National Archives catalogue number WO 171/433 and 434.
Abbreviation
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a/c ADOS Amb Amn AOD Bde BLA BOWO Cam Cas Cdn C-in-C Coy Det Div DMA Fd How i/c LSI Maint O OBD Offr OO OR Ord Pk Posn Pr RA RASC Rd Ref REME SS Tps Tpt Veh |
Aircraft Assistant Director Ordnance Services Ambulance Ammunition Advanced Ordnance Depot Authority Brigade British Liberation Army Brigade Ordnance Warrant Officer Camouflage Casualties Canadian Commander-in-Chief Company Deputy Assistant Director Ordnance Services Detachment Division / Divisional Field Howitzer in-command Landing Ship Infantry Maintenance Officer Ordnance Beach Detachment Officer Ordnance Officer Other Ranks Ordnance Park Position Pounder Royal Artillery Royal Army Service Corps Road Royal Electrical and Mechanical
Engineers Troops Transport Vehicle |
Month and year : June 1944
Commanding Officer : Capt F.A. Lowe
1st June 1944
Place: Camp C5
1430 - Left Camp C-5 (having been there since 21 May 44 arriving 0330 hrs) for Southampton under [Sea tail?] 24142. Embarked on LSI/J.30. Strength of party 1 off 9 O.Rs. (Det 2).
2nd to 5th June 1944
J.30 anchored in [Cross Roads?] until 2130 hrs when vessel moved off in Easterly direction (5 Jun 44).
6th June 1944
Early at 0400 hrs the assault tps of 3 Cdn Div who were on ship left boat at 0630 hrs. Ord party left at 1100 hrs to arrive on beach H+4 (1145 B hrs). Landing, almost [?], satisfactory 9 OR collect Beach NAN - STAR area. Proceeded to sub-area ARCHIE & dug in. Remained all night.
7th June 1944
Still held in ARCHIE as enemy pocket of resistance at LA DELIVERANDE had not been cleared. During night shrapnel bombs were dropped causing casualties, none in Ord party.
8th June 1944
3 Cdn Div H.Q. decided to allow elements of 6 Airborne Div to proceed to next area - HOMER. This entailed passing through outskirts of LA DELIVERANDE. Reached HOMER 1800 hrs B. Dug in. Sniped at by Germans at 70 yds range. These were dislodged (dead). Front line appears to be 1000/1500 yds away. Certain stores were already in possession of Parachute element of ORD (Det 1). W.O.I. Sub Conductor Melville - 4 O.Rs. dropped by parachute at H-6 D day. Party landed safely but dispersed & did not fully contact until D+1. A.D.O.S. + O.O. of 6 Airborne Div also contacted in HOMER. Stores had also been dropped by air successfully.
9th June 1944
Receipt & issue of stores carried out. Amn, small arms & Wireless sets placed under control, to be issued on auth of A.D.O.S. only. Casualties to offrs ORs (caused by enemy mortar fire) of other Coys in area. Enemy mortar fire continued intermittently throughout day. No cas to Ord party.
10th June 1944
Movement of stores continued. Mortaring again caused cas, some fatal. No cas to Ord party.
11th June 1944
Stores still moving quickly. Party of 14 O.Rs. Det 3 arrived & dug in. With arrival of det 3 all personnel of ord who had left England are now complete. Total 3 offrs 32 O.Rs.
12th June 1944
Resupply by air etc received & issued.
13th June 1944
Mortaring continued. No cas reported.
14th June 1944
Stores moving quickly. Mortaring continued. No cas reported.
15th June 1944
Sgt Mitchell (N.C.O. i/c det 3) allotted to 3 Bde to act as BOWO to replace BOWO Conductor Daggett who had become casualty & evacuated. Mortaring continued.
16th June 1944
Resupplied by air - quite satisfactory. First mail to land for personnel of ORD det.
17th June 1944
Stores moving quickly. Since 12 Jun 44 O.B.D. have been supplying items of stock [no held?]. Very successful.
18th June 1944
Resupply by air issued. [? Trailer?] which received damage appeared to have been dropped without parachutes.
19th June 1944
Mortaring in area - cas caused - 1 fatal to O.R. in R.E.M.E. personnel in area.
20th June 1944
1400 - Enemy fire caused casualties * - 3 fatal * - Gun alleged to be S.P. Release of Wireless Sets & Signals Stores from Coy have for last 2 days been received & stores collected. Release [also] from 1 Corps made without demand. * no Ord personnel.
21st June 1944
O i/c visited 17 A.O.D. Personnel only arrived so far. Stores about to arrive. Expect to commence functioning about D+20/21.
22nd June 1944
0220 - Shelling of area commenced. Two stocks of amn set alight. These were extinguished before light of the fire was visible more than a few yards. Ord officers dealt with one RASC offr with other [?] casualties.
0420 - Shelling commenced again and set light to a lorry at top of slope surrounding D.M.A. The veh contained Petrol & oil which, afire, ran down the hill & set light to the amn in dump. 1 officer & 3 O.Rs. killed in first few seconds. It was then quite impossible to go near the stacks (75mm P.I.A.T. 6 pr 95mm etc in stacks) & O i/c gave instructions for all men to keep in trenches. German shelling was continuing & the fire was completely out of hand.
0545 - Instructions were given to evacuate area & all men were moved.
0530 - A recce revealed the only 7 stacks involved about 100 yds from Ord site. It was decided to try & clear all stores from Ord area. This commenced at 0700 & was completed by 1000 hrs. All stores were saved. Amn was exploding all the time. Ord had no cas.
1200 - Ord personnel to new area - about 1 mile away - dug in. Stores received & issued by 1900 hrs.
23rd June 1944
At approx 2100 hrs re-supply by air was carried out. No stores received at dump.
24th June 1944
0730 - Stores dropped by air received. Included Wireless sets, Stationery & Cam nets & Trailer wheels. Intermittent artillery & mortaring [?] all day - No Ord casualties.
25th June 1944
Shelling & Mortaring again - No Ord casualties.
26th June 1944
[Position eased?] - No shelling or Mortaring today.
27th June 1944
A.D.O.S. called conference of B.O.W.Os. for 0945 hrs 28 Jun 44.
28th June 1944
Conference of B.O.W.Os. Nothing to report.
29th June 1944
Stores by air to Landing Strip B-2 packed up.
30th June 1944
Stores dropped by air 2045 hrs - no stores received in dump by 2400 hrs. Machinegunned by enemy aircraft - no casualties.
Month and year : July 1944
Commanding Officer : Capt F.A. Lowe
1st July 1944
Place: France
Stores posn satisfactory - Nothing to report.
2nd July 1944
Releases from 1 Corps collected - Slight shelling - No casualties.
3rd July 1944
Nothing to report.
4th July 1944
Shelling (presumed 95mm S.P. no official news re this). No casualties.
5th July 1944
Nothing to report.
6th July 1944
Nothing to report.
7th July 1944
Nothing to report.
8th July 1944
Nothing to report.
9th July 1944
Endeavour by A.D.O.S. to get spares for 75mm Pack How - unsuccessful.
10th July 1944
Regarding yesterdays endeavour to get 75mm spares - it appears that the spares, which [reports?] of recuperator system has also been giving the Americans trouble. A.D.O.S. contacted 101 Ord Maint Coy U.S.A. Army yesterday. No [satisfaction?] being carried out in England. Heavy shelling at 1700 hrs B. No casualties.
11th July 1944
18 recuperator systems for 77mm Pack Hows collected from beach. These are in satisfaction of the pack which were not available.
12th July 1944
Conference of D.A.D.O.S. S.S. Group & B.O.W.Os. of 6 Airborne Div incl A.D.O.S. 6 Airborne Div. Further receipt of air-freight of 75mm spares.
13th July 1944
Further receipt of pack for 75mm. Position now satisfactory.
14th July 1944
Nothing to report.
15th July 1944
Nothing to report.
16th July 1944
Investiture by C-in-C 21 Army Group at 1200 hrs at H.Q. 6 Airborne Div. A.D.O.S. & Pte Smith D.D. No.3818838 to represent Ord at investiture. No Ord awards [?]. Awards are for action up to 16 June 44 only.
17th July 1944
Nothing to report. All rds closed - confined to area.
18th July 1944
Nothing to report - all ranks saw R.A.F. bomb Colombelles & area north East of Caen - approx 2000 a/c employed.
19th July 1944
Nothing to report.
20th July 1944
Nothing to report.
21st July 1944
Heavy rain flooded area - No stores damaged. Nothing to report.
22nd July 1944
Rain again - Nothing to report.
23rd July 1944
Nothing to report.
24th July 1944
Nothing to report.
25th July 1944
Arrival of "Officers Shop" (2 x 3 ton vehs). Limited stock only, being dealt with on Bde basis. Nothing to report.
26th July 1944
2330 - Heavy air-raid by enemy. Machinegunning & bombing. No casualties.
27th July 1944
0230 - Air raid in this area. Machine gun & bombing taking place. Damage to vehs sustained (repairable). No casualties.
28th July 1944
Nothing to report.
29th July 1944
Nothing to report.
30th July 1944
Advance certain cooking utensils [?] for cooking fresh rations. [?].
31st July 1944
O.C. obtained approx 99% cooking requirements. Nothing to report.
Month and year : August 1944
Commanding Officer : Capt F.A. Lowe
1st August 1944
Place: France
All returns regarding stock posn completed & despatched.
2nd August 1944
Nothing to report.
3rd August 1944
Nothing to report.
4th August 1944
Nothing to report.
5th August 1944
Nothing to report.
6th August 1944
Instruction received to [evacuate?] Div Ord Fd Pk in this theatre. Sealing action taken and list of stores (part only) handed to A.D.O.S. for [overall?] transmission to D.D.O.S. 1 Corp who was flying to U.K. today.
8th August 1944
Hy demands received for stores - dealt with through normal channels.
9th August 1944
Royal Nederland Bde joined Div. To be supplied by the det. Belgian Bde also joined Div. Also to be supplied by the det.
10th August 1944
Advised certain reinforcements were to be received.
11th August 1944
Reinforcement received - 1 offr 7 O.Rs. 4 O.Rs. to arrive with two vehicles - 2 x 3 ton B[?] lorries.
13th August 1944
4 O.Rs. & 2 vehs arrived safely.
18th August 1944
Stores arrived at Air Strip (to be collected) Trailer tyres - Stores - Priorities for R.A. - Sight Dial - These stores not available in theatre.
19th August 1944
Stores arrived at Air Strip - Water pump spare parts - obtained by REME for repair of water pumps in Division.
20th August 1944
Enemy [?] reported.
22nd August 1944
Recce for new site. Selected site map ref 402995.
23rd August 1944
0730 - Move commenced. 0350 hrs move completed - approx 45 tons of stores moved - lack of tpt made move difficult.
24th August 1944
Issues & collections as usual.
29th August 1944
Arrangements made for Ord. Fd. Pk. to accept all stores not to be returned to U.K. These stores to be collected by 1 Corp Ord.
30th August 1944
Units handing in stores arrived. Col. Kenny, D.D.O.S. 1 Corps arrived. New arrangements made for units to return stores direct. This is being done.
31st August 1944
Capt F.A. Lowe awarded Military Cross. [Immediate] by Gen. Montgomery.
Month and year : September 1944
Commanding Officer : Capt F.A. Lowe
1st September 1944
Place: B.L.A.
6 O.Rs. left location to return to U.K. Stores being returned to 1 Corps proceeding according to plan.
2nd September 1944
All but approx 1 x 3 ton load of stores, returned to 1 Corps.
3rd September 1944
1 officer & 17 O.Rs. left location to return to U.K. Included in party 5 O.Rs., R.A., 6 O.Rs. R.A.S.C. These personnel were attached to ORD for labour purposes & to drive vehs returning to U.K. with special Airborne stores.
4th September 1944
Stores being returned to 1 Corp. Lack of tpt making it difficult. 1 offr & 2 O.Rs. from 3 Bde & 6 O.Rs. from 224 Para Fd Amb arrived.
5th September 1944
All stores now in possession of 1 Corp.
6th September 1944
Area cleared - documentation for return to U.K. tomorrow completed.
7th September 1944
Left area & arrived No.6 TRANSIT CAMP.
8th September 1944
1430 - Veh party left camp & went aboard. Personnel left camp at 1930 & went aboard.
9th September 1944
2030 - Docked at Southampton. Returned to camp - arrived 2145 hrs. No casualties. Reported to O.C. 6 Airborne Div Ord Fd. Pk. Nothing further to report. Operation [commenced?] finished.
