National Archive Reference: WO 171/716
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Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
---|---|---|---|
FRANCE | Sep 1 | Location 556795 St. Remy. 6x3-tonners supplied to RASC to assist in bringing up POL & Sup. in view of the very long L.of C. | |
2 | Location 195785 Lieven. Unit sited in local FFI HQ. A night of alarms and indiscriminate firing into the darkness by FFI. | ||
4 | D.R. involved in accident and adm. hosp. Vehs. loaned to RASC rejoined unit. Moved to locn. 767204 Peronne nr. Amiens. | ||
BELGIUM | 6 | Location J385516Denderwindeke. | |
10 | Location 945765 Houtvenne. | ||
12 | Location 145697 Schaffen. | ||
17 | Location K248830 Bourg Leopold. | ||
19 | 10x3-tonners supplied to RASC to carry forward POL etc. for assault into Holland. | ||
24 | Location K284816 Bourg Leopold. Div. Rear parties & 151 Bde. Wksp. come under command. | ||
27 | Vehicles loaned to RASC rejoined unit. | ||
HOLLAND | 28 | Location 598341 Handel. Div. Rear parties & 151 Bde. Wksp. removed from command. | |
NOTES 1 . WORKSHOPS - Production has been cut down by the large number of moves | |||
during the month. | |||
From experience it appears that this wksps. will be asked to change engines | |||
and undertake heavy rep on RAM SP mountings, and Sherman OPs. It seems that G.1098 should be amended to include the special lifting and other tackle | |||
required. It is just possible to lift Chrysler Radial engines with a Scammell, but this wksp. has no means of lifting the M.I.O. G.M.C. Diesel | |||
engine. .....Contd. Sheet 2. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
---|---|---|---|
NOTES WORKSHOPS - Contd. It is thought that this question of lifting engines should | |||
be given consideration, as now, one of the unit's two Scammells is permanently tied up in Wksps. for this purpose. For 'B' Veh. engines, a light | |||
breakdown vehicle with a 30-cwt. jib would be most useful. The 15-cwt. gantry is a poor substitute and time waster, as it cannot move engines from one place | |||
to another, and the vehicle must be moved back and forwards under the gantry. The system, during the recent pursuit, of keeping 3rd line wksps. up | |||
with fwd tps, is unsatisfactory. Frequently several Bde & 3 line shops have been in the same area. On the other hand, this unit has had to send back | |||
60 miles to Rec a tank, simply because all wksp. facilities had been brought right fwd. This unit has also salvaged from L of C areas, vehicles and guns | |||
with valuable assemblies intact, simply because there was no other drill for clearing the battlefield behind the forward areas. While this is a useful | |||
source of supply for any unit which is prepared to scour the back areas, it hardly seems an economical system. | |||
It would appear that W.E. includes more armourers than can be employed. It has been found that with Bn. armourers, plus a W.O. supervising from Bde. | |||
H.Q., there is no need to go on circuit and that 1 S/Sgt. and 1 or more cfn. are not fully employed. | |||
The washer from the Trailer Servicing Light, has been successfully fitted with a B.S.A. m/c engine. This greatly increases its scope, as it | |||
can be moved away from the generator. | |||
2. RECOVERY- This section has not been exceptionally busy recently, but has had constant moves, some shell fire, and several periods of stand-to, while att- | |||
ached to Bde. H.Q. The transporter, which remains with wksps., has done several very | |||
long runs, backloading tanks, and has fully justified its inclusion on W.E. The tractor, has been fitted with a jib, and it is thought that every Bde. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
---|---|---|---|
NOTES RECOVERY - Contd. - wksps. tractor should be so fitted. With this jib, the | |||
tractor, when available, is always employed on engine lifting or wksp. rec. One job on the move through the Nijmegen corridor, was the recovery of | |||
a 4 wheel trailer, under shell fire. The trailer was found to hold all the instruments of the Royal Netherlands Band. | |||
Rec Sec's Wireless comm. has been little used, as Wksps. & CREME are almost invariably beyond 22 set range. | |||
3. STORES. - This sec has been able to provide about 92 per cent of the items | |||
demanded, which is very good service. There has been great difficulty in obtaining major assemblies, presumably due to lack of L of C tpt. | |||
4 GENERAL - The Belgians and Dutch have been much more friendly than the | |||
French, and much less given to panic rumours about pockets of German stragglers. | |||
As many men as possible have been put in buildings, as tarpaulins are hardly suitable under the current weather conditions. When it has | |||
been tactically impossible to site wksps. near buildings, some hardship has been experienced. No tentage has yet been issued. |