War Diary - CRE - November 1941
Iceland (C ) Force – 49th Division – War Diary Commander – Royal Engineers November 1941 1 November 1941 – Reykjavik
Captain C W Harvey, Royal Engineers arrives from leave in UK on H M T BERGENDFJORDUR.
2 November 1941
Chief Engineer proceeds on leave to UK on H M T BERGENSFJORDUR. Commander, Royal Engineers moves to Force HQ to become Acting Chief Engineer. Captain Harvey appointed Acting Commander, Royal Engineers.
3 November 1941
Commencement of G.O.C’s. Model Exercise on Mountain Warfare.
Road reports – road AKUREYRI – SEYDISFJORDUR now open; EGILSSTADIR – REYDARFJORDUR still closed.
4 November 1941
G.O.C’s. Model Exercise continued.
5 November 1941
Road reports – BORGANES – REYKERSKOLI light snow; heavy snow in North East Sector; AKUREYRI – SEYDISFJORDUR impassable. Road round HVALFJORDUR considered passable only to 15cwt trucks and over.
6 November 1941 – Reykjavik
TEWT on Mountain Warfare held near GEITHALS (0133) Map Reference. Acting Chief Engineer and Acting Commander, Royal Engineers attend.
Road report : road REYKJAVIK – AKUREYRI now blocked at BAKKASEL map reference 805530.
7 November 1941
Conference on yesterday’s Mountain Warfare TEWT.
8 November 1941
Weekly Progress Report 803 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers – see Appendix A below.
9 November 1941
Road reports : road REYKJAVIK – AKUREYRI open. Road AKUREYRI – HUSAVIK open, HUSAVIK – SEYDISFJORDUR closed.
10 November 1941
Commencement Senior Officer Course at Tactical School. Major Tyzack – 294 Field Company – attends.
Construction of HAFNAFJORDUR – VATNSENDI road taken over from 803 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers by this HQ.
11 November 1941
Road report ; road EGILSSTADIR – SEYDISFJORDUR still closed.
12 November 1941
Acting Commander, Royal Engineers to KALDADARNES to inspect Camps etc.
13 November 1941
Road reports: VIK – DJUPIDALUR (Map reference 0264) in very bad condition and under water in places.
14 November 1941
803 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers inspected by G.O.C. prior to embarkation for UK.
Lt Randle, Royal Engineers returns from KALDADARNES to HQ prior to proceeding on leave.
16 November 1941
H M T BANFORA sails for UK with leave personnel and 803 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers.
18 November 1941
Detachment of one Officer and 10 Other Ranks from 668 General Construction Company, Royal Engineers move from KALDADARNES to REYKJAVIK to take over work from 687 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers.
19 November 1941
Commencement of Force Signal Exercise No 14 at 11:00 hours. HQ 49 Division represented by Captain Harvey. Lt Winnington-Ingram and Lt Broughton join Divisional HQ at HELGAFELL (Map reference 3410).
20 November 1941 – Reykjavik
Finish of Force Signal Exercise No 14 in afternoon.
22 November 1941
Conference on above.
All works on road HAFNAFJORDUR – VATNSENDI ordered to cease by Chief Engineer.
26 November 1941
Field Engineer 1 and Acting Intelligence Officer attend Umpires Preliminary Conference on Force Exercise No 15, at Force HQ.
27 November 1941
Field Engineer 1 to HALSNES for preparation for demolition of C.M. Station.
28 November 1941
Acting Commander, Royal Engineers attends Model Exercise at Force HQ.
Force Exercise No 15 commenced 22:56 hours with Air Raid Alert. HQ Blackout and Emergency Lighting tested. Exercise ends at 23:50 hours.
29 November 1941 – Reykjavik
Field Engineer 1 and Acting Intelligence Officer attend Umpires Conference at BYTOWN CAMP on Force Exercise No 15.
30 November 1941
H M T BANFORA arrived from UK with leave personnel.
Appendices attached to November 1941 War Diary for Commander, Royal Engineers Iceland (C ) Force.
Again, the Appendices referred to in the body of the text were either missing from the War Diary file at The National Archives, or were not photographed.
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