War Diary: 69th Infantry Brigade HQ

Month and year: December 1944

The 69th Infantry Brigade HQ December 1944 war diary covers the units return from The Netherlands to the UK

National Archive Reference: WO 171/651

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Page 1 of 7

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information
B.L.A.	1	Brig J.M.M. SPURLING left the Bde to comd 131 Bde. Capt C.W. MALLINSON,
		RA., was appointed Bde Major. Lt LEWISOHN and Lt KROEZE left with the
		Brig. Dutch interpeters were sent back to 2 Cdn Corps. The Bde Comd.,
		before leaving, addressed the officers and men of Bde HQ and Sigs and
		explained what is to happen to the Div. During the day the DAQMG and BM
		selected the men of the Bde to return home and for the other categories.
	2	Brig W.R. COX arrived to take over comd of the Bde. Capt W.E. NEEDLER,
		SLO., left to take up appointment as Staff Captain 131 Bde.
	3	Bde Comd attended the Church Parade of 7 Green Howards. The PROVISIONAL WE of Bde
		Def Pl was received and the categories of Bde HQ could be worked out.
		The WE for Home Service Bde HQ is very different and the process of selecting
		personnel to return with the Bde, to go to UK for training as infantry, or
		to be recommended for garrison duties in BLA, was not easy. Almost all
		the personnel of Bde HQ have a long record of service overseas and with Bns.
	4	Conference at Div HQ for DAA & QMG and Bn Adjts held on the subject of disposal
		of personnel.

Page 2 of 7

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information
B.L.A.	4 (cont.)	NOTE:- All Adm Orders dealing with this operation "SPARK" has been
		produced by 50 (N) Div., and distributed to Bns., This HQ has
		therefore produced no Adm Orders to date.
	5	Maj Gen DAH GRAHAM addressed the units of Bde. He said goodbye to
		those who were leaving and explained the reasons for the break up of the
		Div.
	6	Another conference at Div HQ was held for DAA & QMG and Bn Adjts. BM
		addressed Bde HQ and told individuals what their future was to be.
	7	At 1130 hrs advance party of Bde left for UK. In charge of the party
		was Capt ISAAC JMB Bde IO. Also in this party were 19 men from Bde HQ
		who were returning to the UK for retraining. This party was followed at 1330
		hrs by 270 men from each of the Bns to return to the UK for retraining.
		At 1530 hrs Instructors from Bns left for UK on leave.
	8	At 1030 hrs Field Marshal B.L. MONTGOMERY addressed all officers of
		the Div at YPRES. The Field Marshal gave a resume of the campaign up to

Page 3 of 7

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information
B.L.A.	8 cont.	the present date. A message was received by the Div Comd from Gen
		HORROCKS, Comd 30 Corps who tendered best wishes to the Div in their new
		role and hoped to meet many members of the Div if not in 50 Div at least as
		individuals in new regts, and fighting with the same vigour as before.
		He closed his message by saying "The TT BOYS will be much missed by everyone".
	9	The Bde Comd visited 21 Army Gp HQ. Later in the day a certain percentage
		of category A personnel ie those for immediate reposting as reinforcements
		left Bns for other Divs.
	10	0930 hrs parties from Bns and Bde HQ left present location to take up
		duties in France with the garrison Bn 5th Kings. At the same time other
		parties left to take up posns in 24 Army Gp Def Coy. All postings were
		completed today and the only men left are those who will remain in the
		new Bde establishment and return to UK. At 1730 hrs Lt WELCH, Camp
		Commandant, left en route for UK, there to proceed on a course of further
		training.

Page 4 of 7

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information
BLA.	11	At 1330 hrs a message was received postponing move of 50 Div and units
		until further notice. This is thought to be probably due to the weather
		and the postponement is not thought to be any longer than 24 hrs.
	12	The Bde was fully prepared for a definite 24 hrs postponement of the move
		and at the maximum 48 hrs. at 1800 hrs however a message was received
		stating that the Bde was to entrain on the morning of the 13th. This
		left very little time indeed for informing all the men, scattered in billets
		all over the town as they were, and packing.
	13	The Bde entrained at ROULERS at 0700 hrs and arrived at OSTEND at 0815
		hrs. There breakfast was served in a Transit Camp and lifebelts issued.
		After this the Brigade marched to the docks to await the arrival of the boat.
		This pulled in at 1115 and the Bde embarked on the "LADY OF MAN".
	14	At 0300 hrs the "LADY OF MAN" docked at SOUTHAMPTON. By 1000 hrs the last of
		the Bde Were off. A meal was given at 1300 hrs, this was followed by
		an uncertain wait as to whether we were going to entrain once again at
		1600 hrs or later.

Page 5 of 7

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information
UK	14 (cont)	At 1920 hrs the Bde was on parade and taken in 3 tonners to EASTLEIGH
		Station where they entrained. Here there was a good deal of difficulty
		in finding accommodation on the train, chiefly owing to the fact that the
		HQ 50 Div had spread themselves over the train. The train left at 2115 hrs.
	15	At 0850 hrs the train reached MALTON Station. The Bde Staff consists of :-
		Comd - Brig W.R. COX, DSO. B.M. - Major MALLINSON, C.W., RA.
		S.C. - Major N.H. NICHOLSON. The other officers are:- IO - Capt JMB
		ISAAC, MC. Camp or Staff Lt. - Capt W.H. COLES. EME - Capt E. MOORE.
	16	Bde Comd visited Bns. East Riding Sub Dist Comd and Quartering Commandant
		visited Bde HQ.
	17	GOC visited Bde Comd. DAA & QMG and Bn Adjts attended a conference at
		50 Div on the new War Establishment. 50 Div Thg Instruction No 1 recd.,
		giving some particulars of the trainees to be expected and the methods of
		tng them. First leave parties were sent off.

Page 6 of 7

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
UK.	18	Bde Comd visited Bns. G II East Riding Sub District visited BM to
		discuss subject of ranges and training areas. Bde Comd attended
		conference at Div on training policy. 69 Bde Trg Instr No 1 issued.	Appendix "f" 3.1.
	19	Bde Comd held conference of COs to discuss extra Coy required to take the
		720 trainees, and other establishment and training matters.
	20	Bde Comd visited No 5 ITC at RICHMOND, Depot of the Green Howards and East
		Yorkshire Regts.
	21	Bde Comd and BM proceeded on leave.
	22	N.T.R.
	23	Lord Middleton visited Bde HQ.
	24	N.T.R.
	25	The few men of the Bde not on leave had Christmas dinner.
	26	N.T.R.
	27	N.T.R.
	28	Assistant Adjutant General visited Bde. Lt Col BARLOW took over comd 7
		Green Howards from Major J.M. CLIFT.

Page 7 of 7

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information
UK	29	IO visited Street Fighting Area in HULL Bde Comd and BM returned from
		leave.
	30	Bde Comd visited Bns. Trainees for 5 East Yorks arrived. They came
		dribbling in through the night, but most of the 720 arrived. 120 trainees
		arrived for 6 Green Howards.
	31	GOC visited Bns. Lt JHB BENNETT came to Bde to take over Camp Commendant.
		Capt W.C. COLES took over IO vice Capt JMB ISAAC, posted to 6 Bn Green Howards.
		The Div has finally settled down in England but did not find it easy doing
		so. The ways of District and Sub District Staff Officers, Barrack Wardens
		and Quartering Commandants who had never expected to be invaded with a
		Division, were hard at first to master. The chief difficulty was the
		lack off transport at the beginning, particularly for the advance party.
		The Bde was expected to prepare four camps, scattered over an area 15 miles
		by 8 miles, with one three tonner. When it was realised that blankets and
		straw had to be collected, rations distributed and cooking utensils exchanged

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War Diary: 69th Infantry Brigade HQ

Month and year: December 1944

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