| Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs., Vol. 1. and the Staff Manual respectively Title pages will be prepared in manuscript. |
WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY |
Army Form C.2118 |
| Unit: 8th Bn. The Rifle Brigade | ||
| Month and Year: June 1944 | (Erase heading not required). | Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. E.D. Treneer-Michell |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALDERSHOT | 6 | Bn sports held at the Command Sports Ground all day. 'H' Coy won. The Band of the R.M.S.M. was in attendance in the afternoon by kind persmission of Lt.Col. A.T. Bignold-de-Cologen, R.B. | ||
| ALDERSHOT | 7 | All officers briefed by G.O.C. at 1030 hrs. Final packing up of vehs. Int. Summary No.1 issued. | See Appx. 'A' | |
| ALDERSHOT | 8 | 0530 | Bn (less residues and LOB) moves by rd to marshalling area PURFLEET near TILBURY. | |
| PURFLEET | 8 | 1100 | Arrive, vehs marshalled, and men move into tented camp. | |
| PURFLEET | 9 | 0530 | Vehs move to TILBURY Docks and start loading. Remainder of Bn. still in marshalling area. | |
| PURFLEET | 10 | 0930 | Rest of Bn. driven to TILBURY in T.C.V.'s. | |
| TILBURY | 10 | 1200 | All embarked. Bn. H.Q. and half Bn. in M.T.107 (Major McCrea i/c Ship). Rest of Bn. in M.T.88. | |
| 10 | 1530 | Set off. SOUTHEND 1730 hrs. Joined rest of convoy and drop anchor for night. | ||
| SOUTHEND | 12 | 0600 | Convoy moves off. Uneventful voyage, fine weather; together with unlimited quantities of food, send morale up very high. | |
| COURSEULLES | 13 | 0700 | Halted off shore. | |
| 13 | 1200 | Started unloading into L.C.T.'s. | ||
| 13 | 1505 | First Rfn. stopped ashore. | ||
| CULLY | 13 | 2330 | Bn. H.Q. arrived in Bn. conc area CULLY 912765. | |
| CULLY | 14 | Stragglers coming in, all day de-waterproofing. | ||
| CULLY | 15/25 | Bn. remains in conc area, less 'G' and 'H' Coys who move out to join Armd Regts in their conc areas. Once everyone is organised and ready for battle the time is spent in goint to sec enemy eqpt., paying visits to other units (a useful way of learning to read French maps) and in organised exercise and rest. Int.Summary Nos. 2-7 issued. | Appxes 'B' – 'G' | |
| CULLY | 25 | 1030 | Orders given out for Op EPSOM. | See Appx 'H' |
| CULLY | 26 | 0730 | 'F' Coy left harbour under comd 2 FF Yeo. | |
| 26 | 1030 | leading Armd Regt. 'H' left harbour | ||
| 26 | 1200 | under comd 23 H on the left. 'G' Coy left harbour under comd 3 RTR in reserve. | ||
| 26 | 1315 | Bn. less 3 Coys and 3 A/Tk pls with 119 Bty 75 A/Tk.Regt.R.A. under comd, left harbour behind Bde H.Q. During the day the Bn. was hardly engaged at all, and just continued the adv., Armd Regts moved slowly fwd behind 15(S) Div. | ||
| CHEUX | 26 | 2020 | 8 Pl 'F' Coy puts in a successful attack to disengage leading sqn. 2 FF Yeo who were caught in close country at 904665. | |
| 26 | Night – The Bde harboured for the night (Units leaguering separately) in area NORTH of CHEUX 9167. Bn Cas. during day: Killed: 9, Wounded; 4, Vehs: 1 Scout Car. | |||
| CHEUX | 27 | 0500 | Bn. with 119 A/Tk Bty takes up posn. on right flank of Bde in sq. 9067. | |
| 27 | 0800 | Bn. posn. attacked by 10 Panthers from area 892665. 119 Bty destroyed 5 and the remainder withdrew. Otherwise Bn.H.Q. Gp. had a quiet day, except that in our area were found some enemy hiding dug-outs. These were mopped up, and 6 PW were taken of Pi.Bn. 12 S.S.Pz.Div. | ||
| 27 | 1200 | 'G' Coy took, and held, LA BYUDE 9366 as flank guard to 3 RTR, and took 2 PW of 26 S.S. P.G.R. | ||
| 27 | 1400 | 6 Pl 'F' Coy sent patrol into wood 908657 which was holding up 2 FF Yeo. Enemy withdrew. | ||
| BARON | 27 | 1800 | 'H' Coy with 23 H crossed the R.ODON and moved on to the high ground in sq. 9463. 'H' Coy set about the task of clearing BARON 9463 and TOURMAUVILLE 9363. | |
| CHEUX | 27 | Night – Bde. leaguers for the night in area sq. 9166, except 'H' Coy and 23 H who remain SOUTH of R.ODON. Bn. Cas. during day – Killed: 4, Wounded: 13, Vehs: 1 half-track. | ||
| BARON | 28 | 1000 | 'H' Coy with 23 H moves to left flank covering br.head 930630. – 23 H takes up posn in area CALVARY 958619 known by codeword 'COUNTESS' (See Appx J attached). and 'H' Coy moves fwd: into wood 962617. There they dug in, but were hy shelled and suffered approx. 20 cas. | |
| 28 | 1100 | 'G' Coy with 3 RTR cross ODON and take up posn in centre. 'G' Coy patrols in area WEST of TOURMAUVILLE run into stiff opposition. Major M. McCrea and Lieut. M. Lane were both wounded, the latter has since died of wounds, 2 6-pdrs lost with approx. 20 cas. Lieut. K.N.O. Chabot takes comd of the Coy. | ||
| 28 | 1230 | 'F' Coy with 2 FF Yeo cross ODON and take up posn on right flank on high ground SOUTH WEST of TOURMAUVILLE, 8 Pl clearing wood in area LES VILAINS 928624 takes 15 PW, identifications 141 Flak Regt and 12 S.S. Arty Regt. | ||
| 28 | 1330 | Bn.H.Q. Gp. arrives SOUTH of ODON and reinforces Bde right flank guard in area LES VILAINS. | ||
| 28 | 1400 | 3 RTR and 23 H change role, 'H' Coy moves back to TOURMAUVILLE to reorganise while 'G' Coy goes fwd to COUNTESS posn, but stays in the field instead of pushing out to the wood. | ||
| 28 | 1930 | Orders received for Motor Coys to revert to comd and the Bn. to put in a night attack on the wood 962617. C.O. and Coy Comds go uphill on recce and Bn. is ordered to conc 954635. | ||
| COUNTESS | 28 | 2145 | Just as 'G' Coy is coming back to conc with the rest of the Bn. an enemy force incl. Tigers appears over the hill from the SOUTH, causing some confusion. 'G' Coy suffers some cas. in moving to assembly area incl. Lieut-Oxley-Boyle wounded, and the Tigers came up on top of the ridge and shelled the Bn. conc area at 954635. | |
| 28 | 2245 | The Bn. attack is called off and Coys rejoin Arm Regts to leaguer for the night. Cas. Killed: 9, Wounded: 35, Missing: 1, Vehs: 2 Carriers, 5 Loyds, 1 15-cwt truck. 6 pdrs: 3. | ||
| COUNTESS | 29 | 0200 | Lieut. Stileman leads a recce patrol up to the wood 962617, sounds of digging are heard in it. | |
| 29 | 0630 | 'H' Coy under-comd 23 H are sent fwd into the field 958621. | ||
| 29 | 0800 | 'H' and 'G' Coys revert to Bn. comd. 'H' Coy pushes on again to the wood with 2 pls of 'G' Coy while the rest of 'G' Coy takes over the field and Bn.H.Q. Gp. (less 119 Bty) moves up to area 958624. This posn was held all day without charge, being all the time under observed fire from 88mm's in the area CARPIQUET 9767, as well as mortars from the EAST, SOUTH and WEST. Major K.O. Mackenzie, Lieuts. B.T. Neill, M.R. Ireland Blackburne and G.B.S. Osborne were wounded and evacuated. | ||
| 29 | 1630 | 'F' Coy reverts to comd and takes up posn in area 959623. | ||
| 29 | 2115 | Enemy patrols seen moving towards our posn from WEST and SOUTH. | ||
| 29 | 2200 | Bde warns us that we may be ordered to withdraw during the night to NORTH of R.ODON. From then on shelling continues spasmodically. The expected attack on our posn is not launched, though enemy patrols remain active. | ||
| 29 | Bn.cas. – Killed: 6, Wounded: 71. Vehs: 7 Loyds, 5 Carriers, 1 Scout Car, 4 6-pdrs. | |||
| COUNTESS | 30 | 0100 | Bn. receives order to withdraw covered by 3 RTR. | |
| 30 | 0115 | Withdrawal commences in order 'H', 'F', 'G' Coys. Bn. R.V. at 954635. | ||
| 30 | 0115 | - 0230 Bn. moves into R.V. | ||
| 30 | 0300 | Message received from Bde that it is vital that Bn moves off at once. | ||
| 30 | 0310 | Bn. moves off and crosses R.ODON by Br. at TOURMAUVILLE. Withdrawal completed without further action or enemy interference. | ||
| NOREY-EN-BESSAN | 30 | 0630 | Bn. arrives in Bn. conc area and leaguers at 912705. Rest of day spent in reorganisation. |
Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. For historical research, always check the originals.
