The 166th R.A. Association is pleased to bring to the World Wide web some of the history of our Regiment

When Great Britain found itself at war with Nazi Germany and Italy in 1939 they called for Volunteers from Newfoundland to join their armed forces. They first asked for men to join the Royal Navy and men from all over the colony offered their services. Some 3500
Naval Recruits enlisted during the war.These were the men that Winston Churchill said were the best small boat seamen in the world.

Later, the Mother Country asked for Volunteers for the Royal Artillery and by mid 1940 two Heavy Artillery Regiments, the 57th and the 59th were formed as Units of the British Army.

In the summer of 1940 recruitment began for Volunteers for the Royal Air Force and some 700 offered their services.

In total over 15 thousand Newfoundlanders served in the Armed Forces during World War 2.

The 57th Newfoundland Heavy Regiment acted in a Coast Defence Role in Norfolk, England during the threat of Invasion in 1940 and until July of 1941 when it was changed to the 166th Newfoundland Field Regiment by the War Office. See the Despatches here.

The 59th was stationed in the South of England until the Invasion of Europe.

The Commanding Officer, Col. Lambert, sought the change to light Field Guns because he felt that a Field Regiment would likely play a more active role when the shooting war began in North Africa.

When the Allied Armies invaded North Africa the 166th was part of the First Army and was awarded the Ist Army Clasp to be worn on the Africa Star for its service in that theatre of war when the Axis Forces capitulated in Tunisia in May, 1943. During the Campaign the Regiment participated in all the major Battles including the fierce battle for "Longstop Hill" near Medgez-el-Bab. The Regiment then became part of Gen. Montgomery's Eighth Army.

When the North African Campaign ended the 166th, after refitting, crossed the Mediterranean in September and landed at Taranto in Southern Italy.

The Regiment, as part of the Eighth Army, advanced up the coast of Italy supporting the Infantry in the battles fought at every river crossing, the Moro and the Sangro being the fiercest. In January,1943 the Regiment crossed Italy to take part in the bloody battle for Cassino where, in their first attack many hundreds of Americans had been killed and wounded in a vain fight to capture the strongpoint. British and American Casualties at Cassino were more than 14,000 men killed and wounded. our guns were in action in the Liri Valley near the Town of Cassino when the saturation bombing which completely destroyed the famous Monastery took place. The bombing went on throughout the whole day and was a truly unforgetable experience as many of the bombs fell short of the target, some falling behind our position.

When the Gustav Line at Cassino was finally broken the Eighth Army and the 166th moved fairly rapidly northward through Rome, Arezzo, Florence and Pistoia until the advance was slowed by the Apennines, the Mountain Range that crosses Italy. Here, the road wound through the Futa Pass, a narrow gorge that formed a natural defensive position for the defenders. The fighting here was intense and movement of Guns and equipment was extremely difficult and slow. When the Allied Forces fought to within a few miles of the City of Bologna heavy snowfalls made further movement almost impossible and in December, 1944, the advance came to a standstill and the Allied Armies settled in until the weather improved.

In mid-February, 1945, the Regiment moved from the front line back through the mountains to Lucca and from there the first group of 64 men left on their journey back to Newfoundland for 28 days Leave. In the same month the remainder of the Regiment moved to the south of Italy and the fighting ended for the 166th in World War 2.

In July, 1945 the Regiment left Naples for England and in early August sailed for Halifax on the S.S. Cameronian and from there to St.,John's aboard the Lady Rodney.

The 166th Newfoundland Field Regiment, Royal Artillery was officially disbanded on 31 October, 1945

Those Members of the Regiment who are still living are listed here with their addresses.

Those Members who sailed from Glasgow for the North African Campaign on HMT Circassia in January, 1943 are also listed.

A Map of North Africa shows the area from Setif in the west to Tunis and south to the Oasis of Ben Gardane, near Tripoli, where the Regiment suffered through three days of a Sirocco with blowing sand off the desert and temperatures of 130 degrees.

A Map of Italy shows the progress of our Guns from the landing in Taranto northward to the outskirts of Bologna, the last Gun Position occupied by our Guns.