War Diary: 231st Infantry Brigade Workshop

Month and year: June 1944

The June 1944 war diary for the 231st Infantry Brigade Workshop covers the unit arriving in Normandy at Asnelles.

National Archive Reference: WO 171/716

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WO 171/716 231st Infantry Brigade Workshop

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Page 1 of 2

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information
Arborfield	1944 June 1	Location - Aldershot Command M.R. 209848
		Training in progress - Drivers signals & Tests, Mine lifting, Small Arms, & R/T Procedure.
	2	Training in progress - Mine lifting, Small Arms, Range practice & Duties of Gas sentries.
	6	"D" Day. Lecture on America, Unit Cricket Match.
	7	Warning Order to move to Marshalling Area received.
	9	Move to Marshalling Area postponed.
Southampton	10	No: Light Scale move to Marshalling Area Camp C.1.
	15	Light Scale moved to Embarkation Area. Embarked at 1400 Hrs.
	16	Anchored off French coast.
France	17	Disembarked M.R. France 7E/5-875865 at 1500 hrs. Landing was made in 18" of water.
		De waterproofed and proceeded to location M.R. 784779. Workshop set up, Troops settled in, fed and ready for work by 2100 hrs.
	23	Residue of unit due to arrive. No news of residue received to date.
	24	25 pdr. Ram S.P. for repair - ignition wiring harness faulty. Engine removed. This was the first heavy tracked vehicle ever repaired by this Workshop.
	25	Workshop area completely surrounded by Army Group petrol dump. Most undesirable but necessary due to overlapping of Division, Corps, & Army areas.
	26	Ram repair completed.
		NOTES. (1) Workshops.- see Appendix 'A' for detail.

Page 2 of 2

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information
France	1944	Most Wksp. sections slack. Instrument section kept busy and general trades busy on
		manufacture of miscellaneous items requiring much searching for material from local sources.
		(2) Stores.- see Appendix 'B' for detail.
		Stores Section have been notified that a large further scaling is being despatched for W/T. This is likely to raise a considerable transport problem within the unit. Reference
		the Ram repair mentioned, it was found impossible to obtain the harness required anywhere in 2nd. Army, and the old harness was eventually patched up. As this Division landed with 72 Rams,
		it seems wrong that Stores Section should have no Ram scaling, but a considerable scaling of Sherman Mk.V.
		(3) Recovery.- see Appendix TC for detail. that attached)
		GENERAL.
		(4) At first, W/T communication was in use to C.R.E.M.E. but this was later cut out W/T worked well considering the inexperience of the Driver Operators, there is no
		doubt that it can be relied on whenever necessary.
		(5) Rations have been adequate, but it is very noticeable that tinned foods issued in compo packs are of much poorer quality than those issued in M.E.F. & C.M.F.
		(6) Many unit vehicles and vehicles in for repair have given electrical trouble following removal of waterproofing material. This seems unavoidable, even when material is
		removed under supervision and at a very early stage.