| 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: Civil Affairs Staff, HQ 8 Corps | ||
| Month and Year: August 1944 | (Erase heading not required). | Commanding Officer: Col. G.H. Phipps-Hornby |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOULOGNES 703645 | 1 | 1100 | SO2 A (Maj. A.G. Puttock) visited 218 det at BALLEROY to discuss details of refugee accommodation in town and surrounding district. | |
| 1 | 1430 | SCAO (Col G.H. Phipps-Hornby) SO1 A (Lt.Col R.S. Manley) and SO2 E (Maj R.C. Peltzer) visited 218 det and local Ponts et Chaussees official at BALLEROY ref 39 civilian workers required to help local road-menders. Went on to Lab Second Army and discussed question with them and then went to CA Lab office in BAYEUX. No definite arrangements made. | ||
| 1 | 1830 | SO1 E (Lt.Col A.W.E. Crawford) visited CA 5 US Corps and arranged for exchange of Iocations. | ||
| LA FOUQUERIE 667545 | 2 | A.M.: Moved to LA FOUQUERIE, 667545. | ||
| 2 | 1915 | Maj De Graves (OC 223 det) reported. 223 are ready to be called fwd for FLERS. | ||
| 2 | 1930 | SCAO, SO1 A, SO2 E and Cmdt St Leger (French LO) visited Maire of LE BENY BOCAGE and obtained details of sups required by commune. | ||
| 3 | 1100 | SCAO 2 Army (Brig R.M. Lewis) and Col Lion (French LO) visited this HQ. Decided that (a) 210 det (L of C) to take over area from 218 det as far South as BAYEUX arrondissement bdy. (b) 223 det to be ready to take over such part of Arrondissement of VIRE as falls into Br sector (not for FLERS as originally stated) (c) 8 Corps to incl 30 Corps RTA (d) Civilian Adm BAYEUX can revictual civilians within BAYEUX Arrdt up to any line which Comd 8 Corps agrees. SCAO 8 Corps to inform Army of Comd’s decision. | ||
| 3 | 1245 | SO1 A visited Lt Col Lang (SO1 Sups 2 Army) and arranged for sups for LE BENY BOCAGE and method of delivery. | ||
| 4 | 1400 | SO1 E instructed 223 det OC to move into Corps HQ area. | ||
| 4 | 1500 | SCAO visited SCAO V US Corps (Col Mahonev) concerning Arrondissement of VIRE. Decided each Corps to be responsible for the portion within its own Corps boundaries. | ||
| 5 | 0930 | Conference of Adm SOs of this HQ to discuss sup situation. | ||
| 5 | 1600 | Col Wood (Col Adm 2 Army) and Lt Col Lang (SO1 Sup) visited to discuss sup position. | ||
| 5 | 1600 | SO1 Legal and SO2 P.S. visited this HQ. | ||
| 6 | 1000 | SO2 A (Maj Puttock) Capt Look (Sup Offr) and Codt St Leger visited 217 det and discussed sup posn. | ||
| 6 | 1500 | SO1 E and SO2 E visited 217, 218 and 224 dets. | ||
| 6 | 1600 | SO2 A arranged with Army pre-loaded to be at call (5000 hard rations). | ||
| LA TERRERIE | 7 | 1100 | Moved to 686435 near LE TOURNEUR. | |
| 7 | Instrs issued to 223 det to take over Arrondissement of VIRE within Corps bdys as far South as R SOULEUVRE incl LE BENY BOCAGE. | |||
| 7 | 1600 | Pre-loaded lorry with 5000 hard rations arrived. | ||
| 8 | SO2 A (Maj D.J. Mitchell) arranged for Corps Tps RE to blow holes for burying of cattle in LA TARRENTAINE area. Tps to do actual burying. All divs (3, 15, Gds & 11 Armd) visited by SO2s to discover whether system of liaison with dets was working satisfactorily. All happy except for 15 (S) div who wanted a permanent LO which is not possible with present allotment of spearhead dets (3 per Corps) and present establishment of dets. | |||
| 9 | 1600 | SO2 A (Maj A.G. Puttock) visited CA 2 Army to discuss sup posn. | ||
| 9 | Warning Order for Op "Grouse" issued. Dets allotted as follows:- | |||
| 9 | 3 Div - 217 Det; Gds Armd - 224 Det; 15 (S) Div & 11 Armd Divs - 218 Det. 223 det - no change. Each det to be responsible for its own div Refugee Collecting Point. Evacuation if necessary to 30 Corps RTA at BREMOY. | |||
| 10 | Confirmation of Warning Order issued and inter-det bdys laid down. | |||
| 11 | OC 226 det (Maj O. Campbell-Jones) reported. Instructed to move to LE BENY BOCAGE from where det can move fwd and take over Arrondissement of ARGENTAN as it is uncovered. | |||
| 11 | SO1 E and SO1 Legal 2 Army visited HQ and delivered Proclamation. | |||
| 12 | PM: SCAO visited 217, 218, 223, and 224 dets during the afternoon. | |||
| 12 | 2045 | Instr issued to 223 det to take over all canton of LE BENY BOCAGE. | ||
| 13 | SCAO 2 Army (Brig R.M. Lewis) visited all dets with SCAO. | |||
| 14 | 1445 | SCAO met SCAO 30 Corps at Main HQ 11 Armd Div and arranged for 222 det to take over 218 area East of new Corps bdy with exception of communes of ARCLAIS and MONTCHARIVEL. | ||
| 15 | SCAO, SO1 A, and SO2 A visited CA 2 Army to discuss question of increment offrs and tpt. | |||
| 17 | SCAO and SO1 A visited 217 det and village of CHANU near TINCHEBRAY where approx 7000 refugees were living. Arrangements made for 218 det to go immediately to CHANU to deal with the question. Sups delivered and additional sups ordered. 217 det moving into TINCHEBRAY where water supply needed repairing. | |||
| 18 | Cmdt St Leger left to spend a few days at CHANU. | |||
| 18 | Capt Murphy (US Public Safety Offr) went to TINCHEBRAY to deal with water situation. | |||
| 18 | SCAO, SO1 E, SO2 E and SO2 A visited 217, 218, 226 (FLERS) and 224 dets. | |||
| 19 | SCAO took Sous-Prefet of VIRE to TINCHEBRAY and CHANU. Lunch with Maire of TINCHEBRAY. | |||
| 19 | SO1 A visited 217 det and found water supply working adequately. Warned 217 to except 1300 people from CHANU for rehabilitation. Arranged for registration of local labour. Visited 218 det. Rehabilitation of refugees to country district proceeding after people had been checked by FS. On return to Corps HQ SO1 A arranged with Q Corps for 20 3-ton lorries to report at CHANU at 0900 hrs 20 Aug to help with rehabilitation of refugees. | |||
| 21 | Corps HQ (Main) moved to ST PAUL 8120. | |||
| ST PAUL | 22 | SO1 E and SO2 A (Maj Mitchell) visited 217 and 218 dets. | ||
| 23 | 226 det (FLERS) took over all of ARGENTAN arrondissement within 8 Corps bdy except for village of CHANU. | |||
| 24 | 1200 | SO1 E visited 217 det at TINCHEBRAY. | ||
| 24 | 223 det took over from 217 and 224 dets all area in VIRE arrondissement and came under comd L of C at 1200 hrs. | |||
| 24 | 1600 | SO2 E and Cmdt St Leger visited 223 det. | ||
| 25 | SO1 E and SO1 A visited TRUN area. | |||
| 25 | 1600 | Doctor required by woman at PIERRES due to give birth in 2-4 days. Capt. Degen (US MO with 218 det) instructed to look after case. | ||
| 26 | 2000 | SO2 E (Maj Brown) visited 2 Army. | ||
| 28 | 0900 | GOC addressed all offrs of Corps HQ on future ops. | ||
| 30 | 1700 | SCAO & SO1 E visited CA 2 Army ref future ops. |
Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. For historical research, always check the originals.
