70th Infantry Brigade War Diary July 1940. - Revision history

70bgadmin at 06:49, 1 May 2012

2012-05-01T06:49:10Z

70bgadmin at 09:56, 31 July 2011

2011-07-31T09:56:14Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:56, 31 July 2011
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			'''70th Brigade War Diary July 1940'''

			The entries for July are extremely limited – the files at The National Archives make no reference to this month – and the following information was extracted from the papers for July.

			'''6th July 1940'''

			A message to move the Brigade to the South Coast was received on 6th July 1940.

			The Brigade HQ was to be located at TOTNES, with 1st TS based at MODBURY, 10th DLI at BISHOP STEIGNTON and 11th DLI at HALWELL.

			The front to be covered by the Brigade stretched from the River YEALM to the River EXE. Clear instructions were that all positions were to be held to the last man, with no withdrawal.

			'''24th July 1940'''

			Brigadier Kirkup was given command of the South Devon Sub-Area, stretching from the River ERNE to LYME REGIS with a total of 12,158 men under his command, including 70th Brigade itself. (It will be appreciated that this scale of responsibility amounted to virtually a Divisional Command.)

			The Brigadier had operational command of the Area with his HQ positioned at NEWCOURT TOPSHAM.

			Although 70th Brigade had now ceased to be an Independent Mobile Brigade, the old title was still used.

			1st TS held the line from NEWTON FERRERS to START POINT,

			11th DLI covered the area from START POINT to DARTMOUTH and

			10th DLI was responsible for the stretch from SHELDON to DAWLISH WARREN.

			The South Devon Area was one of varied coastline with cliffs, open beaches and shelving seabed – with deep water close in to shore.

			Defence works during July, August and half September took up all the units’ energies. Pill boxes were built, with contractor assistance, but the Brigade’s men cut trenches, dugouts and wired the beaches themselves….”this work proceeded apace, sandy beach soil being mere child’s play to men accustomed to the adamant substances connected with their peacetime labours”.

			The work was strenuous and included laying miles of barbed wire.

			The Brigade’s Officers “displayed considerable ingenuity in arranging camouflage for the freshly constructed works”. Some defences could be hidden easily but others could not, and some pillboxes were constructed to look like other buildings – such as cafes, shelters, ice-cream kiosks and toilets. (Reference to this phenomenon can be found within the Archives of the Defence of Britain Project.)

			There was a record spell of fine weather during the Summer of 1940, which assisted the work programme and also gave the welcome opportunity for frequent bathing parties.

	To contact the author by e-mail with any queries, or to send information - [mailto:70brigade@newmp.org.uk click here].		To contact the author by e-mail with any queries, or to send information - [mailto:70brigade@newmp.org.uk click here].

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2011-06-18T15:06:38Z

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To contact the author by e-mail with any queries, or to send information - [mailto:70brigade@newmp.org.uk click here].

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:49, 1 May 2012
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	A message to move the Brigade to the South Coast was received on 6th July 1940.		A message to move the Brigade to the South Coast was received on 6th July 1940.

	The Brigade HQ was to be located at TOTNES, with 1st TS based at MODBURY, 10th DLI at ~~BISHOP STEIGNTON~~ and 11th DLI at HALWELL.		The Brigade HQ was to be located at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totnes TOTNES], with 1st TS based at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modbury MODBURY], 10th DLI at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishopsteignton BISHOPSTEIGNTON] and 11th DLI at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halwell HALWELL].

	The front to be covered by the Brigade stretched from the River YEALM to the River EXE. Clear instructions were that all positions were to be held to the last man, with no withdrawal.		The front to be covered by the Brigade stretched from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Yealm River YEALM] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Exe River EXE]. Clear instructions were that all positions were to be held to the last man, with no withdrawal.

	'''24th July 1940'''		'''24th July 1940'''

	Brigadier Kirkup was given command of the South Devon Sub-Area, stretching from the River ERNE to LYME REGIS with a total of 12,158 men under his command, including 70th Brigade itself. (It will be appreciated that this scale of responsibility amounted to virtually a Divisional Command.)		Brigadier Kirkup was given command of the South Devon Sub-Area, stretching from the River ERNE to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_Regis LYME REGIS] with a total of 12,158 men under his command, including 70th Brigade itself. (It will be appreciated that this scale of responsibility amounted to virtually a Divisional Command.)

	The Brigadier had operational command of the Area with his HQ positioned at NEWCOURT TOPSHAM.		The Brigadier had operational command of the Area with his HQ positioned at NEWCOURT TOPSHAM.
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	Although 70th Brigade had now ceased to be an Independent Mobile Brigade, the old title was still used.		Although 70th Brigade had now ceased to be an Independent Mobile Brigade, the old title was still used.

	1st TS held the line from NEWTON FERRERS to START POINT,		1st TS held the line from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton_Ferrers NEWTON FERRERS] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Start_Point,_Devon START POINT],

	11th DLI covered the area from START POINT to DARTMOUTH and		11th DLI covered the area from START POINT to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmouth,_Devon DARTMOUTH] and

	10th DLI was responsible for the stretch from ~~SHELDON~~ to DAWLISH WARREN.		10th DLI was responsible for the stretch from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaldon SHALDON] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawlish_Warren DAWLISH WARREN].

	The South Devon Area was one of varied coastline with cliffs, open beaches and shelving seabed – with deep water close in to shore.		The South Devon Area was one of varied coastline with cliffs, open beaches and shelving seabed – with deep water close in to shore.

	Defence works during July, August and half September took up all the units’ energies. ~~Pill boxes~~ were built, with contractor assistance, but the Brigade’s men cut trenches, dugouts and wired the beaches themselves….”this work proceeded apace, sandy beach soil being mere child’s play to men accustomed to the adamant substances connected with their peacetime labours”.		Defence works during July, August and half September took up all the units’ energies. Pillboxes were built, with contractor assistance, but the Brigade’s men cut trenches, dugouts and wired the beaches themselves….”this work proceeded apace, sandy beach soil being mere child’s play to men accustomed to the adamant substances connected with their peacetime labours”.

	The work was strenuous and included laying miles of barbed wire.		The work was strenuous and included laying miles of barbed wire.

	The Brigade’s Officers “displayed considerable ingenuity in arranging camouflage for the freshly constructed works”. Some defences could be hidden easily but others could not, and some pillboxes were constructed to look like other buildings – such as cafes, shelters, ice-cream kiosks and toilets. (Reference to this phenomenon can be found within the Archives of the Defence of Britain Project.)		The Brigade’s Officers “displayed considerable ingenuity in arranging camouflage for the freshly constructed works”. Some defences could be hidden easily but others could not, and some pillboxes were constructed to look like other buildings – such as cafes, shelters, ice-cream kiosks and toilets. (Reference to this phenomenon can be found within the [http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cba/projects/dob Archives of the Defence of Britain Project].)

	There was a record spell of fine weather during the Summer of 1940, which assisted the work programme and also gave the welcome opportunity for frequent bathing parties.		There was a record spell of fine weather during the Summer of 1940, which assisted the work programme and also gave the welcome opportunity for frequent bathing parties.

	To contact the author by e-mail with any queries, or to send information - [mailto:70brigade@newmp.org.uk click here].		To contact the author by e-mail with any queries, or to send information - [mailto:70brigade@newmp.org.uk click here].