Abbreviations

2 i/c

AL

A/Tk

Bde

CO

DZ

E

M/G

Pln

RASC

SAS

Second-in-Command

Airlanding

Anti-Tank

Brigade

Commanding Officer

Drop Zone

Eureka (beacon)

Machine Gun

Platoon

Royal Army Service Corps

Special Air Service

 

 

Month and year: July 1943

Commanding Officer : Major J. Lander

 

1st July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

Final details of operation BIGOT and FUSTIAN being settled.

 

8th to 9th July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

Briefing for exercise BIGOT.

 

10th July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

C.O., Sgt. Jones, Cpl. Wilkin, L/Cpl. Burn, Lt. Baker and Pte. Sharman proceeded to their respective 'STRIPS' for take-off.  The parties were as follows:- C.O., Sgt. Jones, L/Cpl. Burn, No.1 Party.  Lt. Baker, Cpl. Wilkin, Pte. Sharman, No.2 Party.  All to fly with the 4th Bn.  Kit-bags were packed and found to be excessive weight.  Four banks of batteries were subsequently removed from Flare Path equipment.  Kit-bags contained the following: three leading-in lights with large type reflectors, 6 volt tubes, 16 1½ volt X.L. batteries, 2 E.Mk.II, 5 Glim lamps, 8 ground strips.  1 Sten per man.  48 hour rations in Haversack.  Weights were very heavy and would have been impossible to carry any distance.  Smocks Airborne were worn over string vests and bush shirts, with Denim trousers.  Equipment on men was somewhat bulky.

 

At 1920 the exercise was postponed until the following evening.

 

11th July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

Kit-bags were repacked and distribution altered.  It was found possible to reduce weight to about 70 lbs.  The operation was finally cancelled at 1730 hrs. owing to the rapid advance of the 8th Army and fall of AUGUTSA.

 

12th July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

Lieut. Spivey and party attached to 1st Bde. for operation FUSTIAN were briefed and stood by for action.  Party was divided as follows:- Lieut. Spivey, L/Cpl. Price in 1 A/C to drop south of the river, Sgt. Seal with L/Cpl. Crighton to drop north of the river, Sgt. Smith with Cpl. Brown to drop south of the river.  The following O.R's were detailed to proceed with the S.A.S. Cpl. Wilkin, Ptes. Sharman, Carter, Gibson.  Their task was to drop with the leading party in the mountains in northern Sicily and guide down the remaining party numbering 60 the following night.  The party were to take 2 E.Mk.II and were armed and equipped by the S.A.S. Company.  Major Appleyard, DSO., MC., commanded.  Take off was effected at 22.30 hrs.  Wing Comdr. May piloting one machine.  Both parties flew in Albemarles.  E's were carried in kit-bags.  Wing Comdr. May's machine failed to return.  A reconnaissance plane has visited the area with a view to dropping supplies, but failed to get contact.  E. is obviously not working.

 

13th July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

2230 - The following took off with the 1st Bde. on operation FUSTIAN.  Lieut. Spivey, Sgts. Seal and Smith, Cpl. Brown and L.Cpls. Crighton and Price.  Their mission was to lay out flare paths North and South of the River Simeto and erect "Eureka" for the purpose of landing the 1st A.L. Light A/Tk. Battery by glider.  The Commanding Officer, Major Lander, flew in a tug towing the leading glider.  The A/C encountered considerable "Flack" over the D.Z. Area and the plane in which Lieut Spivey was flying turned back after one attempt to reach the D.Z.  All landed safely back at base at 0445 on the 14th.  Sgt. Smith and Cpl. Brown were dropped on the D.Z. 1½ hours late.  The D.Z. was a mass of flames, caused by rough grass being set alight, probably by the enemy.  They were subjected to heavy fire on the way down, but both landed safely.  They plotted their position quickly but in view of the time of the drop and loss of equipment by fire, it was impracticable to put out flarepaths.  Both N.C.O's therefore made their way to the river bridge which was the objective and aided for 24 hours in holding it with 135 men from the 1st and 3rd Para. Battalions.  The position was eventually abandoned owing to lack of ammunition, and the party withdrawn safely.  Sgt. Seal and L/Cpl. Crighton were dropped with Major Coxon, 1st Bn. and his batman eight miles from the D.Z. at a very low altitude, approximately 200 ft. or less.  Both Sgt. Seal and L/Cpl. Crighton who failed to release his kit bag, were rendered unconscious for a period, so that Major Coxon, whose batman broke his leg, was unable to attract their attention, and rejoined his stick 1000 yards away.  Sgt. Seal and L/Cpl. Crighton eventually joined up with a party from the 3rd Battalion, routed numerous Italian bodies who surrendered and eventually withdrew to SYRACUSE.  'E' was smashed.

 

14th July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

Major Lander failed to return from his flight in the glider tug.  His mission was to observe the flare path which should have been in operation.  Pilot's name, P/O. Hamer.

 

17th July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

Major Lander officially posted as missing.  Capt. B.A. Wilson assumed command.  Lt. Spivey was appointed 2 i/c.

 

18th July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

Attended conference at Div. H.Q. on parachute equipment.  It was decided inter alia that when American aircraft was used, all equipment, less Mortars 3" and heavy M/Gs, should be carried down by the man.  Kit bags as used by the Independent Parachute Company, now to be called the Lander Kitbag, should be used for all purposes, other than for rifles, which should be dropped attached to the man's leg and released much in the same way as the Lander bag.

 

19th July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

A night exercise was carried out by the Coy. to practice night patrolling and an attack at first light.  The two Mortar detachments under Lt. Baker were to put down a concentration of fire on the objective prior to the assault.  No.1 Pln. under Lt. Grierson to cover the advance with Bren and 2" Mortar smoke.  Owing to darkness, Bren gun got the wrong angle of fire and plastered the assaulting platoons.  The Mortar did not come into action as the cease fire had to be given.  No casualties were sustained and the exercise was successfully concluded.  Considerably more field training is needed by the Company, many of whom have had little or none to date.

 

23rd July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

No.2 Pln. and one Mortar detachment complete successful night exercise between M'SAKEN and SOUSSE.  Objectives were attacked during the hours of darkness and the whole party were evacuated by Jeep landing craft in the early hours of the morning, landing again further down the Coast.

 

26th July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

Nos. 1 and 3 Plns. did night exercise between M'SAKEN and MONASTIR.  Radio location station was surprised and destroyed.  American airfield attacked and Control Room destroyed, also aircraft on ground.  R.A.S.C. truck captured and used.  Party again embarked in amphibian craft, relanded at another point on coast and various objectives captured.  This was filmed by the Army Film Unit, Capt. Davies.

 

24th July 1943

Place: Sousse

 

No.1 Pln. carried out a night trial of carrying Mortars and P.I.A.Ts on donkeys.  These were borrowed from local Arabs.  No difficulties were met with.  One party with donkey were temporarily lost, but the donkey led them back to camp.