185th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, War Diary December 1943

1 December 1943 Motherwell.

Unit located Motherwell. Regiment engaged on Exercise TREK.

1 – 2 December 1943

Rear Party left in Motherwell.

3 – 11 December 1943

Training under battery arrangements and preparations for Exercise “ASTONIA”.

12 December 1943

Pre-Advance Party (ASTONIA) leaves Motherwell. See Appendix B ASTONIA attached. This Appendix was not included in the file.

14 December 1943

ASTONIA. Pre-Advance Party arrives in Walberswick, Suffolk.

15 December 1943

ASTONIA. Advance Party leaves Motherwell.

17 December 1943

ASTONIA. Rail Party leaves Motherwell at 02:00 hours.

ASTONIA. Main Road Party leaves Motherwell at 07:00 hours.

ASTONIA. Transporters Party leaves Motherwell at 07:00 hours.

ASTONIA. Rail Party arrives Walberswick, Suffolk at 16:30 hours.

ASTONIA. Advance Party arrives Walberswick, Suffolk at 17:30 hours.

18 December 1943

ASTONIA. Rail Party (tanks and carriers) leaves Hamilton at 22:30 hours.

20 December 1943

ASTONIA. Rail Party (tanks and carriers) arrives Suffolk at 03:30 hours.

ASTONIA. Main Road Party arrives Walberswick, Suffolk at 17:00 hours.

22 December 1943

ASTONIA. Transporter Party arrives Walberswick, Suffolk at 20:00 hours.

ASTONIA. Rear Party leaves Motherwell.

24 December 1943

ASTONIA. Rear Party arrives at new location.

The following days were spent settling in at the new location and in individual training.

30 – 31 December 1943

This final section of the War Diary page is extremely blurred and unreadable, but it is possible that it refers to the Regiment handing over equipment – possibly the Armoured Observation Posts (tanks) to Canadian Field Regiments.

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