70th Infantry Brigade War Diary July 1940.

70th Brigade War Diary July 1940

The entries for July are extremely limited – the files at The National Archives make no reference to this month – and the following information was extracted from the papers for July.

6th July 1940

A message to move the Brigade to the South Coast was received on 6th July 1940.

The Brigade HQ was to be located at TOTNES, with 1st TS based at MODBURY, 10th DLI at BISHOPSTEIGNTON and 11th DLI at HALWELL.

The front to be covered by the Brigade stretched from the River YEALM to the River EXE. Clear instructions were that all positions were to be held to the last man, with no withdrawal.

24th July 1940

Brigadier Kirkup was given command of the South Devon Sub-Area, stretching from the River ERNE to LYME REGIS with a total of 12,158 men under his command, including 70th Brigade itself. (It will be appreciated that this scale of responsibility amounted to virtually a Divisional Command.)

The Brigadier had operational command of the Area with his HQ positioned at NEWCOURT TOPSHAM.

Although 70th Brigade had now ceased to be an Independent Mobile Brigade, the old title was still used.

1st TS held the line from NEWTON FERRERS to START POINT,

11th DLI covered the area from START POINT to DARTMOUTH and

10th DLI was responsible for the stretch from SHALDON to DAWLISH WARREN.

The South Devon Area was one of varied coastline with cliffs, open beaches and shelving seabed – with deep water close in to shore.

Defence works during July, August and half September took up all the units’ energies. Pillboxes were built, with contractor assistance, but the Brigade’s men cut trenches, dugouts and wired the beaches themselves….”this work proceeded apace, sandy beach soil being mere child’s play to men accustomed to the adamant substances connected with their peacetime labours”.

The work was strenuous and included laying miles of barbed wire.

The Brigade’s Officers “displayed considerable ingenuity in arranging camouflage for the freshly constructed works”. Some defences could be hidden easily but others could not, and some pillboxes were constructed to look like other buildings – such as cafes, shelters, ice-cream kiosks and toilets. (Reference to this phenomenon can be found within the Archives of the Defence of Britain Project.)

There was a record spell of fine weather during the Summer of 1940, which assisted the work programme and also gave the welcome opportunity for frequent bathing parties.

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