December 1944

December 1944

Boitsfort Church at night (wikimedia)

 

Unit: 703 Art Wks Coy RE

Commanding Officer: C. I. Pennington Major RE

Place	Date	Weather[i]	Summary
Vilvorde[sic]	1	Fair	Company on works. No 1.Pl. Lt. Ashton i/c engaged on construction of roads & hardstandings at 6ESBD. No 2 Pl. Lt. Hill i/c on construction of Base Transit Camp at 6ESBD. No 3 & No 4 Pls., Lts. Westerman & Wilson, engage on accommodation work & roof repairs at 4 E.B.W.
“	2	Fair	Coy. on works. Army Forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	3	Wet	Sunday. Coy. on works. Major Pennington attends CREs’ conference at 10.30 hours.
“	4	Fair	Coy. on works. Capt Hawey seeking accommodation for 3 & 4 Pls.
“	5	Fine	Normal works.
“	6	Fair	Coy. on works.
“	7	Wet	Coy. on works. Major Pennington & Capt Hawey examine accommodation at Belga Lamp Works. Very suitable for cookhouse, mess-room & SMT stores & housing for one Pl.
“	8	Fine	Coy. on works.
“	9	Snow	Coy. on works. Major Pennington inspects barracks – reasonably clean & tidy. Army forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	10	Fine	Sunday. Nos 1,2 & 4 Plns on works. No 3 Pl. moving into new accommodation at Belga Lamp works. Major Pennington attends Coy. Cdrs conference at HQ 19 CRE Wks.
“	11	Fine	Coy. on works. Construction of OPs[ii]. For Major Harrison[?] R.A. to be undertaken by 3 Pl. starting on OP. at Rue des Noyes, Brussels.
“	12	Wet	Coy. on works. Major Pennington reports that work on roads & hardstandings at 6ESBD cannot be completed by the 18th unless much more transport is allotted.
“	13	Fine	Coy. on works.
“	14	Fine	Coy. on works. No 4 Pl. undertake demolition of reinforced concrete roof at 4EB.W.
“	15	Frost	Coy. on works.
“	16[iii]	Fair	Coy. on works in morning; afternoon off. Major Pennington meets Lt Col Dunn CRE 19 Wks & DCRE 200 Works Section at 2000 hours and is given urgent work at Mollenbeek Hospital for 75 Br. Gen. Hospital[iv]. AF W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	17	Fair	Sunday. Work commenced at Mollenbeek Hospital, Lt. Hill in charge, plumbers, carpenters & joiners & bricklayers, painters & decorators assembled from all Pls. 10 plumbers attached from 760 A.T. Coy. R.E. Work to proceed 12 hours daily, seven days per week. Lt. Westerman to collect all necessary stores & provide loading party from No 3 Pl.
“	18	Fine	Coy. on works.
“	19	Fog	Coy. on works. Major Pennington visits Mollenbeek Hospital – The C.O. Col. Wells RAMC. Is satisfied with the progress being made.
“	20	Fog	Message received 0530 hours from Major Jarvis for 19 CRE Wks. to despatch 200 men & all reserve ammunition to 575 A.T. Coy. RE. at Chateau val Duchesse, AUDERGEHEM[v] to be in position by 0800 hours. 5 no. 3 ton GS. Trucks from 575 AT Coy.R.E. arrive at 0700 hours. 5 no 3 tonners from own unit transport also allotted & party despatched with Capt Hawey & Lt. Wilson. Major Pennington arranges for stoppage of all works except 75 Br. Gen. Hospital, then reports to Lt. Col.Dunn RE at Audergehem. Lt. Ashton & Lt Hill ordered to join the Coy. at Audergehem. Lt. Westerman to remain at Coy. Office Vilvoorde i/c. Rear Party. Coy. form a mobile column at 15 mins readiness; role – to counterattack and kill the enemy should he endeavour to push through towards Brussels. Patrols sent out to Overyssch[vi] - half platoon at a time. Local defence posts sited around gun-houses near Chateau val Duchesse.
Audergehem	21	Fog	Road patrols – Audergehem – Overyssch continued throughout the day. Coy. ordered to stand-down at 1600 hours & return to normal accommodation & routine.
Vilvorde	22	Fine	Normal works. Lt. Ashton posted to 712 A.W.Coy. R.E. in the rank of Capt for duty as Second-in-Command. Lt. Greatrix joins this unit from R.H.V.
“	23	Fine	Normal works. AF W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached. As from 1800 hours unit provides a mobile striking force of 1 officer & 67 ORs. and an inlying[?] piquet[?] of 1 officer & not less than 25% unit strength – for action against enemy paratroops.
“	24	Frost	Mobile Force called out at 0130 hours – proceed to Boitsford[vii] Church Square, Capt Hawey in charge. Message received from Capt Hawey at 0300 hours that CRE wants at least 120 more men. Major Pennington, Lts Greatrix, Hill and Wilson and 120 ORs in unit transport report to Boitsford Church 0430 hours. Stand down at 0800 hours & return to barracks. Coy. Parade in Mess Room at 1500 hours. 1 Officer & 68 ORs. stand to at Boitsford Church from 2300 hours until 0730 following day.
“	25	“	Christmas Day – Off works. Lt. Col. Dunn R.E. CRE 19Wks. visits Christmas dinner. 1 officer & 68 ORs. report 4 LofC HQ & stand by from 2300 hrs until 0730 hours.
“	26	“	Works re-commenced. Mobile reserve at Boitsford Church continues – report 4 LofC HQ. 2300 hrs. Stand down 0930 hours. Major Pennington in command – detachment of 1 officer & 68 ORs. from 575 A.Tps.Coy, 760 A.Tps.Coy & 703 A.W.Coy.RE.
“	27	“	Coy. on works. Platoon officers changed over as follows – No 1 Pl. Lt. Hill, No 2 Pl. Lt. Westerman, No 3 Pl. Lt. Wilson, No 4 Pl. Lt. Greatrix. Mobile column stand-by in billets at 15 mins. readiness from 2230 until 0930 hours.
“	28	“	Coy. on works. All A/Paratroop precautions relaxed as from 1750 hours.
“	29	“	Coy. on works. No 4 Pl. undertake ceiling repairs at Schaerbeek Hospital. Transit camp at 6ESBD completed.
“	30	“	Coy. on works in morning – half day off. Army Forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	31	“	Sunday. Coy. on works. Major Pennington attends Coy. Cdrs conference at HQ 19 CRE Wks. at 1030 hours.

 

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[i] Taken from situation reports. “Hours” column not used in December War Diary.

[ii] Observation Posts?

[iii] Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge) begins 150 km SE of Brussels, aimed at denying the Allies the use of the port of Antwerp, 50 km N of Brussels

[iv] Number 75 British General Hospital, moving from Bayeux to Brussels at this time: see www.scarletfinders.co.uk/112.html

[v] SE Brussels

[vi] Overijse? 10 km SE of Audergehem

[vii] Boitsfort, SE edge of Brussels

 

 

Map Reference data:

Dec 1-19: HQ at corner of Blondieau (Etienne) Straat and Benoit Hanssenslaan, Vilvoorde. 19 CRE Wks.

Dec 20-21: HQ on Aleyde van Brabantdreef, Auderghem, 19 CRE Wks.

Dec 22-23: HQ at corner of Blondieau (Etienne) Straat and Benoit Hanssenslaan, Vilvoorde. 19 CRE Wks.

Dec 24: HQ at intersection of Drève du Duc and Rue de L’Abreuvoi, Boitsfort.

Dec 25-31: HQ at corner of Blondieau (Etienne) Straat and Benoit Hanssenslaan, Vilvoorde. 19 CRE Wks.

               Dec 26: No 1 Pl. at intersection of Drève du Duc and Rue de L’Abreuvoi, Boitsfort.

Dec 27: No 3 Pl. at intersection of Drève du Duc and Rue de L’Abreuvoi, Boitsfort.