Title | 6 Airlanding Bde: report by R. Signals section, 1944 June | ||
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Description | 6 Airlanding Bde.: report by R. Signals section, 1944 June | ||
Source | UK_National_Archive | Reference | WO 223/24 |
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June 9th: Shells are still playing hell with our newly laid cable, Cpl Edwards took out his det, but was unfortunately hit by a sniper on the river bank, the two linesmen with him, 14680849 Signm Benning, D. S., and 14700290 Sigmn Carling T.B. , arranged for him to be taken to the MDS, returned to the river bank, completed the repairs, and then returned and reported the casualty.
During the day, 5778142 Sigmn Boon F,, started off on a DRIS run, but failed to arrive at his destination. In the afternoon, L/Cpl Tindale set out on the run to trace him as he had not returned and was carrying despatches, and found his bloodstained steel helmet and MC on the river bank; he reported back to Bde HQ. I sent out Sjt Weinert to try to trace the DR, at one of the MDSs; he returned later without success. The following day, L/Cpl Tindale checked the MDSs on the beaches, and found he had been received in one, with multiple injuries and transferred to another MDS, of which no record had been taken.
During the morning I went round the Bns, and when I was at the RUR, it was being fairly heavily mortared, and 14331305 L/Cpl Charles L.T. , was wounded in the foot by shrapnel.
June 10th: Today we had no casualties, but shelling and mortaring continued and we suffered much from broken cable; however, Sjt Weinert performed wonders with the line det, and managed to maintain line comn even though we kept all W/T open as a reserve form of comn.
June 11th: Today the weather was very much against us, and we were again shelled. Sjt Weinert, 14353372 L/Cpl Stamp W., with Sigmn Benning, and Carling again did very good work on the lines.
During the morning, 14527395 Sigmn Chambers K., was missing, and up till this moment, all efforts to trace him have failed.
In the afternoon, I decided that 14308236 Dvr Woodgate R.A., was mentally unfit to remain with Bde HQ, and sent him immediately to MDS; I visited the Bn rear links, all seemed to be going on well.
June 12th: No casualties today, we were all given a chance to get properly settled in and deal with domestic problems. I visited the Bn rear links, and all seemed to be going on well.
June 13th: Today the usual mortaring and shelling, and again L/Cpl Stamp, Sigmn Benning and Carling worked extremely well end hard.
In the evening, an attack was carried out on Breville, and the Rover Set took the Brigadier to the start point at Amfreville. 14300365 Sigmn Giles A.G. , was the driver, and 14334100 Sigmn Boor, the operator. At approximately 1000 hrs, Sigmn Boor came up on the air and told us that the Brigadier had been hit by shrapnel and that Capt Hardy was missing. The set was then ordered to return to Bde HQ. Sigmn Giles and Boor both gave all the information they could, and afterwards I had to take Sigmn Boor to the MDS, as he had a piece of shrapnel in the left side of his face. I visited the Bn Signal Offices, all was going well.
June 14th: Today we had more shelling and mortaring and in particular suffered from airbursts. Three men, 2573999 Sigmn Croxhall G.H., Sigmn Donahue S., and 2340956 Sigmn Rushworth C., were hit by shrapnel whilst in their slit trenches. After this we very quickly put a covering over our heads in the form of good solid earth, and have not suffered any more casualties in slit trenches.
Comd Net closed down, but control maintained listening watch, lines working well.
(Archive transcripts © Copyright Normandy War Guide)
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