70th Infantry Brigade War Diary November 1939

1st November 1939

Individual training continued throughout the Brigade.

2nd November 1939

The 41st (Durham) National Defence Corps Companies became 13th (Home Defence) Battalion of The Durham Light Infantry, under Army Council Instruction 742 of 2nd November 1939.

9th November 1939

The 11th Battalion was entertained to a show by Rene Houston & Company at the Newcastle Empire.

10th November 1939

The General Officer Commanding the 23rd Division, General Herbert, visited the Brigade. (This was clearly a preliminary visit preceding a more senior inspection a couple of days later.)

13th November 1939

The General Officer Commanding in Chief of Northern Command visited the Brigade. (This presumably was by way of an inspection, though no details of what he looked at, or visited, are given in the Brigade War Diary).

14th November 1939

Brigadier Kirkup and Lt Col Stafford visited the vulnerable points at CROXDALE, VICTORIA BRIDGE and SUNDERLAND.

A Young Officers' course started at the DLI Infantry Training Centre, under the direction of Lt T.G.Wilkinson for 12 officers.

15th November 1939

A Concert was held at BISHOP AUCKLAND, given by "Dorothy Holbrook and her Hussars".

16th November 1939

The Assistant Director of Medical Services (ADMS) visited the Brigade. (This was only one of many specialist visits undertaken by various officers throughout the life of the Brigade - no doubt a combination of advisory and inspectorial occasions).

22nd November 1939

Brigadier Kirkup addressed all officers of the Brigade at Jubilee Hall, CHESTER-LE-STREET.

23rd November 1939

The Brigadier carried out an administrative inspection of the 11th Battalion. (Again, this was no doubt a preliminary visit in preparation for a later, more senior, inspection.)

25th November 1939

The task of guarding the Tyne Bridges – King Edward, Swing and High Level – was taken over by the Brigade from 8th Battalion of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, who were Divisional Troops.

27th November 1939

An Administrative Inspection of the 11th Battalion was undertaken by the GOC of the 23rd Division, General Herbert.

The first Militia intake from all three Battalions went to the Ranges at WHITBURN to fire the Rifle Course laid down in "Small Arms Training, Volume 1 Pamphlet Number 15, Appendix III". (It is suspected that this may be a slight misprint, as the relevant Rifle Course is laid out in Appendix III of Pamphlet Number 18 of that Volume, which had been issued under Army Council Instruction as recently as 4th October 1939).

This document is from the author's private collection.

"C" Company from the 11th Battalion moved from STANLEY and relieved "A" Company of the 10th Battalion at DARLINGTON as the first-line troops under the Civil Defence Scheme.

The 10th Battalion men still continued to be in Group Reserve while stationed at WHITBURN.

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