October 1944

 

October 1944

Trucks driving on Sommerfeld tracking, near Bayeux (www.historyofwar.org)

 

Unit: 703 Art Wks Coy RE

Commanding Officer: C. I. Pennington Major RE

Place	Date	Hour	Summary
Nonant	1		Sunday. Coy. on works. Interplatoon “Soft Ball” competition played in afternoon & won by No 1. Platoon.
“	2		Coy. on works. Major Pennington visits Lt Col. Moulton R.E.  R.E. Stores 21 A.Gp. Works Directorate at Cabourg. He is to undertake clearnance of outlying stores dumps by own transport & that of 882 Mech Equip Park Coy R.E. Recce stores dump at Lisieux.
“	3		Coy. on works. Start made on clearance of R.E stores from Lisieux St Jacques.
“	4		Coy. on works. Major Pennington contacts Lt Col Hook 7 ESBD at Tailleville & arranges to give assistance on pontoon repairs.
“	5		Coy. on works. 1 NCO & 3 carpenters sent to Tailleville. 1 L/Sgt & 10 men sent to Lisieux to speed up loading up of vehicles.
“	6		Coy. on works. Ensa concert “It’s a Wow” at 18.30 hrs in 4 EBW. Workshop.
“	7		Coy. on works. Major Pennington makes reconnaissance at Trun[?] & L’Aigle for Cougars[?]. Army forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	8		Sunday. Coy. on works. Major Pennington visits Lt.Col. Moulton at Cabourg to clear up queries on transportation. Football match in evening results in a 2-1 win for 4 EBW.
“	9		Coy. on works.
“	10		Coy. on works. Coy regimental accounts audited by Officers of 4 E.B.W. Lt. Ashton make recce of stores dumps at Flers, Vassy & Le Reculey. Lt Wilson reconnoitres without success for Cougars[?] reported at Bernaic[?].
“	11		Coy. on works. Major Murray[?] visits 5 ESBD[i] & confirms instructions re taking on pontoon repairs at Tailleville. Semi Romney erected at S.P.
“	12		Coy. on works. All transport & loading parties turned on to deliver 150 tons S.M.T.[ii] from Bretteville to Carpiquet airfield[iii].
“	13		Coy. on works. Lt Hill i/c transport of Air Compressor, circular saw & 5 kW generator & advance party of No 2 Platoon to Tailleville. Arrangements made with 882 MEP.Coy. to collect Wild winches[iv] from Villiers-le-Sec.
“	14		Coy. on works. Lt Wilson & five 3 tonners proceed to L’Aigle to collect Semi Romney huts. Major Pennington called stores HQ at Cabourg & preliminary arrangements made to send No 3 & No 4 Plns. to the Brussels area. No 2 Pln. completes move to Tailleville. Cinema show for Coy given at 5 E.B.W.  Army forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	15		Sunday. Coy. on works. Lighting of Coy. Office; stores tents for use as Games & Reading Rooms & Officers mess completed. Lt. Westerman & all available transport turned on to clearing of 200 rolls of SMT etc. to Carpiquet airfield and airlift forward.
“	16		Coy. on works. Major Pennington attends conference at CRE’s office in Bayeux & is informed of projected move for two Plns.
“	17		Coy. on works. Cinema show at 5 E.B.W. in evening.
“	18		Coy. on works.
“	19		Coy. on works. No 4 Pln. no longer required at 4 E.B.W. but will help in camp construction for 5 E.B.W. No 4 on recreational training in afternoon.
“	20		Coy. on works.
“	21		Order received Q/Ops.27 from 5 LofC sub area directing movement of 2 Plns. to Doyen Engineering Works, Brussels. 10 RASC. 3 ton trucks arrive in camp and loading up started. Army forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	22		(Sunday). Major Pennington & Lieut Wilson, L/Sgt & driver depart as Recce Party at 0800 hrs. Lieut Westerman i/c convoy carrying No3 & No 4 Plns. departs 0900 hrs. 10 RASC trucks & 2 unit 3 tonners carrying G.1098 stores. Stage at Poix arriving 2200 hrs. Recce party reach Lille about 1900 hrs.
“	23		Recce Party reach Brussels 1100 hrs. & arrange evening meal & accommodation for main convoy – to be temporarily attached for rations to 823 Mech Equip Park Coy. R.E.  Major Pennington meets Lt Westerman & part of convoy (7 trucks) at Hal[?] & conducts convoy to destination at Doyen Engineering Works, Brussels. Convoy had failed to make contact with ration trucks sent ahead from Poix so men missed their mid-day meal. Ration trucks & 3 RASC trucks reached destination at 2100 hrs.
“	24		Major Pennington meets Major Tribe RE of 21 A.Gp. Rear Works Directorate and Major McKissack O.C. 4E.B.W. and completes arrangements for accommodation & works. No3 & No 4 Plns. commence repair & refitting of Base Workshop & living accommodation. One RASC truck which had broken down en route reports at 0900 hrs. One truck with RASC Corporal in charge still missing – duly reported to 4 LofC Sub Area & RASC. At 1920 hours Spr Kelly C.[v] of No 3 Pln., one of the guard, was knocked down and killed by a tram car – the body was taken to No 8 General Hospital Brussels.
“	25		Major Pennington & Lieut Wilson visit HQ 4 LofC Sub Area at Brussels & arrange with Capt Dunn, Staff Capt.A. for casualty reports & burial of Spr Kelly. Court of Inquiry convened – Lt Westerman President, members Sgt Mableson & Sgt Handley.
“	26		Major Pennington returns to Coy HQ at Nonant, having left :ieut Wilson i/c No 3 & 4 Plns at Brussels – to be attached to 4 E.B.W. on arrival at the latter. No 1 Pln Lt Ashton i/c. complete withdrawal of R.E. stores from Lisieux to 5 ESBD. No 2 Pln. – Lt Hill i/c move into permanent quarters at Tailleville[vi] on departure of 7 ESBD.
“	27		Coy on works. Lt.Col.Edwards visits the camp at Nonant.
“	28		Coy on works. Army forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	29		Sunday. Coy on works. Lt. Hill completes clearance of RE stores from La Délivrande[vii]
“	30		Coy on works. No 1 Pln undertakes erection of four semi Romneys for REME at 5 ESBD and commence clearance of RE stores from Vassey[viii]. Major Pennington makes recce of stores dumps at L’Aigle and Longchamps[ix].
	31		Coy on works. Lt Ashton makes recce for abandoned engineer plant at Vrigny[x]

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[i] Engineer Store (Base) Depot. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_logistics_in_the_Normandy_campaign

[ii] Presumably Sommerfeld (Mat) Tracking.

[iii] Caen airport now.

[iv] Aka Scammell Vertical Winch

[v] Cornelious Kelly, aged 40, buried in Brussels Town Cemetery

[vi] A few km inland, between Juno and Sword beaches

[vii] Near Tailleville

[viii] Not clear where this is

[ix] Les Longchamps, just W of L’aigle?

[x] 100 km S of Paris?

 

Appendix 5

The route from Caen to Brussels