WO 171/5201 - 1 Herefordshire Regiment - June 1945

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: 1st Bn The Herefordshire Regt.
Month and Year: June 1945	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. G.R. Turner Cain.

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
Flensburg.MR 219964.	1		Indiv. trg. and sports. Two German service personnel arrested by the town patrol for being on the streets without a pass.
	2		The C.O. granted a days holiday to the Bn. in celebration of his birthday. During the morning two football matches were played & then Coys went to the bathing beach for dinnerThree film shows were put on for the evenings entertainment.
	3		17 Reinforcements posted to the Bn. Voluntary Church parades. Lieutenant C.J.Ferris "A" Coy posted to PTC Unit in England. Officers played Sgts at football in the morning. Ferris, J.C.
	4		Composite pl. u/c Major R.G.Tapper MC.,patrolled FORST HENDEWITT MR 1791. NTR. Tapper, Richard Godfrey
	5		The village of HANDEWITT MR 1592 patrolled, NTR.
	6		The three week S.B. cadre finished today, and the personnel returned to their respective companies.A letter was received from the Mayor of Hereford statting the Battalion had been granted "The Freedom of the City"	Copies of letters att.
	7		HANDRUP MR 1688 patrolled in the morning. NTR. 4 reinforcements posted to the Bn.
	8		Indiv. Trg. Guards and town patrols carried out. 8 reinforcements posted to the Bn.
	9		The Commanding Officer inspected the Battalion by Companies during the morning. The parade concluded with march past.
	10		Voluntary Church parades.
	11		The unit commenced "Duty Bn. Week" Guards for Bde. HQ.,OKW,OKW.SHAEF, mission to be supplied daily. HULLERUP MR.1689 patrolled in the morning. NTR. Captain F.M.Wilson apptd Unit Postal Officer. 4 Reinforcements posted to the Bn.
	12		A special "spot check" was carried out during the morning by seven patrols. In all a total of seventeen German servicemen were arrested for being out on the streets without the necessary passes. The arrested personnel were kept over-night in the Barracks, and handed over to the German Military Authorities the following morning. The Battalion cooks were granted a holiday for the day. Cooking was carried out by individual pls. and depts in their own areas. 1 Reinforcement posted to the Bn.
	13		A Bn. messing meeting was called during the morning. Normal training carried by Coys. and spec. pls.
	14		Normal training during the morning. The afternoon was devoted to preparing billets for a detachment of the 15/19 Hussars, who arrived at 1600 hrs for a two day visit. Aprox.300 came, and the party was split up into groups and billeted by all the Coys. Cinema shows were held in the evening. In celebration of the Kings Birthday, the changing of the guard at Bde.HQ. took place with the Bde.Band in attendance. A salute of 21 guns had to be cancelled owing to a serious fire and explosions which occured at the German Marine Barracks."Retreat" was sounded in the camp by the Bde.Band in the evening.
	15		Bn. Granted a days holiday. Football match Herefords/ v /15/19 Hussars in morning - beach in afternoon. 10 Reinforcements posted to the Bn.
	16	1000	15/19 Hussars leave.
	16	1100	C.O's Battalion parade, but had to be cancelled owing to rain.
	17	1000	C. of E. Church parade in the camp cinema. The Padre from the 4th.K.S.L.I. officiated in the absence of the Bn.padre (Capt. Williams) who is on sick leave. Williams
	18		A Brigade Physical Training Cadre commenced under the direction of the unit APTC instructor A three weeks Junior NCO's Cadre commenced. Officer i/c Major G.R.de Carle,MC.MM., TARP MR.1881 was patrolled in the morning. A large vehicle dump was discovered otherwise N.T.R. de Carle, Gordon Robert
	19		19 Reinforcements posted to the Bn. WEDING MR.1989 patrolled in the morning. N.T.R. The following week, Coys have been alloted ranges and are to concentrate on zeroing rifles.A special patrol of 1 pl. from the duty Coy u/c Major R.G. Tapper MC., went out at 2000 hrs to sweep FRIEDHOLZ WOOD MR.228975 in order to check up on German service personnel being out without passes. In one hour 58 persons were arrested and detained in the barracks. They were handed over the following moring for disciplinary action. Tapper, Richard Godfrey
	20		Normal training carried out during the day.
	21		JARPLUND MR 2188 and BEDERUP MR.1987 patrolled during the morning. Nothing to report.
	22		Major Bennett, OC "C" Coy went out on a three day recce. for field firing areas. Bennett
	23		2 Reinforcements posted to the Bn. Owing to the Flensburg Day Town Patrols proving to be ineffective, they will be discontinues as from today. In their place there will be a spot check three time a week to be carried out be one Pl. of the duty Coy. At least one of these chechs will be a curfew check in one or more of the outlying villages.
	23	1100	R.S.M.'s Battalion parade.
	24		Voluntary Church parade in the morning. A Sergeants mess meeting was held at 11th hrs.
	25		FROPUP MR.2184 patrolled in the morning. Houses and wood were searched. Nothing to report. M.T. course No.2. commenced.5 Reinforcements posted to the Bn. Major W.A.P.Crofts MC., assumes cmd. of the Bn. during the absence of the C.O. whilst on leaveDuring the following week, coys. will continue with indiv. training, range firing, area patrols and clearing. Crofts, William Arthur Peter
	26		1 Platoon "B" Coy carried out a curfew check at WALLISBULL with the exception of two, the civilians were found to be keeping the curfew as ordered.
	27		A Platoon of "HQ" Coy carried out a curfew check at WANDERUP Several people apprehended and eigh were detained and hand over to the civil police authorities in Flensburg.
	28		7 Reinforcements posted to the Bn. The General Officer Commanding, 11th, Armoured Division (Major General Roberts C.B.,D.S.O.,M.C.) paid an informal visit to the Bn. between 0900 hrs and 1000 hrs. He first met the officers of the Bn., and then inspected the M.T.workshops, "S" Coy. billets, cookhouse and R.A.P.Lieutenant R.P.Wright, "A" Coy, posted to 54 R.H.U. Roberts, George Philip Bradley "Pip" Wright, R.P.
	29		A Sports meeting was arranged in the afternoon but soon after the commencement the programme had to be cancelled owing to rain. The band of the A.T.S. visited the unit and played on the Barrack square at 1600 hrs.
	30		An Adjutants parade in the morning had to be cancelled owing to rain. The C.O. inspected all company billets during the morning. A Platoon of "A" Coy. u/c Major R.G.Tapper MC., carried out a check of all passes and vehivle permits in Flensburg during 1200/1300 hrs. The Brigade Commander (Brig.J.B.Churcher DSO.) inspected "B" Coy at 0900 hrs, before they left for guard duties at 8 Corps HQ., for the following week. Churcher, John Bryan Tapper, Richard Godfrey
	30		Commanding Officer.1st Bn. The Herefordshire Regiment.

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Source: 11th Armoured Division.

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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