View Map
View Map
National Archive Reference: WO 171/838
The "References to Appendices" column for this document was empty so has been omitted.
All diaries for this unit:
Please use the contact us page to report any errors or inaccuracies.
Many of the location in this diary have been geocoded, these locations are highlighted
clicking on them will display them on a map. Many location also have historical maps and aerial photographs
of the area available.
Found this useful?
If you've found this resource useful please consider supporting us to digitise more war diaries, documents and maps.
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton | 1 | A&R HQ??? tanks loaded at midday to-day on to LCT. | |
| transport taking part in exercise Fabius II were loaded on to LST II yesterday a number of lorries were returned to squadron as they had not been waterproofed. - which was in order - but Movement Control had sent second tide vehicles to load on to Tide 1 LST. The weather was wam and calm. LCTs, tied up in the dock after loading. | |||
| 2 | Exercise postponed 24hrs owing gale warning. Troops on board were allowed ashore for the P.T. on the dockside, football etc. A &RHQ tank troop personel were shown over a battleship (HMS Revenge) in the afternoon. | ||
| 3 | The Force sailed to-day, B&C Sqn at 1030 hrs., A&RHQ at 1600 hrs going though the Solent we then turned south & went about 12 miles, then altered course to | ||
| 4 | the east and did a practice landing on HAYLING ISLAND |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAYLING ISLAND | 4 | B&C Squadrons came in well and A &RHQ were to time. | |
| From a tactical point of view the exercise ended as far as the regiment the was concerned immediately after landing as tank could not move inshore further than the esplanade. Squadrons were normally in support of the usual infantry battalions of the 69 Inf Bde ,ie. A Sqn - 7 Green Howards, B Sqn 6 Green Howards, C Sqn - 5 E. Yorks. all wheels under 9 tons returned to billet by road driving straight up north through HAYLING ISLAND, all tanks and M14s (1/2 Tracks) reembarked on to L.C.T.s at about 1630 hrs and were brought back and disembarked at Stanwood and Southampton. And RHQ tanka got back to billets about 0010 hrs 5 May. | |||
| 5 | 1715 | The I.O. held a short instructional class for Squadron Leaders |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEW MILTON | 5 | C.O. adjutant 2I/C Tech Adjutant QM&RSM on a new map reference code. Squadrons proceeded with de-waterproofing vehicles after Fabius II & B and C are now in the throes of receiving new DD tanks Sherman IIs, (whirlwinds) and getting rid of their Valentines. | |
| 6 | A Sqn fired two new Fireflies at Lulworth to-day. | ||
| 7 | Nothing to record. | ||
| 8 | The CO held a Squadrons Leader conference in the afternoon. | ||
| 9 & 10 | B& C Squadrons embarked & carried out a land and shoot at STUDLAND in perfect weather with their new Sherman DDs. Some of the sealing was found defective and two deflated too soon thus partially drowning four tanks necessitating evacuation workshops. | ||
| 9 | The D.R.A.C. & Major General Evetts (A.C.I.G.S) accompanied by the Brigadier visited us in the afternoon & inspected |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEW MILTON | 9 | the Scout cars while they were being waterproofed, AA Crusaders and Stuarts. The weldware??? for Stuarts only arrived to-day and all vehicles up to D+6 are to be waterproofed by 10 May 44 for Overlord. | |
| 10 | Nothing to record except B & C Squadrons shoot noted above. | ||
| 11 | 1700 | The CO and Major Jenkins attended a conference on tank and infantry cooperation at HQ 6 Green Howards. | |
| 12 | The C.O. 2i/c adjutant and I.O. attended a talk at Brigade HQ. by the B.M (Major Biddle S.R.Y.) on Battle Drill in the Brigade. | ||
| BROCKENHURST | 13 | The CO (acting as Brigade Comd. of 8 Armd.Bde) 2 i/c (acting as C.O.) Squadron Leaders, two other offices for Squadron and 270 OR, of the regiment paraded for inspection together with similar party from the 24L and S.R.Y and the units of 50(N) Div. at |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| BROCKENHURST | 13 | BROCKENHURST for inspection by General D. Eisenhower | |
| the supreme C in C of the allied Invasion Forces in Western Europe. The parade was drawn upon three sides of a hollow square and the general before making a speech had senior officer introduced to him and then walked round between the ranks. | |||
| NEW MILTON | 13 | 1000 | The adjutant attended a conference at Brigade HQ on the move of the second & last Residuals and first line reinforcements which takes place early next week. at very short notice a party of 70 men were dispatched to the 552 Coy R.A.S.C. to assist in collecting the first line ammunition to the Brigade. |
| 14 | First line ammunition started arriving in the afternoon. | ||
| 15 | The CO took Squadron Leaders through a preparatory cloth model discussion on Overlord at Brigade HQ in the afternoon |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEW MILTON | 15 | Personel & vehicles known as second and last assault residue (ie due to land D+7 to D+12 and D+17 to D+21) departed to-day to concentration area at CARKHILL Bustand camp in charge of 2/Lt. O. Holmes. | |
| 16 | The CO, 2 i/c & Squadron Leaders attended 'G' Briefing by the Brigadier at Brigade HQ all morning. In the evening the CO. attended a conference with Captain Vallance R.N. & Brigadier Knox (Comd. 69 Inf Bde) at Southampton. Some first line reinforcement crews departed to the 265 Fwd Dely Sqn and to the 254 Corps Delivery Squadon: we now have eight Sherman crews and Stuart crews at the 265 F.D. Sqn and 6 Sherman crews and remaining first line reinforements including Capt Harker at the 254 Corps D. Squadron. | ||
| 17 | 1000 | The CO. lectured to all crew comds of A & HQ Sqn on Battle drill. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEW MILTON | 17 | The I.O. visited Squadrons & carried out a Quiz test on continental maps. In the late afternoon orders for the more of all D Day personnel & vehicles to HURSLEY (C13 camp) and to Toothill (C22 camp) of all D+2 to D+6 personel & vehicle, arrived; this represents the move of the D day personel or assault part and first assault residues to the final concentration area. | |
| 18 | B & C remaining in their area at STANSWOOD All (less their transport) A&HQ moved to HURSLEY and Toothill as described above; RHQ set up at HURSLEY. all these camps are run on the Hotel system ie all cooking and admin is done for us by static staff. The Adjutant attended a conference at Bde HQ in the evening | ||
| 19 | The C.O. attended 69 Inf Bde briefing conference in the morning & the adjutant the now daily conference at 8 Armd Bde HQ in the evening The Brigade Commander visited A&HQ at HURSLEY. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| HURSLEY | 20 | A&HQ carried on with sealing of their vehicles. | |
| The CO attended the British C in C's conference at | |||
| Southampton in the morning. | |||
| 21 | The C.O. and Major Jenkins and Major Bell attended a R.E. demonstration at LEPE (near STANSWOOD) in the early morning showing destruction of underwater obstacles. B & C did a "land & shoot" at STUDLAND Bay in the afternoon to shoot in their new guns. The Tech Adjutant while crossing from sandbanks to STUDLAND sank the amphition jeep belonging to the S.R.Y. which we had borrowed, or rather, it sank through a plug being missing in the hull: it was later salved and towed back to camp. | ||
| 22 | The C.O. attended 151 Inf Bde briefing conference with O.C. Sqns. Craft. B. Godfrey Buxton spoke to all officers in HURSLEY C13 Camp (ie A&RHQ) on H.M the Kings call to the Bible. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| HURSLEY | 23 | Nothing to record. | |
| 24 | Nothing to record. | ||
| 25 | The CO 2 i/c and Sqn leaders attended the 50 (N) Div Comds | ||
| (Major General Graham) final briefing conference which lasted | |||
| all morning. | |||
| 26 | The Corps Comd (of 30 Corps) Lt. General Bucknall accompanied by his A.D.C. Major G. Hastings (4/7RDG) visited C13 camp in the morning and walked round the vehicles of all 3 regiments in the Brigade during maintenance. at 0001 hrs the camp was sealed and nobody except certain personel with special passes were allowed in or out. The C.O. and Sqn leaders attended 69 Inf. Bde briefing in the morning. | ||
| 27-31 | Nothing to note except preparation for move to hards & extensive | ||
| briefing conference down to all personel (on bogus names) |
Found this useful?
If you've found this resource useful please consider supporting us to digitise more war diaries, documents and maps.