187 Field Ambulance - War Diary January 1944
2 January 1944 – Beccles.
First Aid courses of instruction to Officers and Other Ranks of 70th Infantry Brigade REME Workshop begun. Course for Other Ranks of 70th Infantry Brigade HQ begun.
3 January 1944 – Beccles.
Exercise IBEX – Brigade Commander’s Conference.
4 January 1944 – Beccles.
Exercise IBEX – briefing of Officers and NCO’s.
7 January 1944 – Beccles.
Exercise IBEX – briefing of men.
9 January 1944 – Beccles.
Exercise IBEX. Divisional Commander takes selected men of various Units over the ground.
C.O., two Officers and eight Other Ranks of 187 Field Ambulance take part. The Exercise has been useful and has cleared up many points about the method of briefing men for an operation and about the personnel to take part in briefing conferences.
10 January 1944 – Beccles.
Unit has been on War Documentation since January 1st.
Forms AFW 300 P and AFW 3009 G for 8th January 1944 are attached (to the War Diary – these are the manpower weekly returns and this explains why these papers were missing from the War Diary File until now) For details of the Returns see below.
Experimental loading of a new light scale is being practised on the basis of 9 3 ton lorries GS, 1 water truck, 6 heavy and 10 light ambulances, 12 motorcycles, 8 bicycles; as much as possible of G1098 and I 1248 equipment to be taken; all personnel to march and carry loaded stretchers and packs.
11 January 1944 – Beccles.
15:00 hours. Demonstration of new scale arranged for ADMS who agreed that such loading possible, but that both mobility and cover were reduced. It is understood that an increase of at least one 3 ton lorry GS is essential.
13 January 1944 – Beccles.
09:30 hours. Brigade Commanders Training Conference.
17 – 18 January 1944 – Beccles.
Exercise Forrard. Field Firing Exercise – co-operation of Tanks and Infantry.
19 January 1944 – Beccles.
14:45 hours. Premature explosion of 5.5 inch shell killed three and seriously wounded four members of gun crew of 79 Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery during Exercise Forrard.
22 January 1944 – Beccles.
10:00 hours. Signal Exercise for all Medical Units at 146 Field Ambulance.
Examination of Stretcher Bearers of 10th DLI at Redisham Hall. Result was very satisfactory.; all men showed sound knowledge of First Aid both theoretical and practical.
23 January 1944 – Beccles.
10:30 hours. Conference ADMS at Divisional HQ on assault equipment.
24 January 1944 – Beccles.
Proposed visit of DDMS cancelled.
17:00 hours. Night training programme begins. Period 24 – 30 January is to be spent on night training, routine to be altered so that sleep is taken by day.
28 January 1944 – Beccles.
Unit Exercise.
20:00 hours. Warning Order re. change of location.
29 January 1944 – Beccles.
09:00 hours. Recce Party leaves for Thetford.
10:00 hours. Recce Party of 186 Field Ambulance arrives at Redisham Hall.
31 January 1944 – Beccles.
Preparation for change of location.
Appendices attached to the January 1944 War Diary.
Field Returns for both Officers and Other Ranks dated 8th January 1944.
The Return showed an establishment of 232 NCO’s and men with all posts filled – the Unit being up to strength. In addition there were 1 Corporal and 2 Privates of the RAMC plus 3 Drivers and 1 Mechanic of the RASC included as Home Details additional to the War Establishment total of 232.
The Officer Return showed an establishment of 13 with one surplus Medical Officer, making a total of 14 in post. There were no changes during the week.
The list of Officers was as follows:-
T/Lt Col J.A. Finegan RAMC Officer Commanding T/Major J. O’Kane RAMC Company Commander T/Major B.F. Longbotham RAMC Company Commander (away on a Course) Captain J. Slater RAMC Company Commander Captain D. Struthers RAMC Medical Officer Captain W.M. Mason RAMC Medical Officer – detached as RMO 11th DLI Captain A. Lyell RAMC Medical Officer Captain M.P. Lewis RAMC Medical Officer Captain J.J. McPartland RAMC Medical Officer Captain E.R. Hanlan Army Dental Corps T/Captain R.H. Hill RASC Transport Officer Lieut J. Tattersall RAMC Quartermaster Lieut S.J. Brighton RAMC Stretcher Bearer Officer Lieut S. Capon RAMC Stretcher Bearer Officer. Captain W. Coupe RAChD Attached as Unit Chaplain.
These details, together with the other information on the Return will be included within the Unit’s list of names on its Main Page of the Website.
Field Returns for both Other Ranks and Officers dated 15th January 1944.
The Officer return shows a surplus of one Captain and a deficiency of one Lieutenant Stretcher Bearer Officer as Lt Capon had left the Unit during the week – the faintness of the text on the form means we do not know to where he was posted.
The Other Ranks Return continues to show the strength as up to War Establishment.
Field Returns for both Other Ranks and Officers dated 22nd January 1944.
The Officer Return showed no further changes from those earlier.
The Other Ranks Return is mentioned below.
Field Return for Other Ranks dated 29 January 1944.
The Other Ranks Return showed a surplus of 1 Corporal and 6 Privates/Drivers against the establishment of 232. It is almost certain that these are the Home Details, identified separately in an earlier return.
One Corporal was shown attached to 35 Field Hygiene Section in excess of the War Establishment.
Three men were identified as requested to be returned to the Unit (all having been Y-listed) as follows:-
Pte E.T. Hill 7369574 Pte G. Eccles 7369542 Dvr F.G. Tee T/197425
These three, plus another Driver were listed on the equivalent Return for 15th January but the faintness of the copy made interpretation more difficult. The Return for 22nd January identifies the fourth man as Driver R. Milne T/197968.
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