Operator Fire Control

 

On 10^th November 1943 Chotie had passed

an OFC (Operator Fire Control) Trade Test at Bristol.

On 26^th November 1943 she was mustered as OFC Group D Class II.

 

Copy of Record – Chotie’s Service & Casualty form

250/7            17.11.43        462/133

Passed Trade Test at Bristol on 10/11/43 and qual. For appt. as O.F.C. Gp. D Class II in accordance with ATS Trade Tests. 1942. Authy IFC 46 Bde

 

260/4            29.11.43        462/133

Mustered as O.F.C Group D. Class II wcf 10.Nov. 43. Authy ATS Records MRA/M dated 26/11/43

 

Copy of Record - Choties’ Registration form

1. Rank    Pte
2. Service Trade and Classification  SBO (M)

O.F.C.

Tti. O.F.C Gp D Class II 10/11/43             250/43

Mustered OFC Gp D Cl II 10/11/43           260/43

 

27^th November 1943 – the New Zealand 2^nd Division fighting with Montgomery’s 8^th Army on the Adriatic side of Italy succeed in crossing the River Sangro.  Canadians then lead the Allies advance towards the strong defences of the German’s Winter line at Ortona.  Germany’s main defensive position in southern Italy, defended the routes to Rome and the north. The Gustav line ran from Ortona, on the coast, along the north bank of the Moro River through the Apennine mountains and Monte Cassino to Formia on the Tyrrhenian coast. The Bernhardt and Hitler lines east and west of Cassino provided extra defences.  Although the Gustav line had been penetrated by the end of November the Allies took over five months from November 1943 to May 1944 to overcome the winter line and continue their advance in Italy.

28th November 1943 – Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin meet at the Tehran Conference in Iran (occupied by Soviet and British troops to secure the oilfields and supply the supply route to the Caucasus). They agree on a cross-channel invasion of France in May 1944 and discuss other political issues, some contributing to the post-war establishment of Soviet dominated governments in Eastern Europe.  Stalin agreed to declare war on Japan once Germany was defeated and tentative steps were made towards the establishment of the United Nations organisation. According to Beevor in ‘The Second World War’ (published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012) this was the conference 'when Stalin, supported by Roosevelt, had defined Allied strategy in the west' and 'Europe was bound to be divided in Stalin's favour.'