionia. The training and checking of equipment continued, with events like mail arriving from Canada and even a minor earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
occurring. The discipline was very strict, although it was noted that members of the 5th Medium were able to send a few parties into the city of Catania to gather wine. Also the amount of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
from men trading cigarettes for contaminated figs, oranges, dates and nuts were numerous because of the unsanitary handling of the food by the peasants.
As the winter approached the 5th Medium moved to Altamura
Altamura
Altamura is a town and comune of Apulia, southern Italy. It is located on the Murge plateau in the province of Bari, 45 km South-West of Bari, close to the border with Basilicata. As of 2011 its population was of 69,728.-Overview:...
on 11 January 1944. On 24 February, eight new 4.5 inch guns
BL 4.5 inch Medium Field Gun
The BL 4.5 inch Medium Gun was a British gun used by field artillery in the Second World War. It had nothing in common with the QF 4.5 inch Howitzer or the QF 4.5 inch AA Gun.- History :...
arrived. Now complete with armament and equipment, the 5th Medium moved forward along the Adriatic coast to the river Sangro towards the Ortona line
Battle of Ortona
The Battle of Ortona was a small, yet extremely fierce, battle fought between a battalion of German Fallschirmjäger from the German 1st Parachute Division under Generalleutnant Richard Heidrich, and assaulting Canadian forces from the 1st Canadian Infantry Division under Major General Chris Vokes...
. The night of the 24 February 1944, the 5th Medium remained behind the line in outside of Lanciano
Lanciano
Lanciano is a town and comune in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It has 36,570 inhabitants as of 2008.The city is also known for the first recorded alleged Catholic Eucharistic Miracle.-History:...
awaiting the movement into the front.
The 5th Medium found action in the Adriatic front held by the 5 British Corps. At this point, the 5th Medium had little to do but the odd counter-battery
Counter-battery fire
Counter-battery fire is a type of mission assigned to military artillery forces, which are given the task of locating and firing upon enemy artillery.-Background:...
and in support of the 8th Indian Division's attempt at capturing German soldiers in the houses across the Moro.
By mid-April, the 5th Medium received its orders to move again for a spring offensive on Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
in the Liri Valley. On 27 April 1944, the 5th Medium began moving under the cover of darkness, stopping during the day in order to conceal their movements. By 11 May 1944, everything was in order for the assault on the German held Gustav line
Winter Line
The Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. The primary Gustav Line ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the...
.
At 23:00 on 11 May 1944 (Operation Honker), almost 2,000 Allied artillery pieces began firing on Cassino and the Gustav line. The 5th Medium's task during the attack was predetermined fire plans, shoots on hostile batteries, nebelwerfer
Nebelwerfer
The Nebelwerfer was a World War II German series of weapons originally designed to deliver chemical weapons. They were initially developed by and assigned to the Wehrmacht's so-called Chemical Troops ...
s and other targets of opportunity. By 3 June 1944, the regiment came out of action and began its move towards Pofi.
By 11 June 1944, the regiment had returned to its old concentration area in Guardia. Training continued and by 3 August 1944, the regiment began to move again to an area near Spolatto. On 15 August 1944, Brigadier Huckvale, Commander of 1 Army Group Royal Artillery
British 1st Army Group Royal Artillery
1st Army Group Royal Artillery was formed in September 1942, with its headquarters located at Glasgow.In January 1943 the AGRA went overseas to Tunisia. It operated with V Corps, under First Army. In October of that year it entered the Italian campaign, operating with V Corps again, only this time...
informed the regiment that it was going back into action north of Jesi
Jesi
thumb|250px|Teatro Pergolesi.Iesi is a town and comune of the province of Ancona in the Marche, Italy.It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriatic Sea.-History:Iesi was one of the last towns of the Umbri...
, close to the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
.
The 5th Medium found the Germans dug in along the Metauro
Metauro
The Metauro is a river of the Marche, central Italy. It rises in the Apennine Mountains and runs east for 110 km ....
and moved into a forward position on 24 August 1944. On 25 August 1944 at 24:00, the regiment participated in a large artillery barrage, but nowhere near the size conducted at Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
. The fighting in this area continued for another week and the 5th Medium went out of action again on 2 September 1944 and took up a position outside of San Giovanni. They remained in this position for 13 days, in part due to the stiff resistance the 5 British Corps were facing from the Germans. Movement again occurred on 16 September 1944 to Coraino. On the night of 21 September 1944, the rain reduced the hillside the regiment was located into a “mass of mud”. The Germans also were laying accurate fire on the roads leading from the area, thus restricting the regiment's movement. Equally, all equipment was “stuck at all possible angles and places” in the mud necessitating a postponement of movement until the next day. Eventually, after much winching and digging, the equipment was freed from the mud and the regiment made its way to a position south of Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
.
The regiment spent four days at the position in Rimini suffering many counter-battery attacks from German artillery. They then moved through the ruins of Rimini on the north side. The regiment remained in this position until 12 October 1944 when the advance on the front was again slowed at Savio. The regiment remained in action, doing little firing until 11 November 1944 when it moved into a rest area at Cesenatico
Cesenatico
Cesenatico is a port town with about 20,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about 30 km south of Ravenna...
. After spending two weeks at Cesenatico, Operation “Chuckle” began with intentions to capture Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
and contain the 28 German Divisions in Italy. Bagnacavallo
Bagnacavallo
Bagnacavallo is a town and comune in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. .The Renaissance painter Bartolommeo Ramenghi bore the nickname of his native city.- Main sights:*Castellaccio * Giardino dei Semplici...
and Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
were eventually taken and the 5th Medium halted its advance along the Senio River which was decided would be the winter front line. The 5th Medium was eventually shifted to a new location near Godo. By 19 February 1945, the regiment came out of action and moved back to Cesenatico for movement to a new theater of action.
On 23 February 1945 the 5th Medium learned that it was leaving Italy for North-West Europe. The regiment spent a week and a half in a camp outside of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
(Camp Lammie) before boarding the ship, Ville D’Oran, on 12 March 1945 in Naples harbour.
On 13 March 1945, at 10:30, the 5th Medium disembarked in Marseilles and was transported to a camp outside the city. The next day, in convoy, the 5th Medium moved through the Rhone Valley of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, into Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. On 19 March 1945, the regiment settled in the town of Waregam. After numerous cancelled movement orders, the 5th Medium eventually received orders to move into Holland, outside of Nijmegen, firing on 1 April 1945 at 23:00 on targets along the Rhine and IJssel
IJssel
River IJssel , sometimes called Gelderse IJssel to avoid confusion with its Hollandse IJssel namesake in the west of the Netherlands, is a branch of the Rhine in the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel...
. By 15 April 1944, the 5th Medium moved to a new position north of Valberg
Valberg
Valberg may refer to:*Valberg, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France*Valberg, Nordland, Norway*Valberg, Vestfold, Norway...
, remaining there until 19 April 1945 when the regiment took up its last offensive position near Barneveld
Barneveld
Barneveld is a town and a municipality in the province of Gelderland in the center of the Netherlands. It is known for its poultry industry and large protestant community. The population of the municipality was 52.629 in June 2010, the town having a population of 29.756.-Transport:Barneveld is...
.
On 26 April 1945, the 5th Medium received orders that it would not fire again, unless in retaliation. By 2 May 1945 a local truce had been declared to allow food conveys through to the Dutch citizens. On the evening of 4 May 1945, the regiment received word that the cessation of hostilities would occur on the following day and subsequently, a double issue of rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
was authorized within the regiment to all personnel.
After VE Day
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
on 8 May 1945, the regiment moved towards Hippo and eventually to Doorn
Doorn
Doorn is a town in the municipality of Utrechtse Heuvelrug in the central Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. On 1 January 2008 the town had 10,052 inhabitants.-History:...
. The last day of the regiment's official existence was 30 June 1945. The final notation in the 5th Medium's war diary ends: “This is the last entry of the war diary of the 5th Cdn. Med. Regt., RCA. FINTO -- KAPUT”