WO 171/2380 - 96 Company - September 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: 96 Company, RASC (Troop Carrying)
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Major A.W. Holmes, RASC

Place	Date	Hour	Summary
LISORS M.R. 452021	1	0330	Arrived in location shared with 13 Coy RASC (T.C.) Evidence given by local maquis that Germans had tortured by burning the hands and feet, 7 local maquis, and then shot them. Also, the local mayor, leader of maquis. Body of maquis found in a wood in which pockets of 12 German were found. Foret de Lyons held by enemy, about 2 miles away.
	2		In location, Pls. out troop carrying. Left at 1330 and arrived Vignacourt 3 Sept at 1030 hrs. 20 1/2 hours on road which was badly congested. Crossed Somme at Picquigny.
VIGNACOURT M.R. 019702	3		Advance party ambushed across the river (with 1 Cpl. REME & one O.R. killed) and location changed to Vignacourt. Several flying bomb sites around. Harboured up with 13 coy (T.C.)
	4		Coy H.Q. and W/S moved to IZEL, arriving at 2230 hours.
IZEL M.R. 293043	5		O.C. visited 160, 158 & 71 Bdes. in forward area.
	6	0830	H.Q. Dr involved in motor accident. Broken leg and evacuated.
LUINGNE M.R. 8348	7	1200	Left Izel and arrived Luingne 2130 hours crossing Belgian frontier at Roubaix. Very warm reception by local populace in N. France and S. Belgium, being first troop to enter several places. (Appendices 'A', 'B' & 'C' for period 1 to 11 Sept 44 and 1 to 14 Sept 44
	8		In location O.C. tried to contact CRASC 53 Div. near Ypres and missed him by 2 hours. Pls doing temporary lift for 53 Div.
CASTER M.R. J.0354	9		Left at 1500 hrs. for Caster, arrived 1800 hrs. Great difficulty in keeping control and touch with Pls spread between 15(S) Div. and 53(W) Div.
	10	0300	All officers and men extremely tired and Coy being somewhat disorganised due to being spread over a considerable area and many formations.
	10	1500	Moved out to IMPDE, N. of Brussels and arrived 2000 hrs. in good location. 2 drivers wounded by shell splinters in Antwerp, 1 seriously.
IMPDE M.R. 5969	11		O.C. trying to collect vehicles in Coy location for promised rest period.
	12		Left IMPDE 1600 hrs for Aarschot, due E. Arrived 2200 hrs. in location. Found to be a bog area. Moved about 1 mile with 13 Coy (T.C.) to grounds of chateau.
AERSHOT M.R. J9569	13	0900	Received word of reversion to command Second Army.
	13		O.C. reported to S.T. Rear Army.
	14	1000	Coy reverts to Second Army and placed u/c 34 Tpt. Coln. RASC. Instructed to move back to IMPDE, N of Brussels begin at 1100 and completed at 1430. 7 vehicles not yet returned to unit.
IMPDE M.R. 5969	15		Rest and maintenance. All but one vehicle now returned. O.C. to 34 Tpt. Coln. and to 2 Tk. Tpt. Coln., also ADOS Second Army Troop. Re stores of which none received for 3 weeks and Postal repost. CRASC 15 Div. very helpful re returning vehicles.
	16		Unit has done a good job with 12 Corps, and this is much appreciated by Divs. concerned.
	16		O.C. to 12 Corps and 53 Div. Local G.T. Transport. details for 84 vehicles being carried out. Now u/c 34 Tpt. Coln. RASC.
	17	1600	Instruction received to move to area of Bellinghem, near H.Q. 34 Tpt. Coln. and "Adv. Report Centre" etc at 0300 hours 18 Sept.
BELLINGHEN M.R. J.4844	18		Remainder of Coy H.Q. & W/S moved down to new location arriving 1300 hrs.
	21		1 TMT Cpl. & 1 Cpl. Vehicle Mech. posted away as surplus. Losing men sick pretty fast without reinforcements.
EEKT M.R. 9065	23		Unit changes command to 22 Tpt. Coln. at 1700 hrs and move to EEKT, N of LOUVAIN, near Rear Second Army, which part of unit helped, once again to carry more men lost sick etc.
	24		1 Pl clearing supply RH at Tessenderloo
	25		Location rather poor owing to wet windy, weather and no buildings for cover. Trying to find suitable alternative.
North of DIEST K0974	28		Moved to new location so as to be nearer Supply RH at Tessenderloo. Found good location with empty house for H.Q. and also for W/S and good standings. Capt. McInnes det. as Railhead RASC. Liaison office at Tessenderloo station working with CRASC 27 Supply Units & 54 & 56 B.S.D.'s. A fairly difficult job. McInnes, A.R.
	28		Austin 10 P.V's are giving a great deal of trouble. Engines only last a few thousand miles owing to valve trouble and neither valves, engines or new vehicles are available.
	30		Remaining in same location.

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Source: Paul Bulmer.

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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