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| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Unit Location - Flers. Change in weather for the better. Preliminary work | ||
| in preparation for move. | |||
| 2nd | Preparation for move to new location. Water Point dismantled by No.2 Pl. O.C. departs for new location at 1600 hrs. 1900 hrs 'O' Group at Coy H.Q. | ||
| for final instructions. | |||
| 3rd | Coy. under comd. Capt. E. J. Hoadley move off at 0530 hrs from FLERS via ARGENTAN-LAIGLE-BRETEUIL-CONCHES-LOUVIERS. and cross R. Seine at LES ANDELYS. | ||
| Arrive at RICHEVILLE 2130 hrs. Only one accident encountered on this journey. 1 O.R. sustaining injuries through his m/c being involved in an unavoidable | |||
| collission. | |||
| 4th | Settling down and re-organisation. Tightening up of discipline. | ||
| 5th | Officers and C.S.M. on conducted tour of R. SEINE bridges. No specified work committments to date. | ||
| 6th | 2 Sgts detailed as instructors for Div. R.E. Watermanship Course held nr. | ||
| ST. PIERRE. Officers attend C.R.Es discussion on "Bank Control" in a large scale river assault crossing. Pls on Route Recce area LYONS LA FORET - | |||
| LONG-CHAMPS. | |||
| 7th | Lt. J.B. Bostock, Lt. N.R. Beesley and 10 N.C.Os proceed on Div. Watermanship | ||
| Course. Pls employed on recreational training, route marches etc. Advance preparations being made for a prospective move. Unit on 24 hrs notice to move. | |||
| 8th | Weather changeable. Training continues. Nothing appreciable to record. | ||
| 9th | 2 Officers and 10 N.C.Os return from Watermanship Course and are replaced by Lt. Edwards, Lt. C.M. Strachan and a further 10 N.C.Os. Notification |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9th (contd) | Notification received to be prepared to move at 6 hrs notice. Staff and | ||
| personnel recalled from Watermanship Course. Advance preparations made for | |||
| move. | |||
| 10th | Unit ordered to move at 1030 hrs. 'O' Group Coy. office 0930 hrs and officers briefed for journey. Lt. R.D. Crooks proceeds in advance of company with | ||
| Divisonal Advance party. Unit more as section of Divisional Engineers. Proceed via GIZORS-AUNEUIL-BEAVAIS- FROISSY-BRETUEL-MOREUL-ABANCOURT-ALBERT- | |||
| BAPAUME to ARRAS - 1930 hrs. After 1 1/2 hrs for main meal, journey continued. | |||
| 11th | Proceeded during night 10/11 though LENS-SECLIN-across border into BELGIUM at TOUFFLES-NECHI-PERC-AVELGHEM-OUDINARDE-ALOST-BRUSSELS-LOUVAIN to location | ||
| in village of RILLAAR arriving at 1400 hrs. This was the second visit of this unit to the LOUVAIN area having previously fought there with the B.E.F. in | |||
| May 1940. | |||
| 3rd Divisional Engineers are now detached from the Division. | |||
| 12th | Company Parade during morning. O.C. Unit briefs the men in their prospective | ||
| tasks and training committments. This consists of training in Cl.9 Rafting for an Assault river crossing. Remainder of day spent in settling down and organisation. | |||
| A grand welcome has been extended to the troops by the civil population. | |||
| 13th | Normal elementary training. 1800 hrs O.C. attends 'O' Gp at HQRE 3 Div. | ||
| O' Gp called at Unit HQ at 2330 hrs. Officers briefed in training of Pls for following day. | |||
| 14th | Capt. E.J. Hoadley departs to take over comand of CL.9 raft training site near Brussels. | ||
| No.3 Pl and part H.Q. Pl proceed to training site. Nos 1 & 2 Pls elementary training. | |||
| 15th | No. 1 Pl. proceeds to Rafting site. No.3 Pl, return to RILLAAR. Notification | ||
| received to discontinue training and dismantle site. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16th | No.2 Pl and remainder of H.Q. proceed to site. Training stores dismantled | ||
| and loaded by No. 1 Pl. No. 1 Pl. return to RILLAAR. Remainder of these days after cessation of training were spent by the men of the unit in | |||
| recreational training in BRUSSELS. | |||
| 17th | 0300 hrs. Unit ordered to standby for move to new location nearer the front | ||
| line. No.2 Pl. H.Q. party and training site staff under Capt. E.J. Hoadley. return to Unit. 1115 hrs. Company move off from RILLAAR to Divisional S.P. | |||
| Unit now under Divisional Comd. Proceeded across ALBERT CANAL TO AREA HERENT north of PEERS. Unit now in front line on opposite side of ESCAUT CANAL | |||
| held by enemy. 1800hrs O.C. attends 'O' GP at H.Q.R.E. 2030 'O' Gp at Coy HQ. | |||
| 18th | During night 17/18. Lt. Edwards and Lt. Beesley detailed for recce | ||
| on river crossing of ESCAUT CANAL. 0900 hrs. O.C. proceeds to 'O' GP at Bde HQ. 1230 hrs O.C. returns and calls 'O' Gp at Coy H.Q. 1430 hrs 'O' Gp at Coy HQ | |||
| 1430 hrs 'O' GP at Coy HQ of Pl Comds and Pl. Sgts. Task for 18/19 detailed. Preparations made during remainder of day for night operation | |||
| of ferrying 9 Br Inf Bde across ESCAUT Canal with Cl.5 rafts and assault boats. 1900 hrs. Capt. E.J. Hoadley moves out with Tactical H.Q. | |||
| 19th | During night 18/19, Nos 1 & 3 Pls assisting 9 Br Inf Bde to cross JUNCTION | ||
| DE LA MEUSE L'ESCAUT CANAL at point LILLE-SAINT HUBERT. No. 2 Pl. held in reserve for the possible task of assisting 17th Field Company R.E. in the | |||
| construction of Cl.40 bridge. Later this taste was not required to be done by No. 2 Pl. Nos 1 & 3 Pls each completed 2 Cl.5 rafts and also task of | |||
| ferrying 9 Br Inf Bde over Canal. Together with the Cl.5 Rafts each pl. used 24 Assaults Boats each in this task. No.3 Pl. met with opposition and | |||
| suffered casualties of 2 O.Rs wounded. | |||
| 1400hrs | H.Q. Rear, No. 2 Pl. and rear parties of Nos 1 & 2 Pls moved of from location | ||
| at HERENT new location nearer Canal at HIERANT. arr. 1430 hrs. 1430 hrs. O.C. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19th (contd) | Tactical H.Q. and No.1 Pl. rejoin Unit at this location. Owing to the | ||
| presencece of enemy snipers in the vicinity, the Unit again moved to another location a little further back behind a wood. 1730 hrs Unit settled in | |||
| this location. HIEKANT area. 1830 hrs. No.2 Pl. detailed to stand by at 1/2 hrs notice to move to come under comd 8 Br Inf Bde for possible | |||
| clearance of mines on far side of ESCAUT CANAL. 2000 hrs No. 3 Pl. rejoin Unit in new location. | |||
| 20th | During night 19/20. Lt. C.M. Strachan proceeds on RECCE for any work | ||
| required (mine clearance, route clearance, bridging) by 8 Br Inf Bde. No.2 Pl. still standing by. 1900 hrs. O.C. attends 'O' Gp at H.Q.R.E. | |||
| Returns to Unit and calls Coy 'O' Gp. | |||
| No.3 Pl. detailed to proceed with road sweeping equipment (incl Dozer from | |||
| 15 Fd Pk. Coy RE) with 3 Recce Reg. in area towards MAARHEEZE over border of HOLLAND. | |||
| Nos 1 & 2 Pls ordered to hold themselves in readiness to demolish bridges over MAASTRICHT CANAL on Dutch side of border near WEERT. | |||
| 21st. | During night 20/21 D.4 Dozer arrives from 15 Fd Pk. Coy RE and is taken over | ||
| by No.3 Pl. 1 3 ton Explosives lorry arrives and contents taken over by Nos 1 & 2 Pls. Final preparations made for operation. | |||
| 0900 hrs. O.C. moves off with roadsweeper party of No.3 Pl. and 2 demolition parties from each of Nos 1 & 2 Pls for work with 3 Recce Regt. | |||
| 1100 hrs. No1 Pl. move to MAARHEEZE to contact O.C. 3 Recce Regt. Tasks detailed for these 2 Pls did not materialize as it was found that | |||
| during the day the enemy had already demolished the bridges. 1500 hrs. No3 Pl. made crossing over stream for 3 Recce Regt at a position | |||
| near WEERT. | |||
| During these last few days, the unit has been living on captured German rations | |||
| which have proved to be quite appertizing change from the normal compo rations. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22nd | 0900 | Unit H.Q. and remainder of Nos 1, 2 & 3 Pls move off to location nr HAMONT | |
| 1700 | No.3 Pl. rejoin unit at this location. | ||
| 2230 | O.C. attends 'O' Cp at Coy. H.Q. 2230. Warning order received from 9 Br. | ||
| Inf Bde to be prepared to move at 0900 hrs 23 Sep. | |||
| 23rd | During night 22/23 Lt. C.M. Strachan prepares to move off on recce for new area. | ||
| This order was later cancelled. | |||
| 1100 | H.Q. Nos 2 & 3. Pls ordered to be prepared to move at 1430 hrs. | ||
| H.Q. Nos 2 & 3 Pls moved off to S.P. at 1430 hrs. No 1 Pl. remain in location under command 9 Br Inf Bde. Crossed Border into HOLLAND near | |||
| HAMONT, via BUDAL-SOREDUNK-MAARHEEZE to location nr ZOMEREN. Arr. 2000 hrs Lt. J.B. Bostock and 2 demolition parties remained at MAARHEEZE with 3 Recee | |||
| Regt H.Q. The task visualized not required. | |||
| 24 | 1100 | Lt. J.B. Bostock with demolition parties rejoin unit.. No. 1 pl remain with 9. B. I.B. | |
| 25 | Owing to inclement weather and part of the Unit not being under cover, | ||
| a move was made back into the village OF ZOMEREN where the Company could be given shelter. Move completed by 1800 hrs. | |||
| Party from No3 pl employed until darkness on the task or lighting by glowworms of slit tranches on road verges west of ZOMEREN. | |||
| 26th | During the day party employed in filling in craters and holes in road verges. | ||
| 27th | Pls felling trees for road blocks. 1800 hrs. Unit ordered to stand by to move at 1600 hrs 19 Sep. 2100 hrs. Prospective move cancelled. | ||
| 29th | Nos. 2 & 3 Pls employed on route marches etc. | ||
| 30th | 1100 hrs. Warning order received from 9 Br Inf Bde to be prepared to move 1 Oct. Training carried out the construction of booms for the protection | ||
| of bridges against floating mines. |
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