WO 171/1359 - 8 Rifle Brigade - June 1944

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
	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	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.

previous month | next month

Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com.

Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. Locations are calculated, so might not be in the correct place. For historical research, always check the originals.

Domains

More information

Contact