War Diary: 151 Durham Infantry Brigade HQ - Most Secret War Diary

Month and year: April 1944

The 151 Durham Infantry Brigade HQ kept two war diaries for the period of February to May 1944, the standard war diary and a "Most Secret" diary containing details of Operation Overlord, this is the most secret diary.

National Archive Reference: WO 171/670

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Page 1 of 7

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information
	Apr 1	Exercise CONQUEROR ended 1200 hrs. Adv Bde HQ returned to ROYAL HOTEL, WEYMOUTH.
WEYMOUTH.	2	NTR
	3	Bde Comd attended a demonstration at HAYLING ISLAND of a device called
		FOOTREST which was claimed to clear a lane through a minefield on a beach,
		Conclusions reached were that the device was not capable at present of
		being operated consistently nor successfully enough.
	4	Draft unit staff tables in respect of Bde HQ and Def Pl, Bde Sig Sec and
		LAD and 6, 8, 9 DLI forwarded to Adv 50 (N) Div.
		Instructions as to the composition of parties together with detailed
		appendices showing figures of personnel and vehs by types issued to Bns
		giving dates etc on which they might be expected to land.
	5	NTR

Page 2 of 7

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	6		Instructions issued to Bns re Exercise CROPPER i.e., the leading of
			personnel and vehs on to LST and the disembarkation by means of a
			RHINO FERRY.
TOOTHILL	7	0700	Adv Bde HQ closed at Royal Hotel, Weymouth and joined Main Bde HQ at
(nr SOUTHAMPTON)			TOOTHILL CAMP (820380). AMLO Staff remained with Adv HQ 50 (N) Div at
			Weymouth.
			151 Bde Instr No. 2 to 50 (N) Div Exercise SMASH III issued containing
			151 (Durham) Inf Bde O.O. No. 1 and Intelligence Summary No. 1.	Appx "B"
	8		NTR
	9		Directive issued by Bde Comd addressed to C.Os on the role of 151 (Durham)
			Inf Bde on Exercise SMASH III. C.Os of Bns and reps of flank formations
			and sp arms attended a briefing conference held at GROVE PLACE (131/8036)
			Exercise SMASH III.
	10		151 (Durham) Inf Bde Instruction No. 3 to 50 (N) Div Exercise SMASH III
			issued dealing with the assembly and feeding in of personnel landing

Page 3 of 7

Date	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	"Dryshod" on the Exercise.	Appx B
11	151 Bde Adm Instr No. 1 for Exercise SMASH III issued to be read in
	conjunction with Operation Instrs Nos 1 and 2 already issued	Appx B
	Warning Order re Exercise FABIUS issued to 689 DLI 2 Ches and 149 Fd
	Amb.	Appx B
	Amendment to instructions relating to the personnel and veh timings issued
	(see entry under 4 Apr above). Figures on this basis presented to Div
	Exercise CROPPER VI. Personnel taking part elts of Bde HQ 689 DLI
	and certain waterproofed vehs. Loading began at SOUTHAMPTON at 1400 hrs
	and the craft sailed later the same day.
	Exercise CROPPER VI ended. Tps returned to camp.
12	151 (Durham) Bde Instr No. 4 to 50 (N) Div Exercise SMASH III issued	Appr B
	dealing inter alia with amendments to previous instructions and to O.O. No. 1
	Bde Comd, BM and C.Os of Bns attended demonstration of Rocket Projectile
	Typhoon aircraft near STUDLAND.

Page 4 of 7

Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
		Unit Staff tables sent to Div HQ for final approval.
13		151 Bde Instr No. 3A to 50 (N) Div Exercise SMASH III issued dealing with
		a change of plan necessitated by the fact that only five and not nine
		LCI(L) would be available for the Bde on the Exercise.	Appx "B"
		151 Bde Adm Instr No. 2 issued to be read in conjunction with Operation
		Instr Nos.3 and 4 already issued.	Appx B
		BM attended a conference at Adv HQ 2nd Army regarding map distribution
		for the forthcoming operations
14		151 Bde Instr No. 5 to 50 (N) Div Exercise SMASH III issued	Appx "B"
		151 Bde Signal Instr No. 1 for Exercise SMASH III issued	Appx "C"
	1430	All offrs of the Bde attended a lecture given by Major Vaughan-Williams
		of C.O. H. Q. on the organisation and lay out of concentration and
		Marshalling Areas, and the working of the Beach Group in the Beach
		Maintenance Area.
		100 copies Unit Staff tables for Bde sent to HQ 50 (N) Div.

Page 5 of 7

Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
15		151 Bde Adm Instr Nos. 3 and 4 issued to be read in conjunction with
		Operation Instr Nos. 3, 3A and 5	Appx 'B'
	1000	Conference held by BM at Bde HQ for Adjts of Bns, reps of sp arms and
		services, rep 9 Beach Gp, rep Movement Control to discuss all questions of
		movement relating to Exercise SMASH III.
16	1430	Umpires conference KNOLL HOUSE STUDLAND re Exercise SMASH III. Officers
		detailed from Bns attended.
	1500	O's.C Craft Serials from Bns and reps Bde HQ met Capt BOULTWOOD (C.O.H.Q.)
		at SOUTHAMPTON Docks to inspect and receive information concerning LCI (L)
		to be used on Exercise SMASH III.
17	a.m.	Personnel of 689 DLI and Bde HQ landing WETSHOD on Exercise SMASH III
		embarked from the hards at SOUTHAMPTON.
	p.m.	Tac Bde HQ. Bde Comd, Bde I.O. and Bde Sigs Offr together with certain
		signal personnel, embarked at Royal Pier, SOUTHAMPTON and joined HMS
		ALBRIGHTON (Hunt class destroyer) the HQ ship.

Page 6 of 7

Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
18		See Appx D for 'I' Log of Exercise.	Appr'D
19	0800	Exercise SMASH III ended. Tps returned to camps by road.
20		NTR
21		NTR
22		151 (Durham) Inf Bde Adm Order No. 5 for Exercise FABIUS issued in
		conjunction with 151 (Durham) Inf Bde O.O. No. 2.	Appx E
23	1015	GSO III and Asst SC to Main 50 (N) Div for G and Q conference on Exercise
		FABIUS.
25	1000	Final conference on Exercise SMASH held at the Regal Cinema, RINGWOOD.
		Following attended from Bde HQ. Bde Comd GSO III I.O. Assistant Bde
		Sigs offr and two Liaison Officers. The conference was attended by
		reps from all units within the Div together with Naval and Air Force reps.
	1500	Bde Comd held a conference of C.Os of Bns at Bde HQ re Exercise FABIUS.
		GSO III I.O. and Asst S.C. also attended.
	1730	Bde comd visited 151 Bde W/Shops with Bde EME.

Page 7 of 7

Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
		151 (Durham) Inf Bde O.O. No. 2 re Exercise FABIUS issued	Appx " F
26	0930	Bde Comd held a briefing conference at Bde HQ on Exercise FABIUS. The
		following attended :-
		C.Os 689 DLI
		Rep "A" Coy 2 Ches.
		Rep 86 Fd Regt.
		9 Beach Gp Comd and rep Beach Pro Coy.
		I.O. 69 Bde.
		Rep 8 Armd Bde.
		BM, GSO III, I.O. Asst S.C. BTO BRASCO EME LOs.
27		151 Bde Sig Instr No. 2 for Exercise FABIUS issued.	Appx C
28	1200	S.C. briefed by I.O. for forthcoming operation.
		Capt Jack Bde L.O. left Bde HQ for marshalling area for Exercise FABIUS
30		Bde EME, BTO and L.O. Lieut COATES left Bde HQ for marshalling area for
		Exercise FABIUS

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War Diary: 151 Durham Infantry Brigade HQ - Most Secret War Diary

Month and year: April 1944

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