187 Field Ambulance - War Diary July 1944
1 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
08:00 hours. Advanced Dressing Station opened by HQ at 857735. Brigade Casualty Clearing Post still in Fontenay.
2 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
Front quiet. 160 Field Ambulance opens Exhaustion Centre for mild cases of exhaustion.
C.O. pays visit to 3 Casualty Clearing Station and 3 Field Dressing Station to follow up cases and ascertain results of treatment in the forward areas.
3 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
70th Infantry Brigade withdrawn for refit and reorganisation to the area of Ducy-St-Marguerite. A Company Brigade Casualty Clearing Post at Fontenay closes and is taken over by 146 Field Ambulance.
4 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
08:00 hours. Advanced Dressing Station closes. Casualties treated and evacuated since D-Day – 49 and 1015.
5 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
14:00 hours. Lecture at 160 Field Ambulance on Surgery in the Field by Major Dudley Jones of 3 Casualty Clearing Station.
7 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
18:00 hours. Brigade Casualty Clearing Post established by B Company at 833695 Pont de la Guillette on the return of 70th Infantry Brigade to the line and then taking over part of the 50th Division front. Brigade Casualty Clearing Post acts as an Advanced Dressing Station and evacuates direct to 3 Casualty Clearing Station.
8 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
Locations unchanged; front quiet and few casualties.
9 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
Locations unchanged; increase in enemy shelling.
11 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
10th DLI attack in conformity with 3rd phase of 50th Division attack. H Hour was to be 08:30 hours but was postponed to 16:30 hours.
Approximately 50 casualties passed through Brigade Casualty Clearing Post at Pont de la Guillette, where 10 were serious and 8 transfusions were done.
12 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
Front quiet.
13 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
11th DLI relieve 10th DLI. No change in Unit locations or role.
16 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
HQ and A Company move to 828706 near Bezires in preparation for Brigade attack on Juvigny woods.
17 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
06:00 hours. Advanced Dressing Station opened. Attack postponed. Brigade Casualty Clearing Post closes.
19 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
Attack again postponed. Few casualties.
21:00 hours. Casualty Clearing Post established 844676. Evacuation from 10th DLI and 11th DLI 1 TS and 49 Recce Regiment now on route Juvigny – Tilly.
20 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
Front quiet.
21 July 1944 – Ducy-St-Marguerite
18:00 hours. 70th Infantry Brigade relieved by a Brigade of 59th Division. Casualty Clearing Post 844676 closes.
22 July 1944 – Bezires
Preparations for move to new area.
23 July 1944 – Bezires
Preparations for move to new area.
24 July 1944 – Bezires
06:40 hours. Unit moves to Le Bas de Ranville, East of the River Orne.
24 July 1944 – Le Bas de Ranville
12:30 hours. Advanced Dressing Station opens at 105735. Casualty Clearing Post (A Company) Giberville 092678.
25 July 1944 – Le Bas de Ranville
13:00 hours. 70th Infantry Brigade in the line. Front quiet.
26 July 1944 – Le Bas de Ranville
Increase in enemy shelling.
27 July 1944 – Le Bas de Ranville
Enemy artillery activity maintained in the forenoon – slackening later.
28 July 1944 – Le Bas de Ranville
Front static.
29 July 1944 – Le Bas de Ranville
Field Returns filed with the War Diary – for details see below.
31 July 1944 – Le Bas de Ranville
146 Brigade takes over left sector of Divisional front. Three Brigades in the line.
Appendices filed with the July 1944 War Diary.
Field Return of Other Ranks 29 July 1944.
This Return shows a complement at this date of 220 against the War Establishment of 232 men, including 1 surplus to Establishment and 13 reinforcements required.
There are still a couple of men shown as attached to 35 Field Hygiene Section in addition to establishment.
The list of men shown as being requested for return to the Unit now includes:-
Pte Pickard J.E.H.
Pte Ballantyne J.J.
Pte Delgreco S.
Pte Cody J.J.P.
Pte Barrie T.
Pte Knowles J.
Pte Lamb T. (RASC)
These men had all been evacuated to the 3 Casualty Clearing Station during July.
Field Return of Officers 29 July 1944.
2/Lt S.W. Wilkins is shown as having joined the Unit on 28 July 1944 – keeping the complement of Officers up to War Establishment and probably replacing 2/Lt R. Lawson.
The list of Officers by name shows that Captain W.Mc.L. Mason had been detached as Regimental Medical Officer to 1st Tyneside Scottish. All other Officers were present with the Unit.
The Quarterly Report for the period ending 30th June – shown as part of that months' War Diary – also included a page which refers to activity beyond 30th June. For completeness it is included below and will also be attached to the War Diary of later months.
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