143rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. War Diary August 1942

1 August 1942 PENYBONT.

Nothing of importance. Fine.

2 August 1942

Church Parade 10:00. Very wet. Nothing of importance. Further draft of 15 (presumably Other Ranks arriving or departing - not clear which).

3 August 1942

August Bank Holiday! Very wet. Adjutant at conference on codenames. Sports in afternoon. Quite successful. F Troop winning team. 6-a-side football in morning, won finally by E Troop. Very successful. Anti-Tank PO at Cardiff and attached to us for a week. It has not yet percolated through that we have moved. Draft departed tonight. Nothing of importance. Fine.

4 August 1942

Nothing of importance.

5 August 1942

Nothing of importance.

6 August 1942

2/Lt Griffiths S.O. (? Signals Officer) left, and 2/Lt Roth joined, posted ? to 507, 2/Lt Morfey to RHQ as Intelligence Officer, 2/Lt Watson Regimental Signals Officer.

7 August 1942

C R A visited Camp. Wet again.

8 August 1942

Nothing of importance. 507 Battery to Trawsfynydd. DADME visited regarding Quads out of action. A further draft of 23 Other Ranks to ? Woolwich.

9 August 1942

Wet again. Church Parade.

10 August 1942

Nothing of importance.

11 August 1942

Nothing of importance. Monte Carlo Rally entrants notified today. 507 returned.

12 August 1942

Monte Carlo. Very wet. C.O. attended OCTU Board at Hereford. 2 Battery Surveyors for draft.

13 August 1942

Monte Carlo. Still wet. P.O. Baker flew over in a Mustang and we netted with him Good reception.

14 August 1942

Nothing of importance. Wet. C.O. to Sennybridge.

15 August 1942

Nothing of importance.

16 August 1942

Nothing of importance. Better weather.

17 August 1942

Nothing of importance.

18 August 1942

Regiment to Sennybridge Practice Camp.

19 August 1942

Calibration of new guns. Nothing of importance.

20 August 1942

Course shooting 386 and 388. Very wet and spoilt the Exercise.

21 August 1942

Wet again. Captain S Grodd, Medical Officer, ordered to Liverpool for course on Tropical Diseases and Wounds for overseas. A great blow losing him as he was very popular with men and Officers.

22 August 1942

Medical Officer departed. 388 Tank shooting cancelled through rain.

507 Course shooting and Tank shooting.

23 August 1942

386 and 388 Fire and movement. Fairly fine.

24 August 1942 SENNYBRIDGE.

A draft of 1 Battery Surveyor of a definite physique – none available so an Ack is to be sent. Fine day for a change. A bombshell in the evening – letter to say that the Colonel would cease to command the Regiment – the biggest blow we could receive – his three years of command has ended – new O.C. to Captain (Temporary Major) Norman Walker from GSO2 (L) GHQ Home Forces. Everybody is very upset.

25 August 1942

Meet again 507 fire and movement exercise, good times registered.

26 August 1942

Regimental Scheme not very active. Useful practice at Divisional concentration.

27 August 1942

Another Regimental day. Very good weather. Quick Barrage ready in 17 minutes and a Divisional concentration in 2½ minutes. A very good record.

28 August 1942

Exercise JUNIPER – fine weather. Orders 19:20 hours, move 19:30 hours, 1st round 21:05 hours.

29 August 1942

Field firing with JUNIPER continued.

30 August 1942

Regiment returned to PENYBONT. Lt Col Walker arrived.

31 August 1942

Nothing of importance.

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