National Archive Reference: WO 171/921
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Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
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As stated in Text | 1 | B.C. returned from leave. Training in A & C tps starts to-day whilst "B" | ||
Troop are engaged on maintainance. The weather is extremely cold - quite the coldest we have experienced yet. Officer's Mess established in the | ||||
vicarage, which although a nice place, suffers from the absence of certain windows - removed by enemy shelling. | ||||
as above | 2 | Training continues in "A" & "C" Tps whilst "B" continues with its maintainance. C.O. inspected our "A" and "B" Echelon vehicles and personnel to-day with a | ||
satisfactory result. During his inspection a Flying Bomb flew overhead and with its motor still going, crashed N.W. of TILBURG. A discussion is | ||||
held within the Bty based upon a questionnaire on the 17-pr and recent user experience. Tp Comds, Tp Sgts and Nos 1 attend as a result of which certain | ||||
suggestions are are submitted to RHQ. Capt PD Balfour R.A. joins the Bty to replace Capt VR Minney RA who is posted to 260th Bty. | ||||
As above | 3 | Training in all Tps proceeds to-day. We are informed that one Tp will be required to shoot in an indirect role in support of an attack being put in | ||
by 51st (H) Div across the AFTWATERINGS CANAL. "C" Tp is selected to carry out this task. Visits to TILBURG and the JERBOA CLUB start again. | ||||
As above | 4 | Training during the morning continues with a half day break to follow. "C" Tp's Gun Area is recced in the morning and at 1400 hrs the Tp proceeds | ||
to take up its posn. The BC works out shooting programme and remains at | ||||
HQ 131 (Q) Bde to conduct the shoot. This is quite successful in every way and "C" Tp leaguer for the night 4/5. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
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As stated in Text | 5 | "C" Tp returns during the morning whilst the reminder of the Bty occupy | ||
themselves with personal maintainance. We prepare a Bty Training Programme which will commence to-morrow. The day is otherwise quiet with NTR. | ||||
as above | 6 | Training commences on a Bty basis and goes along very well. BC and 2 IC visit all tps and see training and lectures going on. The weather makes | ||
a few alterations in the programmes necessary. Nothing further to report. | ||||
as above | 7 | Training proceeds uninterrupted by the weather. The CRA visits the Bty | ||
and tours the area during the af ternoon and had a few words with each Tp. He left the area at 1445 hrs. | ||||
as above | 8 | Training to-day is hampered by very bad weather, being particularly cold and wet. Another discussion on 17-pr, both towed and SP, is held within | ||
the Bty as a result of which our suggestions and ideas are forwarded to RHQ. Social functions arranged by 260 Bty and CMP 7 AD were attended by | ||||
ORs and Officers respectively. Warning order for a move received at 2000 hrs. | ||||
as above | 9 | Recce parties proceed to new area at 0830 hrs and the Bty proceeds on its | ||
arranged Training Programme. The weather is again very bad and we have our first fall of snow and sleet. | ||||
as above | 10 | The Bty moves at 1300 hrs. Regt Order of March is 257 Bty, RHQ, 259 Bty | ||
258 Bty and 260 Bty. Route used is as follows:- TILBURG - POPPEL - Rd Junction 108162 - Cross Rds 3493 - OVERPELT (3892) - Cross Rds 393948 - To next sheet. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
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As stated in Text | 10 (Cont) | - ST HUBERT (4294) - PETIT BROGEL (4088) - PEER (4084) + Dispersal Pt | ||
408839. Recce parties meet the Bty at DP and lead it to the new area. We are four Quads and Guns short but these can all be accounted for as | ||||
having mechanical trouble en route. The CO visits the Bty at 2300 hrs. Tac HQ is established in a Bldg at 555843 with Tps concentrated around. | ||||
11 | By 1130 hrs all our strays from yesterday have turned up. Maintenance continues throughout the day and by evening everything is reasonably ship | |||
shape. Nothing further to report. | ||||
12 | 2 IC proceeds on his 48 hrs leave in BRUSSELS. Bty remains in present | |||
concentration area and continues with maintainance and training. The weather is very bad with heavy rain throughout the day. | ||||
13 | An attack to gain ground up to the RIVER MAAS is being put in to-morrow. It will concern two Corps, but as far as this Div goes only 131 (Q) Bde | |||
will be used. The Bty's 12 guns will be used to fire in support. Gun areas are recced during the day and the programme is constructed by the BC. | ||||
14 | Despito very bad weather the operations are not delayed and will commence at exactly "H" hour - 1600 hrs. All three troops carry out successful | |||
shoots. The Gun Drill was noted to have been very good indeed. Out of 360 rds fired there were 48 mis-fires, made up of 26 HE and 22 AP. The | ||||
infy attack was successful and all objectives were gained in good time. 1/7 QUEENS suffered high casualties - 7 Offrs and 50 ORs, incl 1 Offr killed. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
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As stated in text | 15 | Maintainance and training are continued. EME conducted an inquiry into our mis fires and comes to the conclusion that the fault mainly lies with | ||
the weak striker springs, which he will arrange to be replaced. A S/Sgt from I.O.O. also inspects the amn and primers in question. | ||||
16 | Training continues but the bad weather forces us to conduct most of it under cover upon it Troop basis. The CO will visit us to-morror to inspect | |||
billets and check on the programme of training. | ||||
17 | CO visit was successful and "B" tp were specially congratulated on the standard they had achieved. The improved weather permits training | |||
can be carried out in the open. | ||||
18 | We send two ORs from "C" Tp to the JERBOA CLUB at EINDHOVEN. Training | |||
continues. Regt plays the Div Sigs at soccer and won 3 - 0, this Bty is represented by two men. | ||||
19 | Capt C Briggs, the Regtl Chaplain conducts a service for the Bty at 1030 Hrs. Time during the morning is devoted to Internal Economy and the remainder | |||
of the day is treated an a holiday. | ||||
20 | Training continues in bad weather. The LAD have begun to replace weak | |||
strike springs in the Firing Mechs. Otherwise NTR. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
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As stated in Text | 21 | As there is still no indication of any movement the BC decides to begin a | ||
short Cadre Class for the Junior NCOs. The 2 IC prepares suitable Training Programme. Weather is still very poor with continuous rain. | ||||
22 | Cadre Course commences but all outdoor activity has to be postponed owing to the very poor weather. Lectures constitute the greater part of the | |||
training. Bty concerns itself with SA training mainly. | ||||
23 | Training continues. An uneventful day with NTR. | |||
24 | The White Scout half-track has been modified by the LAD to become the Bty's comd veh and we have taken it over to-day. The Crusader TK, the | |||
previous comd veh has been transferred to 258th Bty. Training continues. | ||||
25 | An improvement in the weather permits a good morning's maintenance. | |||
The junior NCOs cadre is active with gun drill and re-drilling. | ||||
26 | Bty Parade at 1000 hrs - very high standard of turn-out was achieved. | |||
The BC accompanied the CO to select a gun area for another indirect shoot by the Bty. This time the object of the shoot is to test the new springs | ||||
in the Firing Mechs, each gun is to fire.3 rds HE and 3 rds AP. We have now drawn up low velocity HE amn which reduces the maximum range of the | ||||
gun for indirect shooting to about 6,900 yds. Shooting programme is prepared and laid on by Tp Comds. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
As stated in Text | 27 | "C" Tp start shooting at 0900 hrs. By 1220 hrs all guns in the Bty have fired and five mis-fires, all HE, are reported out of a total of 69 rds fired. | ||
One gun of "A" Tp is only able to fire its HE rds as a fault developes with the breech mechanism. Upon return to the Bty concentration area the time | ||||
is devoted to maintenance. | ||||
28 | It is decided that the gun of "A" Tp which developed breech trouble will | |||
gun be fired to-day - the trouble was found to be due to a faulty inter-mediate | ||||
cocking link. The shoot started at 0830 hrs and fired five rds HE and five rds AP - all rounds being quite satisfactory. The C in C, Fld Marshall | ||||
Sir Bernard Montgomery KCB DSO is holding an investiture to-day for the Div. The Bty is selected to provide a number of men to attend. Lieut | ||||
S Honeyman RA of "A" Tp and 28 ORs are selected by the BC. The party parades at RHQ at 1015 hrs where the CO selects 20 men. The turn-out of | ||||
the men was excellent and the Bty is congratulated upon the high standard achieved. Four ORs are allotted vacancies at the Rest Camp in BRUSSELS | ||||
for 48 hrs leave. The weather has improved and the sun has shone. There is the possibility of a move and recce parties are called to meet | ||||
the Regtl 2 IC at 0815 hrs to-morrow. | ||||
29 | Recce parties proceed to an area around SITTARD (6968). The area is at | |||
present occupied by the GUARD ARMD DIV, whom, it is understood, we are to relieve. We trod on GERMAN soil for the first time in the area TUDDERN | ||||
(715698). Tp areas are recced and billeting area fixed. Recce parties return to the Bty area in the evening. The day has been devoted to | ||||
training and maintenance. All offrs attend an address given by the new Div Comd at 1000 hrs. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
As stated in Text | 30 | Orders are issued for the Bty to be prepared to move by 1400 hrs. Packing commences at 0900 hrs. We are warned that the GRA will visit Tp areas | ||
during the course of the morning. BC attends "O" Gp at 22 Armd Bde (of whom we are now under comd) at 1100 hrs but the situation remains vague | ||||
and the chances of a move to-day remain doubtful. The CRA, during his | ||||
visit, confirms this and later in the afternoon we receive a signal ordering us to revert to the comd of the CRA. A further party of | ||||
5 ORs are allotted 48 hrs leave vacancies at BRUSSELS. |