Abbreviations
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A/B Adv A/L Armd Arr Arty Att Bde Bdge Bks BSM Bty Comd Conf Coy CRA Div Fd FOU Fwd Gds GOC Hy LO LZ MDS Med MG Mls OC Offrs O Group Op OR Posns RA RASC Rd Regt RV Sitrep Tps U/Comd |
Airborne Advance Airlanding Armoured Arrived Artillery Attached Brigade Bridge Barracks Battery Sergeant Major Battery Commander Conference Company Commander Royal Artillery Division Field Forward Observation Unit Forward Guards General Officer Commanding Heavy Liaison Officer Landing Zone Main Dressing Station Medium Machine Gun Miles Officer Commanding Officers Orders Group Operation Other Ranks Positions Royal Artillery Royal Army Service Corps Road Regiment Rendezvous Signaller Situation Report Troops Transport Under Command |
Month and year: September 1944
Commanding Officer : Major D.R. Wight-Boycott
1st September 1944
Down Ampney and Fairford airfields gliders loaded. Maj Wight Boycott ordered to Northolt to meet CRA 1 Airborne (by plane), ordered by CRA to fly to Grantham to liaise with Polish Para Bde. Returned Down Ampney 1800 hrs having arranged for Polish L.O.s to join at Down Ampney following day.
2nd September 1944
Operation "Linnet" cancelled approx 1600 hrs. OC informed of new op being planned in MAASTRICHT area. This was cancelled about 2100 hrs.
5th September 1944
OC ordered to report to CRA at Moor Park with full kit ready to fly to Brussels to join 30 Corps.
6th September 1944
Maj Wight Boycott flew to AMIENS from Northolt arriving 1030 hrs - on to Brussels to join RA 30 Corps. Maj W.B. attended 2 Army conf at 1400 hrs. BGS 30 Corps explain a plan - 30 Corps not yet on stop line ESCAUT CANAL. D day 8 Sept.
OC contacted Capt Braithwaite, Lts Meigh & Hewat who were L.Os to Regts RA.
7th September 1944
OC moved to join RA Gds Armd at Diest. LOs attached Braithwaite to 419 Hy Bty RA; Hewat to 153 Fd; Meigh to 84 Med.
8th September 1944
Seaborne element contacted by O.C. in LOUVAIN.
Op "FIFTEEN" to be known as "COMET".
10th September 1944
O.C. contacted LOs & found liaison was going well.
Op "COMET" cancelled. Transit camps Down Ampney etc unsealed.
11th September 1944
O.C. and BSM Grundy joined HQ RA Gds Armd 4 mls S of ESCAUT.
O.C. met Bty Comd 419 Hy Bty.
12th September 1944
Planning for Op "MARKET" began.
13th September 1944
O.C. attended 2 Army conf LOUVAIN. Heard details of Op "MARKET" (Airborne) GARDEN (2 Army). O.C. met CRA 1 A/B Div.
14th September 1944
OC accompanied GOC & CRA 1 A/B on visit to 30 Corps HQ.
Lashing gear was drawn for gliders for Op "MARKET" (DOWN AMPNEY).
15th September 1944
Gliders loaded Op "MARKET". CRA's O Group Moor Park attended by Capt McMillen acting O.C.
16th September 1944
Capt Braithwaite now LO to 55 Fd Regt RA. 3 USA L.Os from 101 USA A/B Div attached with existing 3 FOU L.Os.
17th September 1944
D day Op "MARKET". 1st lift took off approx 0745 hrs. Capt Kennedy's glider took off but force landed in U.K. with broken tow rope.
About 1430 hrs OC w/t set commenced tuning & netting calls to 101 A/B.
18th September 1944
Capts O'Grady, IKIN, KENNEDY, GILMAN took off in gliders in 2nd lift for ARNHEM at approx 1130 hrs. Quite a smooth flight, good fighter cover. Capts O'Grady & Ikin landed on LZ approx 4 mls NW of rd ARNHEM-HEELSUM at approx 1515 hrs. LZ being mortared & machine gunned. The whole FOU HQ glider load was intact & very little difficulty was experienced in unloading the jeep & trailer. Capt O'Grady reported to CRA at RV & was conducted to HQ RA.
Approx 1730 hrs Capts O'Grady & Ikin ordered by CRA 1 A/B to proceed as FOU with "C" Coy Border Regt (1 A/L Bde) advance on HEELSUM approx 4-5 mls W of ARNHEM. Advance held up by MG fire for a while - enemy posns located too dangerous to engage with arty fire owing to close proximity of own tps. Returned to HQ RA approx 0130 hrs.
19th September 1944
Spasmodic shelling of Div HQ. Capt O'Grady & 3 sigs manned FOU 19 HP set & tried to make contact across the Rhine with Maj W.B. (O.C.) with adv. element Gds Armd. Shelling continued, having airburst effect due to area being surrounded with trees.
20th September 1944
Capt IKIN wounded in leg (ARNHEM) evacuated MDS.
G2 RA Airborne Corps visited Rear FOU HQ (NIJMEGEN AREA)
O.C. learned at Airborne Corps W/T communication established with 1 A/B Div.
O.C. moved fwd to area 153 Fd Regt (Gds Armd) & erected 48' aerial to try & make contact with FOU HQ across Rhine (Arnhem). No luck.
21st September 1944
O.C. & rear FOU HQ moved fwd to NIJMEGEN Bdge area.
22nd September 1944
O.C. & Lt Hewat att themselves to 147 Fd & Capt Braithwaite to 64 MED RA. Lt Meigh with 94 Fd Regt as 43 Div were to go thro' Gds Armd posns.
O.C. make W/T contact with HQ RA 1 A/B Div & did 4 shoots for them.
BSM Grundy wounded in left leg by shrapnel - Evacuated.
23rd September 1944
O.C. in contact with 1 A/B again - did two or three shoots & passed them a long sitrep.
24th September 1944
No W/T communication with RA 1 A/B. O.C. moved fwd to 112 Fd Regt RA area (approx 3000x from DRIEL) - still no W/T contact.
25th September 1944
No contact yet - O.C. moved further fwd with 19 HP set to DRIEL. O.C. returned ? to 43 Div HQ & was informed of "BERLIN" (1 A/B withdrawal)
O.C. returned to DRIEL with Sgt Cartwright {?}
Capt. O'Grady, Whimister, Caird, McMillen & Gilman & 8 FOU (A/B) personnel crossed Lower Rhine with remnants of 1 A/B Div to DRIEL then by tpt to NIJMEGEN (arr about 0630 hrs).
26th September 1944
O.C. contacted A/B FOU remnants NIJMEGEN. O.C. accompanied CRA 1 A/B to 64 Med RA & 30 Corps. Sea Borne tail harboured at NIJMEGEN.
Roll call PM? by Capt O'Grady of A/B FOU - only 5 offrs + 8 ORs accounted for.
27th September 1944
LOs to Fd Regts 43 Div recalled. HQ RA 1 A/B & FOU concentrated at NIJMEGEN.
28th September 1944
Moved back to LOUVAIN - Div concentrated at Bks LOUVAIN.
29th September 1944
1 FOU less A/B party u/comd Capt Braithwaite 3 offrs + 29 ORs - ordered to Brussels Airfield. Took off in DAKOTAS landed BARKESTON HEATH Drome 1900 hrs approx.
1 FOU spent night after party at aerodrome in a hangar.
30th September 1944
1 FOU in RASC tpt moved to RA concentration area BOSTON. Documentation commenced.
