WO 171/1658 - 612 Field Squadron - October 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: 612 Field Squadron R.E.
Month and Year: October 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Major F.T.K. Wilson R.E.

Place	Date	Hour	Summary
DE MORTEL	1-3		Sqn remained at GEMERT, each day one Tp. practising rafting and one Tp. on rd. maint. 2 i.c. went back to 31 R.H.U. at ST. PIERRE CAPPELE near ENGHIEN (130 miles back) for reinforcements. Search there & at 32 R.H.U. & 105 C.R.C. produced 27 OR's for this unit.
	4		1&3 Tps. rd. maint. 2 Tp. rafting trg. with new close support raft.
	4		Lt. E.V. Hutchinson who joined the Sqn. on Sept. 30th was appointed Tp.Ldr. 1 Tp. on 4th Oct. Hutchinson, E.V.
	5		3 Tp. rd. maint. 1 & 2 Tps. rafting trg.
	6		3 Tp. rd. maint. Two Secs FBE came […] Sqn. for practising for forthcoming operation. 1 Tp. used FBE on 6th Oct. O.C. recced op. site.
	7	0900	- 1400 All Tps. practising FBE on canal at DONK.
DE MORTEL	7	1900	- 2400 All Tps. again practised FBE at DONK, building 120' bridge in 3hrs. 50 mins - awkward banks. Meanwhile O.C. & Tp. Ldrs. with Lt. Casswell recced op. site over R. MAAS at CUYK 7249 and measured gap: 473 ft. at water level and 492' overall. Casswell
	8	1000	All Tps. left for GASSEL 6552 on R. MAAS to carry out practise with F.B.E. for the operation at CUYK. This operation was cancelled during the day.
	8	1815	Lt. Geedy & Lt. Wright with the Lt. Secs. of 2 Tp. & 3 Tp. moved off to 159 Inf Bde HQ & 29 Armd Bde. HQ respectively. Sqn is to support both Bdes on Oct 9th. These parties are for liaison & immediate support. Preedy, Richard Francis Wright
	9		Work done. 2 Tp. Rd. maint. ST. ANTONIS 7138 – BOXMEER 7640. Repaired br. 748399 which is now Class 40, width 13ft. 7 OR RAs arrived.
DE MORTEL	10		Rain all day. 1 Tp. Trg on maint. esp R.M; 2 Tp. rd. maint. area 7435. […] issue authorised.
DE MORTEL	10		Lieut. C.M.Y. Trotter RE. posted as RA to this unit & appointed Recce. Offr. Trotter, C.M.Y.
	11		Dry day. 1 Tp. trg on Bailey grillages, also rd. maint. 2 Tp. rd. maint. 3 Tp. […] rd. maint. – drainage of surface from 705355 – 658287.
	11	1830	3 Tp. relieved of sp. role with 29 Armd. Bde. By 1 Tp. 13 A. Sqn. R.E.
	12		Work: 1 Tp. relieved. 2 Tp. in sp. 159 Inf. Bde, working on rd. maint. area 7435. 2 Tp. disarmed 64 R-Mi which had been lifted & stacked by 4 KSLI at 773370. 3 Tp. rd. maint. West of ST. ANTONIS. Allocation of baths & cinema shows again. This welfare side has been quite levish during this past fortnight; preactically every man in the Sqn. has had two shower baths & seen 2 or 3 shows.
	12		13 OR Ras arrived bringing Sqn. strength to 260, the highest since before embarking in U.K.
	13		Work: 1 Tp. continued rd. maint. between ST. ANTHONIS & OVERLOON. 2 Tp. Began work on Class 40 crossing for tracked route in area 730369. One dyke needs a 20' timber br. (no Bailey to be used); […] require culverting & possibly end […]. 3 Tp. rd. maint.
	14		Work: 1 Tp. continued rd. maint. completing route as far as South edge of wood 7533. Tracked route also completed. 2 Tp's timber bridge (formed of 10 telegraph poles as tringers, supported on two round timber trestles at 1/3 & 2/3 span, decked with round timber dressed with earth) successfully carried Shermans.
DE MORTEL	14		Weather: Cool & occasional showers. Summary of plan: 159 Bde have been holding line from approx. GROENINGEN 7935 – Canal 720310. 3 Brit. Div. are ot break through enemy position of some strength in area OVERLOON 7631 and capture VENRAY 7726. Then 11 Armd. Div. will pass through to take objective HORST 8318 – AMERIKA 7716, 612 Fd. Sqn. R.E. ops in this period have been directed to assisting adv. of 159 Bde by work on rds. Attack by 3 Brit. Div. began 1200hrs. 12 Oct. 44.
	14	1630	O.C. left for BRUSSELS for interview with D.C.E. 21 Army Group, expecting to return evening of 15th.
	15	0600	2 i/c (acting O.C.) & Recce officer sent to Tac. 159 Bde for beginning of operation “Constellation”. 4 K.S.L.I. with 1 Tp in support to wood E 7831. 1 Here with 2 Tp. in sp. rounded VIERLINGSBEEK Stae 7934. Tps mainly engaged on mine lifting. 2 Tp lifted 35 R.M. 43 + 12 Schu mines.
	15		Maj. R.T.K Wilson R.E. posted to R.E. Trg. Establishment as instructor (attd. 50 R.H.U. DIEPPE). Capt. R.F.N. Anderson R.E. promoted to Major as O.C. Sqn. Anderson, R.F.N. Wilson, F.T.K.
	16	1500	Maj. F.T.K. Wilson R.E. left Sqn. Continuation of Op. “Constellation”. Wilson, F.T.K.
DE MORTEL	16	1700	Capt. W.F.G. Crozier R.E. joined unit as second-in-command from H.Q. 8 Corps. Crozier, W.F.G.
	17	0800	Weather – dull, showers. Summary of plan: Div switched from North to West flank of enemy West of R. MAAS. Sqn. is in sp. 159 Inf. Bde. Work during day: 2 Tp. sweeping rds for mines from DEURNE E 6520 to rd.junc. E 723230. No mines found. 1 and 3 Tps in reserve.
	17	1500	Sqn H.Q. moved at 1500 hrs. to BANKERT E 652233. Lt. R.F. Pregdy injured by passing vehicle and evacuated. Probably absent about a month. Pregdy, R.F.
	18	0800	Lt. J.H. Lockyer assumed comd. 2 Tp. Weather Fair, some sunshine at […]. Considerable rain and hail later on. Lockyer, J.H.
BANKERT	18		Task for day: 1 Tp. road maintenance rd. East from DEURNE. Light section with K.S.L.I. 2 Tp. Sqn reserve. 3 Tp. in op 1 Here.
	18	1130	[…] lorry ordered from 147 Fd. Pk. – sent off to 2 Tp.
	18	1300	3 Panel, 4 Decking, 2 Ramp & one grillage lorry arrived from 147 Fd. Pk. Sqn to be held here for 50 D/S Bridge.
	18	1100	Work on br. site started by 2 Tp. M.R. E 701234
	18	1930	Br. complete. 3 Tp. lifeted 13 R MI, 43 in area YSSELSTEYN. E 719230. No anti lifting devices. Full report passed on to C.R.E.
BANKERT	19	0900	Weather – raining heavily. Work during day: 1 Tp. rd. maintenane East of DEURNE. 2 Tp. br. maintenance on br. at E 695230 until 1030 hrs. and mine lifting. 61 R.M.; 43 lifted from area E 717248. 3 Tp. Sqn reserve.
	19	1900	O.C. held 'O' Gp. and gave orders for construction of approx. 1000 yds of corduroy road from E 705210 to E 757216. Work to start morning of Oct. 20th.
BANKERT	20		Weather dull but no rain. Work: Two secs 1 Tp, Two secs 2 Tp and all 3 Tp. employed on corduroy rd (laying & cutting) 190 yds completed. Two light recce parties, each 1 N.C.O. & one Spr. went out with Inns of Court & between them lifted 73 R.M; 43 in area E 716196. A Party from 1 Tp. u/c R.O.I. lifted 7 R.M; in area VEULEN.
BANKERT	21		Weather – fine. […] wind. Work: continuation of corduroy road – total completed by end of day 532 yds. Party working on road shelled for about an hour – two Sps slightly wounded, bulldozer damaged.
	22		Weather clear and fine. Continuation of corduroy rd. – 850 yds completed. More […] shelling in afternoon.
	23		Weather clear and fine. Continuation of corduroy rd. – 1100 yds completed. So far all laying of logs done by 3 Tp, with the other tps cutting. Plan for tomorrow to put 2 Tp on laying & 3 Tp on cutting. Small party from 2 Tp with D6 Bulldozer employed in digging in key vehs of 159 Bde H.Q.
	24		Continuation of corduroy road. 1318 yards completed by end of day. One sec. 2 Tp. lifting mines area E 756216 – one man killed and one wounded by S. mine. Party working in this area […] by shell fire, M.G. fire and armed rifle fire during the day. No casualties form this fire.
	25		Weather fine but dull. Corduroy road completed as one way route.
	26		Construction of passing places on road at approc 1/4 mile intervals. 3 Tp engaged on clearing ditches along rd. Also demolition of enemy guns. 75 + 88 m.m.
BANKERT	27		Weather clear and cold. Work: 1 Tp. proceeded to Div R.E. refresh school at HELMOND until 31st Oct. 2 Tp. sanding surface of log road. 3 Tp. butting, carting and unloading logs for maintenance of road.
	28		Weather clear and cold. Work 2 Tp. Rd. maintenance from E 720237 to start of log road. Tp. ldr and O.C. carried out bridge demolition recce in area GRIENDTSVEEN E 7117. 6 Sec. moved down to that area and prepared br. for dem. E 727175. Tp ldr. moved to Bn. H.Q. 1 Here. 3 Tp. Sanding surface of log road. Shell fire became so heavy that Tp. withdrew at 1230 hrs. No casualties.
	29		Weather clear and cold. Work: 1 Tp. at HELMOND. 2 Tp. demolished brs at E 718174 and E 710178 prepared for demo. brs at E 727175, E 717178, E 707180 + firing parties standing by. Tp. ldr at Bn. H.Q. 1 Here. Area E 7018 searched for mines. 3 Tp. continued sanding of road until again driven off; by air bursts this time.
	30		1 Tp. Road maintenance. 2 Tp: Manning bridges prepared for demn. 3 Tp. Completed sanding of curdoroy road.
	31		Weather fair, some mist, cold. 1 Tp. Rd. maintenance. 2 Tp. firing party on brs. Also […] for mines orchard E 706180. No mine found. but continuous line […] orchard of charges with 2235 end […]. 3 charges at 3 Rg, 2 at 1 Rg. 3 Tp. Early morning patrol, on foot of log road. This to be repeated daily until further notice. Also rd. maintenance.

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Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com.

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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