View MapView MapNational Archive Reference: WO 171/865
The "References to Appendices" column for this document was empty so has been omitted.
All diaries for this unit:
Please use the contact us page to report any errors or inaccuracies.
Many of the location in this diary have been geocoded, these locations are highlighted
clicking on them will display them on a map. Many location also have historical maps and aerial photographs
of the area available.
Found this useful?
If you've found this resource useful please consider supporting us to digitise more war diaries, documents and maps.
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet 6F/4 | 1 Aug | 0800 | Regt moved from leaguer area ELLON to leaguer area 725595 arriving at 1200 hrs |
| 1/50,000 | 1500 | Regt moved behind 131 Bde through CAUMONT 705594 and then SE. through | |
| 2200 | CAHAGNES 732566 and on to ROBIN X Rds 758533 where they leaguered for the night. | ||
| Sheet 7F/3 | 2 Aug | 0530 | "B" Sqn adv East to the area SAUQUES775520 where determined opposition was |
| 1/50,000 | 1100 | encountered: there was much A.P. fire and mortaring and at about 1100 hrs | |
| "B" Sqn had to withdraw, It was then decided to put in a small set piece attack | |||
| 1700 | with Artillery and Inf cooperation. This started at 1700 hrs and a feature | ||
| 2000 | N of SAUQUES at 780526 was taken by C Sqn. The tanks remained in this | ||
| position during the night, while the rest of the Regiment leaguered at | |||
| 2300 | "ROBIN" X Rds 758533. | ||
| 3 " | 0530 | Reveille. 5 R Tks took over from the Unit in the Area SAUQUES and continued to push on East against determined opposition, The Regiment remained in reserve | |
| at "ROBIN" X Rds with "B" Sqn in the area 761524 maintaining observation to | |||
| the S.W. The day passed quietly. | |||
| 2300 | Regiment leaguered in same area as previous night. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet 7F/3 1/50,000 | 4 Aug | 0530 | Reveille. Regiment remained in reserve at "ROBIN" X Rds. 5 D.Gs made some |
| progress to the East around HERMILLY 7954 and good progress was made by 43 Div towards ONDEFONTAINE 7848. There were indications that the enemy | |||
| was pulling out. | |||
| 2300 | Leaguer in the same area as previous night. | ||
| 5 Aug | 0530 | Reveille. The enemy was thought to have pulled right out to the East and | |
| 22 Armd Bde was to follow up in the direction of AUNAY SUR ODON 8251. | |||
| 1000 | The Regt moved from "ROBIN" X Rds to LA POSTE 7956 and thence through | ||
| MAISON CELLES PELVEY 7955, LONGVILLERS 8354, COURVAUDON 8752 and BONNEMAISON | |||
| 8649, to the Ridge BUTTE DE LA RUEKKE in Squares 8548 and 8648. A &.B. Sqns | |||
| took up positions on this ridge where they remained for the night | |||
| 2300 | RHQ and C Sqn leaguered at 858495. There had been no contact during the day, | ||
| 6 Aug | 0530 | Reveille When the morning mist lifted, A & B Sqns pushed on, A Sqn to the | |
| 1200 | X Rds L'ACCARD 872458 and B Sqn to the area of the village CAMPANDRE VALCONGRAIN. | ||
| 861461. There was very heavy mortaring of both these possitions and also of |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet 7F/3 | 6 Aug | 1200 | the road, from VALLEE 8847 Westwards. RHQ was at 868475. No further |
| 1/50,000 | progress was made and the Sqns stayed in position for the rest of the day. | ||
| 2300 | RHQ leaguered with the 1/7 Queens RHQ at 868475. | ||
| 7 Aug. | 0530 | Reveille. The plan for today was for 22 Armd Bde with 8 H leading, to push | |
| on S towards CONDE SUR NOIREAU. The Unit remained in position as on the | |||
| previous day as a firm base, and were shelled and mortared intermittently | |||
| all day. 8 H encountered heavy opposition and could only progress to the | |||
| area of CAUVILLE 8742. | |||
| 2200 | Orders were received for 22 Armd Bde to pull out at first light on the | ||
| following day for a rest. | |||
| 2300 | Leaguer as for previous night, | ||
| 8 Aug | 0500 | Reveille, | |
| 0590 | Unit moved through CAMPANDRE VALCONGRAIN 8646 and ROUCAMPS 8347 to rest | ||
| area N. of MT. PINCON835465 where it arrived at 1000hrs, | |||
| Remainder of day spent on maintenance. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet 7F/3 | 9 Aug | 0600 | Reveille. Normal Field Routine. Maintanance and refitting. |
| 1/50,000 | 10 " | 0600 | Reveille. Nomal Field Routine. |
| 11 " | 1000 | Unit was visited by Lt Gen HORROCKS, Comd 30 Corps, who talked to officers | |
| and senior NCOs on the general situation in FRANCE. He said that it was | |||
| highly encouraging. | |||
| 12 " | 0600 | Reveille. Normal Field Routine. | |
| 1400 | Unit was visited by the new Bde Comd, Brigadier MACKESON who talked to each | ||
| Sqn in turn on the War Situation. | |||
| 13 " | 0600 | Reveille. Normal Field Routine. | |
| 14 " | 0600 | Reveille. Normal Field Routine, Orders were received that the Unit was to | |
| go under Comd 1 Cdn Corps, and to move on the following day to the area East | |||
| of CAEN. | |||
| Sheet 7F/3 | 15 " | 0600 | Reveille, |
| and 7F/4 | 1000 | Unit moved from MT PINCON to X Rds. L' ACCARD 871458, VALLEE 8747 ST HONORINE | |
| 2000 | DUE FAY 9356, LARE LAVILLE 0157, CINTHEAUX 0754 to a leaguer area at 105545 where it arrived 2000 hrs. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet 7F/4 | 16 Aug | 0600 | Reveille, Unit stayed all day at leaguer area ST. SYLVAIN, Normal Field Routine. |
| 17 " | 0600 | Reveille, Normal Field Routine Lt Col E. H. GIBBON D.S.O. left the Regiment | |
| and Lt Col, P.R.C. HOBART M.C. assumed Comd. | |||
| Commanding Officer :- Lt Col, P.R.C. HOBART M.C. | |||
| 18 " | 0600 | Reveille. | |
| 1400 | Regiment moved East through MAIZIERES 1749, ERNES 1949 to 215493, where it | ||
| arrived at 2100 hrs. | |||
| 2200 | Leaguered for the night at 215493. | ||
| 19 " | 0600 | Reveille. | |
| 1400 | Regiment moved from leaguer area ST PIERRE SUR DIVES to a leaguer | ||
| 1800 | area at CAREL260478, arriving at 1800 hrs. All vehicles in the area were | ||
| continuously and effectively straffed by RAF planes during the afternoon, | |||
| despite all attempts to stop them through higher formations, | |||
| 2300 | Bombing attack by G.A.F. Many anti personnel bombs dropped in the leaguer | ||
| area, causing a number of casualties. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet 7F/4 | 20 Aug | 0800 | Regiment moved from CAREL to BOISSEY 3275 arriving at 1100 hrs. |
| 1400 | Regiment moved on, as 131 Bde (Queen's) Bde were pushing on steadily towards LIVAROT. | ||
| 1530 | Arrived at LIVAROT. 4672 and received orders to push on East as far as | ||
| possible before night. | |||
| Sheet 8F/3 | 1600 | Advanced from LIVAROT, "A" Sqn leading. Regiment followed 5 R Tk to | |
| X Rds 509754 and then went N to Pt 182. 495794. Sqns found very little | |||
| opposition and carried on after dark to reach the objective about midnight. | |||
| Sheet 8F/1 | 21 Aug | 0500 | Reveille. "CW Sqn now pushed on to the area S.MICHEL DE LA LIEUE at 5284, |
| which they reached about 1200 hrs. Considerable damage was inflicted on the | |||
| 1400 | enemy. B Sqn were then ordered to take the high ground in Sq 5585 and to | ||
| secure crossings over the stream. They pushed on to the high ground but could | |||
| get no further owing to much A/T fire and they stayed on the high ground for | |||
| the night, | |||
| 2300 | A & C Sqns leaguered on either side of the rd., in sq. 5183. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet 8F/1 | 22 Aug | "C" Sqn was ordered to push up through the town of LISIEUX and try to get | |
| on to the high on the E Side in Sq. 5488. This operation was not a | |||
| success, as the town was far from clear. C Sqn managed to got to the Start | |||
| Line, the N - S rd., running through 537880, but after some casualties, they | |||
| came back to their previous position and the situation remained as before. | |||
| 23 Aug | The plan was now for the 57 (Highland) Div. who were pushing into LISIEUX from | ||
| the N, to clear the town which they were to do by 0700 hrs. A &.C Sqns then | |||
| were to push up through the town. to the high ground to the E. | |||
| 0900 | This operation started, and was successful. The tanks established themselves | ||
| around 545880 and 543874 with B. Sqn remaining on the ridge at 535842. | |||
| LISIEUX was still not clear all day however, and there were many. M.G. posts | |||
| and snipers there, | |||
| 2200 | There were indications that the enemy withdrawing and the Squadrons | ||
| remained in position all night. they |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet 8F/1 | 24 Aug | 0600 | Reveille. All indications were that the enemy had pulled out of LISIEUX. |
| 0700 | RHQ moved forward to 534865. | ||
| 1000 | 22 Armd Bde were ordered to follow up the enemy as fast as possible. 5 D.G. | ||
| were to lead the advance and 1 Tks to follow the Bde, in Reserve. | |||
| 1500 | Regiment moved through LISIEUX and East along the main road to X Rds 703863 | ||
| where it turned N through ST AUBIN DE SCELLON 716890, LE FAVRIL 759900, | |||
| Sheet 8F/2 | GIVERVILLE 787912 to area NOTRE DAME D'EPINE 820908 where leaguered for the night, | ||
| 25 Aug | 0530 | Reveille, | |
| 1400 | B Sqn was ordered to the area N of ST GEORGES DU VIEVRE, and around LE QUESNEY | ||
| 840000 some quite determined opposition was encountered, thought to be from the same SS troops as were around LISIEUX. | |||
| 1800 | After sustaining some casualties, B Sqn was ordered to pull out S from the | ||
| thickly wooded area in which they were operating and maintain observation from | |||
| the area ST PIERRE DES IFS 835988. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet 8F/2 | 25 Aug | 2200 | B Sqn leaguered in ST GEORGE DU VIEVRE 8096. Remainder of the Regiment |
| leaguered in the same area as previous night, | |||
| During the night 1 R Tks was put u/c 131 (Queen's) Bde and the plan was to | |||
| push on over the R. RISLE to ROUTOT 9210. | |||
| 26 Aug | 0600 | Reveille | |
| Sheet 8F/6??? | 0830 | Unit moved to cross R. RISLE at PONT AUTHOU 8895, thence to 928962. At 1300 hrs | |
| Regt was ordered to push through GLOS SUR RISLE 8798, MONTFORT SUR RISLE 8601, | |||
| and thence to cut rds leading E from ROUTOT. Opposition was encountered by | |||
| C Sqn in area 8807 and A Sqn which moved around to the East was also | |||
| held up. A & C Sqns leaguered in battle posns, RHQ and B Sqn area 8806. | |||
| 27 Aug | Fighting all day in the area SW of ROUTOT. Opposition was determined and casualties fairly heavy. | ||
| 2200 | At nightfall, the Sqn Leaguers were all N of the main lateral road and one troop | ||
| of B Sqn had reached the road running E from ROUTOT at 910105. | |||
| There were indications that the enemy was pulling but. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet 8E/6 | 28 Aug | 0515 | Reveilles |
| 0530 | At first light the Sqns moved out to their positions of the previous night | ||
| and it became evident that the enemy had pulled out. The Sqns remained in | |||
| position during the day and patrols reported the country clear as far N as | |||
| the edge of LA FORET DE BROTONNE. | |||
| 1500 | The Regiment began to pull out for a short rest in the area 783922 Sh. 8F/1. | ||
| 2000 | Move completed and maintenance in progress. | ||
| Sheet 8F/4 | 29 Aug | 0600 | Reveille. - Maintenance continued. Orders received to move during the afternoon, |
| 1430 | Regiment moved to the village of BOSLON 0778 arriving at 2000 hrs and there | ||
| leaguered for the night. | |||
| 30 Aug | 0600 | Reveille. Maintenance and Normal Field Routine, Plans were being made for | |
| a long move across the SEINE and the SOMME Rivers. These went forward all | |||
| day and orders were issued by the C.O. as 2300 hrs. The tanks were to carry | |||
| 40 gallons of tinned petrol on the engine covers. Move to start at 0530 hrs | |||
| Sheet No 7. 250,000 ROUEN-PARIS | 31 Aug | 0530 | Regiment moved through LOUVIERS 28 - LYON LA FORET 40 to W of GOURNAY 61. |
Found this useful?
If you've found this resource useful please consider supporting us to digitise more war diaries, documents and maps.