187 Field Ambulance - War Diary June 1942
1st June 1942 St Clears.
08:00 hours. Lt Greenhill with RASC drivers left to collect balance of Unit Transport at Cross Keys. Check of G1098, and ? I1248 completed.
2nd June 1942
09:00 hours. Move to HUNTINGTON postponed from 5th/6th June to 7th/8th June. Transport collected. Now up to scale.
3rd June 1942
Routine.
4th June 1942
15:00 hours. Lt Slater attached to 10th Battalion DLI as relief Medical Officer. Move to new Camp fixed for Sunday 7th June.
5th June 1942
Routine.
6th June 1942
Routine.
7th June 1942
08:00 hours. Road Party departs for KINGTON, arrives 13:30 hours. (See Appendix 1).
09:50 hours. Train Party departs St Clears, arrives 16:25 hours.
17:00 hours KINGTON. Camp site visited by ADMS 49 Division.
8th June 1942
Routine.
9th June 1942
Rear Party arrives at KINGTON 17:00 hours.
10th June 1942 KINGTON
Routine training commenced.
11th June 1942
Routine. Warning Order received re Signal Conference June 12th/13th.
12th June 1942
11:00 hours. OC attended Umpires Conference at Brigade HQ.
15:00 hours. Exercise Charlie begins. Major W.L. Brown acting as OC. Lt Col Finegan Medical Umpire.
13th June 1942
08:00 hours. Exercise Charlie ends. Exercise useful in practicing the work of R Group and communication.
15:00 hours. Umpires Conference.
14th June 1942
10:00 hours. Brigade Commander’s Conference for all Officers taking part in Exercise. Court of Enquiry tomorrow on G 1098 equipment.
15th June 1942
Routine training. Still short of accommodation stores.
16th June 1942
A Company on day scheme. B Company on exercise with 10th DLI until 17th. Warning Order received about Brigade Exercise “DON” on 18th and 19th.
17th June 1942
Routine.
18th June 1942
14:00 hours. Brigade Exercise DON. Exercise with troops.
19th June 1942
13:00 hours. Exercise DON ends. The exercise was interesting and valuable. The Unit requires much more training in movement by road, particularly on; spacing, duties of vehicle commanders and look-out crews.
As to the medical side of their duties, there is a great lack of realism e.g. stables, barns etc are not cleaned out, syringes, instruments etc are not sterilised as they should be in war, ? ? not filled etc. Gas Defence is poor; traffic control in ? needs organising. A Drill for Action on receipt of Action Stations must be practiced and laid down. All this training is going to be difficult in view of ignorance of latest teaching and training by Officers and NCOs; also this training must be done in the midst of all departments of the Unit. Some progress has been made in the last six weeks but much remains to be done.
20th June 1942
Routine. Went to LEOMINSTER to reconnoitre Swimming Baths for men. Found that Work Ticket was not filled in properly. Another example of difficulty in in teaching proper methods of administration. Cause is the same as in other cases – ignorance of ACI’s, WCO’s etc and careless habits contracted in Iceland. Another difficulty is due to shortage of Officers – owing to reliefs of Regimental Medical Officers, embarkation leave and courses.
21st June 1942
Routine.
22nd June 1942
Routine.
23rd June 1942
06:00 hours. Skeleton Exercise – CRASSUS – begins. Rehearsal of operational role. As normal, little work for Field Ambulances.
24th June 1942
05:00 hours. Exercise CRASSUS ends. Conference at Divisional HQ at 17:15 hours.
25th June 1942
Routine.
26th June 1942
Unit visited by ADMS.
27th June 1942
10:00 hours. Cloth Model Conference on Combined Operations at Divisional HQ.
28th June 1942
Routine.
29th June 1942
Routine with Assault Boats.
30th June 1942
A and B Companies in exercise with 11th DLI – river crossing by night.
Appendices attached to War Diary 187th Field Anbulance June 1942.
Appendix 1 – Movement Instruction No 2 - date not stated but linked to Brigade Adm Instr 14 of 26th May
The document sets out the arrangements for moving the Field Ambulance from St CLEARS to the HUNTINGTON area on 7th/8th June 1942.
After loading baggage into lorries the Unit was to parade at 08:30 and march to St CLEARS Station for departure at 09:50 hours on 7th June – dress to be Field Service Marching Order. On arrival at KINGTON men were to parade by Companies and be guided (guide to be provided by Officer i/c Advance Party) to billets.
Rations for 7th/8th were to be collected on 6th June. Rations for 9th/10th were to be collected by the Advance Party on 8th June. Cooks lorry to leave early Sunday morning containing equipment and rations for Sunday and Monday – Cpl Mintz and Sgt Gray to travel with this vehicle. Remainder of Cooks to travel by rail.
The Rear Party was under the command of Captain Hanlan, Army Dental Corps and would deal with the clearance certificates etc and leave St CLEARS on the morning of 9th June.
Lieutenant (QM) Heatherington was to be responsible for baggage and supervise loading.
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