Abbreviations
|
A/C Adjt Admin AFV Ammo Bde Bn CO Comd Coy CRASC Div IO Offr OR Pl PT RASC Tpt |
Aircraft Administrative Armoured Fighting Vehicle Ammunition Brigade Battalion Commanding Officer Commander Company Commander Royal Army Service Corps Divisional Intelligence Officer Other Ranks Platoon Physical Training Royal Army Service Corps Transport |
Month and year: July 1943
Commanding Officer : Lt. Col. Alastair Pearson
1st July 1943
Bn continue process of settling in, start to dig trenches. I.O. visits Bde and brings more Air photos and maps regarding Operation "Fustian".
2nd July 1943
Bn. training. Routine:- Revelle 0500 hrs P.T., Breakfast 0730 hrs, Parade 0830 hrs ---- 1030 hrs. Bn. go swimming at Sousse in the afternoon.
2000 - C.O. briefs Coy Comd. for Operation "Fustian".
3rd July 1943
Sand tables completed for "Fustian". An officer (American) lectures all N.C.O's on "Escaping". Swimming at Sousse in the afternoon.
4th July 1943
Bn. training and swimming.
5th July 1943
Map room completed. Brigadier visits briefing rooms and inquires if we have everything we need. Swimming at Sousse.
6th July 1943
Bn. training. Stores arrive from station.
1430 - Big explosions which batters Nissen huts and destroys a certain amount of work. Cause found to be Div. Ammo. dump on fire. Altogether about 800 tons of Ammo. went up.
2200 - Fire still burning.
2300 - Bn. rear party arrive.
7th July 1943
Course at Bde re new codes I.S.4 attended.
1900 - All officers in the Bn. briefed by the C.O. for operation "Fustian".
8th July 1943
1130 - General Montgomery visits the Bn. and enquires if the Bn. was getting enough beer. Unanimous answer NO.
1400 - Rece. for exercise "Preface" (This was laid on to test signallers and the use of new codes) and consisted of Bde. H.Q. and all coy and Bn. H.Q's.
9th July 1943
Final check for G1098. First briefing of the Bn. began in the evening.
1930 - Gliders seen parting.
10th July 1943
Emergency rations drawn, goggles and escape packets issued.
11th July 1943
Final preparations for operation. Good news is heard of our Forces progress.
12th July 1943
1330 - Bn. departed for respective airfields. Appx 'A'.
1800 - Learnt that operation was postponed and returned to camp.
13th July 1943
1430 - Set out for airfields again.
1830 - Were told that Operation "Fustian" was definitely on.
1930 - First aircraft took off.
1955 - Rear Bn. H.Q. and Support coy took off.
Majority of sticks met flack from one of our own ships lying off Malta. Enemy flack was extremely heavy over the Island. Sticks were dropped over a wide area.
14th July 1943
0215 - About 3% of the Bn. attacked and captured the bridge under Capt. Rann. Neither of the assault Pls. arrived.
0230 - Bn. H.Q. was established in the area of the bridge.
0330 - I.O. and three men went on a short patrol bringing back some 30 prisoners (Italian Engineers).
0345 - The bridge was attacked by one A.F.V. which was blown up by a Gammon bomb.
0400 - All quiet.
0545 - Bn H.Q. established at bridge.
0615 - R/T contact with 3rd Bn.
0620 - R/T contact with "S" coy.
0640 - R/T contact with "T" coy. During the early hours of the morning enemy positions were improved and additional ones prepared.
0900 - The strength of the Bn. was about 25%. 13 Offrs and 111 O.Rs. Enemy seen approaching from the North in two trucks which stopped about 1½ miles from the bridge to allow the troops to debus. The troops then advanced along both sides of the road until about 1 mile away, when our Mortars opened up and placed five or six bombs very close to them, causing some casualties. The remainder withdrew with speed.
1115 - R/T contact with "R" coy.
1120 - Enemy fighters came and machine gunned the Bn. area, this was followed by heavy shelling which lasted nearly an hour.
1350 - "S" coy report enemy advancing from the North on both sides of the road under cover of smoke, the attack did not develop until nearly an hour later during which time the Bn. was again machine gunned from the air.
1410 - At last the attack came in on our left flank, the enemy were held, although we suffered some casualties, mainly wounded. The attack then developed on our right flank. The Bn. were ordered to close in around the Northern end of the bridge. Ammunition was getting short.
1730 - The Bn. were ordered to cross the bridge and consolidate along the South bank of the river. This move was carried out under heavy small arms fire without any casualties. Shortly afterwards, further shelling of the Bns. new position took place followed by another attack, which was held up by one Pillbox on the South end of the bridge which fired continually. Casualties at this stage were not heavy, and all day odd people had coming in bringing the Bns strength to about 160 strong.
1830 - The Bn. was then ordered to withdraw to the 2nd Bns area where it was laid up until darkness. About six men failed to reach this position from the bridge.
2100 - When darkness came the Bn. proceeded in small parties to the main force.
15th July 1943
The morning was spent in collecting the Bn. together at a collecting point North of Lentini where trucks conveyed personnel to an olive grove near Syracuse. About 50 men of the Bn. were used to take 700 or 800 P.O.W. by 17 trucks from Lentini to Syracuse to the P.O.W. cage. They were then taken to the olive grove where the rest of the Bn. were.
16th July 1943
Bn. embarks on H.M.T.L.V. 424 and enjoys a refreshing swim in the harbour.
17th July 1943
From late on the night of the 16th until early morning enemy planes were overhead and a few bombs were dropped in the harbour. The Navy put out a smoke screen which nearly suffocated the Bn.
1400 - "T" coy were detailed to go as a P.O.W. guard, they came back via Tripoli.
1530 - H.M.T.L.V. 424 left Syracuse.
18th July 1943
0700 - H.M.T.L.V. 424 left Malta.
1900 - Avoided drifting mines.
19th July 1943
0630 - Docked at Sousse. Transport waiting to take Bn. back to camp.
0715 - Bn. disembarked.
0830 - Bn. arrive back at camp and were greatly relieved to find so many of the Bn. there already. 189 of the Bn. did not drop.
1000 - Check of strengths and a G1098 arms inspection.
1430 - Trucks laid on to take troops swimming at Sousse.
20th July 1943
0830 - Div. Comd. spoke to all ranks who took part in the operation. He said it was most necessary to keep on friendly terms with the American crew. He assured the Bde. that higher authorities were taking up the matter of bad dropping.
1100 - Check of equipment.
1400 - Swimming at Sousse.
21st July 1943
Bn. starts normal routine. Vague rumours of 5 days leave in Tunis.
22nd July 1943
C.O. inspects coy lines and camp area. Mens mess meeting where it was suggested that all tin food would be opened instead of 1 tin between six. Sousse becomes in bounds to all ranks 25% of coys allowed A/Duty.
23rd July 1943
C.Os inspection of all Admin personnel. H.Q. coy go to Sousse and have tea on the beach.
24th July 1943
Signals cadre commences. Normal Bn. training and swimming.
25th July 1943
C of E and R.C. Church services.
26th July 1943
"T" coy go on leave to rest came near Tunis. Bn. football gets in full swing with a Pl. knockout competition causing great enthusiasm in the Bn.
27th July 1943
C.O. calls a stick Comds conference for each stick to plot his position on a map where he was dropped in Operation "Fustian". Reinforcements posted to Bn. Mens canteen opened with great success.
28th July 1943
0800 - H.Q. coy parade to go on leave to Tunis when word is received that leave has been extended from 2 to 4 days.
29th July 1943
Operational and Admin Instructions No.1 received regarding the Bns. task in Anti-Parachutist role.
30th July 1943
0800 - H.Q. coy depart on leave to Tunis.
1600 - "T" coy return from Tunis.
31st July 1943
"R" and "S" coys set off to provide 4th Bn. with enemy. "R" coy to intercept D.Z. activities almost captured their C.O. "S" coy provided mobile enemy defences. Owing to the enthusiasm of the 4th Bn. "S" coy suffered several casualties caused by 69 grenades being thrown at them.
Appendix 'A' - Transport to Airfields
1. The following orders and arrangements have been made, for use in the event of Operation "FUSTIAN" being postponed.
2. All R.A.S.C. vehicles will remain at airfields until units are actually taking off.
3. On the 'Postponement' being received units will embuss in the waiting R.A.S.C. Tpt and return to unit areas.
4. It has been arranged with C.R.A.S.C. that tpt. will remain with units overnight, and will convey personnel to the airfields the next day. Movement of vehicles will be as in Movement Table No.3, with the exception that all timings will be retarded 1 hour (i.e. Serial 1 will be at S.P. at 1445 hrs instead of 1345 hrs).
5. Containers will be left loaded, and statichutes will be left in the a/c.
6. Senior Officers on each airfield will detail one man per 2 a/c to remain on the airfield overnight to see that unit equipment is not tampered with.
(Sgd). J.A. Jessop Capt.,
Adjt. 1 Bn., Parachute Regiment.
