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

Place	Date	Summary
FELTON	2	Hockey Match versus 5 D.G. Drawn 4 - 4.
	3	The 2nd in Command took part in Exercise ‘Googlie’, a 28th Armd Bde T.E.W.T.
	3	A large regimental leave party of 380 men went on leave.
	4	Field Firing on LONGFRAMLINGTON Ranges. This range cannot be used for 75 mm firing owing to the chances of ricochet.
	4	All Officers attended a lecture given in MORPETH by Lt Col Wilson, 5th R.T.R. on the subject of the part played by an armoured regiment in the recent fighting in ITALY. He emphasised the importance of the recce Sqn doing a lot of dismounted training.
	4	Hockey match played versus R.A.F. Eshott. Lost by 3 goals to 4.
	5	MOORLAWS Range used by Recce Sqn for Small Arms Firing and LONGFRAMLINGTON Range by ‘B’ Sqn.
	5	Leave for all Troops Cancelled.
	6	Demonstration given by R.A.S.C. near ASHINGTON of filling petrol containers and of putting out fires. The 2nd in Command was present.
	6	MOORLAWS Range used by Recce Sqn for small arms firing.
	6	Field firing on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range.
	7	Voluntary Good Friday Service at LONGFRAMLINGTON Parish Church.
	8	The appointment of Field Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode, Bt, G.C.B., O.M., G.C.S.I., K.C.M.G., D.S.O., D.C.L. as Colonel of the Regiment approved by H.M. The King. Chetwode, 1st Baron Chetwode, Philip Walhouse Windsor, George VI
	9	Easter Day. Voluntary Church service at LONGFRAMLINGTON, conducted by the Rev. J. Newsom. The Commanding Officer read the Lesson.
	9	Hockey match versus Bde HQ Sqn. The Regt won by 4 goals to 1.
	10	Field Firing on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range.
	11	Field Firing on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range.
	11	Hockey match versus RAF Eshott. We won 3-2.
	12	Lecture to all Squadrons by the 2nd in Command on Military Censorship. This censorship came into effect at midnight.
	12	Regtl training for the Bde Sports began at SWARLAND, where there is a cinder track.
	12	Field Firing on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range.
	13	Small Arms firing on HARTLEY Range.
	14	Firing on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range.
	15	Firing on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range.
	16	Voluntary church service at LONGFRAMLINGTON Church.
	16	Rev. J. Newsom preached the Sermon.
	16	Hockey match versus Bde HQ Sqn. The Regt won by 1 goal to nill.
	17	This was the first day of four during which the Regt fired the 75 mm guns on FORESTBURNGATE Range. The practices consisted of two or three rounds of direct fire followed by six or seven rounds indirect fire with shots being observed by the Crew Commander. A certain number of men fired the 75 mm at WARCOP Ranges last year and the Regt used FORESTBURNGATE Range for four days in March. These four days in April, in fact, were the second chance the Regt has had to practice all first Gunners and Crew Commanders, and was most valuable.
	17	Visit of "Stars in Battledress" an entertainment which was very popular.
	18	Firing of 75 mm guns on FORESTBURNGATE Range.
	19	Firing on FORESTBURNGATE Range. The 2nd in Command reconnoitred a firing exercise on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range, which was later done by all Squadrons, to practice direct fire against a moving tank. Single shot Besa was fired.
	19	Lecture on Gas given by the R.S.M. to Sabre Squadrons.
	20	Firing on FORESTBURNGATE Range. The Brigade Commander watched some of the firing.
	21	Firing on FORESTBURNGATE Range.
	21	Hockey match versus RAF Eshott. The RAF won by 6 goals to 2.
	22	In the morning there was an Adjutant's Parade.
	22	In the afternoon the Bde Sports took place. The 1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry were First, this Regiment Second, and the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards Third.
	22	Captain C.N. Weatherby won the Marathon, and L/Cpl Howard was Second. Lieut T.D. Seigne won the 440 yards. Tpr Ferley won the 100 and 220 yards. Tpr Preece was Second in the High Jump.
	22	The weather was dull and not very warm, but the meeting was great fun and tea was given to all spectators and competitors on the ground. The prizes were given away by Mrs Mackeson, the wife of the Brigade Commander.
	23	St George's Day. National day of Prayer. The Regiment paraded with the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards for Church at Brinkburn Priory. The Commanding Officer commanded the Regt on the parade.
	23	Hockey match against Bde HQ Sqn, won by 5 goals to 2.
	24	Small arms firing on PONTELAND Range. All those who fired also went through the gas chamber and the the blister gas compound.
	25	PONTELAND range used for small arms firing.
	25	‘C’ Sqn defeated ‘B’ Sqn in the 1st round of the Regtl Football Contest. Earlier in the month, ‘A’ Sqn had defeated ‘HQ’ Sqn.
	26	Small arms firing on PONTELAND Range.
	26	Hockey match. ‘A’ Sqn versus ‘HQ’ Sqn. Won by ‘A’ Sqn.
	26	The Recce Sqn set out on Exercise ‘Gaolbird’. Having been given one tin of bully-beef between two men and without money, the Sqn was dropped on the Moors near SKIPTON in YORKSHIRE and told to return in two days, finding out what they could on the way and without being caught by the Civil or Military Police who had been warned. All except two did return within two days bringing with them a large amount of information, much of which should never have been given to them. Everyone evidently enjoyed the two days.
	27	Lecture given by the Commanding Officer to all Officers on the subject of indirect firing of the 75 mm gun for several tanks. This differs from the semi-indirect firing we have so far done in that instead of the individual tank commanders observing their own guns fire, the fire of several guns is observed by an O.P. Tank up to 400 yards away.
	28	Field firing on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range.
	28	Lecture given to all officers in MORPETH by Lieut-General Sir. G. Le Q. Martel, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., M.C. on the subject of his military mission in RUSSIA.
	29	Field Firing on LONGFRAMLINGTON Range.
	29	One Officer and 50 men of the Regiment took part in the "Salute the Soldier” parade in FELTON. The Commanding Officer took the salute.
	29	In SWARLAND, ‘A’ Sqn organised a Garden Fete in aid of the campaign which raised over £70.
	30	16 Other Ranks were attached to the Royal Engineers of this Division for the purpose of lifting mines which were laid in 1940 on the coast near ALNWICK.
	30	The months training largely consisted of Gunnery, and Field Firing, which was most valuable, and of the necessary maintenance.
	30	19 Other Ranks were posted to the Regt during April, 14 of whom had previously served overseas, and the other 5 being Young Soldiers.
	30	Lieut W. le Nobel, an officer of the Netherlands Army who had been attached to this Regiment, and 2/Lieut M.H. Van Gruisen of this Regiment, were both posted away during the month.
	30	17 Gunner Mechanics and 2 Gunner Operators were mustered during the month.
	30	7 Cromwell Tanks Mk IV and 7 Cromwell Tanks Mark V were received during the month. 2 tanks were sent away.
	30	The weather at the beginning of the month was cold and often wet, but later on there were several days of delightfully warm weather during which Northumberland looked very well and the garden at Aston House with the flowering cherry trees blossoming and wallflowers gave one a premature impression of summer.
	30	Strength:- Officers – 47. Other Ranks – 792.
	30	Tank State:- Cromwells Mk. I – 3. Cromwells Mk. III – 17. Cromwells Mk. IV – 10. Cromwells Mk. V – 9. Centaur Mk. I – 12. Centaur Mk. III – 30. Crusader A/A – 1.

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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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