143rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. War Diary July 1941
1 July 1941 Alafoss, Iceland.
386 Battery Scheme. Weather very wet.
2 July 1941
RHQ exercise. Conference during afternoon. 20 reinforcements finally arriving RHQ.
386 and 366 Batteries ordered to vacate respective Camps by July 7th. Weather fine.
3 July 1941
Adjutant recce’s new area for tented Camp with Captain Bailey. G.O.C. present at 507 Battery firing at SANSKEID. Weather fine. Leave Party G from 386 Battery arrived.
4 July 1941
Conference at Force HQ re move to training area. Weather fine.
5 July 1941
New Camp area in course of preparation. 366 Battery field firing exercise at SANSKEID. Weather showery.
6 July 1941 GEITHALS.
RHQ and 386 Battery, less 1 Troop, and 366 battery 140 Field Regiment move out of hutted Camps to new tented areas in course of day. Weather showery.
19:30 hours. Communications from new RHQ opened.
7 July 1941
366 Field Battery move into tented Camp. Yeomanry House and GUIVATN CAMP handed over to Commandant Royal Engineers (Works). Advance Parties of relieving Force arrive in ICELAND. Weather showery, close.
8 July 1941
Advance Parties of reinforcements landed and went over Camps. Weather showery.
9 July 1941 GEITHALS.
70th Infantry Brigade Exercise at SANSKEID. RHQ and 3 Batteries took part. Battery Sergeant Major Philpin under arrest for drunkenness. Weather wet.
Yeomanry House Camp and White House Camp and GUIVATN CAMP handed over to Americans.
10 July 1941
Nothing of importance. Weather wet.
11 July 1941
04:00 hours. Force Signal exercise commenced.
16:30 hours. Force Signal Exercise ends. RHQ moved to PACKWAY CAMP. Leave Party F returns. Weather fine.
12 July 1941
Leave Party G leaves for UK. Weather fine and warm.
13 July 1941
Nothing of importance. Weather fine.
14 July 1941
Rehearsal for 147 Brigade Field Firing Exercise. Very wet all day.
15 July 1941
Nothing of importance all day. Overcast, warm. Rain at night.
RA lectures Redesdale Camp. Major Buxton Adjutant in place of Captain Marshall going as Brigade Major Royal Artillery to relieve Major Armitage on leave.
16 July 1941
147 Infantry Brigade Field Firing Exercise Sanskeid. Weather overcast.
17 July 1941
Nothing of importance. Weather fine after 10:00 hours.
18 July 1941
09:30 hours. Court of Enquiry – 366 Battery losses coming from England. Rain at night. Fine in day.
19 July 1941
Nothing of importance. Fine.
20 July 1941 GEITHALS, REDESDALE CAMP.
RHQ moved to bivouac in neighbourhood REDESDALE CAMP for Force Exercise No. 6. Weather cold, little rain, wind.
21 July 1941
Force Exercise No. 6 commenced 00:01 hours. Weather cold, some rain, wind.
22 July 1941
14:30 hours. Force Exercise No. 6 concludes 14:30 hours (about) and RHQ returned GEITHALS 15:00 hours. Very wet and windy afternoon and night. Marquee down.
23 July 1941
17:30 hours. Conference on Force Exercise No. 6 17:30 hours. Cold and wet.
24 July 1941
Leave Party H left to embark. Cold, wet and windy.
25 July 1941
Nothing of importance. Some rain.
26 July 1941
Tents I.P. changed to Bell Tents at RHQ Camp.
F Troop 507 Battery moved to REDESDALE CAMP.
B Troop 366 Battery moved to PACKWAY CAMP.
27 July 1941
Lt Col F N Richardson to Borganes. Major S F Buxton in command of the Regiment in his absence.
28 July 1941
Nothing of importance. Fine.
29 July 1941
Fine. Nothing important.
30 July 1941
Nothing important. Fine. Warning Order 386 Battery to move.
31 July 1941
386 Battery less A Troop moved from Alafoss. WHITE HORSE CAMP at GEITHALS. Tactical role at Alafoss taken over by U.S. Marine Corps.
C.O. returned. Weather bad.
To contact the author by e-mail with any queries, or to send information - click here.
