WO 171/1658 - 612 Field Squadron - June 1944

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
ALDERSHOT	3		2 ORs posted to X (ii) list
	4		1 OR posted to X (ii) list
	5		1 OR posted to A.C.C. Trg Centre
	5		1 OR rejoined from class W (T) Reserve
	5		CRE's conference – O.C. Attended.
	5		2ic checked water proofing
	5		“Adoration” received
	6		1 OR posted to 3(H) D.B.R.E.
	6		1 O.R. Returned from hospital (X (ii) list)
	6	2045	Received SECO Movements QM361W of 061730	See App 1 attached
	7		1 OR posted to 3(H) D.B.R.E.
	7	1930	Parade & seperation of vehicle […] parties.
	7	1200	Receipt of movement orders	See App 2 attached
	7	1615	Orders gone out
ALDERSHOT	8	0155	Veh. party convoy left barracks	See Seco Mov. Instr.
WESTHAM	8	0715	Veh. Party convoy arrived Camp T.4. (3 Vehs. in trs - patrol 1 conger broken down - bogey type)
	8	1400	Stage BC waterproofing commenced 1 Tp. Conger returned repair having been effectued
	8	1730	O.C. appounted O.C Tps S43 LST.
	10	2130	Conference with Mov. Control - 10 SPA/Tk guns. 5 RASC 10 ton Lorries with unit for […]
	10	2215	"O" group for move to Embarkation area
Victoria Docks	11	0930	Armed Embarkation area
	11	1145	B(ii) Waterproofing began.
	11	1405	Commenced loading with L.C.T. 522 - US.Navy.
	11	1930	Loading completed
	11	1955	Under Way
	12	0150	[…] at SOUTHEND
	12	0745	Under way in convoy for France
NEWHAVEN	12	1350	March party embarked
COURSEULLES	13	0845	543. […] (Veh. Party)
RIVABELLA	13	1630	March party disembarked.
COURSEULLES	13	1910	543. Under way 15 beach (Veh. Party)
	14	2010	Beached on sand bank (Veh Party) – too far out to disembark
	14	0220	543. Whithdrew from beach (Veh party) & […]
	14	0645	543. Under way for beach.
	14	0710	543. Beached Nav green - […]
	14	0855	First Veh. disembarked.
	14	1005	Last Veh. disembarked.
	14	1020	First convoy left Assembly area […]
CREULLY	14	1110	Armd. harbour - met adv. party.
	14	1200	All Vehs. Armd. withdraw - order is reload & dewarterproof & dig slit trenches
CREULLY	14	1530	CRE gave orders 15 […] over […] at 906805 […] owners had […]
	14	1730	“O” group - […]
	14	1910	March party rejoined - […]
	14	2359	Sgt Rawsden, who returned about 1300 hrs & went out again in a jeep to find march party had not returned.
	15	1400	[…] jeep […] returned. Apperently Sgt Rawsden had inadvertently lead […] enemy territory at […] BURON on 14th afternoon, jeep was destroyed & Rawsden wounded.
	15	0900	“O” Gp. Harbour was too crowded; orders were given to disperse over a greater area.
	15	1500	First issue of E.F.I. Packs; a week's supply distributed from those brought over by Sqn.
	16	0930	“O” Gp. General admin orders. O.C. Out all day with C.R.E. On recce for proposed bridging operation at 114768 across Canal de Caen à la Mer.
CREULLY	18	0530	O.C. left to confirm recce of 17th.
	18	1455	O.C. arrived back in harbour.
	18	1500	“O” Gp. Orders for Bridging operation: 1 Tp responsible for site layout and […] 2 & 3 Tos ti construct landing […] for Bailey Ponton Bridge. One Tp from 13 Fd. Sqn under command for unloading stores; another Tp from 13 Fd Sqn u/comd. For approaches. Ten R.A.S.C. Lorries and Inf. Loading party u/comd for supplying store from quarry for use in approaches.
	18	1545	O.C. went to 147 Fd. Pk. Sqn. to arrange for Mech. Eqpt.
CREULLY	18	1630	Lts Collwell & Kuipers left with 1 Tp for Br site.
	18	1635	O.C. returned.
	18	1645	O.C. left harbour for br. site.
	18	2340	F.E.I. 11 Armd Div. R.E. brought orders from C.R.E. “Br. operation cancelled”. He went on to br. site to stop the work.	See Appx. 3 attached.
	19	0100	F.E. arrived at br. site. Clearing of site was commenced. O.C. Meanwhile arrived back in harbour and saw F.E.'s massage. After calling on C.R.E., O.C. returned to br. site. On route to br. site, O.C. in jeep collided with F.E. in Humber Scout Car. Jeep a casualty.
	19	0630	O.C. and 1 Tp arrived back in harbour. No personnel casualties.
CREULLY	19	0900	“O” Gp held by 2 I.C. for O.C.
	19	1430	R.A.S.C. lorries, which had been attached fro br. operation, were despatched to parent unit.
	20	0845	“O” Gp. During this day, Jeep damaged on 19th was repaired.
	20	1500	Replacement jeep collected for one destroyed on 14th.
	21	0845	“O” Gp.
	21	1030	Adj. visited Sqn and gave warning order for road-building on 22nd.
	21	1400	Lt. Lockyer briefed by C.R.E. for recce of road-building job in area SECQUEVILLE-EN-BESIN 9274.	See App 4 attached.
	21	2000	Recce completed.
	21	2100	O.C. received orders from C.R.E. for road-building job.
CREULLY	22	0530	O.C., Lts Lockyer, Hackey & Freedy with 2 & 3 Tps, left harbour for road-building site at SECQUEVILLE-EN-BESSIN 9274.
	22	0715	Work commenced
	22	1000	O.C. arrived back in harbour.
	22	1555	O.C. left harbour for site.
	22	1815	Work ceased on site except for rolling. Progress 350 yds of 9' wide road completely laid with hardcore quaried from 920797; 6-ton roller now rolling this. One ford culverted. Approx 1 ½ miles of tank route cleared by bulldozers. Tps and eqpt u/comd: 10 RASC lorries (17 men), 1 Face Shovel (2 men) and 1 x 6-ton roller (1 man).
	22	1855	O.C. arrived back in harbour.
	22	1940	Lt. Lockyer Mockay & Breedy with 2 & 3 Tps arrived back.
CREULLY	23	0730	1, 2 & 3 Tps left harbour for further work on road-buildings.
	23	1145	O.C. visited RPT Gp. at DOUVRES.
	23	1310	O.C. returned.
	23	1530	4 O.R's arrived, posted from RPT. GP.
	23	1640	Orders received for one troop to go u/comd 29 Armd Bde and another tp u/comd 4 Armd Bde, […] 24 Jun 44. O.C. detailed 1 & 2 Tps respectively.
	23	1900	All Tps arrived back in harbour. Road-building job 80% complete.
	23	2000	OC held “O” Gp. One Tp 13 Fd Sqn u/comd. to finish road-building with 3 Tp, 612 Fd Sqn on 24 Jun 44.
	23		New ??? address adopted:- 612 Field Squadron R.E. B.W.E.F.
	24	0730	3 Tp. left harbour for road-building.
	24	1000	1 OR posted from 13 Fd.Sqn, R.E. 1 OR posted to 13 Fd Sqn. OC visited “A” Branch, Second Army, asking for 3 rfts.
CREULLY	24	1145	O.C. arrived back.
	24	1200	2 Tp. left harbour to come u/comd. 4 Armd. Bde. at 938777. One D4 angledoze u/comd. 2 Tp.
	24	1430	1 Tp. Left harbour to come u/comd. 29 Armd. Bde. at 907761. One D4 angledozer u/comd. 1 Tp.
	24	1700	R.E. 11 Armd. Div. O.O. N°1 received by O.C.	See App. Attached
	24	1830	2I.C. visited "A" Branch, Second Army H.Q. ref. rfts
	24	1850	3 Tp. arrived back in harbour. Road building job now complete.
	24	1700	1 Tp. received 29 Armd. Bde. O.O. N°1.
	25		Adm. preparations for expected Operation.
	25	2000	O.C. held "O" Gp.
	25	1015	Sqn. less 1 & 2 Tps. left harbour on Op. EPSOM.
BRETTEVILLE L'ORGUEILLEUSE	26	1905	Sqn. less 1 & 2 Tps. harboured at BRETTEVILLE L'ORGUEILLEUSE 917721. Locations of 1 & 2 Tps unknown.
	26	2200	- 2300 Stand-to.
	27	0430	- 0530 Stand-to.
	27	0930	Locations of Tps. reported as:- 1 Tp. 905683, 2 Tp. 919704.
	27	1115	Report received from 1 Tp. Only task performed by them on 26th was sweaping path for bulldozer; one S-Mine found with W adaptor, only one pull igniter fitted. Advance considerably delayed by drenching rain and very heavy going.
	27	1430	L/Sgt. Peate evacuated to 22 F.D.S. after Car Lt. Hecce had run over his leg.
	27	1615	Sqn. less 1 & 2 Tps. moved forward to 907694 near LE MESNIL-PATRY. Part of 3 Tp. meanwhile out working on maintenance of Star route.
LE MESNIL-PATRY	27	1745	- 2230 Sqn. less 1 & 2 Tps arrived in new harbour which was a battle-field yesterday. Some mines to be lifted and dead to be buried. FW190's flew over several times firing a few rounds; terrific A.A. fire from all sides drove them off each time. Sqn, dug in, swept harbour clear mines, buried 3 Br. and 2 German dead.
	27	2230	- 2300 Stand-to.
	27	2225	2 Tp. moved out of harbour 919704.
	28	0500	- 0530 Stand-to.
	28	0630	2 Tp., having split up during the night, concentrate again at 914683.
	28	0820	O.C. out on recce, south of CHEUX 9166.
LE MESNIL-PATRY	28	1040	Enemy shelling East of harbour. One large (approx 5” calibre) shell landed inside harbour fortunately failing to explode. Not considered dangerous unless disturbed, so marked with notices “Unexploded shell” and left for destruction later when no vehicles near.
	28	1515	2 Tp. arrived in Sqn harbour but still u/comd 4 Armd. Bde. They began to bury Br. & enemy dead in their area.
	28	1600	Lt. Freedy left harbour to collect 5 Tippers from Corps Fd. Pk. Coy. at LE GRAND VEY 9275. These required for job recced by O.C. with C.R.E. at COLLEVILLE-MONDRAINVILLE 9264.
	28	1630	Lt. Mackay & 3 Tp. left harbour for work on […] site.
	28	2200	3 Tp. commenced work on road repairs and improving ford at 932631 with faccines
LE MESNIL-PATRY	28	2130	2 Tp. moved out to new harbour at 914685 Weather cloudy but fine. 3 Tp's new harbour at COLLEVILLE 926648.
	29	0545	Report received that Sgt. Budd was killed by mortar splinter in 377 area during the night.
	29	1215	Sqn. H.Q. moved to 3 Tp. location, arriving 1330 hrs.
COLLEVILLE	29	1415	Report received from 1 Tp. that Half-Track was destroyed by enemy tank on June 27th; 5 O.R's missing, remaining 2 passengers rejoined unit.	See Appx 7 attd.
	29	1615	In view of proximity of enemy and mortaring of area, Sqn. H.Q. returned to previous location.
	29	2252	Orders received by wireless from C.R.E. to withdraw all sub-units to location of Sqn. H.Q. This did not apply to 1 & 2 Tps (still u/Comd. Bdes.)
LE MESNIL-PATRY	30	0330	3 Tp. less Lt. Macklay arrived Sqn. H.Q. harbour.
	30	0500	O.C. arrived Sqn. harbour.
	30	0650	H.Q. & 3 Tp. moved out of harbour.
	30	0805	H.Q. & 3 Tp. arrived new harbour at BRETTEVILLE L'ORGUEILLEUSE 915620, in the field West to the harbour occupied 26-27 JUN 44.
BRETTEVILLE L'ORGUEILLEUSE	30	1130	Report received of destruction of Half-Track in 2 Tp. 29 JUN 44, 5 OR's missing; 2 remaining passengers brought back by 3 Tp. and reported occurrence, also reported 1 O.R. evacuated to hospital wounded by mortar splinter.
	30	1525	2 more passengers from destroyed 2 Tp. Half-Track rejoined unit. They report having heard of 2 as seen in a harbour in Br. lines. This leaves 1 O.R. unaccounted for
BRETTEVILLE L'ORGUEILLEUSE	30	2100	Lt. Lockyer with 2 Tp. arrived in Sqn. harbour, reported 1 O.R. wounded & evacuated.
	30	2130	Lt. Casswell with 1 Tp. arrived in Sqn. harbour bringing remaining missing personnel from 2 Tp's destroyed half-track. Reports another 1 Tp half-track destroyed by enemy action – set on fire by enemy mortar fire which hit adjacent barn; also 1 O.R. of 1 Tp wounded & evacuated.
	30	1130	Report received of successful destruction of four 8.8cm A.Tk. guns on 28 Jun by detachment of 2 Tp. with 60 […].

Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. For historical research, always check the originals.