WO 171/846 - 15-19 The King Royal Hussars - March 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: 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
Month and Year: March 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt Col A.D. Taylor, MC.

Place	Date	Summary
FELTON	1	14 recruits arrived from 52nd Training Regiment.
	2	Rev. E.H. Dawson Walker, who was chaplain to the regiment from March 1940 left on account of his health and was posted to the 59th Training Regiment.
	3	35 men arrived from R.A.C. Depot, Catterick. These were mostly long service men returned from Regiments in INDIA and the MIDDLE EAST.
	4	The funeral of Brig-General A. Courage, DSO MC, the late Colonel of the Regiment, took place at CHIPPING WARDEN Church, Oxfordshire. The Commanding Offier was present.
	6	2/Lieut H.B. Emerson and 2/Lieut J Gent of the 3rd Hussars, went to the RAC Depot, Catterick, prior to joining their Regiments abroad.
	6	Lieut General Sir Desmond F. Anderson, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO, Commander 2 Corps, gave a lecture to Officers of the Corps on Exercise ‘Eagle’. Anderson, Desmond Francis
	6	Memorial Service for the late Brig-General A. Courage, DSO, MC, at the King’s Chapel of the Savoy at 12.30 p.m. This was attended by the Commanding Officer and a number of other officers of the Regiment and all the Warrant Officers serving with the Regiment. Two trumpeters of the Regiment blew the Last Post and Reveille at the end of the service.
	8	Captain Turner and a party of men from BOULMER Aerodrome near ALNWICK came to look at some tanks of ‘B’ Squadron.
	9	Film show “Broadway” shown to the Regiment, with a large size projector.
	10	Boxing Contest against the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. The Regiment won by 8 fights to 4. Brigadier H.R. Mackeson gave away the prizes.
	11	The Recce Sqn carried out a dismounted Field Firing Exercise on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range, practicing fire and movement when using L.M.Gs and Grenades.
	12	Capt the Rev J.A. Newsome, CF, Chaplain to the 5th D.G. gave a service for members of the Regiment at SWARLAND.
	13	The Regiment fired the 75 mm and the Besa on the FORESTBURNGATE Range, and on three subsequent days. Approximately 20 commanders and 20 gunners per Squadron got a chance to practice long range indirect shooting. 2000 of 75 mm were fired. 2 of these rounds jammed and none failed to explode.
	13	The Gunnery was good on the whole as it was as expected.
	13	The 2/6th East Surrey Regiment gave a variety entertainment at which the Regiment was allotted 50 seats.
	14	FORESTBURNGATE Range.
	15	FORESTBURNGATE Range.
	15	10 Young Soldiers posted to the Regiment from 58th Training Regiment.
	15	Lieut R.T.P. Wilson who left the Regiment in 1941 to be A.D.C. to Major-General Sir M O'Moore Creagh rejoined the Regiment and was posted as Rear Link to 'C' Sqn.
	16	Last day of firing on FORESTBURNGATE Range. ‘A’ Sqn did a dismounted scheme which the Commanding Officer umpired.
	16	Captain Peters I.O. 9 Armd Div gave a lecture to Officers and NCOs on the subject of how to behave as a Prisoner of War.
	16	The Assistant Commissioner of Army Savings gave a lecture to 2nds in Comd Sqns, S.Q.M.Ss and some troops on the subject of Army Savings.
	16	100 Officers and O.Rs attended a demonstration of Blowing Road craters and Bridging given by 611 Fd Sqn R.E.
	18	LONGFRAMLINGTON Range used by Recce Sqn.
	21	2 Officers and 21 O.Rs left for the Royal Marine Depot at CORSHAM, Wilts, to help maintain their tanks.
	21	2/Lieut B.W.B. Sparrow joined the Regiment on 1st Commission from 100 OCTU (Sandhurst).
	21	This was the first day of a week during which Instructors from 10 Fld Sqn R.E. instructed a Cadre Class consisting of 9 Officers and 22 N.C.Os from the Regiment. Major Wilson gave an opening address covering the main duties of Engineers in an Armd Div. During the remainder of the week lectures were given on British and German and booby toys and explosives, and practical work was done with the Polish mine detector and British explosives were handled and used. A minefield was laid and later picked up.
	22	R.E. Classes.
	22	ln the evening and E.N.S.A. 'B' Show was given at LONGFRAMLINGTON.
	23	R.E. Classes.
	23	In the evening the Recce Sqn carried out Recces prior to a dismounted attack at dawn. The enemy represented by some men from ‘HQ’ and ‘B’ Sqns dug themselves in. The exercise took place on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range.
	24	At first light the Recce Sqn put in their attack on the positions which had been held by the enemy, moving under cover of the fire of Bren guns. The Exercise was watched by the Commanding Officer.
	24	R.E. Classes.
	24	Rehearsals were carried out in preparation for the visit of the Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces.
	25	R.E. Classes and practice for the R.E. Demonstration on 27 Mar 44. The Commanding Officer and the 2nd in Comd took part in Exercise ‘Googlie’, a T.E.W.T. run by Bde H.Q.
	26	The Signal Officer attended a Conference at Bde HQ to discuss the question of Wireless Training at Training Regiments.
	26	The Regiment played a hockey match against the 5th D.G. which was drawn 4 goals each.
	26	The Rev. E.H. Dawson Walker who was Chaplain to the Regiment until a few weeks before held a religious week-end from Friday till Monday at “The Retreat”, a house at LOW FELL on the Southern outskirts of NEWCASTLE specially designed for this kind of purpose. This was attended by about 15 of All Ranks from the Regiment and was a great success. The Commanding Officer and the Adjutant visited it and attended Morning Service on Sunday.
	27	The 28th Armoured Brigade was visited by the Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces. He arrived at LONGFRAMLINGTON after lunch and met the Squadron Leaders. He then witnessed a demonstration of clearing a road of mines by members of the Regtl R.E. Cadre Class.
	27	The majority of the Regiment saw a demonstration of the fire power of a Motor Bn in defence given by the 8th Bn K.R.R.C. on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range, at which the Comannder-in-Chief was present.
	29	Lieut T.C.A. Goldsmith took over the duties of Signal Officer to the Regiment.
	30	P.I.A.T. firing on BELFORD MOOR Range.
	31	The first of a series of lectures on A.F.V. Recognition given to Squadrons by the I.O.
	31	Strength of Officers:- 47. Strength of O.Rs. 777.
	31	Tank State:- Cromwells Mk I – 3. Cromwells Mk III – 18. Centaurs Mk I – 30. Centaurs Mk III – 30.

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Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Hans Houterman.

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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