1st Tyneside Scottish July 1942
1st July 1942 KINGTON.
Training continued in accordance with the Training Programme attached to the War Diary as Appendix 1 – for details see below.
2nd July 1942
At 16:30 hours General Sir Arthur G. Wauchope G.C.B., G.C., M.C., C.I.E., D.S.O. – Colonel of the Regiment – visited the Battalion. He inspected the Guard of Honour Commanded by Captain Campbell and saw the Battalion undergoing assault boat training. In the evening he was entertained to dinner by the Officers’ Mess, the other guests being Major-General H.O. Curtis and Brigadier P. Kirkup. The visit was recorded on Appendix 2 attached to the War Diary – for further details, see below.
3rd July 1942
At 07:00 hours Divisional Exercise “EQUATOR” began. The G.o.C. closed the exercise prematurely after about 15 hours. Details of the exercise can be found on the Brigade War Diary for July 1942.
4th July 1942
The G.o.Cs. conference on Exercise “EQUATOR” took place at Divisional HQ.
6th July 1942
Training took place in accordance with the Training Programme attached to the War Diary as Appendix 3 – for details see below.
7th July 1942
At 19:00 hours Major Drummond-Wolff commanded the Battalion for Exercise “EDWARD” – details of which are also on the Brigade War Diary.
8th July 1942
Lt Col C.W. Oxley went on a Course at the Western Command Driving and Maintenance School, Craven Arms.
9th July 1942
Major R.H.C. Drummond-Wolff assumed command of the Battalion.
At 12:00 hours the Battalion returned from Exercise “EDWARD”.
At 18:00 hours the Brigade Commander held a conference on Exercise “EDWARD” in the Officers' Mess at TYNEDALE Camp.
10th July 1942
At 14:30 hours a lecture was given and a series of films were shown on the organisation of the German Army in the KINGTON Cinema – 200 men attended from the Battalion.
13th July 1942
Training continued on the basis of the Programme attached to the War Diary as Appendix 4 – for details see below.
14th July 1942
Lt Col C.W. Oxley resumed command of the Battalion on returning from his Course.
15th July 1942
At 15:00 hours Exercise “FREDDIE” commenced. The Battalion did its first tactical night river crossing in assault boats.
17th July 1942
The Battalion returned from Exercise “FREDDIE”.
18th July 1942
The Brigade Commander held a conference on Exercise “FREDDIE” in the Officers’ Mess, ZETLAND Camp.
At 14:30 hours six Officers attended a demonstration of bridging, and the use of assault boats, by B Company and 289 Field Park Company, Royal Engineers.
19th July 1942
At 09:30 hours all Officers went on a reconnaissance of positions to be taken up as "controlled enemy" in Divisional Exercise “FRISK”.
20th July 1942
At 09:00 hours Divisional Exercise “FRISK” commenced in accordance with the Training Programme attached to the War Diary as Appendix 5 – for details see below.
22nd July 1942
The Battalion returned from Exercise “FRISK” at 15:30 hours.
23rd July 1942
The G.o.C. held a conference on Exercise “FRISK” at Divisional HQ at 17:30 hours.
24th July 1942
At 11:00 hours a visit took place by General Sir James H. Marshall-Cornwall G.o.C-in-C. Western Command, who inspected “Anti-Tank Guns versus Panzers” on HERGEST RIDGE. The "Panzers" were “mocked-up” Carriers provided by No 4 Platoon.
At 13:00 hours Brigadier P. Kirkup D.S.O., M.C., O.B.E., T.D. commanding 70th Infantry Brigade Group paid a farewell visit to the Battalion. He issued a Special Order of the Day which was attached to the War Diary as Appendix 6 – the text of which is set out below.
Brigadier P. Paulet King assumed command of 70th Infantry Brigade Group.
25th July 1942
At 07:00 hours Divisional Exercise “GEORGE” commenced.
27th July 1942
At 06:20 hours Air Raid Warning RED was sounded – this was followed by Air Raid Warning WHITE at 06:59 hours. No action occurred in the vicinity of the Battalion.
28th July 1942
At 01:30 hours the Battalion returned from Exercise “GEORGE” in accordance with the Training Programme set out on Appendix 7 attached to the War Diary – for details see below.
At 02:19 hours Air Red Warning RED was sounded followed by Air Raid Warning WHITE at 03:40 hours. Again, there was no action in the vicinity.
At 17:30 hours the G.o.C. held a conference on Exercise “GEORGE”.
29th July 1942
At 13:00 hours Brigadier P.P. King, commanding 70th Infantry Brigade Group, visited the Camp.
30th July 1942
Air Raid Warning RED was sounded at 01:37 hours with Air Raid Warning WHITE at 03:26 hours. Again – no action took place locally.
31st July 1942
Air Raid Warning RED was sounded at 01:53 hours with Air Raid Warning WHITE at 02:33 hours. Again – no action took place locally.
At 14:00 hours The Platoon “Bee-Line” competition was won by No 8 Platoon of A Company (Platoon Commander 2/Lt B.T.W. Stewart). Details were set out on Appendix 8 attached to the War Diary – see below.
Appendices attached to the July 1942 War Diary for the 1st Tyneside Scottish.
Appendix 1 – Training Programme for week ending 4th July 1942 – issued 26th June 1942.
This document had also been attached to the June War Diary file as Appendix 6.
Appendix 2 – Visit of the Colonel of the Regiment.
After inspecting the Guard of Honour which received him on 2nd July 1942 the Colonel of the Regiment (General Sir Arthur G. Wauchope) asked the Commanding Officer to publish in Orders his appreciation of the smart and soldierly turn-out of the Guard, and in particular their steadiness on parade. The Commanding Officer has since received a letter from Sir Arthur, in which he comments further on the favourable impression of the Battalion which he formed during his visit.
Appendix 3 – Training Programme for the week ending 11th July 1942 – issued 2nd July.
During this period, training included; work with assault boats, a lecture by the CO of 2nd Kensingtons on “Characteristics of Medium Machine Guns”, a two-day Brigade exercise, map reading and swimming instruction, a lecture on “Intelligence” as well as the regular RSM’s Parade and a CO’s inspection.
Appendix 4 – Training Programme for the week ending 18th July 1842 – issued 9th July.
As well as more assault boat work this week included; river crossings without boats, swimming, compass use, a lecture on “Security” and a Brigade exercise which included a bridging component.
Appendix 5 – Training Programme for the week ending 25th July 1942 – issued 15th July.
Divisional Exercises “FRISK” and “GEORGE” dominated the week which also included a cross-country run, first aid training, and time on the assault course. Each week also contained two days of vehicle maintenance work for the relevant staff.
Appendix 6 – Special Order of the Day issued by Brigadier Kirkup.
The following special order of the day by Brigadier P. Kirkup D.S.O., O.B.E., M.C., T.D. commanding 70th Infantry Brigade was published on 24th July 1942.
“On the termination of my tenure of command of the Brigade I wish to thank you for all your help and for the confidence you have shown me during the past three years.
In active operations in France, on service in Iceland and in this country you have met calls in a manner which proved your determination to become worthy of the tasks entrusted to you.
I leave you with feelings of great regret but with a thankfulness at having had the honour to command you for this full period.
I shall follow with the greatest interest your future, fully confident that when opportunity occurs for you to meet the enemy in battle, you will give an account of yourselves worthy of the highest traditions of the famous regiments to which you have the honour to belong.
Goodbye and the very best of luck to you all.”
Appendix 7 – Training Programme for the week ending 1st August 1942 – issued 24th July 1942.
The week began with the closing stages of Divisional Exercise “GEORGE”, followed by, range work, assault course, Section Training, first aid training, Gas training and map reading. The Inter-Platoon Bee-Line competition, which involved a march route, was also included and the week finished with the RSM’s Parade and a spell of administration.
Appendix 8 – Results of “Platoon Bee-Line”.
This competition seemed to have been a speed march and the first three places were as follows:-
1st. 8 Platoon A Company (2/Lt B.T.W. Stewart) 1 hour 55 minutes.
2nd. 7 Platoon A Company (Lt A.S. Lawrie) 1 hour 56 minutes.
3rd 3 Platoon HQ Company (Sgt J. Horne) 2 hours 15 minutes.
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