Abbreviations

2 i/c A/C Adjt Airfds A/L Bde CRASC Det Div O Group Op OR Pl RAOC RASC RV SA SDP Tac

Second in Command Aircraft Adjt Airfields Air Landing Brigade Commander Royal Army Service Corps Detachment Division Orders Group Operation Other Ranks Platoon Royal Army Ordnance Corps Royal Army Service Corps Rendezvous Small Arms Supply Dropping Point Tactical

Month and year: September 1944

Commanding Officer : Lt.Col. M.St.J. Packe

29th August 1944

Place: Leadenham

Op LINNET.  RASC Instruction No.1 issued - Transport Arrangements.

31st August 1944

Place: Leadenham

Adjt and 3 ORs returned U.K. ex B.L.A. to join Airborne Element HQ RASC.

CRASC and 3 ORs departed for BLAKEHILL FARM TRANSIT CAMP, WILTS - Op LINNET.

1st September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

HQ RASC Glider loaded and lashed in readiness for Op LINNET.

2nd September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

1200 - Op LINNET Instruction No.3 - Briefing Notes issued.

Briefing Conference for RASC Officers held by CRASC.

3rd September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

Op LINNET cancelled.

5th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

CRASC attended 'O' Group Conference Tac HQ, Moor Park, London.

7th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

Op COMET - HQ RASC Briefing Notes issued.

1100 - Op COMET - Briefing Conference for RASC Officers held by CRASC - Camp sealed.

8th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

2200 - Op COMET - postponed for 24 hours.

9th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

2000 - Op COMET - postponed further 24 hours.

10th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

Op COMET - postponed further 48 hours.

11th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

Op COMET cancelled. ORs debrifed and camp unsealed.

12th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

1100 - CRASC left to attend 'O' Group Conference Tac HQ Moor Park.

1800 - Court of Inquiry held to investigate circumstances of death of Lt. Thompson 250 Coy RASC.

13th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

Op MARKET.  HQ RASC Instruction No.1 - RASC Flight Plan - issued.

14th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

2200 - Op MARKET.  HQ RASC Instruction No.2 - Briefing Notes - issued.

15th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

Op MARKET.  Supply Appendicies issued.

16th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

1200 - Op MARKET - CRASC briefed RASC Officers of Airborne lift.

1800 - Op MARKET - 2 i/c briefed ORs of Airborne element.  Camp sealed.

17th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

0800 - Op MARKET - 2 i/c left for Airfield to emplane for BLA.

2 i/c landed successfully at OOSTERBEEK, HOLLAND, and RV with 1 Para Bde - since missing.

18th September 1944

Place: Blakehill Farm

1030 - CRASC, Adjt and 9 ORs emplaned from Airfds.

Place: Oosterbeek

1415 - CRASC, Adjt and 9 ORs landed successfully at OOSTERBEEK, Holland.  Gliders unloaded under heavy Mortar and small arms fire.

Place: Hartenstein

1530 - Party after RV proceeded to HARTENSTEIN and established HQ and DMA - location under moderate enemy fire - no enemy activity, except sniping during the night.  Collection of resupply and stacking in DMA organised.

1900-2000 - Stand To.

19th September 1944

Place: Oosterbeek

0500-0600 - Stand To.  Sniping from built-up area behind HQ RASC - slit trenches dug and defence organised.

1030 - About 40 ME 109s and FW 190s attacked Div area and were engaged by SA fire.  CRASC attempted to pass signal altering pre-arranged SDP which was in enemy hands.

1500 - Resupply a/c dropped on pre-arranged SDP in spite of all signals - a/c suffered heavy casualties from flak.  Collection of panniers and containers dropped in Div area organised - only very small proportion of stores dropped were recovered.

1900-2000 - Stand To.  Enemy activity intermittent during night.

20th September 1944

Place: Oosterbeek

0500-0600 - Stand To.  Heavy mortar fire on DMA area.  Enemy infantry attacked from North and DMA moved to new location in grounds of HARTENSTEIN HOTEL.

1500 - Resupply on to Div area - partially successful but number of rations collected sufficient only for one third rations to be issued.  Further heavy casualties to resupply a/c.

1900-2000 - Stand To.  Intermittent shelling and mortaring during night.

21st September 1944

Place: Oosterbeek

0500-0600 - Stand To.

0700 - HQ RASC received direct hit from Mortar fire - 1 RASC and 1 RAOC personnel killed.  Enemy mortar and shelling very heavy on Div area throughout the day.  HQ RASC removed to within Div HQ perimeter.

1900-2000 - Stand To.  Intense shelling and mortaring during night.

22nd September 1944

Place: Oosterbeek

0500-0600 - Stand To.  1 and 2 Para Pls RASC under Capt Cranmer-Byng took over sector of Div perimeter and acted as infantry for remainder of operation.  Adjt and HQ Det took up defensive position in A/L Bde area to act as reserve for Capt Cranmer-Byng's party and so remained for remainder of operation.

1900-2000 - Stand To.  Enemy fire heavy during night.

23rd September 1944

Place: Oosterbeek

0500-0600 - Stand To.  Stand To.  Very heavy shelling and Mortar fire.  Sniper activity in vicinity of well in HQ RASC area.  Enemy a/c over Div area.

1900-2000 - Stand To.

24th September 1944

Place: Oosterbeek

0500-0600 - Stand To.  Shelling and Mortaring intensified.  Enemy a/c still active.  Enemy machine gun fire directed on well.

1900-2000 - Stand To.

25th September 1944

Place: Oosterbeek

0500-0600 - Stand To.  Consistent shelling and mortaring throughout day.

2100 - Order to evacuate to South of Lower Rhine received.  ORs briefed.

2215 - HQ CRASC party commenced journey through enemy lines to River.  Ambushed by machine gun nest - no casualties - detour made around this and other enemy positions until river reached.

26th September 1944

Place: Oosterbeek

0015 - All HQ RASC personnel reached river bank, and crossed to South side as and when possible.

Place: Nijmegen

1000 - Roll call of personnel - 1 Cpl found to be missing - last seen on North side of river at day-break.

1600 - All HQ CRASC Airborne element joined seaborne party in their location at NIJMEGEN.