125th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, War Diary June 1940

1 June 1940 – Sunderland

03:15 hours. Unidentified plane observed flying low over sea. Suspected of mine-laying. Reported to Roker Battery.

Brigade Major and Intelligence Officer 163 Infantry Brigade visited Regimental HQ. General Officer commanding 54th Division had conference with Commanding Officer.

16:00 hours. Captain J W Wilson and rear party 295 Field Battery reported for duty from Wark Camp.

18:00 hours. Captain W Mc B Greenwell proceeded to LLANDRIDNOD WELLS for No. 3 Course OCTU.

2 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. G.S.O.1 – 54 Division visited Regimental HQ.

Major Kennard, Royal Engineers, had conference with Commanding Officer regarding concrete emplacements at Posts.

Commanding Officer and Liaison Officer recced for establishing guards over Italian ships at DUNSTAN.

The following men were employed as Emergency Cooks at LEEDS Sporting Centre – British Expeditionary Force Evacuation Scheme :-

946535 Gunner Hall F

911862 Gunner Brook C W

924614 Gunner Smith T

913851 Gunner Proctor S

3 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. Commanding Officer attended CO’s Conference at 163 Brigade HQ.

23rd Division Details under Major Smythe took over defensive Posts Nos. 9, 10, 11 and 12.

Brigadier Mosley and Brigade Major 163 Infantry Brigade visited HQ.

• Plane heard from Posts on Coast travelling northerly direction. No navigation lights visible.

5 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. Major S W Milburn M.C. Royal Artillery, C.O. 2 posted to 122nd OCTU SCARBOROUGH.

6 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. General Officer Commanding 54th Division visited Regimental HQ and discussed defensive scheme with reference to danger from Tank attack.

7 June 1940 – Sunderland

23:50 hours. Air Raid Warning received – Posts fully manned all the time – ALL CLEAR sounded 23:55 hours.

9 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. C.O. and Officers visited HQ 163rd Infantry Brigade for a demonstration on the use of petrol bombs.

10 June 1940 – Sunderland

10:00 hours. Six 4.5 Howitzers fired 4 rounds Troop fire 30 seconds from area opposite Concert Hall, Seaburn. Target – anchored buoy with large flag at 60 degree grid, 1 ½ miles from ROKER lighthouse.

12 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. Police reported to Post 10 suspicious motorist possibly in district and requesting detention if found. All posts warned. Motorist dressed as Clergyman, driving Opel car AUW 117.

14 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. Captain T Donkin reported appearance of stationary light in vicinity of Moor Lane, WHITBURN. Matter reported to SUNDERLAND Police and investigation proceeded.

15 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. Two Director Pickets established between 22:00 hours 15 June and 03:30 hours 16 June to take cross-bearings on any suspicious lights. Nothing reported. Ground haze obstructed visibility.

16 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. Church of England Church Parade and other Denominations for those not employed on defensive duties.

17 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. 125 Field Regiment Royal Artillery conducted first shoot on WHITBURN Rifle Range. 5 rounds .303 application and 5 rounds rapid fire.

18 June 1940 – Sunderland

22:00 hours. Gun-fire heard from South. Intermittent gunfire reports throughout the night. Two troops (8 guns) moved into position in area QUARRY (8479) to assist in beach defence.

19 June 1940 – Sunderland

03:45 hours. Roker Battery telephoned. “Heavy air raid may be expected from 04:30 onwards”. All posts fully manned. No action took place.

22:20 hours. Gun-fire heard from No. 1 Post.

23:40 hours. Air Raid Warning sounded.

23:50 hours. Anti-aircraft gunfire seen towards South.

20 June 1940 – Sunderland

02:50 hours. ALL CLEAR sounded.

21 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. No. 900724 Gunner Carling F and No. 910830 Gunner Carney C W attended Army School of Hygiene MYTCHETT for Course Serial Nos. 12 (C ) and 12 (D).

23:35 hours. Air Raid Warning sounded. 9 High Explosive bombs dropped in area Bents Cottages WHITBURN. Parachutists reported descending but later proved to be puffs of anti-aircraft smoke drifting down past Barrage Balloons. Reports being so persistent armed party of 6 Other Ranks under 2/Lieut M Goodyear patrolled area North of Drill Hall to WHITBURN.

22 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. 15 Other Ranks transferred and attached on probation to No. 5 Centre CLEETHORPES. For details see Appendix A below.

857299 Lance Bombardier Randall N W and 923091 Gunner Hill R J B admitted to NEWCASTLE Royal Infirmary with injuries of a serious nature incurred in road accident. Slight injuries were also sustained in the same accident by 925899 Gunner Donkin F and 946557 Gunner Hutton W.

24 June 1940 – Sunderland

18:00 hours. 923109 Gunner McKenzie G and 915184 Bombardier Scales A J relegated to Class W (T) T.A. Reserve.

27 June 1940 – Sunderland

00:40 hours. Small incendiary bombs in considerable numbers dropped by enemy aircraft in the area WHITBURN – SEABURN (8981). Damage to personnel NIL. A few fires were started which were soon under control. No public Air Raid Warning sounded.

28 June 1940 – Sunderland

23:55 HOURS. Message received from Roker Battery “Hostile aircraft are to be expected during night – all precautions should be taken”. All posts manned as usual.

29 June 1940 – Sunderland

00:10 hours. Unidentified plane heard at 00:10 – 00:30 – 04:05 travelling South to North. Some anti-aircraft fire and two explosions heard in direction of NEWCASTLE.

30 June 1940 – Sunderland

00:08 hours. Message from ROKER Battery “Hostile aircraft in vicinity”.

00:15 hours. Red warning received by Auxiliary Fire Service Station near Post 2. Confirmed by Police 00:35 hours.

00:30 hours. Aircraft heard approaching from sea. Plane not observed.

03:20 hours. Dull explosion heard from seaward direction.

03:50 hours. Anti-aircraft gunfire heard North West direction.

23:16 hours. 4 signal flashes observed in Cemetery Dykelands Road – bearing 37 degrees from Battery Observation Post FULWELL. Confirmed by second Observation Post. Armed party under 2/Lieut M Goodyear made search, but with no result. Civil Police informed.

Appendix attached to June 1940 War Diary for 125 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.

Appendix A – list of men transferred on probation to No. 5 Centre, Cleethorpes.

909461 Gunner Cummin M

909464 Gunner Lindsay T

923095 Gunner Bradley J

912484 Gunner Carlisle E G

910847 Gunner Errington R.

921594 Gunner Harvey E W

915156 Gunner Bailes R

918696 Gunner Davis T

923094 Gunner Gash R H

916822 Gunner Langley J

914457 Gunner Langley W

919813 Gunner Marrin R

902418 Gunner Marsden W

915154 Gunner Pratt T V

923040 Gunner Stephenson E

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