War Diary - CRE - December 1940
1 December 1940 – Reykjavik
Work in hand by 294 Field Company:-
Own Camp structures – ALAFOSS
Battle HQ – 1/7 Duke of Wellington’s Regiment – HAFNAFJORDUR
Mine Dug Out Force HQ – ARTUN
Landing Ground – REYKJAVIK
Roadwork – Various
Diesel Roller Operation – Various
273 Field Battery – Observation Post and Gun Platform
Handrail and Machine-gun Post – EAST MOLE
Machine-gun Post (Pill Box) No 2 – HAFNAFJORDUR
7 December 1940 – Reykjavik
Little to report up to this date except almost continuous frost which makes the ice and snow on roads and countryside a constant menace.
Concreting continues up to today, but particularly hard frost calls a halt even to the work being done by State Engineer on new bridges at ARTUN where road straightening is in progress.
10 December 1940 – Reykjavik
2/Lt J A Fox Royal Engineers, AMICE reports to Commander, Royal Engineers for duty from 711 General Construction Company, Royal Engineers.
11 December 1940
2/Lt A G White, with two Other Ranks, leaves AKUREYRI on S.S. ESJA in North East direction round the island bound for REYKJAVIK.
The following important operational stores arrive from UK on S.S. RALLUS and S.S. ZAAPARAN – 272 Rotproof Sandbags, 5 tons Polar Gelignite, 75 Cases of Detonators.
Also 40 cases Polar Gelignite and I case detonators for Paul Smith (Civilian Importer).
13 December 1940
News received that SHEFFIELD was bombed the night of 12th/13th December has caused some anxiety.
14 December 1940 – Reykjavik
2/Lt R S Winnington-Ingram Royal Engineers, returned from a fortnight’s Course at the Alabaster Force Intelligence School.
15 December 1940
Lt G Simpson Royal Engineers sails under orders from the War Office for UK in S S Chitral leaving about noon.
The organisation of the Officers in this HQ is now:-
Commander, Royal Engineers – Lieut-Col Colley T.D., Royal Engineers
Adjutant – Captain W S Tyzack Royal Engineers
Intelligence Officer – 2/Lieut A S Winnington-Ingram Royal Engineers
Field Engineers – 2/Lieut C W Harvey Royal Engineers, 2/Lieut A G White Royal Engineers, 2/Lieut T A Fox Royal Engineers.
16 December 1940 – Reykjavik
Snow last night (15th/16th) – two feet at KAMBAR making the road to KALDADARNES impossible again by this route.
Commander, Royal Engineers attends weekly Conference at Force HQ. The following relevant decisions were made:-
(a) Snow Ploughs on KALDADARNES Road to be based , one on the Field Bakery at LOGBERG, the other at the Ski Club,
(b) A road to be built to Troop position at ALAFOSS.
17 December 1940
Arrangements made with PAUL SMITH for civilian explosives to be issued under military supervision.
Assembly of snow ploughs in progress.
18 December 1940 – Reykjavik
Rain and thaw but roads covered in ice and very dangerous. The road between REYKJAKOT and ULFASFELL (Nr ALAFOSS) is proceeding slowly owing to short hours of daylight and the frozen ground – one snowplough taken over by 294 Army Field Company Royal Engineers for work at ALAFOSS.
19 December 1940
The thaw continues and it has rained all day, the roads in and around the town being free from ice and fit for motorcycles again. No civilian labour today owing to bad weather.
20 December 1940 – Reykjavik
Thaw continues.
21 December 1940
Snowplough established at LOGBERG and the SKI-HUT each with two drivers supplied by 386 Field Battery, Royal Artillery.
23 December 1940
The thaw has caused all the roads, including those laid with bitumen this year to break up. It appears that concrete is the only permanent method of construction.
The REYKJAVIK – ALAFOSS road is almost impassable owing to mud and deep ruts. Both the State Engineers graders in the Reykjavik area are off the road being repaired.
24 December 1940
ALAFOSS Road was graded today, the graders having been repaired. The two crown and sun wheels of the differential have been broken in the other graders. As no replacements can be found from either British or Icelandic stocks, a cable is being sent to the UK. Yesterday evening (23/12/1940) the civilian labour dispute at KALDADARNES was settled. Pay to remain at Kr 1.78 per hour although pay in Reykjavik is Kr 2.02.
28 December 1940 – Reykjavik
11:00 hours. G.O.C., Chief Engineer, Commander, Royal Engineers, Group-Captain Ashton RAF visit KALDADARNES aerodrome. The following decisions were made:-
(a) “A” runway to have a rolled rock foundation for its full length.
(b) A roadway to be constructed from the windsock to the runway, of a sufficient width to allow two planes to pass. Roadway to be 100yards wide at the South end to enable planes to turn.
(c) “B” runway to be further levelled and ?-matting laid – dimensions 900 yards by 50 yards. Work on ?-matting to be done under F/O Kidman RAF. Lt Harvey (F E 1) to supply 50 civilian labourers and necessary tools only.
(d) Two concrete pill-boxes re-sited to a point 50 yards from the apex of “A” and “B” runways and approximately 15 yards apart. This enables both runways to be covered – the arc being 120 degrees.
30 December 1940 – Reykjavik
Further recce of KEFLAVIK Point as a landing ground by Commander, Royal Engineers and Officer Commanding 294 Field Company Royal Engineers. Owing to the fishing there is little local labour or transport available.
31 December 1940
09:30 – 15:30 hours. One Warrant Officer, Royal Engineers, and 40 Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps cleared frozen snow for two miles towards KALDADARNES from SKI-CLUB.
11:00 hours. Commander, Royal Engineers visited the BRAUTARHOLT – SAURBAER area defences and arranged:-
(i) 1 NCO, 10 AMPC and 1 L/Sgt Royal Engineers to be attached to Coastal Defence Battery SAURBAER.
(ii) With Officer Commanding 1st Tyneside Scottish Battalion that the Sapper Party at SAURBAER will carry out BRAUTARHOLT defensive positions assisted by Infantry Company with men and transport.
Light snow all day.
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