10th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, War Diary September 1939

It is appropriate to begin the sequence of War Diaries for this Battalion with the first few days of September 1939 recorded within the War Diary of 6th Battalion – the “parent” Battalion of the 10th.

1st September 1939

At 14:30 hours the telegram notifying embodiment of the Battalion was received, followed at 14:50 hours by a telephone call from 151st Brigade HQ instructing that mobilisation should commence.

By 15:30 hours the “Notices to Join” had been despatched to personnel and posters notifying mobilisation had been displayed. The telegram confirming the order to mobilise was not received until 20:10 hours that evening.

2nd September 1939

At 10:00 hours and 11:10 hours respectively the Advance and Main Parties left Crook for Darlington. At 12:10 hours D Company reported that they were in position at the Plaza Cinema, Darlington as First-Line Troops under the Civil Defence Scheme.

At 17:00 hours a progress report on 10th Battalion was made to 50th Division (the “parent” Division) to the effect that 10 Officers and 351 Other Ranks had reported for duty, and that Embodiment processes had been completed in respect of 300 of them, with a thorough medical examination having been completed on 150.

3rd September 1939

At 15:02 hours the “War” telegram was received.

The progress report to Division on the progress of 10th Battalion at 17:00 hours was that Embodiment was completed, 10 Officers and 427 Other Ranks had reported and Medicals had been completed on all Officers and 391 of the soldiers.

The 10th Battalion Diary states that they were concentrated at Spennymoor, with a Company at Crook.

4th September 1939

The progress report to Division at 17:00 hours was that, in respect of 6th Battalion, 31 Officers and 628 Other Ranks had reported, with 6th Battalion now concentrated at Bishop Auckland and Barnard Castle, with D Company at Darlington on Civil Defence Duties. 10th Battalion was reported as being concentrated at Spennymoor and Crook.

The 10th Battalion Diary confirms this and mentions that Battalion HQ was at Spennymoor Drill Hall.

5th September 1939

6th Battalion commenced individual training and their War Diary makes no further specific mention of 10th Battalion.

The 10th Battalion War Diary states that individual training proceeded for the rest of the month under Company arrangements.

18th September 1939

A Farewell Dinner was held to commemorate the establishment of the 10th Battalion.

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