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So it is time of the year again to get out those Battle of the Bulge games and scenarios.

I actually won a scenario from Decisive Campaigns - Ardennes last night.

The photo below was taken late January 1945 - after Christmas had been cancelled and the attack repulsed.

The people shown are the crew of a HAA (Mixed) anti-aircraft unit somewhere between Brussels and the Ardennes.


HAA means Heavy Anti Aircraft - 3.7" guns
(Mixed) means they were crewed by men and women (ATS girls - Auxiliary Territorial Service))

Once the size of the size of the German attack was realised all the (Mixed) units were given permission for the ATS girls to be provided with travel warrants to make their own way to Ostend or Dunkirk for repatriation.

Here is a bit more about the ATS https://thefemalesoldier.com/blog/tag/f ... uxiliaries

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PS - the one on the right holding a crow bar to the "prisoner" is my mum! None of her crew took the travel warrant option.

Thank you for sharing,

Nice picture, and nice story. Didn't know that 3.7" AA guns were heavy enough to be called HAA.

Thanks for your reply Orm.

Here's a bit more on HAA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-aircraft_warfare

https://the-history-girls.blogspot.com/ ... d-war.html
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And a couple of short stories:

I once took my mum to the south coast town of Lyme Regis. On arriving she said - "the last time I came here I was driving a 5 ton truck towing an anti aircraft gun." (She was always a better driver than my Dad !).

At a public meeting protesting about low flying aircraft from the nearby RAF training station a very smart and smooth talking RAF officer assured the assembly that the aircraft were not flying below 1000 feet. To which Mum said - "I've probably shot at more aircraft than you have had hot dinners young man - and I can certainly tell when a plane is below a thousand feet."
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Anyway, best wishes to all.

altipueri wrote: Mon Dec 18, 2023 12:58 pm Thanks for your reply Orm.

Here's a bit more on HAA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-aircraft_warfare

https://the-history-girls.blogspot.com/ ... d-war.html
-------

And a couple of short stories:

I once took my mum to the south coast town of Lyme Regis. On arriving she said - "the last time I came here I was driving a 5 ton truck towing an anti aircraft gun." (She was always a better driver than my Dad !).

At a public meeting protesting about low flying aircraft from the nearby RAF training station a very smart and smooth talking RAF officer assured the assembly that the aircraft were not flying below 1000 feet. To which Mum said - "I've probably shot at more aircraft than you have had hot dinners young man - and I can certainly tell when a plane is below a thousand feet."
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Anyway, best wishes to all.

That was a very good way for your Mum to put that RAF officer in his place!

You are lucky that you have pictures and stories of your Mum at that age.