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: 11th Bn Royal Tank Regt. | ||
Month and Year: December 1944 | (Erase heading not required). | Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. S.I. Howard Jones |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
WAALRE | 1 | 0800 | CO and 2IC carried out further recce and as a result the following areas were allotted A Sqn at DONCK K1684. B Sqn SLUIS K1893. C Sqn at ACHTERBOSCH K1692. HQ Sqn at MILLEGHEM K1391. | |
1 | 1800 | C Sqn reported move complete to location above. | ||
2 | 1100 | Arrival of tptr for B Sqn and loading begun. | ||
2 | 1400 | Submission of AF W3008 & W3009 for whole unit as at 021200A. | Appendix 1 | |
2 | 1700 | B Sqn report they are concentrated at SLUIS K1893. | ||
3 | 1600 | HQ Sqn report concentrated at MILLEGHEM K1391. | ||
MOLL | 4 | 1000 | RHG moved to K1478986. | |
4 | 1230 | G.O.C. arrived and went round billets. | ||
4 | 1800 | Major W.G. Nicjolson left for Div where he will be attached for about ten days for staff training. | ||
4 | 1800 | During absence of Major W.G. Nicholson at Div Major R.F. Slator assumed comd B Sqn and Capt A. Mulligan HQ Sqn. | ||
5 | 1730 | COs conference with Sqn comds ref to training. A 14 days individual, Troop training to start w.e.f. 7th. | ||
6 | 1200 | Bde Comd visited unit and discussed training with CO. | ||
7 | 1000 | C.O. visited ‘C’ Sqn to watch training. | ||
7 | 1300 | Bde 2IC visited CO. | ||
8 | 1000 | Major S.G. March lectured to 4 Armd Bde on the use of ‘Buffaloes’. | ||
9 | 1000 | CO and BTA to 53 (W) Div for loading trial of 17 pr. | ||
9 | 1200 | Submission of AF W3008 & W3009 upto 091200A. | Appendix 2 | |
9 | 1400 | Orders received from 79 Armd Div to despatch B Sqn less two Troops less part of ‘B’ echelon to move to WATERCHEYDE K4369. Tptrs arrived and Sqn loading. CO and Capt A.S.C. Francis proceeded to 30 Armd Bde GELEEN K6665. This detachment allotted to 30 Corps. | ||
10 | 1600 | C.O. returned from 30 Armd Bde. | ||
10 | 1800 | A Sqn now concentrated at DONCK K168947. | ||
11 | 1200 | B Sqn reports Tac HQ K656644, Buffaloes at K767666 (SE from MINDERGANGEN). | ||
13 | 1100 | Col Buckley, Australian Imperial Forces, visited the unit and inspected Buffaloes. | ||
13 | 1500 | Maj SG March attended demonstration arranged by No 20 WTSFF at WATERLOO to illustrate a) Signal One Star and Illuminating b) Flares Trip Mk I c) Nos 77, 80 & 81 Smoke Grens d) No 26 Generator and No 83 Coloured Smoke Gren. | ||
13 | 1600 | Detachment from 101 Rft Gp consisting of one inf pl, one 6 pr with carrier and crew, and one mortar with carrier and crew, completed training loading trials with A, B and C Sqns, having spent one day with each. | ||
14 | 1100 | Bde Comd visited the unit during the morning and afternoon. | ||
15 | 1400 | GOC visited the unit. Reason – general interest. | ||
16 | 1200 | Submission of AF W3008 and W3009 for whole unit at 161200A. | Appendix 3 | |
16 | 1200 | Loading trials 17 pr completed. Report to be issued later. | ||
17 | 2300 | Lt. W.J. Robson killed in tram accident in BRUSSELS at 2050 hrs. | ||
18 | 1300 | B Sqn reverted to Regt. commd. from 30 Armd Bde. | ||
18 | 2030 | B Sqn Comd reported move to unit location from K656644 and K767666 complete. | ||
19 | 2000 | Chap. Class 4 (Rev) A. Speed c.t.b.a. to this unit wef this date and att. 557 Aslt Sqn and ‘F’ Wing RE wef this date. | ||
21 | 1000 | C.O. attended conf. at Div. where changes in the use of eqpt. in the Div. were discussed. | ||
22 | 0830 | A Sqn moving loc. from DONCK K168947 to DESSCHEL K1696. | ||
22 | 1800 | C.O.s Conf. with Sqn. Commanders & reps. of A & Q Depts. ref. composition of A & B Echelons. | Appendix 4 | |
22 | 1830 | Trng Prog. for week ending 22 Dec 44 completed. | Appendix 5 | |
22 | 1900 | LVT Directive, written by Lt.Col. S.I. Howard-Jones received. | Appendix 6 | |
23 | 1030 | Notification recd. that the unit passed under comd. 30 Armd Bde as parent fmn, but remains under op. comd. 31 Tk Bde wef 220700A. | ||
23 | 1100 | 4 ‘Buffaloes’ recd. by unit for trg. purposes & allotted to Sqns as follow – 1 each A, B & C for trg. & 1 to A for experimental purposes. | ||
23 | 1200 | Submission of A.F. W3008 & W3009 for whole unit at 231200A. | Appendix 7 | |
24 | 1000 | Instr. received for posting of 96 tradesmen (40 Dvr Ops, 56 Gnr Ops) to 2 ARG in exchange for 96 non-tradesmen. Postings wef 1 Jan 45. Authority: 21 A.Gp. TPM’s A1925 of 171750A and A1884 of 141750A. | ||
24 | 1500 | Anti-Parachutist force formed, consisting of a Recce element of 5 Scout cars & 1 Jeep & a Striking Force of 2 Officers & 4 Sections of 10 men (incl. 1 Sgt or Cpl) each from A, B & C Sqns. | Appendix 8 | |
27 | 1000 | C.O. visited 30 Armd Bde HQ ref. change in parent fmn from 31 Tk Bde to 30 Armd Bde. | ||
27 | 1400 | C.Os. Conf. of Sqn. Comds to discuss domestic affairs within the unit. | ||
27 | 1700 | 4 ‘Buffaloes’ recd by unit on 23 Dec 44 re-allotted to Sqns as follows:- 2 to ‘A’, 1 to ‘B’, 1 to ‘C’. | ||
28 | 1100 | Unit I.O. attended conf. at Bde. dealing with distribution of Int. material for ops. | Appendix 9 | |
28 | 1500 | Major Nicholson returned to unit from Div. on completion of staff training. | ||
28 | 1800 | C.O. issued outline plan of Ex. ‘Improbable’ to Sqn Comds. Ex. to take place at 301130A in area 2094 (Ref. Map 1:50,000, Sheets 25 & 35). | Appendix 10 | |
29 | 1000 | Bde Comd visited unit during the morning and talked with the C.O. about Ex. ‘Improbable’. | ||
29 | 1100 | Recce of Sqn Comds for Ex. ‘Improbable’. | ||
29 | 1100 | A Trade Testing Board assembled at unit HQ for the purpose of trade-testing ORs of the unit. Dvr Ops and Gnr Ops were tested for upgrading, and other personnel tested as Dvr Ops, Gnr Ops, Gnr Mechs & Dvr Mechs. | ||
30 | 1100 | Bde Comdr 30 Armd Bde (Brig. N.W. Duncan) and Bde Comd 31 Tk Bde (Brig. G.S. Knight) visited unit during morning and afternoon to watch Ex. ‘Improbable’. | ||
30 | 1130 | H Hr Ex. ‘Improbable’. Appendix to follow. | ||
30 | 1200 | Submission of A.F. W3008 and W3009 for whole unit at 301200A. | Appendix 11 | |
31 | 0900 | 2 ‘Buffaloes’ recd by unit for trg. purposes and allotted as follows:- 1 to ‘B’ Sqn for Trg, and 1 to LAD for experimental purposes. | ||
31 | 1800 | The following changes in comd and appointments took place during Dec ’44:- 1. Capt. C.P. Burnett. ‘HQ’. Posted to ‘B’ Sqn wef 30 Dec 44 and relinquished the appintment of L.O. wef that date. 2. Capt. A.S.C. Francis. ‘HQ’. Appointed L.O. wef 30 Dec 44. 3. Major F.G. Foley. “C”. Posted to ‘HQ’ Sqn wef 20 Dec 44 on assuming the appointment of O.C. ‘HQ’ Sqn wef that date. |
Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. For historical research, always check the originals.