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| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| PENERLEY | 2 | Assault echelon moved out to Ex FABIUS, a marshalling exercise, and return same day without embarking. | ||||||||||||
| THORPENESS | 2 | 12 Quick Fix Armour Shermans V collected from No.14 AFV Depot, St. Helens, | ||||||||||||
| Lancs. Driven back to Regt on their tracks. Originally intended as Pilot Roller Tks, then changed for use as comd tanks. | ||||||||||||||
| PENERLEY | 3 | B Veh for ops began to arrive. | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Recce carried out of possible bivourc area with ARE Sqns with which the | |||||||||||||
| assault is to be made. It was stated by 50 Div HQ that no further exercises would take place, and training might continue until further notice. | ||||||||||||||
| THORPENESS | 4 | Two Sherman Vs taken over: allotted one to A Sqn, one to C Sqn | ||||||||||||
| PENERLEY | 9 | Order for concentration received. | ||||||||||||
| THORPENESS | 10 | Orders received to increase number of CRABS under comd 1 Corps from 10 to 22, One Tp B Sqn and one Tp C Sqn which were to have been used previously | ||||||||||||
| now cancelled and replaced by all A Sqn Flail Tps. Allotment as follows:- under comd | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| One more CRAB taken over and issued to C Sqn | ||||||||||||||
| 11 | Information received that certain personnel from 43 R Tks were to be posted to 2 ARU and att to Regt for training w.e.f. 12 May 44. | Appendix A |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PENERLEY | 12 | Assault Echelon in Southern Command moved from PENERLEY to STANSWOOD in camp with 81 and 82 Sqns ARE | ||
| THORPENESS | 12 | Initial order for move of A Sqn to concentration area issued. Five Sherman Vs takon over from | Appendix B | |
| STANSWOOD | 13 | General Eisenhower addressed Assault Tps in Fwd location. Ten all ranks of this Regt attended. | ||
| Waterproofing to Stage 1 ordered | ||||
| THORPENESS | 14 | Nine new Humber Mk.1 Scout Cars arrived by rail. Allotment: RHQ - 3 A, B and C Sqns - 2 each | ||
| This is different from WE but tactical use of following officers in RHQ make it necessary for one scout car to be withdrawn from each Sqn:- | ||||
| RTA RSO RSM | ||||
| STANSWOOD | 15 | Road convoy arrived from Rear Location with proportion of op amn and pet. | ||
| 50 (N) Div OO and Adm Order arrived. Regt is still deficient of almost all tech spares and certain waterproofing | ||||
| equipment. | ||||
| Seven CRABS collected from Liverpool and taken direct to concentration areas on transporters. | ||||
| STANSWOOD | 18 | One amn lorry each B and C Sqns left to concentrate near FELIXSTONE. | ||
| Air photographs of the coast to be attached arrived, with maps omitting place names. | ||||
| All vehs and eqpt under comd 50 Div are now complete to scale except tech spares and deficiencies. The most serious deficiency is flail chains. No op | ||||
| type are available at all and so for one set per tank of the previous type is held. | ||||
| One CRAB of C Sqn "drowned" on its trial wade, water entering by air chute when the tank mounted the very steep exit ramp. Extent of damage not yet | ||||
| known. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STANSWOOD | 18 | One CRAB of C Sqn broke flail drive bevel box in traffic accident, but box replaced the same-day. | ||
| THORPENESS | 18 | All fit SCORPIONS despatched on their tracks to No.8 AFV Depot Leicester. | ||
| Total: 19. Remaining 5 are all unfit and will be disposed of as soon as transporters available. | ||||
| STANSWOOD | 19 | A higher proportion of 75mm A.P. than H.E. has hitherto been carried. An increase of HE is being considered. | ||
| 21 | Lt. Col. W. Y.Kington Blair Oliphant MC gave final address to tps in fwd location. | |||
| W.e.f. 0900 hrs Reg is officially at 6 hrs notice. Waterproofing and loading complete, but no FAMTO is held and serious deficiencies in tech equipment | ||||
| are still outstanding. Only 50% AV battledress is held. | ||||
| 22 | H.M.King George VI inspected one CRAB of the Regt under comd 27 Armd Bde and saw a flailing demonstration. | |||
| First lorry was despatched to Chilwell for deficient items of tech eqpt. | ||||
| THORPENESS | 22 | Op Instr No.2 issued giving orders for op role of Residual Party of Regt still in Thorpeness. | Appendix C | |
| STANSWOOD | 23 | One Sherman cruiser in transit from RHQ Rear to Adv HQ on transporter was involved in accident and was written off. Replacement expected 25 May but | ||
| unwaterproofed and without second set. A second lorry, sent to Derby, for deficiencies and tech eqpt. 100% chains | ||||
| plus 100% spare are now held but only of the obsolencent WELLING BAR type. The op bob weight type have yet to be seen. | ||||
| Electric welders are in constant demand and are quite inadequate for the work of modification necessary. | ||||
| Collar badges on Battle dress adopted. | ||||
| STANSWOOD | 25 | Adv HQ and assault ech B and C Sqns were addressed by Maj Gen P. G. S. Hobart | ||
| Full establishment of flail chains up to 200% spare were delivered |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STANSWOOD | 25 | Camp perimeter "sealed" at midnight. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 | 50 Div Comd briefing conference, attended by Lt. Col. W. Y.K. Blair Oliphant and Major S.P. M. Sutton and Capt H.P. Stanyon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date for marshalling into Craft Loads issued as 30 May 44 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Replacement of tk damaged on 23 May has not yet been released, Flail FAMTO arrived but Sherman still outstanding. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On orders of Maj Gen P. G. S. Hobart commanding 79 Armd Div, 25 more rounds HE 75mm per tank has been ordered, to bring total of rds per tk up to 100 incl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 rds smoke and 37 rds APCBC. There is no provision for stowage of more than 76 rds. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sealed packets of maps issued to Craft Load Commanders to be opened on craft. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All work up to time of opening these is on "bogus" maps with false names and co-ordinates, for which a conversion table from bogus to real co-ordinates | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| will be issued. The Commanding Officer decided to land on foot shortly after H hour, leaving his tank to follow at H + 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nominal rolls of personnel under 50 (N) Div, a total of 14 officers and 206 ORs, have been sent today to 2nd Echelon. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Officers are as follows:-
|
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STANSWOOD | 26 | No detail of plans or op orders are incl under this date for reasons of security. | ||||||||||||||
| AV Battle dress issued to 100% | ||||||||||||||||
| 27 | Regt under 50 (N) Div is now ready except for Sherman FAMTO and the tech deficiencies of which a considerable list is still outstanding, and the tank | |||||||||||||||
| damaged in transit is still NOT replaced in spite of requests direct to 50 Div, 30 Armd Bde, 79 Armd Div, 2 Army and B Marshalling. | ||||||||||||||||
| Information about the enemy is very complete and 1/5000 area overprints and large annotated vertical and oblique air photos are available down to tps. | ||||||||||||||||
| The Adm arrangements laid down in great detail by HQ 21 Army Gp have worked very well. | ||||||||||||||||
| THORPENESS | 27 | Orders for move of i offr and 6 ORs of 1st Rfts to join 264 Special Del Sqn. | Appendix D | |||||||||||||
| 28 | Orders issued for postings of all Offrs and ORs surplus to WE and 1st Rfts | Appendix E | ||||||||||||||
| 29 | Lt G.C.A. Hales posted to the Regt from HQ Sqn 79 Armd Div and despatched to 2 ARU as surplus to WE plus 1st Rfts. Officers and ORs posted from the | |||||||||||||||
| Regt to 2 ARU are to be held as Rfts to replace those used from 264 Special Del Sqn when ops begin. | ||||||||||||||||
| 30 | Bde Comd visited Residual Party of Regt and addressed all ranks on coming offensive and the part they are to play. | |||||||||||||||
| Orders received, late evening, to begin waterproofing all op Shermans and CRABS of residual party. | ||||||||||||||||
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