Five: Captain R. A. Goer, 151st Ayrshire Yeomanry Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, who used...

Five: Captain R. A. Goer, 151st Ayrshire Yeomanry Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, who used his wireless set with great effect and later fought as an infantryman with the 3rd Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment, in tenacious hand to hand fighting on the East bank of the Dortmund-Ems Canal 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; United States of America, Bronze Star (Robert A. Goer) the first four mounted as worn, the last in official case of issue, with riband bar and enamel lapel badge, good very fine (5) £100-£140 --- United States Bronze Star London Gazette 17 October 1946. The official citation by Major W. E. Mitchell, O.C. 151st (A.Y.) Fd. Regt., R.A., states: ‘Captain Goer has distinguished himself by heroic achievement not involving participation in aerial flight. He acted as F.O.O. on foot in support of the 3rd Battalion, the Monmouthshire Regiment during the operation to clear the woods on the East bank of the Dortmund-Ems Canal for the protection of the crossing. Intense opposition was encountered in these woods, and the precipitous banks and denseness of trees made the going very hard and artillery support by observation difficult in the extreme. Nevertheless, Captain Goer showed the greatest determination to provide all possible assistance and for two days and a night fought his way under conditions of greatest hardship with hand to hand fighting and close range sniping going on all around him, making use of any possible chances of observation to direct the supporting artillery fire. During the last twelve hours he was with the remnants of two companies who had been badly mauled, and were then completely surrounded by the enemy and cut off from the rest of the Battalion. In spite of appalling conditions resulting from the previous days exhausting fighting followed by a night of heavy rain and coupled with a lack of food, Captain Goer maintained a spirit of cheerfulness which was exemplary. His communications were failing, but by his dauntless enthusiasm and courage he was instrumental in maintaining the morale of the men with him and so enabling them to hold out against tremendous odds until relieved. By this magnificent achievement under conditions of greatest stress he played a large part in rendering this vital crossing of the canal secure, and so making possible the continuation of the advance.’ Robert Anthony Goer was born in Dudley, West Midlands, on 29 March 1922. Appointed Second Lieutenant in June 1943, he joined 124th Battery, Royal Artillery, and landed on the Normandy beaches with 11th Armoured Division - part of VIII Corps - on 13 June 1944. Sent to the Odon Bridgehead with the 151st Field Regiment, his unit later witnessed action in the Falaise Pocket and at the crossing of the River Seine. Advancing north-east towards Amiens and on towards Antwerp, the 11th crossed the Maas and was subsequently at the forefront of efforts to breach the defences along the Dortmund-Ems canal in late March 1945. Acting as Forward Observation Officer (F.O.O.), Goer’s actions were carefully detailed in A Short History of the 151st Ayrshire Yeomanry: ‘On the 1st April, the regiment came into action in the village of Reisenbach, less than half a mile from the banks of the Dortmund-Ems canal. Up to this point there had been much movement but little firing for the regiment. The first serious call for gunner support came here. A very small bridgehead had been seized but further progress was prevented by the enemy who held a wooded ridge dominating the area of the bridge. The enemy in question were N.C.O. cadets from the training school in Hanover and they clung to their positions most tenaciously. Major Mitchell and Lieutenant Gore who were supporting 3. Mons. in their efforts to clear the ridge, made as much use of twenty-five pounder support as possible, but it was found that the height of the trees made accurate shooting difficult. Also, fighting in the wood was extremely close and confused and the position of our own troops was never certain. Lieut. Goer, acting as F.O.O. with a No. 38 portable wireless set eventually became separated from his wireless and fought as an infanteer with the 3. Mons.’ Goer survived the battle and remained with the 151st Field Regiment for the remainder of the Second World War. Raised Captain, he witnessed V.E. Day from the small Baltic port of Eckernforde, twenty miles to the north of Kiel, before the Regiment was disbanded on 4 February 1946. He died in Southsea, Hampshire, on 1 September 1982.