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Army Wing 34 Section
Small and mobile
30 Assault Unit, (34 Section - Army Wing) mostly whilst at the Villa Noboli outside Imprunetta just south of Florence. After this, a selection of them were parachuted behind the lines into the Carrarra mountains near Sarzana to disrupt the German retreat, blowing bridges, telephone lines etc. with the partisans. Also, their duty was to keep an eye on movements in the port of La Spezia. info@30AU.co.uk
Award recommendation EdGallacher
While operating behind enemy lines in the SPEZIA area from 6 Feb to 28 Mar 45 this soldier showed outstanding initiative and courage. On two occasions he re-crossed ebenmy lines bringing back important information of enemy forces and intentions. On the last occasion after the officer in charge had been killed in the ALTISSIMO, Spr Gallacher, by his courage and tenacity of purpose succeeded at the second attempt to re-cross under fire from German MG's and mortars, bringing back vital information of enemy forces in SPEZIA area. His courage and Cheerfulness under adverse conditions were throughout the operation an inspiration to the remainder of the party
Eddie “Jock” Gallacher
Eddie “Jock” Gallacher and the lady in question was the daughter of the villa’s owner. I assume the picture was taken when the group were stationed in the Villa Noboli. As far as I know the villa was the family home of Count Rossi di Montelera more famous as the family behind the Martini-Rossi drinks empire and I believe it is still owned by them. The lady in question was his daughter, the Contessa. He was a silver tongued devil my dad!!
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awaiting drop
Waiting for a drop in the Carrarra mountains, on Mount Sagro. Front 3 L to R: Alastair"Jock' Muir, Jock gallacher, Italian partisan officer 'Guido' (possibly Lt. Paulo) and 3 at back row. L to R. Geoff Hollington, Patrisan Georgio, unknown italian
Armywing
PRIVATE RAMSAY (BOTTOM LEFT) Men from 30AU 34 Wing.
HQ
Repair
Major Strachan (senior officer) and his pet boxer
Repairing vehicles at the rear of the villa.
Repairing vehicles at the rear of the villa.
Villa Nabolli
Rear of Villa Noboli, foreground building is the cook house & the 'home' of 'Tich' Gosling.
Villa Nabolli
REQUISITIONED VILLA NOBOLI NR. IMPRUNETTA,
Left of front 4 is Cpl. Don Wright. Left front of middle 4 is Eddie Smith. Officer to the right is Lt. Russel.
Left of front 4 is Cpl. Don Wright. Left front of middle 4 is Eddie Smith. Officer to the right is Lt. Russel.
Xmas Dinner 44
Front left: Dennis Nailor of Brecon (non op driver) At the back: Jock Buchan. Lt. Russel pouring jug. beside him: Jock Peters.
Far right: Denham (motor mechanic)
Front left: Dennis Nailor of Brecon (non op driver) At the back: Jock Buchan. Lt. Russel pouring jug. beside him: Jock Peters.
Far right: Denham (motor mechanic)
Far right: Denham (motor mechanic)
Front left: Dennis Nailor of Brecon (non op driver) At the back: Jock Buchan. Lt. Russel pouring jug. beside him: Jock Peters.
Far right: Denham (motor mechanic)
Dining
Dining in the villa. F'ground left: Jack Bevan, behind him on left:Dai Rees, head half hidden behind Jack is Ramsay.
Others unknown.
Others unknown.
Dinner
Left: Dan Whitcombe, 2nd left Private West, Next: Unknown, Next: Unknown. far right: Denham
German HQ
GERMAN HQ ROME (30AU FIRST IN) REMOVING EXPLOSIVES & MINES, GERMAN HQ ROME
Peterman (Safe Breaker)
Private West & Private Ramsay
It wasn't the army wing per se (34 Section 30EU) just Ramensky. I don't think there were enough members of the army unit to create a problem and by all accounts they were always involved in behind the lines stuff so I suppose that anything goes in that respect.
There were two escapades involving Johnny that I was told about. The first was when they were tasked with breaking into the German embassy in Rome. This was the mission where they played a game of football in the embassy grounds as the place was empty at the time. It was also the first mission that they used plastic explosives. Johnny had no experience with PE as his speciality was safecracking not safe blowing. He used so much explosive that it instead of opening the safe it blew it apart. There was bits of paper flying all over the place. Whilst my dad and the other 2 members of the party were busy trying to collect as much of the paperwork as they could all Johnny was interested in was picking up the money that was also floating around.
The second one was when Johnny went AWOL for a week. When he returned to the unit he was in possession of a great deal of money and I mean a serious amount. Around that time there was a bank robbery in a town approx. 90 miles inside enemy lines where the safe had been blown using "some kind of new explosive". Johnny of course denied any involvement but the truth was that it was him. He was so valuable to the unit he was not disciplined.
Once a thief and all that.
I'm sure that if Johnny was alive he would be revelling in the tales. The first time I ever met him was in the mid 60's when my dad and I were attending a football match in December 1966. We bumped into Johnny before the game and he was telling my dad how he was just back from France where he had been watching our team play in a European game. My dad asked him "how could you afford that?" Johnny just smiled and said "remember that post office that got done a few weeks ago". He grabbed my hand and placed a half crown in it. My god I was rich. He was arrested on the following Monday (nothing to do with us I should add) and once again incarcerated.
There is one tale involving my dad and another member of 30 that took place during the Anzio landings where they were taken prisoner by the Americans. According to dad they had been operating in the area for some time and were in the company of a couple of Italian girls having a picnic overlooking the bay when the American fleet appeared. They watched as the landings took place. Now I don't know if they had prior knowledge of the landings but they decided to have some fun with the yanks. Dad had previously served in the LRDG and due to having studied Latin before the war was extremely gifted in learning other languages especially Arabic and Italian. They were taken away for questioning and kept insisting that they were Italian peasants. After a few hours they finally came clean and admitted that they were British special forces. They also told the yanks that there were no German units anywhere near but I guess this was never passed on and the rest is history. Perhaps unsurprisingly he had very little time for the American forces.
Regards,
Tommy
It wasn't the army wing per se (34 Section 30EU) just Ramensky. I don't think there were enough members of the army unit to create a problem and by all accounts they were always involved in behind the lines stuff so I suppose that anything goes in that respect.
There were two escapades involving Johnny that I was told about. The first was when they were tasked with breaking into the German embassy in Rome. This was the mission where they played a game of football in the embassy grounds as the place was empty at the time. It was also the first mission that they used plastic explosives. Johnny had no experience with PE as his speciality was safecracking not safe blowing. He used so much explosive that it instead of opening the safe it blew it apart. There was bits of paper flying all over the place. Whilst my dad and the other 2 members of the party were busy trying to collect as much of the paperwork as they could all Johnny was interested in was picking up the money that was also floating around.
The second one was when Johnny went AWOL for a week. When he returned to the unit he was in possession of a great deal of money and I mean a serious amount. Around that time there was a bank robbery in a town approx. 90 miles inside enemy lines where the safe had been blown using "some kind of new explosive". Johnny of course denied any involvement but the truth was that it was him. He was so valuable to the unit he was not disciplined.
Once a thief and all that.
I'm sure that if Johnny was alive he would be revelling in the tales. The first time I ever met him was in the mid 60's when my dad and I were attending a football match in December 1966. We bumped into Johnny before the game and he was telling my dad how he was just back from France where he had been watching our team play in a European game. My dad asked him "how could you afford that?" Johnny just smiled and said "remember that post office that got done a few weeks ago". He grabbed my hand and placed a half crown in it. My god I was rich. He was arrested on the following Monday (nothing to do with us I should add) and once again incarcerated.
There is one tale involving my dad and another member of 30 that took place during the Anzio landings where they were taken prisoner by the Americans. According to dad they had been operating in the area for some time and were in the company of a couple of Italian girls having a picnic overlooking the bay when the American fleet appeared. They watched as the landings took place. Now I don't know if they had prior knowledge of the landings but they decided to have some fun with the yanks. Dad had previously served in the LRDG and due to having studied Latin before the war was extremely gifted in learning other languages especially Arabic and Italian. They were taken away for questioning and kept insisting that they were Italian peasants. After a few hours they finally came clean and admitted that they were British special forces. They also told the yanks that there were no German units anywhere near but I guess this was never passed on and the rest is history. Perhaps unsurprisingly he had very little time for the American forces.
Regards,
Tommy
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Villa Nobolli
Rope stretched over the swimming pool at Villa Noboli.
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