70th Infantry Brigade War Diary January 1940.
70 Brigade War Diary January 1940
4th January 1940
Capt C.M.L. McCoy, the Adjutant of the 10th Battalion visited the B.E.F. for four days, during which time Lt T.G. Wilkinson from 70 Brigade HQ took over the duties of 10th Bn Adjutant.
5th January 1940
The Brigadier attended a lecture on Army and Air Co-operation at Divisional HQ.
6th January 1940
Lt G.L. Robson of 10th Bn, and Lt R.A. Westray of 11th Bn, each accompanied by three Other Ranks of their Battalions visited FRANCE to join a unit in the B.E.F. for 4 weeks.
8th January 1940
A CQMS Brigade Course commenced under the direction of Major Sebag-Montefiore.
9th January 1940
Lt W.P. Astley and 20 other ranks proceeded on Draft M.45 to SOUTHAMPTON.
10th January 1940
Brigadier Kirkup and his Staff Captain (Capt Trail) went to OXFORDSHIRE to observe a 50th Division exercise.
12th January 1940
There was a visit by the GII and GIII of the Chemical Warfare staff to Brigade HQ and 10th and 11th Battalions.
An 11th DLI Battalion Sergeants’ dance was held in STANLEY.
13th January 1940
Lt J.W. Beaumont left the Brigade for transfer to 9th Bn DLI.
15th January 1940
Lt W. B. Kirkup (not known at this stage whether this Officer was any relation of the Brigadier’s) joined 11th Bn DLI and was made Brigade Motor Transport Officer.
Lt Wilkinson relinquished the Adjutant’s duties on the return of Capt McCoy from France.
17th January 1940
Lt Col Hare – G.S.O.1 of 23rd Division lectured all Officers of the three Battalions on “Modern Conditions of War” at Pelaw Welfare Hall.
Night Patrol work was undertaken by both 10th and 12th Battalions.
The Brigade Major (Capt Fillingham) visited the 151st brigade in Oxfordshire.
Over the period 20th to 22nd January the severest frost in the North for many years was followed by heavy snow, which caused the night operations of 10th and 12th Battalions to be cancelled on 24th January.
Lt Col Bland, Assistant Provost Marshal, lectured the Officers of all three Battalions on “Work Tickets” in Pelaw Welfare Hall. (It is assumed that the subject dealt with the control of transport).
26th January 1940
An Indoor Exercise for all Battalion Commanders, Adjutants and Intelligence Officers took place at Brigade HQ.
27th January 1940
It was reported that Officer numbers within 10th Battalion DLI were now greatly depleted. The I.T.C. at Brancepeth helped with this manpower shortage.
29th January 1940
An Air Raid was experienced at SOUTH SHIELDS between 1100 and 0500. Anti-Aircraft fire was heard, shipping was attacked, but no damage was sustained.
A Brigade Motor Transport Course commenced at Lambton Stables supervised by the Brigade M.T.O., Lt Kirkup, and involving eight NCOs per Battalion.
An NCOs course at Jubilee Hall was supervised by Lt T.G. Wilkinson.
Civil Defence Scheme – attached to War Diary
Operation Instructions No.2 Dated 8th January 1940
This document was the Brigade set of Instructions, intended to be used in conjunction with the 23rd Division and Area Civil Defence Scheme dated 19th October 1939. Unfortunately, that document does not appear to have survived – as will be seen from the 23rd Division War Diary, the pages for October 1939 are missing.
The document begins with identifying the relevant maps to which it relates – namely Sheets 1 and 3 of the ¼” O.S. map and Sheets 7 and 11 of the 1” O.S. Map.
The document is laid out in the normal Army format of; Information (Enemy and Own Troops), Intention, Method, Administration, Intercommunication and Acknowledgment. Such documents can paint a useful picture of what the Brigade was expected to do, with what, and how. It will be appreciated that, at the time, these papers were securely locked away as Secret material.
Information – Enemy.
Intelligence suggested that; the Germans had sufficient marine transport to embark about one Division to land in the UK, had about 4,000 paratroopers, with the capacity to land 1,000 in one operation, and possessed about 1,000 civilian transport aircraft each capable of taking 15 soldiers – presumably fully armed and equipped.
Own Troops
The RAF were arranging for all available aircraft to be turned on to deal with any enemy landing by parachute, aircraft or marine transport.
42nd Division were tasked with dealing with any enemy invasion affecting Northumberland, Durham or the Northern half of Teesside (No 1 Northern Sector) while the area South of that, down to, and including, the East Riding of Yorkshire, made up No 2 Central Sector and was the responsibility of 49th Division. Detailed map references of the boundary between the Sectors were given.
The Divisional role was to initiate Operations immediately against any enemy invasion threat from land or sea.
Those troops within the confines of County Durham were described as the Durham Group, and were split into a First Line, a Group Reserve and an Area Reserve.
At the time the document was written the First Line (Civil Defence) Troops consisted of:-
Two Companies of 12th Battalion DLI at Gateshead.
One Field Battery from 125th Field Regiment Royal Artillery at Sunderland.
One Company from 10th Battalion DLI at South Shields.
One Company of 23rd Division Signals at Darlington.
The Group Reserve (Civil Defence) was made up of:-
The balance of 10th Battalion DLI at South Shields.
The balance of 12th Battalion DLI at Gateshead.
The balance of 125 Field Regiment Royal Artillery at Sunderland.
The Area Reserve (Civil Defence) consisted of:-
11th Battalion DLI – with HQ Company and one Company at Lambton Park, and one Company each at Chester-le-Street, Houghton-le-Spring and Sunderland.
Two Companies made up from the DLI Infantry Training Centre at Brancepeth Castle.
507th Field Company Royal Engineers, earmarked for ARP Duties, at Sunderland.
The balance of 23rd Divisional Signals at Darlington.
13th Battalion DLI with HQ at Low Fell and men guarding vulnerable points throughout the County.
Intention
The role of the units was expected to be to retain responsibility for Home Security as laid down in the 23rd Divisional Scheme (sadly missing from the files as indicated above).
This, however, was identified in the Brigade document as:-
Repelling and holding any enemy seaborne attack on the Durham Coast pending the arrival of other troops.
Dealing with any parachute attack within a given radius of unit HQs or at any point ordered.
Establishing traffic control posts to facilitate the movement of other troops.
Guarding certain defiles against sabotage.
Giving assistance to Civil Authorities in the evacuation of Refugees from coastal towns.
Method
The duties were expected to be carried out in accordance with the Civil Defence Scheme 1939.
Seaborne Attacks
Sectors were allotted for dealing with seaborne attacks and identified as Nos 1, 2 and 3 Sub-Sectors and made, respectively, the responsibility of 11th DLI, 125th Field Regiment and 10th DLI.
Commanders were expected to reconnoitre their areas to study the ground and identify routes – making appropriate reports and recommendations to Group HQ by 16th January (effectively giving them a week to carry out this work).
Airborne Attacks
11th DLI were tasked to deal with any air invasion up to 10 miles inland within the boundaries of the Sub-Sector they had been allotted in respect of seaborne attacks, and be prepared to move on foot or by motor transport as necessary.
125th Field Regiment and the 10th DLI were similarly tasked in respect of their Sub-Sectors, but only up to as far as four miles inland. The Company of 11th DLI based at Sunderland would be placed under the command of the Artillery Regiment for this purpose.
In the case of 12th DLI the Commander was to be prepared to deal with parachutists within four miles of the HQ at Teams, Gateshead.
The 4th Survey Regiment, Royal Artillery and the other Royal Engineers units would be retained in reserve.
13th DLI were expected to continue to guard the vulnerable points, and not evacuate them in the case of an airborne attack.
Traffic Control Points
Details had apparently already been notified to the units concerned and were not, therefore, detailed in these Instructions.
Evacuation of Refugees
This was clearly a Police responsibility and refugees would not be allowed to use roads earmarked for troop movements. Arrangements were, of course, available for Chief Constables to request military assistance through the Military Liaison Officer, should that prove necessary.
Ammunition
All formed bodies of troops away from their billets – for example on route marches or other training – were instructed always to carry fifty rounds per man.
Administration
The Instructions indicated that other administrative orders would be issued as necessary in the near future but that thirteen buses were being held at Chester-le-Street at six hours notice, for the use of the troops.
Intercommunication
This had been laid down in the Divisional Scheme and was not repeated, other than to re-emphasise the arrangements for liaison with HM Coastguard, which had already been the subject of a Brigade letter on 9th November 1939.
The Appendix to this No 2 Brigade Operation Instructions sets out the details of the locations and strengths of the various units identified, giving telephone numbers and street addresses and making the point that Companies would be rotated as regards their duties – certainly as far as the three DLI Battalions were concerned. The details were given in part so as to be able to identify where the buses to carry troops should report, if required.
Key items of information are as follows:-
First-Line
12th DLI A and B Companies 161 men
125 Fd Regt One Battery (no numbers given)
10th DLI A Company 75 men
23rd Div Signals - One Company (no numbers given)
Group Reserve
10th DLI - Bn HQ and HQ Company 192 men - B Company 73 men - C Company 72 men
12th DLI - Bn HQ and HQ Company 216 men - C Company 78 men - D Company 81 men
125th Field Regiment less one Battery (no numbers given).
Area Reserve
11th DLI - Bn HQ 18 men - HQ Company 178 men - A Company 80 men (shortly to move location). - C Company 100 men - D Company 67 men - B Company 78 men.
DLI ITC Two Companies (no numbers given).
507 Field Company Royal Engineers One Company on ARP Duties (no numbers given).
23rd Division Signals Three Companies (no numbers given).
13th DLI – (no numbers given but men all committed to Vulnerable Points).
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