War Diary - CRA - July 1941

Iceland Force Headquarters (49th Division) Commander Royal Artillery War Diary – July 1941. 3 July 1941

366 Field Battery engaged in Field Firing.

5 July 1941

507/143 Field Regiment engaged in Field Firing.

6 July 1941

HQ 143 Field Regiment and 386 Field Battery (less one Troop) moved to tented camp at GEITHALS.

8 July 1941

American Marine Brigade arrived.

9 July 1941

143 Field Regiment Field Firing exercise with 70 Infantry Brigade took place.

11 July 1941 – Reykjavik

203 Heavy Anti-aircraft Battery under the command of Major J.F. Mathews, Royal Artillery, disembarked Iceland. Absorbed into 12 Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment.

13 July 1941

Operation Order No 12 issued. (No copy filed with the War Diary).

16 July 1941

Details issued for Anti-aircraft Signal Exercise No.1.

Section 203 Heavy Anti-aircraft Battery is ready for action at TREGANTLE CAMP, KALDADRNES.

17 July 1941

143 Field Regiment head a Field Firing exercise with 147 Infantry Brigade.

18 July 1941

Section 203 Heavy Anti-aircraft Battery in action at BRIGHTON CAMP.

19 July 1941 – Reykjavik

Anti-aircraft Signal Exercise held under the direction of Commander, Royal Artillery.

21 July 1941

First day of 147 Infantry Brigade versus 70 Infantry Brigade exercise. 143 Field Regiment moved out of static positions.

23 July 1941 – Reykjavik

Addendum to Royal Artillery Training Instruction No 3 dated 6th June issued. (No copy filed with the War Diary).

24 July 1941

18 Heavy Anti-aircraft Battery disembarked ICELAND. (Battery Commander Major T H Cridland, Royal Artillery). Temporarily accommodated in Transit Camp. Absorbed in 12 Anti-aircraft Regiment.

25 July 1941

Royal Artillery Operation Order No. 13 issued. (No copy filed with the War Diary).

Major B Armitage proceeded on leave to the UK – Captain R N Marshall assumed duties of Brigade Major Royal Artillery.

26 July 1941

Operation Order No. 14 issued. (No copy filed with the War Diary).

27 July 1941

Operation Order No. 15 issued. (No copy filed with the War Diary).

28 July 1941

Report on Anti-aircraft Signal Exercise held on 19th July 1941 attached to War Diary as Appendix 7 (No copy survived in the War Diary file at The National Archives).

Royal Artillery Operation Instruction No. 5 issued and attached to War Diary as Appendix 8 (for details see below).

30 July 1941

Section 18 Heavy Anti-aircraft Battery moved to TREGANTLE CAMP, KALDADARNES.

Section 203 Heavy Anti-aircraft Battery moved to BRIGHTON CAMP.

Appendices attached to the July 1941 War Diary of the Iceland Force Commander, Royal Artillery.

Royal Artillery Operation Instruction No. 5 dated 28th July 1941.

This two-page document was concerned with the engagement of hostile reconnaissance aircraft.

Recent experience had shown that the first targets of airborne attacks had been the anti-aircraft gun positions, discovered in previous enemy reconnaissance flights.

So that newly occupied gun positions were not disclosed before a main attack developed detachments were urged to give particular attention to concealment and that only those guns which had previously engaged enemy aircraft would in future engage single enemy reconnaissance aircraft.

The gun sites were identified in Reykjavik as follows:-

Heavy Anti-aircraft – GROTTA, PIMPLE HILL, SKELETON HILL, GARDAR.

Light Anti-aircraft – CORBETT CAMP.

Kaldadarnes sites were as follows:-

Heavy Anti-aircraft – AUDSHOLT.

Light Anti-aircraft – AERODROME (two Bofors).

All Anti-aircraft units would take post on the receipt of air raid message “yellow” but guns other than those detailed above would not engage a single aircraft unless it was at such a height as to suggest a good prospect of its destruction. This decision was the responsibility of the Section Commander or the nearest Troop Commander in the case of the Light guns.

If the aircraft is identified as a single enemy Detachments other than those above would minimise their movements so as not to draw attention to themselves, or disclose their positions.

New gun positions were to be dug as low as possible, consistent with the operation of the gun and supporting instruments, as a means of concealment.

In new camps huts would be laid out and painted to make them as inconspicuous as possible. Some could, it was suggested, be painted to resemble farm houses or villages. In such cases G.S.O. (Camouflage) should be consulted before work commenced.

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