National Archive Reference: WO 171/1292
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Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
---|---|---|---|
FRANCE | 1 Aug | A quiet day, with only slight enemy shelling and mortaring. Between | |
0500 and 0600 hrs our Standing Patrol reported several enemy seen, and the body of a dead Boche was also found, who had belonged to a Recce Unit. | |||
2 Aug | Slight shelling up to 0200 hrs. Our patrols returning at 0500 hrs, re- | ||
ported enemy seen digging in a certain Wood, also a few further enemy positions located. Conditions remained quite by day, but at 2315 hrs | |||
two guns fired a 20 shell Stonk on the Bn Area. This was followed 20 mins later by several salvoes from Panzerwerfers, and there was one | |||
3 Aug | A fighting patrol during the night raided an enemy post. but had to leave | ||
one man behind and believed prisoner, Another wounded main was brought back safely. Two snipers went out during the morning but found no trace | |||
of the man left behind. There was periodical mortaring and shelling of our positions up to mid-day with a heavy and sharp attack on Bn HQ at | |||
1215 hrs. In the late evening "A" Coy reported two enemy having been seen in some houses near their positions, At night a party left from | |||
the Bn for the newly formed Rest Camp close to A2 Ech while others were selected to visit the Corps Rest Camp. | |||
4 Aug | Shortly after midnight an energy 'plane dropped four bombs in the Bn Area | ||
causing on casualty. At 0145 hrs "C" and "D" Coys reported heavy Spandau fire across their front, to which "D" Coy replied with L.M.G. fire from | |||
their Standing Patrol. There was only very slight enemy shelling during the 24 hrs. Between late afternoon and midnight an inter-coy change-over | |||
took place, "B" Coy relieving "A" Coy and "D" Coy relieving "C" Coy. | |||
5 Aug | Our Recce Patrols came back with nothing fresh to report. The day passed | ||
without incident apart from occasional shelling, and a Polish Deserter being | |||
brought in by "C" Coy Standing Patrol at 2100 hrs, from the 711 Div. 731 PGR Regt. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
---|---|---|---|
6 Aug | After a fairly quite spell the enemy resumed his shelling of our Bn Area | ||
in the early hours and in the afternoon and evening it was frequently heavy, but 10 casualties wore reported, | |||
7 Aug | Periodical shelling of our positions. Our fighting patrols encountered | ||
no enemy on a near objective, but they were fired on by Spandau, and later enemy shell and mortar fire was brought down on them after verey light | |||
signals - believed to be enemy D.F. fire. At 0200 hrs "C" Coy reported that their right forward section had been attacked by 12 or more enemy. | |||
The section withdrew to area houses 137655, claiming to have killed two Boche after enemy had thrown grenades and opened up with Spandau from either | |||
flank. The enemy were reported still in possession of post at 0500 hrs but during the day Bn snipers sent out on patrol reported no movement or | |||
sounds. Accordingly "C" Coy prepared to retake the post at 2230 hrs and did so without opposition, the enemy having withdrawn. Just before mid | |||
night an enemy place came over Bn Area for a few mins and dropped two bombs. | |||
8 Aug | Further shelling and mortaring but no casualties reported. Our patrol | ||
reported enemy rifle and Spandau fire and heard digging. By day, both Bn and Coy snipers were out forward, contacting no enemy but finding signs of | |||
recent occupation in some houses. Late at night an enemy plane flew over out positions but no bombs were dropped. | |||
9 Aug | Intermittent shelling throughout the night. No damage or casualties | ||
Our patrols brought in no fresh information in the early morning, but in the afternoon patrols were sent out forward of "B" and "C" Coys to gain | |||
contact with the enemy. The "B" Coy patrol under Lt Christenson went deep into the Woods opposite their positions without locating the enemy, | |||
but encountered a number of mines. Unfortunately, before the patrol could withdraw, Pte Kemp stepped on a mine and was fatally injured whilst Lt | |||
Christenson received a wound in the arm. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
---|---|---|---|
9 Aug | (Contd) | The "C" Coy patrol under Lt J.D. Johnston came under fire shortly after | |
leaving the Coy Area and withdrew under cover of smoke, with two casualties, neither serious. The activity of the patrols caused considerable shelling | |||
and mortaring in the Bn area. | |||
10 Aug | During the night patrol under Lt Seggie located 4 enemy Spandaus as well | ||
as reporting on a large area of the front being clear. Some shelling and mortaring of the Bn Area throughout the day but no damage or casualties, | |||
By day, sniper patrols went forward of our F.D.Is but they came under fire from the enemy before they had gone very far. Before returning | |||
however, several mines were lifted and brought back and may others rendered harmless. At 1230 hrs "C" Coy reported that they had fired at and believed | |||
killed an enemy sniper. Later a patrol went forward but failed to find the body. | |||
11 Aug | Heavy shelling of Bn Area during the night but no casualties or damage reported. Night patrols gave locations of several Spandaus and a patrol | ||
sent out by "B" Coy by day captured 2 PW from 7 Coy, 857 GR, 346 Inf Div. | |||
Enemy opposition was 10 strong and we had one man wounded, who had, unfortunately to be left behind. At 1840 hrs "B" Coy reported a "silent" mortar | |||
bomb falling in their area, which gave no sound in flight. There was intermittent shelling and mortaring by day. | |||
12 Aug | At 0330 hrs a Polish Deserter came over to our lines and gave himself up | ||
to our forward section of Carriers. He belonged to 7 Coy, 857 Regt. There was only slight shelling and mortaring during the night. | |||
At 0830 hrs a Coy change-over commenced, "C" Coy relieving "A" Coy and "D" Coy changing with "B" Coy. Our snipers were active by day and one | |||
patrol shot one Boche believed killed and collected some valuable German equipment. There was a notable decrease in enemy shelling and mortaring. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
---|---|---|---|
13 Aug | Slight mortaring and shelling during the night. A standing patrol from | ||
"A" Coy brought in a fresh Spandau location. Increased enemy shelling was reported through the day by our forward positions, but very few shells | |||
fell in the Bn Area, In the afternoon "B" Coy sent out a Fighting Patrol of 1 Sjt and 5 ORs with a section as support group to attack an enemy post | |||
under cover of smoke. The post was wiped out, a Spandau destroyed and two PW taken. The remaining 4 Boche were killed by Sten and Bren gun fire. | |||
Our troops suffered no casualties, PW were from 7 Coy, 857 GR. Earlier 3 Boche were driven out of an outpost by some of our snipers and one was | |||
believed wounded. | |||
14 Aug | A Recce Patrol from "C" Coy at night was followed by a Boche Patrol and | ||
heavily shelled. There was some shelling and mortaring during the day. In the morning a sniper patrol saw 4 enemy, believed to be a working party | |||
and fired at them but could not observe results. | |||
15 Aug | A comparatively quite day with nothing to report if importance. Our usual patrols were out during the night and also sniper patrols by day, but they | ||
saw no signs of any enemy. Also there was only very slight mortaring and shelling. The last PW we had taken had stated that their units were | |||
preparing to pull out from the front and it now seemed as if their report was correct. | |||
16 Aug | A very quite night with no enemy mortaring or shelling and everything appeared to indicate that the enemy had withdrawn. At 1600 hrs the | ||
Bn moved out of the positions we had been occupying for three weeks and proceeded in transport to BRAY-LA-CAMPAGNE, where we dug in for the night. | |||
17 Aug | Bn left at 0900 hrs and marched some three or four miles to pick up transport | ||
and then continued as far as MAGNY-LA-CAMPAGNE. During the day several French civilians were brought in to Bn HQ as suspected enemy agents | |||
but they were allowed to proceed after questioning. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
---|---|---|---|
17 Aug | (Contd) | Towards dusk, two enemy planes flew over, apparently on a recce, but nothing resulted during the night. | |
18 Aug | We were on the move again at 0800 hrs, leaving by march route and advanced | ||
as fas as MEZIDON, which had recently been cleared of the enemy. After a short rest we pushed on further Eastwards until we suddenly bumped into | |||
opposition near the village of LE-MESNIL-MAUGER when the enemy began mortaring the main road. "A" Coy shortly supported by "B" Coy advanced | |||
into the village and contacted the enemy, a battle developing for the high ground, MT LA VIGME to the North East. At 2030 hrs "G" and "D" Coys | |||
put in an attack supported by arty and smoke and we gained a foothold on the forward slopes finally securing the objective after heavy fighting. | |||
Throughout the action enemy mortar and shell fire was heavy and concentrated and we suffered a good many casualties. "B" Coy under Bn IC were | |||
ordered on to MT LA VIGNE to help hold it. | |||
19 Aug | In the early hours the enemy brought up reinforcements and put in a string counter-attack at 0430 hrs. A fierce action took place, many casualties | ||
occurring on both sides. Eventually the Bn 2 IC was forced to withdraw the remnants of "B", "C" and "D" Coys which he did successfully against | |||
heavy odds. Shelling and mortaring of Bn HQ Area took place at intervals throughout the night, In addition, enemy aircraft were active and dropped | |||
bombs. We suffered heavy casualties and at one time "A" Coy were completely cut off and had to fight their way out. At 1000 hrs the Bn withdrew | |||
to positions about a mile in the rear while units of 146 Bde moved up to relieve 70 Bde. Later in the day the Bn moved in transport to a rest | |||
area near ARGENCES. | |||
20 Aug | We remained in the rest area and made the most of the quite conditions | ||
in excellent weather. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
---|---|---|---|
21 Aug | Continuous rain all day. In the Late afternoon the Bn moved in Bde Coln | ||
to another rest area near THURY HARCOURT and got settled in billlets in the village of LA METATRIE. During the day a search party went out over the | |||
area of our recent battle and buried several bodies. | |||
22 Aug | With an improvement in the weather, there was an opportunity to wash and dry | ||
clothes etc and a party also went to a ENSA Concert. | |||
23 Aug | The weather still kelp good and boating was much enjoyed in a nearby river. | ||
24 Aug | The Bn spent most of the day cleaning up. A band concert by the band of the East Lancs Regt was much enjoyed. | ||
25 Aug | Weather still very warm. More swimming parties, also ENSA and cinema shows. | ||
A bath and change of clothing was had by most of the Bn. | |||
26 Aug | Today the disbandment of the Bn commenced. | ||
2 Officers and 116 ORs were posted to 6 D.L.I. 2 Officers and 113 ORs were posted to 8 D.L.I. | |||
2 Officers and 121 ORs were posted to 5 Bn East Yorks Regt. 3 Officers and 118 ORs were posted to 9 D.L.I. |