Chapter 17: LIFE AS A FORWARD OBSERVATION OFFICER

For the next few weeks I alternated as Gun Position Officer (GOP) and Forward Observation Officer (FOO) The job for the FOO was to go ahead, accompanied by a signaler and sometimes a runner, reporting to the Infantry HQ in the line and then finding or being directed to an observation post (OP) from which one could see the ground in front and on either flank of the battalion we were covering. The Op was frequently in the front line but sometimes on higher ground with a better viewpoint. The signaler's job was to establish contact with our battery's gun position by stringing and repairing phone lines between the guns and our viewpoint. We would always make our moves in and out in the dusk so as to avoid detection. Even so, we lost more than one signaler in the line of duty.

Lieutenant Peter Padley was killed on his way up to the front line, to take my tour of duty as FOO over, as I was called upon for another task at the last minute.

When acting as Foo, we would get the latest data on the enemy from the foremost Company Commander. Each battalion would, as a rule, be located in depth, that is with one support line of trenches. This company, commanded by a captain generally would have acquired up to date data about the Enemy's nearby defense, including location of machine guns, possible mined areas and so on. This information was compiled, and added to from time to time, thro9ugh sending out night patrols and careful observation of any new work being done in the area.

Our Royal Air Force planes were very active in taking photos of the Enenmy's defended lines; through doing this regularly they could furnish us with a succession of prints which showed that changes were taking place. We learned to study these photos very carefully, thereby identifying appropriate targets. We were not allowed to take such photographs into the forward areas - a sound regulation.

One challenge was to give reasonable satisfaction to the Battalion commander - in general a field battery would support the front of one battalion. When an attack of any scale was being planned more field guns would be brought up. These were from Army Field Brigades, Royal Field Artillery, in one of which my eldest brother David was serving. The 4.5 Howitzer battery in our Brigade, "D" 112, was used a great deal to drop its heavy shells into the hollows which could only be seen from the air.

Many of these Battalion Commanders, with their men holding the front line, were eager for us gunners to keep plastering the enemy defenses immediately opposite them with daily "straffes".