55th Troop Carrying Company, Royal Army Service Corps, War Diary December 1942.
1 December 1942 Malvern Link
Major Hall-Patch and Captain Poole visited 349 Anti-Tank Company RASC Evesham to make arrangements on taking over of accommodation.
2 December 1942
Normal routine duties.
3 December 1942
Advice received of posting of Lt Campbell. 2/Lt Sproxton arrived as Workshops Officer.
4 December 1942
2/Lt Sproxton left for Evesham to take over Company Workshops.
5 December 1942
Lt Campbell departed for Warwick to take up post of Workshops Officer to No. 5 C.M.T. Company RASC.
6 December 1942
Arrangements make with 349 A.T. Company Evesham for reception of vehicles.
7 December 1942
16 lorries left for Evesham driven by personnel of 349 A.T. Company RASC.
Major J S P Hall-Patch T.D. attended Field General Court Martial at Norton Barracks, Worcester as a waiting member.
8 December 1942
Major J S P Hall-Patch T.D. and Captain R Poole attended Conference at O.C. RASC Leamington at 14:30 hours.
9 December 1942
Advance Party checked stores at new location at Evesham.
10 December 1942
HQ and A Platoons moved from Malvern Link to new location at Evesham.
11 December 1942 Evesham.
Pay Parade all Platoons
12 December 1942
Routine duties.
Personnel employed in cleaning up billets.
13 December 1942
Major J S P Hall-Patch T.D. visited HQ Central Midlands District.
14 December 1942
Captain R Poole visited 2/Lt Holder in command of Home Guard Platoon at Worcester to make arrangements regarding training Home Guard.
15 December 1942
Major J S P Hall-Patch visited Leamington to give lecture on RASC organisation.
16 December 1942
Marching-in state of new location completed by D.E.R.E.
17 December 1942
Route march for whole Company.
C.I.M.T. arrived.
18 December 1942
Pay Parade.
Major J S P Hall-Patch gave lecture on RASC organisation at HW Central Midlands District.
20 December 1942
Captain Horrocks proceeded on leave.
21 December 1942
C.I.M.T. representative visited B and C Platoons.
22 December 1942
2/Lt Sproxton visited Hampton-in-Arden to arrange “desertising” a vehicle of Light Anti-Aircraft detachment.
O.C. RASC visited B Platoon.
23 December 1942
Route March (6 miles) for all personnel at Evesham.
24 December 1942
Routine duties.
25 December 1942
Christmas Day. All Officers attended mens’ dinner.
26 December 1942
Captain R Poole proceeded on leave.
27 December 1942
Routine duties.
28 December 1942
Captain T Horrocks returned from leave.
29 December 1942
Routine duties.
30 December 1942
Routine duties.
31 December 1942
Routine duties.
Appendices attached to the December 1942 War Diary of 55th Troop Carrying Company RASC.
Operation Order No. 4
This document covered the arrangements for the move of the Unit’s location and effectively provides the details which were included within the unreadable section of the War Diary mentioned above.
The move was to be from Malvern Link to Evesham.
15 vehicles to be driven by personnel from 349 Company RASC were to proceed to the new location at 11:00 hours on 7 December accompanied by 2 NCOs and six men to provide two vehicle park guards (24 hours on, 24 hours off) until the arrival of the Main Body. The Officer Commanding W Platoon was to arrange accommodation and rationing for these men when they arrived at Evesham.
Captain Poole, under separate instructions, was leading an Advance Party to Evesham with the aim of arriving by 09:30 hours on 9th December.
The balance of the Company – less B and C Platoons and detached troops – were to proceed under the command of Captain Horrocks to arrive by 09:30 hours on 10 December.
The Rear Party, under the CQMS, would move to the new location once accommodation handover was completed.
Standard arrangements for convoy movements were specified, including the mounting of Anti-aircraft Light Machine Guns and the normal vehicle speed and density. No timed halts were envisaged.
The researcher can be contacted click here.
