6 AIRBORNE DIV SIGNALS
REPORT ON OPERATION OVERLORD

Note 1, This report cannot be taken as a complete and detailed account of the planning and execution of the operation as no documents whatever were brought into France, It follows that most of the matter in Phase I is based on memory,

Note 2. The Airborne aspect of the operation is included as this will directly concern CSO Airborne Troops rather than CSO 2nd Army.

PHASE I - PLANNING

1. Responsibilities

(i) The div was placed under comd 1st Corps for planning and for the operation. CSO Air Tps was responsible for the base organisation necessary for launching the div. His resources were increased by the attachment from div sigs of its base section (skeleton signal office, 9 DRs and 5 No 12 HP Wireless Sets).

CSO Air Tps provided crystal frequencies and crystals.

2. Diary of Progress in Planning

(i) GOC 6 Airborne Div outlined the original plan for the employment of two bdes of the div and one SS bde under comd at the end of Feb. Office accommodation was pro- vided. in London in the 1st Corps building and initial planning occupied about a week.

(ii) OC Sigs produced an appreciation at the end of this period which included the phasing in of the unit in three scales

Scale A depended upon aircraft allocation which was far from firm, while scales B and C had to be fixed in order to put in bids for shipping space.

(iii) A week was spent with 3 Br Div in Scotland to tie up lateral comns at div and bde level.

(iv) OC Sigs was required to estimate the total requirement in battle batteries and infantry sets for air and saeborne re-supply. This was required before bde comds had been briefed and therefore before there was any form of detailed planning.

(v) In May the div plan was charged to include all three bdes and the airborne armd recce regt in addition to the 1 SS Bde to come in on D - 1 and D day.

(vi) The allocation of aircraft was finalised and this sub- divided Scale A into A1 - parachutists and A2 - glider- borne. Scales B and C were unchanged.