June 1944

 

June 1944

Unit: 703 Art Wks Coy RE

Commanding Officer: C. I. Pennington Major RE

Bren light machine gun (Wikipedia)

 

Place	Date	Hour	Summary
Parkgate[i]	1		Company on Training. No 3 & 4 section on range – zeroing rifles & Brens. Lt. Hill and rear party return from Collingham by road.
“	2		Company Training as per programme. Lt. Ashton preparing design for Improvised Bridge for next weeks programme. Caps G.S.[?] issued to Coy. Report of outstanding deficiencies – only M.T. spares – sent by D.R. to A.D.O.S.[ii] Horsham Sussex on instructions from War Office via Nomdist. L/Sgt Handley promoted to Sgt.
“	3		Company on Training. Visit by Major Betch DAA[iii] & OinC Chester sub-district. Lt. Wilson doing recce for Bridge to be prepared for practise demolition (next weeks programme). Army forms W.3008 and W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	4		Sunday. Church Parade & march past CRE 14 LofC after service; Major Pennington, Lt.Wilson and 50 O.Rs.  Recce site for water supply scheme & [?] area at Caergwrle[iv]
“	5		Company Training as per attached programme [Appendix 3]
“	6		Company on Training. Major Pennington and Capt. Burgess visit R.E. Stores Saltney[v] & recce for boats and pontoons required for teaching “watermanship”.
“	7		Company on Training. Capt Hawey, Lieuts Wilson and Westerman on Airfield Recce Exercise at W.Kirby organised by CRE 14 LofC. Coy. Had first typhus inoculation.
“	8		Company on Training. Major Pennington, Lieuts Ashton & Hill on Airfield Recce. Visits by Col. Hall Officer i/c Admin N.W.District & Major Betch DAA & OinC Chester sub-district – also Major Lloyd, DAA & OinC No.8 Base Sub-area, to discuss Preparatory Administrative Orders Nos 1&2.
“	9		Company on Training. Major Pennington & Lieut Wilson visit Western Command Camouflage School with Lt.Col. DeCourcey-Baldwin and party. Visit to Nos 1&2 Sections on [?] at Caergwrle.
“	10		Company on Training. Attack by Lieut Wilson and four sappers on [?] at Caergwrle at 0100 hours. Army forms W.3008 and W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	11		Sunday. Church Parade – Neston Parish Church – Capt Hawey Lt Wilson & 75 O.R.s Special Service for Second Front. Officers discussion on Airfield Recce Exercise.
“	12		Company on Training – as per attached programme [Appendix 6]. Major Pennington & CSM Belshaw recce Nannerch[vi] area for Field Firing Range – visit Capt Whitby – Adjt Home Guard at Mold and make all arrangements to do field firing next four days. Ensa[vii] concert for the troops at 18:30 hours.
“	13		Company on Training. Lt.Col. DeCourcey-Baldwin CRE 14 LofC Tps Engrs visited No 3 Section on Field Firing Range at Nannerch. Coy has 2nd typhus inoculation.
“	14		CRE appears on 0800 hours Parade. CRE’s conference attended by Major Pennington & Major Coles at 0830 hours to discuss training programme for next week. Company on Training. Major Pennington & Capt Hawey recce route for Route March.
“	15	1300	Message CRWC S/9431/3/bps[?] dated 14 June received from BGS Western Cmd. Capt Hawey visits Movement Control Chester. Company on training. Films shown “Jigsaw”, “Tunisian Victory” & entertainment film in evening.
“	16		Company on Training. Testing all new respirators in a CAP concentrator[?] completed. Lt. Ashton calls on DADOS[viii] Preston with final indents for FAMTO[ix] for Dodge 3 Tonners.
“	17		Company route march as attached march table.
“	18		Sunday. Rest day. Army forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	19		Company on Training. See attached programme for the week. Lecture for officers on RT Procedure at 1730 hours.
“	20		Company on Training. Officers practise R.T. at 1745 hours. Five[?] sappers promoted to Lt Cpl. – intersection transfers of L/Sgts with a view to improving discipline in No 3 Section.
“	21		Company on Training. Coy has 3rd Typhus innoculation. Construction of stage in mens messroom completed. Concert given at 2000 hours by Merseyside Broadcasting Artistes.
“	22		Company Training. Capt Hawey collects instructions for next move from Movement Control Chester at 1200 hours. Visit by Staff Captain N.W. District. Lt. Col. Webb P.C. called and was seen by Capt Hawey; he stated that 264 Coy P.C. (Major Y.C.P. Howis) would be allocated to this Coy for works. Cricket match for Officers and Sgt. v. 208 Works Section.
“	23		Company on Training. CRE’s training conference at 0830 attached by Major Pennington.
“	24		Company on Training. Army forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	25		Sunday. 5 Officers and senior NCOs attended one day course “Know your Enemy” at Bolton. Lt. Wilson collected amended movement instructions from Movement Control – Chester.
“	26		Company on Training as attached programme. Advance party of 12 ORs. Lt. Hill in charge left at 1300 hours for Storrington[x] by road transport 1 m/cycle and 1 Dodge 3 Tonner.
“	27		Company on Training. Information from Movement Control as to destination of Coy. amended three times duting the day. Lt Hill and advance party contacted by phone at Worthing and instructed to proceed to West Wickham.
“	28		Company on conservancy[?] – blancoing[?] equipment – packing. Loading up of baggage van at Parkgate station commenced in afternoon.
“	29		Company move to WEST WICKHAM[xi]. Lt. Ashton i/c Road convoy departing at 0600 hrs arriving 1700 hours. Coy entrain Parkgate station 0920 hrs. Major Pennington, Capt Hawey, Lt. Westerman and 203 O.R.s arrive Bromley South 1605 hrs. and march to WEST WICKHAM. Accommodated in suburban type houses (bomb-blasted). Lt. Wilson and 12 ORs left at Parkgate as rear party. Coy sees flying bombs for the first time. Lt. Hill and advance party laid on all essential arrangements & provided tea for Coy at 1730 hours & a meal at 2000 hrs.
West Wickham	30		Coy. employed on conservancy – digging slit trenches behind billets. Major Pennington visits CRE.4 LofC Tps Engrs. Lt. Col Heseltine at Beckenham and learns that Coy. will be on Training next week. Flying bombs passing over intermittently throughout the night & day at about 20 minute intervals.

 No appendices found.

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[i] Near Neston, on the Wirral Peninsula

[ii] Assistant Director of Ordnance Services

[iii] Deputy Assistant Adjutant[?]

[iv] Near Wrexham

[v] Near Chester

[vi] Just over the Welsh border from Neston

[vii] Entertainments National Service Association (or Every Night Something Awful)

[viii] Deputy Assistant Director of Ordnance Services

[ix] First Aid Mechanical Transport Outfit

[x] Between Horsham and Worthing

[xi] South of Bromley