Abbreviations
|
765528 A/B Bde Bty C GAF GOC IO MR RA Regt SP SSM |
Map Reference Airborne Brigade Battery Command Division German Air Force General Officer Commanding Intelligence Officer Landing Zone Map Reference Royal Artillery Regiment Rendezvous Self-Propelled Squadron Sergeant Major |
Month and year: September 1944
Commanding Officer : Major S.C. Griffith
1st September 1944
Place: Base
Loading commenced for Operation "LINNET".
2nd September 1944
Place: Base
Crews briefed for Operation "LINNET". Flight plan altered.
2130 - Operation cancelled.
3rd September 1944
Place: Base
1 WACO Glider lift by 295 Squadron. Squadron Commander and I.O. briefed for Operation. Operation cancelled.
4th September 1944
Place: Base
Normal routine.
5th September 1944
Place: Base
Normal routine.
6th September 1944
Place: Base
1530 - 18 crews briefed by Commander Glider Pilots for "Coupe de Main" Operation.
1730 - Squadron Command and I.O. briefed for Operation.
7th September 1944
Place: Base
1130 - 10 WACO Crews under Lieut. P.B. Clarke and 22 Horsa crews of "A" Squadron under Lieut. E.J. Markwick despatched to MANSTON.
1600 - 72 Crews under Captain R.K. Cross and 20 crews under Captain I.N.G. Hardie briefed for landing on L.Z. "Z".
2300 - Operation postponed for 24 hours.
8th September 1944
Place: Base
2000 - Operation postponed for 24 hours.
9th September 1944
Place: Base
Operation postponed for 24 hours.
10th September 1944
Place: Base
Normal Routine. 8 lifts - 4 hrs 20 mins.
11th September 1944
Place: Base
Normal Routine. 22 lifts - 14 hrs 15 mins. 3 gliders landed at Abingdon due to poor visibility.
12th September 1944
Place: Base
Normal Routine. 17 day and 14 night lifts. Total time 24 hrs 55 mins. 3 gliders retrieved from Abingdon. Sgt. Yeoman made a heavy landing during night flying and broke nose wheel.
13th September 1944
Place: Base
Normal Routine. 12 lifts - 7 hrs 5 mins. 8 crews attached for Coup
de Main in operation Comet returned to their bases.
14th September 1944
Place: Base
Normal Routine. 15 lifts - 7 hrs 45 mins. Gliders ferried to Keevil, 1 force landed at Upavon. 3 crews returned from Tarrant Rushton.
15th September 1944
Place: Base
9 gliders ferried to Keevil. Crews remained for Operation at Keevil. 12 crews to Tarrant Rushton and 12 returned. 17 Flight complete at Tarrant Rushton.
16th September 1944
Place: Base
Preparation for Operation. Briefing etc.
17th September 1944
Place: Base
47 gliders took off for Holland on Operation MARKET.
18th September 1944
Place: Base
15 gliders took off on Operation MARKET. 1 crashed on take off.
19th - 28th September 1944
Place: Base
Normal Routine.
29th September 1944
Place: Base
40 pilots returned from Operation MARKET.
30th September 1944
Place: Base
Pilots returned from Operation MARKET proceeded on leave.
"A" Squadron Element Attached to 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem
Commander : Flight Command 1 Flight, Capt I.N.G. Hardie
17th September 1944
Place: Base
1110 - 12 Gliders took off on Operation Market for ARNHEM.
Place: Holland, M.R. 1:25000, Sheet 388, 648804
1340 - Gliders landed on L.Z. All Glider Pilots proceeded to RV at 649791 and took up defensive position with Light Regt. R.A. [Quiet night?]
18th September 1944
Place: 649791
Gun site attacked by G.A.F. Machine guns & sniper activity.
1700 - 2nd lift landed.
2000 - Bty moved to new gun position 685785.
19th September 1944
Place: 685785
Slight German air and ground activity. 100 tanks & 200 SS reported moving towards area.
20th September 1944
Place: 685785
Engaged enemy S.P. guns and following infantry intermittently throughout the day. Medium shelling by 88 + 105 guns & mortars.
1200 - Capt Hardie killed. S/Sgt Barnett, S/Sgt Clayton, S/Sgt [Rickman?] wounded whilst on patrol. S/Sgt Haughton also wounded. Shelled during night.
21st September 1944
Place: 685785
Intermittent shelling & mortaring throughout the day. Engaged enemy tanks & infantry. 1 S.P. gun knocked out. Bde H.Q. moved to Gun position.
22nd September 1944
Place: 685785
Enemy infantry reported moving from ARNHEM. Intermittent shelling & mortaring.
23rd September 1944
Place: 685785
Heavy shelling of area. Many German snipers infiltrated into the area.
24th September 1944
Place: 685785
Very heavy mortaring all day. Attacks by S.P. guns & infantry.
25th September 1944
Place: 685785
0500 - Enemy tanks, motor cycles & infantry moving up for attack. Gun position attacked by 2 Mk V tanks, S.P. guns and infantry. 1 Mk V tank knocked out. Attacks throughout day.
1800 - Bde conference.
2100 - Withdrew from position and proceeded to river bank at 688767. Ferried across river by DUWKS & marched to [?]
26th September 1944
Place: Nijmegen
0600 - Arrived at Nijmegen.
27th September 1944
Place: Nijmegen
Day spent resting.
28th September 1944
Place: Nijmegen
0930 - Departed for BRUSSELS. Night spent in Barracks.
29th September 1944
Place: Brussels
Departed by DAKOTAS and landed at HARWELL.
30th September 1944
Place: Base
Crews departed on 14 days leave.
"A" Squadron Element Attached to HQ, 1st British Airborne Corps
at Nijmegen
17th September 1944
Place: Base
1120 - First of 35 Gliders carrying A/B Corps HQ airborne on Operation "MARKET".
Place: Bruuk, Holland. M.R. Sheet N.W. 1:25000 - 765528. Corps HQ.
1400 - 33 Gliders landed on L.Z. S/Sjt Davidson & Sjt Davies injured in crashed-landing. Captain W.L.Tallentire and Sjt Riversidge[?] landed in sea. S/Sjt Campbell & Sjt Monk missing.
1430 - Crews moved to Corps HQ. RV at wood 746533 to defend Corps HQ.
1930 - Corps HQ moved to 738536. Quiet night.
18th September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
Quiet day. Slight shelling. Squadron Commander & SSM visited GRAVE with GOC.
1400 - Landing of 400 WACO Gliders carrying elements of 82 US A/B Div.
19th September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
1100 - Corps HQ moved to KLUIS WOOD 573574. Leading elements of GUARDS ARMOURED DIVISION met.
1400 - Strafing by German fighters. Attack on NIJMEGEN Bridge by Guards failed.
20th September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
Quiet morning. Corps HQ moved to 727600. Patrol sent out under Lieut. H.K. Shapman to hunt German sniper. Unsuccessful.
1600 - Guards Div. and 82 US A/B Div captured NIJMEGEN bridge intact.
21st September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
Quiet day. Lieut. J.W. Urquhart and party collected mail dropped by Spitfires on strip at 573574.
22nd September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
Quiet day. Lieut. Urquhart and party again collected mail.
23rd September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
Rained hard during previous night. Squadron moved into house next door to Corps HQ.
25th September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
Quiet day. During night 25/26 1st British A/B Div. evacuated from ARNHEM to NIJMEGEN. Party of Glider Pilots to GRAVE airstrip to prepare for landing of Dakotas.
26th September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
Party of Glider Pilots sent to strip at GRAVE. 190 Dakotas successfully landed and took off again.
27th September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
1st A/B Div. departed for UK. No more Dakotas to land at GRAVE strip owing to increased activity by G.A.F.
28th September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
Quiet day. GOC promised relief party to take over defence of Corps HQ.
29th September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
Field Marshal Montgomery, GOC in C 21 Army Group visited Corps HQ. Guard of Honour provided by "A" Squadron.
30th September 1944
Place: Corps HQ
Quiet day. Squadron stood to all night expecting large scale German attack. Attack beaten off by 82 US Div.
1930 - Several incendiary bombs dropped in area. House 300 yards from Corps HQ burned out.
