102nd Anti Tank Regiment War Diary: February 1944
The 102nd Anti Tank Regiment February 1944 war diary covers the units
time in the UK training
National Archive Reference: WO 171/929
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Page 1 of 5
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | During the day the I.G. visits all Btys and lectures to NCO's on the latest methods of engaging tanks. | ||
| 2 | 1000 | Major J.N. BARDSLEY acts as senior RA Umpire on a Divisional Signal Exercise. | |
| 1700 | WS/Capt. W.A. BENSON is attached to the Regiment from Depot RA having been away since 1942. | ||
| 1900 | Lt-Col A.K. MATTHEWS ,R.A. returns from C.T.C. LARGS, and re-assumes command. | ||
| 3 | 1000 | Col. H. SIDNEY, D.S.O., T.D., (Honorary Colonel of the Regiment) inspects the | |
| Regiment. There is no formal parade but a demonstration of the various sides of training is given.- | |||
| 99 Bty - Miniature Range and Gun Drill. | |||
| 107 " - .22 Miniature Range and Troop Deployment. 288 " - Maintenance of Guns and Vehicles, | |||
| 289 " - Marching and Rifle Drill and a Lecture for NCO's on Fire Discipline. | |||
| 1400 | Orders are received from HQ, RA. , 50 (NORTHUMBRIAN) Division that we will | ||
| send 17-pdrs to 55 (SUFFOLK YEOMANRY) A Tk. Regiment R.A. at YARMOUTH and receive from them their M 10 S.P. guns As their equipment is old, the C.O. | |||
| (Lt-Col.A.K. MATTHEWS ,RA) writes to RA in protest. | |||
| 1700 | Adjutant telephones Adjutant 55 A/Tk. Regt RA. They know nothing of a proposed | ||
| change and Adjutant gathers that 55 A/Tk Regt already have their 17 pdrs, but it is very difficult to get a story over the telephone when talking in | |||
| guarded language. | |||
| 4 | 0845 | C.O.2 (Major D.J. COWEN) and one senior officer per Battery proceed to FOULNESS Anti-Tank Ranges (M 41) to watch practise shooting of M 10 Guns. | |
| 5 | 0830 | 99 Bty (Major J.N. BARDSLEY RA) proceed to HOLME Anti-Tank Range to carry out | |
| practice shooting. |
Page 2 of 5
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEWMARKET | 5 | 1400 | C.O. proceeds to HOLME Ranges. |
| 6 | 99 Bty carry out Practice Shooting and zeroing of 6pdrs. They return to billets during the day. 107 Bty and 289 Btys move to HOLME. | ||
| 7 | 107 Bty zero and practice at HOLME and return to billets. | ||
| 0830 | 17 pdr guns with towing vehicles leave for 55 (SY) A/TK. Regtiment, R.A. | ||
| 1330 | CO2 (Major D.J. COWEN) leaves to visit HQ RA in response to urgent summons from C.R.A. | ||
| 1400 | Orders received that the L.A.D. is de-mobilized and will be mobilized shortly on a new W.E. WS/Lt. G.C. ROBERTS is regranted the Temporary Rank of | ||
| Captain vice Capt. P.W.S. BOULT R.A. | |||
| 1600 | The Personnel Selection Board arrive. The rest of the week will be spent | ||
| testing the intelligence of the troops. 289 Bty zero and practise at HOLME in the afternoon. | |||
| 8 | 288 | 288 Bty with the Infantry A/Tk. Guns practise at HOLME. The Personnel Selection Board gets to work and normal work and administration is dislocated | |
| thereby. | |||
| 1500 | 289 Bty return to billets from HOLME. We are allotted 13 Feb at HOLME Ranges by HQ RA. | ||
| 9 | 1500 | 288 Bty returns from HOLME. | |
| 1530 | We are informed that, unless we want the M 10 S.P. guns of the 55 (SY) A Tk. Regt.RA in a hurry, they will not arrive before 15 Feb, coming by transporter. | ||
| No suitable training area exists in the neighbourhood and none has yet been allocated. Therefore we are in no hurry to obtain the M 10's. | |||
| 1700 | B.C's Conference at RHQ attended by :- Major D.J. COWEN - CO2. | ||
| Major J.N. BARDSLEY - OC 99 Bty. Major. R.A. BARNETT - OC 107 Bty. | |||
| Capt. J.C. GAYE - Acting OC 288 Bty. Major. R.G. BROWNE-SWINBURNE - OC 289 Bty. |
Page 3 of 5
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEWMARKET. | 9 | 1700 | (continued) Subjects at Conference :- (i) Shooting at HOLME - This has not been up to standard. |
| (ii) Arrangements for firing on 13 Feb. We will send the best 8 layers per Bty. | |||
| (iii) The new W.E. giving M 10's. (iv) The Painting of Unit and Divisional Signs on vehicles. | |||
| 10 | 1400 | We receive a suggested Assault Scale for RHQ and Btys and submit amendments. | |
| 1500 | 55 (SY) A/Tk. Regt telephone the adjutant to inform the Regiment that the M 10's will be arriving by transporter. | ||
| 1600 | The Regiment is informed by HQ RA that we shoot at HOLME on 13 MAR NOT 13 FEB. | ||
| 11 | 0830 | CO (Lt-Col.A.K. MATTHEWS ,RA) leaves to attend a demonstration of A.F.V.R.E. at 79 Armd Div. | |
| 1400 | Adjutant visits HQ RA 50 (Northumbrian) Division. | ||
| 1700 | 14 X M 10's arrive on Transporters. | ||
| 12 | 1400 | We receive orders that the various Bde Groups are to proceed to INVERARY, | |
| ARGYLISHIRE to do Combined Operations Training. 66 Inf Bde with 99 A/Tk. Bty are to start this trg on 1 Mar. | |||
| 1600 | 1 x M 10 arrives. | ||
| 13 | 1400 | 1 X M 10 arrives from Scotland covered with heather but neither usquebaugh | |
| nor haggis. | |||
| 14 | 1100 | CO visits HQ 30 Corps. The object of the visit is to obtain authority to use | |
| the THETFORD Battle Ground or other suitable area to train the drivers of the M 10's. There is no area in our immediate vicinity. | |||
| 1700 | An Instructional Team arrive from 55 A/Tk. Regiment RA. This consists of 1 Officer and 9 ORs. | ||
| 15 | 1100 | 5 Offrs and 200 OR's are addressed by the C in C (General Sir Bernard Montgomery KCB DSO) We were last addressed in the square, MASCALE,SICILY, on | |
| 30 Aug 43. The parade is at HQ 8 Armd Bde ,CHIPPENHAM M 1388. |
Page 4 of 5
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEWARKET. | 15 | 1400 | The M 10 Course begins. |
| 1400 | SC RA 504 Northunbrian) Division visits the Regiment .He has no hows. | ||
| 16 | 1000 | CO (Lt-Col.A.K. MATTHEWS RA.) visits the THETFORD Training Area and contacts 70 Inf Bde who will help us over the problem of accomodation. | |
| 1100 | Lecture on Camouflage given by GSO (Cam) 30 Corps to Officers and NCO's. | ||
| 17 | Orders are received that LAD this Unit and LAD A/Tk. Regt RA are to be interchanged. The news LAD is 43 strong and we have no accomodation at present for them. | ||
| 18 | CO visits War office etc to try and obtain a few crumbs in the way of Dvr Mechs, Dvr Ops, and Instructors. | ||
| 19 | 0900 | 5 x M 10's with Instructional Team and Learner Drivers move to THETFORD area for Training. They are billeted on 1 Bn The Tyneside Scottish. | |
| 20 | 1400 | We are informed that only 99 Bty will carry out Combined Trg with Inf at INVERARY. The remainder of the Btys will send representative parties. | |
| 21 | CO recces Div Wading Course. It is nowhere near its appointed place of course. | ||
| 22 | 289 Bty (Major R.G. Browne-Swinburne) carry out Practice Shoot at FOULNESS. CO to HOLME to supervise unit and infantry shooting. | ||
| 23 | 99 Bty (Capt G.W. DUNKERLEY RA) shoot at HOLME with Inf Guns of 69 Bde. Major J.N. BARDSLEY R.A. is posted to RA Depot on joining No. 7 War Gunnery Staff | ||
| Course at School of Artillery, Larkhill. | |||
| 0900 | 99 Bty despatch Advance Party to CTC INVERARY. | ||
| 24 | 99 Bty carry out second days Practice Shoot at HOLME and return to billets in the evening. | ||
| 1200 | 5 Officers and 100 ORs Parade at CLARE (MR M 2263) and are inspected by H.M. King GEORGE VI. | ||
| 25 | 0800 | 99 Bty Road Party leave for INVERARY with 69 Bde Gp. CO (Lt-Col.A.K. MATTHEWS RA) proceeds to HARLECH, N. Wales, to fix Trg Programme for the Practice Shooting | |
| in March. Infantry Platoons shoot Mar 10,11,12,13. The Regiment shoots Mar 25,26,27,28. |
Page 5 of 5
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEWMARKET | 25 | 1400 | We are offered PAMPISFORD HALL (MR 9567) as additional accomodation to allow sufficient room for the new LAD (Type D) which is 43 strong. Arrangements are made to take over BRETTENHAM MANOR near THETFORD for our M 10 learners. |
| 26 | PAMPISFORD Hall is accepted. | ||
| 27 | 107 A/Tk. Bty proceed to HOLME with Inf Guns of 151 Bde. 288 A/Tk. Bty proceed to FOULNESS with Inf Guns of 231 Bde. CO returns to HOLME from HARLECH. | ||
| 28 | Btys carry out practise shooting and return to billets. Major R.A. BARNETT (OC 107 Bty) & (OC 289 Bty) Major G.R. BALFOUR, remain at Practice Camps to instruct the | ||
| Infantry. | |||
| 1000 | Major R.G. BROWNE-SWINBURNE inspects PAMPISFORD HALL with SAQC South Cambridge District. | ||
| 1200 | 99 Bty Main Body entrains for CTC INVERARY. | ||
| 1700 | Adjutant receives a letter from CO. The following orders are there in contained :- | ||
| (i) Admin Orders regarding HARLECH Ranges. (ii) Orders for 99 Bty to move from present location (DULLINGHAM 766085) to | |||
| PAMPISFORD. | |||
| 29 | Practice Camp continues with Inf Platoons. | ||
| 1000 | Adj visits HQ 50 (Northumbrian) Div to pass on Adm details for Inf at HARLECH. After being passed on by various departments he is told to come back tomorrow. | ||
| On visiting HQ RA, Adjutant is informed that the Regiment is to collect 60 Carriers Loyd from Ford Works Dagenham, and hold these as an RA Pool. | |||
| 1400 | M 10 Training Detail at THETFORD moves into BRETTENHAM MANOR (MR 384019 Sheet 76 1" = 1 mile) and continues from there. |
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