AQ Branch 23rd (Northumbrian) Division March 1940. - Revision history

70bgadmin at 08:21, 2 August 2011

2011-08-02T08:21:13Z

70bgadmin at 08:13, 2 August 2011

2011-08-02T08:13:21Z

70bgadmin at 14:54, 18 June 2011

2011-06-18T14:54:32Z

70bgadmin at 22:44, 27 May 2011

2011-05-27T22:44:03Z

70bgadmin at 22:41, 27 May 2011

2011-05-27T22:41:40Z

70bgadmin at 16:57, 27 May 2011

2011-05-27T16:57:48Z

70bgadmin at 16:56, 27 May 2011

2011-05-27T16:56:28Z

70bgadmin at 12:44, 27 May 2011

2011-05-27T12:44:39Z

70bgadmin at 11:30, 11 May 2011

2011-05-11T11:30:54Z

70bgadmin at 11:28, 11 May 2011

2011-05-11T11:28:07Z

@@ Line 99: / Line 99: @@
 Two Motorcycles
-One 4-seater car (generally a Humber Snipe Staff Car)
+One 4-seater car (generally a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humber_Pullman Humber Snipe] Staff Car)
 Two 15 cwt Trucks

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 th Battalion The Durham Light Infantry - Modified establishment.
-th Battalion The Durham Light Infantry - Modified establishment. (this entry should, of course,have read 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish).
+th Battalion The Durham Light Infantry - Modified establishment. ''(this entry should, of course,have read 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish).''
 th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers - Motorcycle Battalion.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:54, 18 June 2011
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	A large Appendix to the Order spelled out in detail the types and scale of camouflage equipment to be taken overseas, and the Order itself set out in detail from where it was to be drawn from stores. The equipment consisted of nets of two different sizes and a number of 100 yard rolls of 2" and 3" coloured canvas strips - generally green and brown, together with hundreds of hairpins.		A large Appendix to the Order spelled out in detail the types and scale of camouflage equipment to be taken overseas, and the Order itself set out in detail from where it was to be drawn from stores. The equipment consisted of nets of two different sizes and a number of 100 yard rolls of 2" and 3" coloured canvas strips - generally green and brown, together with hundreds of hairpins.
		+
		+
		+	To contact the author by e-mail with any queries, or to send information - [mailto:70brigade@newmp.org.uk click here].

@@ Line 118: / Line 118: @@
 This Appendix covers the scale of weapons to be taken overseas and indicates that each Infantry Battalion was expected to take the 2" and 3" Mortars it already possessed, together with Ten Boys Anti-Tank Rifles and Eighteen Bren Light Machine Guns.  It will be appreciated that this scale gives each Company only two Anti-Tank Rifles and four Bren LMGs - effectively one per Platoon, when in fact the Bren was intended to be the core Section weapon - implying an issue level of at least 36 per Battalion plus those needed for Light Anti-Aircraft defence.  As can be seen from Appendix B above no issue of Carriers was anticipated - which would itself have increased the number of LMGs required.  It was anticipated that extra mortars would be issued for training purposes once overseas - other documents within the War Diary state clearly that no mortars at all were available at the time for the Brigade to take to France.
 '''Administrative Order No 2 issued 27th March 1940'''
@@ Line 124: / Line 123: @@
 This subsequent Order regarding the move overseas updates certain outstanding matters from the first, more sizeable document - described above - and clarifies that, for example, bridging and lighting equipment, and other heavy stores, were not to be taken to France by the Engineer Field Park Company.  The Employment Platoon - a Divisional HQ force - was instructed to get itself stored up to G 1098 scale.
-Perhaps most importantly the Order clarifies that the only Signals personnel to go overseas were the Despatch Rider Sub-Section of Divisional Signals, together with one subaltern, his driver/batman and an 8 cwt Truck. taken from the "B" Cable Section of No 1 Signals Company.  ''(The lack of radio and line communication while in France would prove to me a major hindrance in commanding and managing the Division and the Brigades, with senior officers often having to make direct face to face contact with both superior and subordinate commanders in order for decisions to be made and communicated.)''
+Perhaps most importantly the Order clarifies that the only Signals personnel to go overseas were the Despatch Rider Sub-Section of Divisional Signals, together with one subaltern, his driver/batman and an 8 cwt Truck. taken from the "B" Cable Section of No 1 Signals Company.  ''(The lack of radio and line communication while in France would prove to be a major hindrance in commanding and managing the Division and the Brigades, with senior officers often having to make direct face to face contact with both superior and subordinate commanders in order for decisions to be made and communicated.)''
 '''Administrative Order No 3 issued 28th March 1940'''
@@ Line 132: / Line 131: @@
 th Brigade was instructed to send a Corporal, Lance-Corporal and 13 Other Ranks, armed, clothed and equipped to War Scale to assemble at The Hermitage, Chester-le Street by 16:00 hours on 5th April 1940, together with a similar number of men from 69th Brigade.
-In the period before the move to France the Platoon was to be administered by 70th Brigade, who were also headquartered in Chester-le- Street at that time.  70th Brigade were also instructed to look after the part of the Divisional Provost Company who were expected to arrive in Chester-le-Street on 28th March 1940, preparatory to moving to France.
+In the period before the move to France the Platoon was to be administered by 70th Brigade, who were also headquartered in
 The order also clarified the arrangements for issuing the scale of ammunition specified in Order Number 1 and instructed that all surplus rounds were to be returned to the Ammunition Depot at Finchale.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Administrative Order No 1'''
+'''Administrative Order No 1 - issued 24th March 1940'''
 The Division's first Administrative Order was issued on 24th March 1940 and was concerned with the move overseas, which had been forecast for mid-April 1940.
@@ Line 118: / Line 118: @@
 This Appendix covers the scale of weapons to be taken overseas and indicates that each Infantry Battalion was expected to take the 2" and 3" Mortars it already possessed, together with Ten Boys Anti-Tank Rifles and Eighteen Bren Light Machine Guns.  It will be appreciated that this scale gives each Company only two Anti-Tank Rifles and four Bren LMGs - effectively one per Platoon, when in fact the Bren was intended to be the core Section weapon - implying an issue level of at least 36 per Battalion plus those needed for Light Anti-Aircraft defence.  As can be seen from Appendix B above no issue of Carriers was anticipated - which would itself have increased the number of LMGs required.  It was anticipated that extra mortars would be issued for training purposes once overseas - other documents within the War Diary state clearly that no mortars at all were available at the time for the Brigade to take to France.

@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 '''Appendix A to Administrative Order Number 1'''
-This Appendix shows the movement serial numbers for each unit. the Establishment details - as set out above - and also identifies the Divisional Serial Numbers to be included on metal plates fixed on the vehicles of each unit as follows:-
+This Appendix shows the movement serial numbers for each unit, the Establishment details - as set out above - and also identifies the Divisional Serial Numbers to be included on metal plates fixed on the vehicles of each unit as follows:-
 Brigade HQ  15

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:56, 27 May 2011
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	The newly mobilised small units mentioned above were expected to be fully armed and equipped to G 1098 scale, but would not receive Anti-Tank Rifles or Light Automatics (''in this case the Thompson Sub-Machine Gun'').		The newly mobilised small units mentioned above were expected to be fully armed and equipped to G 1098 scale, but would not receive Anti-Tank Rifles or Light Automatics (''in this case the Thompson Sub-Machine Gun'').

−	The Order makes specific provision for the inclusion, within each unit's equipment, of items such as Medical Officer's equipment, items for the Officers' and Sergeants' Messes and Communion Sets for Chaplains. At the time of writing the Order the Division did not know	+	The Order makes specific provision for the inclusion, within each unit's equipment, of items such as Medical Officer's equipment, items for the Officers' and Sergeants' Messes and Communion Sets for Chaplains. At the time of writing the Order, the Division did not know whether bridging and other heavy engineering equipment was to be taken - effectively the Engineer Companies were to travel with what equipment they possessed.
		+
		+	The scale of ammunition to be taken was relatively limited - an example being only 700 rounds per Bren Light Machine Gun. Hired vehicles were to be returned to their owners as soon as War Department transport was issued - details were provided in an Appendix of the scale of vehicles to accompany the Division - on the basis that most transport would travel with an Advance Party.
		+
		+	One key matter was that those troops from the Division left in the UK, such as "Divisional Details" would be commanded by the Division's Commander - Royal Artillery.
		+
		+	'''Appendix A to Administrative Order Number 1'''
		+
		+	This Appendix shows the movement serial numbers for each unit. the Establishment details - as set out above - and also identifies the Divisional Serial Numbers to be included on metal plates fixed on the vehicles of each unit as follows:-
		+
		+	70 Brigade HQ 15
		+
		+	10 DLI 17
		+
		+	11 DLI 18
		+
		+	1 TS 19
		+
		+	'''Appendix B to Administrative Order Number 1'''
		+
		+	This table sets out the number and type of vehicles to be issued to each unit in the Division - in respect of 70 Brigade this can be summarised as follows:-
		+
		+	'''Brigade HQ''' -
		+
		+	Two Motorcycles
		+
		+	One 4-seater car (generally a Humber Snipe Staff Car)
		+
		+	Two 15 cwt Trucks
		+
		+	'''Each of the Infantry Battalions''' -
		+
		+	One Motorcycle
		+
		+	One 4-seater car
		+
		+	Eight 15 cwt Trucks
		+
		+	One 15 cwt Water Tanker
		+
		+	Three 30 cwt Lorries
		+
		+	'''Appendix C to Administrative Order Number 1'''
		+
		+	This Appendix covers the scale of weapons to be taken overseas and indicates that each Infantry Battalion was expected to take the 2" and 3" Mortars it already possessed, together with Ten Boys Anti-Tank Rifles and Eighteen Bren Light Machine Guns. It will be appreciated that this scale gives each Company only two Anti-Tank Rifles and four Bren LMGs - effectively one per Platoon, when in fact the Bren was intended to be the core Section weapon - implying an issue level of at least 36 per Battalion plus those needed for Light Anti-Aircraft defence. As can be seen from Appendix B above no issue of Carriers was anticipated - which would itself have increased the number of LMGs required. It was anticipated that extra mortars would be issued for training purposes once overseas - other documents within the War Diary state clearly that no mortars at all were available at the time for the Brigade to take to France.

@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 All Other Ranks were expected to be armed with a rifle and to take the webbing equipment in their possession, their normal scale of clothing plus an extra set of overalls (''remember the work they were expected to do when in France'') and extra woollen vests.
-The newly mobolised small units mentioned above were expected to be fully armed and equipped to G 1098 scale, but would not receive Anti-Tank Rifles or Light Automatics (''in this case the Thompson Sub-Machine Gun'').
+The newly mobilised small units mentioned above were expected to be fully armed and equipped to G 1098 scale, but would not receive Anti-Tank Rifles or Light Automatics (''in this case the Thompson Sub-Machine Gun'').
 The Order makes specific provision for the inclusion, within each unit's equipment, of items such as Medical Officer's equipment, items for the Officers' and Sergeants' Messes and Communion Sets for Chaplains.  At the time of writing the Order the Division did not know

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:30, 11 May 2011
Line 72:		Line 72:

	The newly mobolised small units mentioned above were expected to be fully armed and equipped to G 1098 scale, but would not receive Anti-Tank Rifles or Light Automatics (''in this case the Thompson Sub-Machine Gun'').		The newly mobolised small units mentioned above were expected to be fully armed and equipped to G 1098 scale, but would not receive Anti-Tank Rifles or Light Automatics (''in this case the Thompson Sub-Machine Gun'').
		+
		+	The Order makes specific provision for the inclusion, within each unit's equipment, of items such as Medical Officer's equipment, items for the Officers' and Sergeants' Messes and Communion Sets for Chaplains. At the time of writing the Order the Division did not know

@@ Line 69: / Line 69: @@
 All ranks were expected to have a week's embarkation leave, be inoculated and vaccinated, check their details on the unit's casualty forms, ensure that their Paybooks AB64 were up to date and in their possession, and draw their identity disks before departure.
-All Other Ranks were expected to be armed with a rifle and to take the webbing equipment in their possession, their normal scale of clothing plus an extra set of overalls ''remember the work they were expected to do when in France'' and extra woollen vests.
+All Other Ranks were expected to be armed with a rifle and to take the webbing equipment in their possession, their normal scale of clothing plus an extra set of overalls (''remember the work they were expected to do when in France'') and extra woollen vests.
-The newly mobolised small units mentioned above were expected to be fully armed and equipped to G 1098 scale, but would not receive Anti-Tank Rifles or Light Automatics ''in this case the Thompson Sub-Machine Gun''.
+The newly mobolised small units mentioned above were expected to be fully armed and equipped to G 1098 scale, but would not receive Anti-Tank Rifles or Light Automatics (''in this case the Thompson Sub-Machine Gun'').