WO 171/866 - 3 Royal Tank Regiment - May 1944

Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs., Vol. 1. and the Staff Manual respectively Title pages will be prepared in manuscript.	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Army Form C.2118
	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Unit: 3rd R. Tks.
Month and Year: May 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. DAH Silvertop, MC

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
ALDERSHOT	1	0800	“B” Sqn to HANKLEY COMMON for Troop training. Honours and awards. Major H.L. Upcott-Gill M.C., Capt. G.A. Morris, 7938440 Tpr Cliff F., 7993326 Cpl Ingram A., Mentioned in Despatches.
	2	0900	16 ORs from HQ Sqn to AA Dome Trainer PIRBRIGHT CAMP.
	2	1430	Commanding Officer’s Conference. Co-operation with 15(S) Division discussed. Orders and Adm Instructions for three days exercise with 15(S) Div issued.	Appx T/31
	3	0900	16 ORs from HQ to AA Dome Trainer PIRBRIGHT CAMP.
	3	0930	AA Troop have use of range at HMS “ST BARBARA”, BOGNOR REGIS through courtesy of the Royal Navy. Range at disposal 4 May. For detail adm and movement orders see Appx T/1 (not included).	Appx T/1
	3	1030	Lt Gen Sir Charles H.F. Broad, K.C.B., D.S.O., Representative Colonel Commandant for 1944 of the Royal Tank Regiment inspects the Battalion. For full programme of visit see Appx T/2 (not included). Major G.H. Barker M.C., relinquishes command of “C” Sqn. Major P.F. Burr, M.B.E., assumes command C Sqn. Lt T.M.E. Maloney appointed Bn Camouflage Officer. Capt J.D. Dunlop appointed Bn Swimming Officer. 1 NCO taken on strength.	Appx T/2
	4	0930	AA Tp to range BOGNOR REGIS. Entry 3 May and Appx T/1 refer.	Appx T/1
	4	1600	“A” Sqn take over from “C” Sqn at HANKEY COMMON on exercise co-operating with 15 (S) Div. Entry 2 May and Appx T/3 refer.	Appx T/3
	5	0915	Lt T.M.E. Maloney and Lt W.T. Brooks to IO’s Study Period held under Div arrangements.
	5	1245	Major G.H. Barker s.o.s. of Unit and posted as 2 i/c 148 Regt RAC.
	6	0900	Commanding Officer’s Conference. 2/Lt R.F. Lemon appointed Bn Fire Officer. Capt A.M. Dixon appointed 2 i/c HQ Sqn w.e.f. 3 Apr 44.
	7		Services.
	8		Routine.
	9	1430	Commanding Officer’s Conference – waterproofing.
	10		A Veh waterproofing commences.
	10	1400	Commanding Officer’s Conference.
ALDERSHOT	11		“B” Vehicle wading at HAWLEY LAKE. Detailed results at Appx T/4 (not included).	Appx T/4
	12		Routine.
	13		Orders to take over 4 Sherman Vcs from Units of 5 Gds Armd Bde issued.	Appx T/5
	14	1000	A1 Echelon exercise under Major H.L. Upcott-Gill, M.C. Object of exercise to test echelon in road discipline – movement forward from harbour area, RT procedure and codes.
	15	1000	Commanding Officer’s Conference. Personnel detailed as 1st Line reinforcements for attachment to 8 Corps (257) Delivery Sqn.	Appx T/6
	16	0900	Unit Officer’s Selection Board. Pres – Major H.L. Upcott-Gill, M.C., Major P.F. Burr, M.B.E., and Major W.H. Close, M.C. interviews 7940570 L/Cpl Nation J.S.
	16	1400	Commanding Officer’s Conference.	Appx T/7
	17	0930	– 1145; Capt Wilmot, Corps Camouflage Officer, lectures NCOs and officers on camouflage.
	17	1400	Commanding Officer’s Conference. Administration for forthcoming operations overseas referred to as Exercise “OVERLORD”.
	18	1000	Lt Gen Sir Richard O’Connor, 8 Corps Commander, lectures to all officers of 11 Armd Div in the Garrison Theatre. O’Connor, Richard Nugent
	18	1200	– 1400; Ex “HARDWORK”. Wireless exercise on Bde basis to practice Maplay – the new map reference code.
	18	1615	Lt Gen Sir Richard O’Connor visits the Bn. O’Connor, Richard Nugent
	19	1400	Capt Booth, Air Photographic Interpretation Officer attached Division, visits the Bn and discusses the problem of photographic interpretation with Sqn Comds.
	20	1300	Commanding Officer attends conference “BREAKER II”. Codeword given to conferences held by General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, KCB, DSO. Montgomery, Bernard Law "Monty"
	21		Services.
	22	1430	Lt T.M.E. Maloney and Capt J.W. Macmillan, MC, to preview of trg films.
	22	1600	Capt J.A. Donald, Cdn Black Watch, lectures officers and NCOs on Movement Control.
ALDERSHOT	23	0900	– 1700; Exercise “MARTHA” – Wireless exercise (static) on Corps basis to practice officers on rear links on the codes to be used on future operations. Same time Unit wireless exercise in progress to fill the air during a period of wireless activity.
	23	1400	Commanding Officer’s Conference – Ex “OVERLORD”. Commanding Officer issues “Notes on Handling of AA Tp”.
	24	1000	– 1400; Ex “BUBBLE” – wireless exercise on Bde basis – object as for Ex “MARTHA” of 23 May.
	24		Capt P. Black, REME, relinquishes command of LAD, 3 R Tks w.e.f. 16 May 44 and is struck off strength from that date. Lt C.G. Dear is promoted A/Capt and appointed BTA. Capt C.E. Anderson relinquishes appointment of BTA.
	24	0900	– 1700; Unit Wireless Exercise – object as for 23 May.
	25	0900	– 1700; Unit Wireless Exercise repeated.
	25	0930	4 officers and 30 ORs attend Exercise “RED”. Codeword given to inspection and talk by General D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, A.E.F., to officers and ORs of 8 Corps. Eisenhower, Dwight David "Ike"
	26	0930	Commanding Officer’s Conference.
	27	0030	3 R Tks Movement Order No. 10 issued, detailing Sherman Vcs for BELLETOUT ANNEXE range BEACHY HEAD, Q9914.	Appx T/8
	28		Bde Church Parade Service
	29	1700	Lt T.M.E. Maloney to Bde to hear lecture on “Air Support” by Capt B. Gibson.
	30	1430	Commanding Officer lectures to Bn in Prince Consort Library on forthcoming operation. 1 NCO and 7 ORs taken on strength of Unit.
	31	0930	Bde Comds Conference attended by Commanding Officer.
	31	1400	Commanding Officer’s Conference. Close leaguer instructions issued.	Appx T/9

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Source: Bovington Tank Museum.

Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. Locations are calculated, so might not be in the correct place. For historical research, always check the originals.

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