1st Tyneside Scottish July 1941
3rd July 1941
D Company returned from PINGVELLIR.
5th July 1941
B Company moved from CRAVEN Camp to a tented camp at map reference 233056. The Reconnaissance Platoon returned to SKIPTON Camp. The Orders for the moves are contained in Administrative Instruction No 9 – a copy of which was attached to the War Diary as Appendix 1 – for details see below.
CRAVEN Camp was taken over by 10th DLI.
7th July 1941
The Advance Guard of the 1st US Marine Brigade with attached personnel under the command of Brigadier-General J Marston arrived at REYKJAVIK.
8th July 1941
The Battalion supplied a Guard of Honour for the arrival of Brigadier-General Marston, consisting of two Officers, the Pipe Band and 50 Other Ranks.
9th July 1941
A Brigade Field Firing exercise was held at LYKLAFELL.
10th July 1941
An Inter-Battalion Scheme between 1st Tyneside Scottish and 10th DLI, and attached personnel, was held in the area of Alafoss and REYKJAVIK.
11th July 1941
Iceland ( C ) Force held a Signal Scheme. Battalion HQ and the Signal Section took part.
The fourth Leave Party returned from the UK.
12th July 1941
The sixth Leave Party left for the UK.
Working parties were again based on VATNSMYRI airfield for two weeks from 12th July.
17th July 1941
Battalion Officers and NCOs acted as Umpires in a 10th and 11th DLI Inter-Battalion Scheme.
20th July 1941
Orders were issued for changes to the defence arrangements for the REYKJAVIK and the LAUGARNES Sub-Sectors, arising from troops being engaged in Iceland Force Exercise No 6. The instructions were set out in Appendix 2, attached to the War Diary – see below.
21st – 22nd July 1941
An Inter –Brigade Scheme took place between 70th and 147th Brigades in the South West Sector.
24th July 1941
The fifth Leave Party returned from the UK and the seventh Leave Party left.
27th July 1941
The Battalion took part in the Iceland Force Motorcycle Trials.
28th July 1941
A Battalion exercise was held in the area of REYKJAVIK and VATNSENDI. The Orders and Instructions regarding this exercise were set out on Appendix 3 attached to the War Diary – for details see below.
29th – 30th July 1941
Battalion Officers again acted as Umpires in a 10th and 11th DLI Scheme. The Battalion’s Reconnaissance Platoon acted as the “enemy” in the exercise.
30th July 1941
B Company (Captain Chudleigh) returned to SKIPTON Camp as the Reserve Company.
D Company (Captain Dunn) took over the tented Camp at map reference 254083 from 10th DLI and assumed responsibility for the defence of the LAUGARNES area.
The defence of HOWITZER HILL was taken over by 10th DLI.
Appendices attached to the 1st Tyneside Scottish War Diary – July 1941.
Appendix 1 – Administrative Instruction No 9 for the move of B Coy from CRAVEN Camp – issued 4th July 1941.
This document concerned the move to the tented Camp at map reference 233056, North of the Cemetery on Hafnarfjordur Road.
The tentage, camp equipment and accommodation stores to set up the new Camp was to be drawn, by B Company, from 10th DLI.
No 5 Platoon was designated to assist in erecting the cookhouse and readying the site. As Craven Camp was being vacated in its entirety, and taken over by 10th DLI, it was to be left, as expected, in a clean and tidy condition.
Communications were to be tested by the Signals Officer between the new tented Camp and Battalion HQ to ensure that they were successfully established and maintained.
The Reconnaissance Platoon switched on the same day from being attached to B Company to being attached to HQ Company at SKIPTON Camp for rations, accommodation, administration and pay.
Appendix 2 – Revised arrangements for defending Reykjavik and Laugarnes – issued 20th July 1941.
As indicated above, these changes were required while Force Exercise No 6 (taking place from 21st-23rd July) was in progress.
It involved duties being done by smaller numbers of troops and more Junior Officers – this included ensuring the Medium Machine Guns could be brought into action within five minutes of an alarm being given, though not their continuous manning.
Several Sections of MMGs from 1/9 Manchester Regiment would be in support of the Battalion’s troops.
The Administrative Instructions for the Battalion, in respect of Force Exercise No 6 itself, did not appear to have been filed with the War Diary – which makes no mention of the Battalion’s participation in the exercise.
Appendix 3 –The briefing papers for the Battalion Exercise on 28th July .
B Company were to act as “enemy” (wearing Tam O’Shanters) with almost all the rest of the Battalion as “own forces”.
Generally one Platoon per Company was doing normal tasks and duties while this exercise was on-going. A conference for those taking part was planned for 17:30 hours on 29th July – down to and including Section Commanders – to review the results.
The aim of the exercise was to practise;
Battle procedure for concentrating the Battalion.
Rapidly taking up defensive positions.
Exercising commanders at the next highest level. (the CO and other key Officers were not active participants, although the CO directed the exercise).
The exercise was based on the assumption that 70th Brigade and supporting troops had been landed in Iceland to counter the threat of a German invasion. The Battalion was due to “land” at REYKJAVIK Harbour, and via the beaches, and to have taken up positions at Skipton Camp, the Harbour and the GROTTA area with Brigade HQ at York House. 507 Field Battery, Royal Artillery, less one troop, were also in the area. The “enemy” were postulated as a group of German “tourists” visiting Iceland.
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