September 1940

 

September 1940

1940 Hillman Minx staff car (automotorpad.com)

Unit: 703 G. C.[i] Coy RE

Commanding Officer: D.T. Edwards, Major RE

Place	Date	Hour	Summary
Kenley	1	14.00   15.30 18.20   21.00	Air raid warning. Attack by 4 enemy bombers some bombs dropped no serious damage caused. Attack obviously directed by enemy at houses within 100 yds of aerodrome. 2 casualties caused not serious. All clear Phone message from O.i/c C No.1 section reporting death of sapper due to enemy air raid action Cpl from Detling reporting bombing of aerodrome. 1 sapper injured.
“	2	08.00 08.30 10.00 16.20 17.00	Air raid alarm       Weather sunny All clear 21 men of 28 men posted in error by DBRE Chatham. Reposted to 706 G.C.Coy RE Air raid alarm All clear. No bombs dropped.
“	3		Weather fine. Various air raid warnings during day. No bombs dropped.
“	4	10.00 10.30 11.00 16.00 17.10	All kit now issued to sections. Air raid alarm. All clear       Weather fine and clear. Air raid alarm All clear
“	5	9.00 11.00	Instruction by CSM[ii]. To firing party for burial. Arrangements being made for assembling whole company at Kenley
“	6	10.00 11.10 12.30	Pay parades Air raid alarm No bombs dropped.
“	7	12.00 14.00 16.00 17.30	Firing party left for St. Mary Cray for burial of sapper killed in action[iii] Outlying detachments brought to Kenley. Air raid alarm. Much activity. Some bombs dropped in outlying districts. All clear. Aircraft (enemy) passed over district en route for London[iv].
“	8		Weather cool. Various air raid alarms. No bombs dropped otherwise nothing of importance occurred.
“	9	09.00	All leave cancelled presumably due to the bombing of London. Weather cool.
“	10	09.00 10.30	5 men arrived from Chatham. Reinforcements. Visit of O/C Section 4 and PaySgt to London to purchase kit for Sergeants Mess. Delivery of “Hillman” Minx Utility Car by Ordnance Officer Chilwell.
“	11	10.00   15.15 16.20 20.30	Court of Enquiry held to investigate absence of deserter. Decision of court. Declared deserter w.e.f. 18.8.40. Struck off the strength of this unit w.e.f. 18.8.40 Air raid alarm All clear Civilian Air Raid Warning. Great aerial activity around this district. A.A.[v] barrage extending for miles. No bombs (HE) dropped. Several incendiary bombs dropped on or around aerodrome no damage done.
“	12	08.30 09.15	Air raid alarm           Weather cloudy & dull All clear. Various other alarms during the day. No bombs dropped.
“	13	09.00   10.00 12.15	Company pay parades. 7[?] men posted to this company from Chatham. 4 of them unfit and returned to depot. Air raid alarm No bombs dropped. All clear. Great A.A. at dusk & continuing during night.
“	14		Weather dull and cloudy. Quiet day. One or two air raid alarms.
“	15	11.15   12.45 15.15 14.6[?]	Air Raid Alarms. Great numbers of Enemy Planes passed overhead. Engaged by our fighters. AA guns in action no bombs dropped in immediate vicinity. All Clear. Air Raid Alarm. Attack Alarm. All Clear. No bombs dropped.
“	16	10.00 11.0 15.00 16.00	Word received from LdnArea re move to port of embarkation. 5 men reposted to DBRE[vi] nonfits[?]. Preliminary Air Raid Warning. All Clear no bombs dropped. A.A. fire resumed at dusk. Lone enemy planes in vicinity.
“	17	11.00	Orders received from London Area Headquarters re move. Due to leave Whyteleafe[vii] at 05.20 hours on 19.9 40[viii].

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[i] General Construction

[ii] Company Sergeant Major

[iii] Sapper John Ketteridge 1989416

[iv] The start of the Blitz

[v] Anti-aircraft

[vi] Depot Battalion Royal Engineers

[vii] Village near Kenley Aerodrome

[viii] Sailed for Gibraltar

August 1940

August 1940

Adler Tag: 13th August 1940 (worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com)

 

Unit: 703 G. C.[i] Coy RE

Commanding Officer: D.T. Edwards, Major RE

Place	Date	Hour	Summary
Kenley	1		Weather – sunny and warm
“	2	10.00 11.30 15.30 18.20	Pay Parades H.Q 9 No 4 Sections Paid by Adjutant   Weather dull and cool Pay Parade No 2 Sectn. Croydon     “     “        “ Pay Parade No.3 Section Detling     “     “      O.C Pay Parade No.1 Biggin Hill              “     “         “
“	3	09.00	Notification received from War Office that 4 men of HQ.Section must report at O.C.T.U. Aldershot for training in temporary commissions on 14/8/40 Weather sunny & warm
“	4	09.00	Weather warm. Quiet day Telephone Message received from New Scotland Yard London 2 men apprehended from No.4 Section Drunk & Disorderly. Escorted back to Kenley.
“	5		Tour of Aerodromes by O.C.[ii] and C.R.E.[iii]
“	6	10.00	Two men charged with being absent without leave and drunk. Awarded 5 and 8 days CB[iv] respectively.
“	7	11.00	O.C. travelled to Detling for trial of absentees without leave. Weather Fine and Warm.
“	8	16.00	CSM returned from Detling after having relieved Officer in Charge who has been on leave. Weather – Sunny.
“	9	10.00 11.30 15.30 18.30	Company Pay Parades. No 4 & H.Q. Sections paid at Kenley No 2 Section Paid at Croydon No 3 Section Paid at Detling                    Weather Cloudy & Cool No 1     “            “    “  Biggin Hill
“	10		Quiet day. Weather – Cool. Telephone Message received from H.Q. London Area re mobilisation progress.
“	11	15.00	Letter despatched to DADOS[v] London Area stating deficiencies of G1098[vi] Equipment. Weather fine.
“	12	1400	Quiet day. Weather fine. Demonstration by CQMS[vii] on Portable Petrol Cookers to Cooks of all Sections.
“	13[viii]	06.30 07.30 11.30 17.00 18.45     19.30	Air Raid Alarm H.Q. Section stood by. No planes seen or gunfire heard All Clear signal Visit of O.C. to Detling to trial of soldier absent without leave. O.C. Arrived back. Civil Warnings sounded. All clear 17.30 hrs. Dispatch Rider from Detling reported bombing of Aerodrome by enemy aircraft. Some casualties. 3 men of Section 3 Killed[ix]. 1 man missing believed killed and 4 men wounded not serious. O.C. journeyed to Detling to investigate amount of damage. Report from Detling stating all personal kit and equipment of section lost. Telegrams sent to next of kin.
“	14	09.30 11.30 15.30 16.00 10.30 (sic)	Visit of Adjutant and CQMS to Detling. Letters sent to next of kin. Requests from next of kin of 2 men killed for bodies to be sent home. No trace yet found of missing man. Strength of company including officers:-261.
“	15	13.30 13.45 15.45 16.15 18.45 19.20 19.30	Air raid alarm HQ.section stood by. No planes seen. All clear signal Second air raid alarm – no gunfire. All clear signal. Third air raid alarm – gunfire and heavy bombing heard. All clear signal. Message from Mr.[x] Lawson – “Croydon dull 1900 hrs”. O.C proceeded to Croydon to investigate damage. No casualties or damage to 703 equipment. Returned 20.30 hrs.
“	16	10.30 11.30 12.15 12.20 13.00 14.30 16.30 16.50 18.15 17.00   19.20	Company pay parades HQ & No.4 sections paid at Kenley by adjutant Air raid alarm – HQ section stood by. No planes or gunfire heard All clear signal. Air raid alarm – HQ section stood by All clear signal. Proceeded with pay parade to No 3 section Detling – O.C. visited Detling. Commenced paying section – interrupted by air raid alarm at 1650 hrs. All personnel proceeded to shelters – no enemy planes heard. All clear signal – resumed paying section Pay for No.2 section Croydon collected by Mr. Lawson from HQ section Paid by Mr. Lawson Pay parade for No 1 section Biggin Hill by section officer
“	17	10.30   16.30	O.C. tried 3 men at HQ from Detling – 2 cases of absence without leave one drunkenness. Urgent postal telegram received – MOB: C.RLA. No.C/2071/108(MOB.A) Instructions for company to mobilize and be prepared for sailing abroad by 0100 hrs 1st Sept. 1940.
“	18	1300     1415 1430   1400 1435 17.30	Air raid alarm – HQ section stood by 1330 hrs Kenley aerodrome. Severely bombed – enemy forces consisted of approx. 6 bombers – 2 crashed just outside the drome. All clear signal All headquarters personnel except orderly clerk and runner reported to aerodrome to assist in repair work and salvage squads. Few casualties. Phone message from Mr. Lawson ‘Croydon dull 13.00 hrs’ Phone message from Mr. Little ‘Biggin Hill dull – no replacements needed” Air raid alarm – enemy planes heard – no bombs dropped.
“	19		Work proceeding on mobilization arrangements being made for embarkation leave.
“	20	1530 1550 16.10	Station air raid alarm. No bombs dropped. All clear. Visit of Duke of Kent to aerodrome
“	21	10.00 11.00	Half of company proceeded on embarkation leave HQ. Section vaccinated
“	22	10.0	Still deficient of complete G1098 equipment. Ordnance officers (various informed)
“	23		2 men posted to the company from M.T Battalion Newark (excavator drivers)
“	24	10.0 10.50 14.0	Air raid alarm. No bombs dropped in immediate vicinity. All clear. Half of section paid prior to proceeding on leave
“	25		706 G.C. Company reported to take over duties of our company Nothing of importance occurred.
“	26	11.50 12.10 15.20 16.00 21.30 22.30	Air raid alarm. No bombs dropped. All clear Air raid alarm        Weather fine and clear All clear                  Fine weather possibly accounts for numerous air raids. Air raid alarm       Work held up through HQ. personnel having to seek cover. All clear
“	27	10.00   11.30 12.15	Telegrams sent to various police HQs in respect of men absent without leave. Air raid alarm All clear no bombs dropped in near vicinity
“	28	11.00	Work completed on regrading tradesmen in company Weather fine
“	29		Men returned from leave. Various absentees some due to failure to catch connections owing to air raids.
“	30	11.00 11.30 14.30 15.30 18.00 18.50 21.05 22.00	Company pay parades. Only half of company paid. Air raid warning All clear Air raid warning            Weather bright and sunny no cloud All clear Air raid warning All clear Air raid warning All clear
“	31	08.30	Air raid warning   28 men posted to this company from No.3.(LofC[xi]) Coy. DBRE. Chatham.

 

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[i] General Construction

[ii] Officer Commanding

[iii] Chief Royal Engineer

[iv] Confined to barracks

[v] Deputy Assistant Director of Ordnances Services

[vi] local stores, items of equipment that might reasonably be expected to be replaced locally

[vii] Company quartermaster sergeant

[viii] Adler Tag

[ix] Leslie George Bishop (aged 30) of Stanford-le-Hope Essex and Henry Arthur Knowles (aged 25) of Leicester are buried in Maidstone Cemetery.

[x] Title “Mr.” used in the RE for clerks, they were NCOs but had higher rank than other NCOs.

[xi] Lines of Communication