70th Infantry Brigade War Diary January 1942.
2nd January 1942
25% of the Transport for all units (other than Motorcycles) was collected from the Depot at DONNINGTON (Derby).
6th January 1942
10th Battalion Durham Light Infantry arrived at CARMARTHEN (YSTRAD CAMP) from ICELAND.
9th January 1942
Proportion of unit transport (less all Carriers) collected from S.S. GUDVIN at SWANSEA. Lt Col F.W. Sandars reported to Brigade HQ on assuming command of 11th DLI in place of Lt Col R.F. Ware who had been appointed GSO1 at the HQ of Northern Command.
Lt Col E.L. Davies M.C. of 70th Royal Ulster Rifles reported to Brigade HQ on assuming command of 10th DLI in place of Lt Col C.D. Marley, who had been appointed to the command of 143rd Infantry Brigade.
10th January 1942
Brigadier Kirkup departed on 14 days’ disembarkation leave, during which time Lt Col E.L. Davies assumed command of the Brigade.
12th January 1942
G.O.C.-in-C. Western Command visited 1st TS at LLANELLY. The Brigade Major and Staff Captain were both present. Motorcycles – 10 per Battalion and 16 for Brigade HQ and Signal Section - were collected from LUDLOW.
14th January 1942
The weather remained cold, dry and frosty. The Brigade Major visited 10th DLI at CARMARTHEN, 11th DLI at LLANELLY and 366 Field Battery at CRESSELLY. The operational role of 11th DLI was discussed with the C.O. and later with the Commander, Carmarthen Sub-Area.
15th January 1942
A telegram was received from G.H.Q. Home Forces intimating that 70th Infantry Brigade was to be ready for pack transport training in the PONTYPOOL – PONTYPRIDD area by 3rd February. 11th DLI in particular were expected to move in by 23rd January.
16th January 1942
The C.O. of 11th DLI and the Brigade Major visited the O.C. of the Indian Contingent, meeting a representative of D.M.T. (? Department of Mountain Training) from the War Office. Provisional arrangements were to be reached for pack training to begin, as specified earlier. On arrival at HQ, South Wales District, it was however found that neither the District HQ, nor Western Command, had any knowledge of the arrangements, nor were Western Command prepared then to agree, even in principle, to the Pembroke Dock and LLANELLY Battalions being removed from those locations for training, without relief. The situation, therefore, remained uncertain.
20th January 1942
Information was received from the D.M.T. Branch of the War Office that Pack Training was, after all, to begin soon after 23rd January 1942, each Battalion moving in turn to PONTYPOOL for a period of three weeks and then returning to its permanent station. Brigade HQ and 187 Field Ambulance would be trained in a similar way. This system of training has presumably been necessitated by the operational inadvisability of removing LLANELLY and Pembroke Dock Battalions permanently from those places without relief being made available.
21st January 1942
Orders were received for 366 Field Battery to move to LAUNCESTON, Cornwall, there to be incorporated into 178 Field Regiment, the newly formed Field Regiment for 49th Division.
The Advance Party from 11th DLI moved to PONTYPOOL.
22nd January 1942
Major Packard, GSO2 (o) Iceland Force, visited Brigade HQ to discuss the future of 49th Division and of 70th Infantry Brigade. He later visited 10th DLI and 1st TS.
23rd January 1942
11th DLI, less a small rear party left at LLANION BARRACKS, Pembroke Dock, moved to PONTYPOOL. 366 Field Battery moved to LAUNCESTON.
24th January 1942
The Brigade Commander visited the War Office on his way back from leave.
A message was received from HQ, South Wales District, ordering 10th DLI, less one Company, to move, on 29th January, in relief of 10th Royal Marines to FISHGUARD, with one Company to TRECWN 415555(reference O.S. Map Sheet 86).
25th January 1942
Brigadier P. Kirkup resumed command of 70th Infantry Brigade.
26th January 1942
The Brigade Commander and the O.C. 10th DLI visited FISHGUARD to reconnoitre accommodation etc. for 10th DLI. The Brigadier found the accommodation and general facilities most unsuitable – indeed 10th Royal Marines were in fact leaving FISHGUARD to secure more opportunities for training.
The District Commander arrived in FISHGUARD at 14:30 hours and conferred with the Brigade Commander. It was then decided that 10th DLI should not move to FISHGUARD but that, in order to clear YSTRAD CAMP, to enable work on the Camp to continue without interruption, the Battalion should move to LLANION BARRACKS, Pembroke Dock, until 14th February, when they would move on to PONTYPOOL for Pack Training, changing places with 11th DLI.
At the same time, the Brigade Commander decided to move Brigade HQ to CARMARTHEN. This move, and that of 10th DLI, to take place on 30th January.
70th Infantry Brigade Training Instruction No 1 was issued and a copy attached to the War Diary as Appendix A. (See below for details of this document).
30th January 1942
Brigade HQ moved from Taliaris, LLANDILO to YSTRAD CAMP, CARMARTHEN. The latter was vacated by 10th DLI who moved to LLANION BARRACKS, Pembroke Dock, in place of 11th DLI, who were training with a Pack Transport Company of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps at PONTYPOOL.
A conference was held at Brigade HQ to discuss various questions, such as the posting of Officers. Major Melville of A.G. (2) Branch at the War Office attended.
The administrative position at the end of the month was as follows:-
Leave
As 80% of the personnel of the Brigade were granted 14 days’ disembarkation leave on December 31st only skeleton parties were in occupation of Camps for the first half of January, and this period was devoted to essential routine duties and administrative work in connection with new quarters.
Accommodation
The main difficulty lay in YSTRAD CAMP which was occupied by 10th DLI on their arrival on 6th January. This hutted Camp was far from complete in respect of hutting, cookhouses and roads, and immediate steps were taken to push on with the work. Unfortunately, the two Pioneer Corps Companies concerned were withdrawn owing to lack of accommodation. As this Battalion was granted leave from 10-24th January it was hoped that the Camp would be completed in their absence, but further labour was not forthcoming until the end of the month and in the meantime heavy rains had reduced the Camp to a very muddy condition. This Camp was occupied on 30th January by Brigade HQ on the temporary removal of 10th DLI to LLANION BARRACKS, Pembroke Dock. Accommodation did not present the same difficulties with other units.
Transport
Issues of 25% War Establishment in new and part-used vehicles was made to Brigade HQ, Brigade Signal Section, 1st TS and 11th DLI from Ordnance Depots. Collection of the Brigade’s transport from vehicle ships showed many vehicles in an unserviceable condition with tools and equipment pilfered (it will be remembered that vehicles loaded in Iceland were to have been fully equipped and serviced before departure).
Arms
Many deficiencies, especially in Brens and Mortars due to withdrawals in Iceland, exist. These have been duly reported to higher authority.
Appendix A – Brigade Training Instruction No 1 dated 26th January 1942 (More than likely heavily influenced by the discussions with the War Office and the Indian Centre in January).
Training Policy
It is still the War Office intention that 49 Division shall be trained a Mountain Division by April, although it is impossible to give a precise indication of where the Division is likely to be employed, if engaged in Mountain Warfare. It is, moreover, safe to say that, after April, if a Division is required for operations in a mountainous country, 49 Division will be the first choice; at the same time if any Divisions are required for operations of the “normal type” it might similarly be called upon.
Hence, although it is intended that the Division should be capable of operating as an ordinary Division, training in Mountain Warfare must receive primary consideration until further notice; and in view of the urgency for collective Mountain Warfare training, individual training must take second place, although, in view of the difficulty in reaching suitable training areas, there should still be plenty of opportunity for this.
1. The scope of Mountain Warfare Training
(a) Training will be continued on the same lines as hitherto. Battalions will be organised for Mountain Warfare training in accordance with Appendix E to D.M.T. notes on Pack Transport, battle replacements training with their Platoons. (copies are being forwarded)
(b) On the North West Frontier, 75% of tactics is concerned with the establishment, defence and withdrawal of comparatively isolated picquets of the strength of one Platoon or less for the reason that all opposition is of the “guerrilla type”. But in our operations, we will meet organised and concentrated opposition, supported by modern weapons, and when the ground is suitable, this will often necessitate moving complete units and even formations along or over the high ground which commands routes of strategic importance. The securing of the high ground and the subsequent advance along it in the face of enemy opposition should therefore be regarded as a normal role. Although there is much to learn from the tactics of the North West Frontier exercises should normally be on a Battalion or Company basis, rather than on a Platoon basis.
(c) It must not be thought from the above that piquetting will never have to be resorted to. It will often be necessary both to protect transport which cannot leave the valley and the Line of Communication. When it is done, however, the task should be considered in terms of Companies rather than of isolated Platoon piquets. The retention of part of the Company as a Mobile reserve will almost always be necessary.
(d) Pending detailed instructions as to the exact method to be used in the “red flag” system of withdrawal of picquets, units will experiment with the system laid down in para 4 of Appendix A of this HQ letter 221/G dated 27 November 1941.
2. Training Mountain Warfare Facilities
(a) It is expected that each Battalion will in future carry out training with Pack Transport Companies in the PONTYPOOL area.
(b) Areas in which Battalions will be stationed both before and after their tour of Pack Transport Companies are still under consideration. In some places it may be found that good Mountain Warfare Training Areas do not exist in the immediate vicinity and Motor Transport will be necessary to reach them. An allotment of a Section (carrying one Battalion) of a Motor Coach Company has been made to the Brigade twice a week. This will be sub-allotted to Battalions in turn with priority to any one which has the furthest distance to travel. By pooling Battalion Motor Transport it should also be possible to send out one Company, and sometimes two, daily.
3. Training in Operational Role
All Battalions will exercise their Mobile Column Companies in an operational role at least twice per month. In addition, each Battalion will, by the end of February, use its troop carrying transport to practise the whole Battalion in a tactical Motor Transport move as a Mobile Reserve. Attention is directed to M.T.P.47 and 23 Pt. X.
4. Exercises
(a) The Brigade Commander will set the last exercise in each Battalion’s Pack Training Course at PONTYPOOL.
(b) The following dates should be kept clear for Command and G.H.Q. Exercises –
a. 28 February – 2 March. Command Invasion Exercise.
b. 7 – 8 March. District Exercise with troops (affects 1st TS and 11th DLI).
c. 8 – 14 March. G.H.Q. Home Forces Exercise.
d. 28 – 29 March. District Exercise.
5. Snow Training
Although the practical side of this form of training will normally be impossible, the subject will be included in lectures, the fullest use being made of those Officers and NCOs who have attended the “Winter Warfare School”.
6. Weapon Training
The general standard of weapon training in the Brigade is, through unavoidable circumstances, far below what it should be. Every opportunity therefore will be taken of range firing for rifles, L.M.Gs., S.M.Gs. and pistols, and of field firing for mortars and Anti-Tank Rifles. Any available range will be used to maximum capacity until all ranks have fired Range Courses (War) for Rifle and L.M.G. and reached the 2nd Class Standard, as defined in Appendix M to Army Training Memorandum 40.
Weapon Training will take priority of all forms of training except collective Mountain Warfare Training.
7. Co-operation with other troops and Civil Defence Services.
(a) Sub-area commanders are holding occasional anti-invasion exercises to exercise Static Defence Regular troops, Home Guard and Civil Defence Services. Units will be required to co-operate in these exercises, which will usually be held on Saturdays and Sundays. The “clear day” must then be some other day, Church Services being attended on Sunday evening. The Commander, Severn Sub-Area is holding two exercises of this nature on 22nd February and 5th April in which 1st TS will co-operate.
(b) All unit commanders and detached sub-unit commanders are responsible that they know personally local Home Guard commanders and Heads of Civil Defence Services; and give them every possible assistance in the form of advice, lectures, demonstrations, umpires and the rest.
8. Field Works
The attention of all commanders is drawn to Supplement No 3 to Infantry Training 1937. The design of these new type field defences must be taught to all men immediately. The Brigade Commander therefore directs that one of each type of “trench” (Figs 1 – 5 in pamphlet) should be dug by each Company as a specimen.
9. Marking of HQ
It is essential that at all times HQ be properly marked with direction arrows and notice boards, so that visiting Officers, Liaison Officers and Despatch Riders are able to find HQ, by day and night, with the minimum of delay. The security risk involved must be accepted.
10. Security
Prevention of access to HQ by unauthorised persons must be a matter of constant concern to all ranks. To stimulate interest and check existing measures, a “security check” will be held for each unit when another selected unit will be called upon.
(i) To attempt to gain unauthorised entry to the HQ in normal times. (ii)To raid the HQ when it is at a state of vigilance to be expected after receipt of operational code words.
Details will be notified later.
11. Training Programmes
Will continue to be rendered in the form already in use. They will reach this HQ by 12:00 hours on Friday of each week.
Signed by Major K. Roper – Brigade Major.
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