1st Tyneside Scottish February 1940

War Diary 1 TS February 1940

1st February 1940

2/Lt J.K. Dunn appointed Salvage Officer.

Sgt Wardle departed on Rangetakers’ Course for 14 days at Fenham Barracks.

Major Oxley and RSM Williams attached to I.T.C. Perth for three days to 2nd February.

2nd February 1940

Pte Callaghan transferred to 70th Brigade HQ and struck off Battalion strength. (Each Battalion provided a number of what might be termed “support staff” for Brigade Headquarters.)

4th February 1940

2/Lts Dunn, Brennan and Bell proceeded on a Divisional Course held at the Scotch Corner Hotel for two weeks.

Captain J. Dempster, 2/Lt Angus and L/Sgt Marron proceeded on Course H 5 at the Small Arms School, Hythe for a month from 5th February.

5th February 1940

Pte Hamilton transferred to 1 TS from the I.T.C. Seaforth Highlanders, and Pte Todhunter was transferred in to 1 TS from the Royal Army Service Corps.

6th February 1940

Seven men – all with DLI Regimental numbers – were transferred to the 13th Battalion, DLI. (This was the local Home Defence Battalion which had been created from the 41st National Defence Company and which would be the natural destination for those serving soldiers who were older than average or possibly less physically fit).

11th February 1940

Two Officers returned to 1 TS from Courses at the Army Gas Schools – 2/Lt Calderwood at Tregantle and 2/Lt Cohen from Winterbourne Gunner.

13th February 1940

Five men – all with DLI Regimental numbers – were transferred out of the unit. One to the 52nd Division Royal Engineers and four to the 52nd Division Royal Army Service Corps.

On this day special permission was received for the 1st Tyneside Scottish to be allowed to recruit locally direct to the unit from those of Scots descent living on Tyneside – special preference was given to those whose fathers had served in the Tyneside Scottish Brigade in the First World War. (As the time passed a stream of local recruits are enlisted via the local Recruiting Centre and given Black Watch Regimental Numbers on being immediately posted to the unit).

17th February 1940

L/Sgt Hanson and Cpl Smith were posted to the unit from I.T.C. Perth.

18th February 1940

Capt Croft, Capt Burr, 2/Lt Cohen and Sgt Hall all proceeded on a fortnight’s Platoon Leader’s Course held at the Divisional School at the Scotch Corner Hotel.

19th February 1940

Pte J. Maughan was enlisted direct and posted to the unit.

A week’s Course on Message Writing and Carrying, Map Reading, Organisation and General Training was organised by the Intelligence Officer and his Section for the Battalion Runners.

20th February 1940

Pte J. Bailey was discharged “free” as from 24th February - being urgently required in civilian life. (This process was sometimes described as “combing-out” and was used where troops were considered inherently more valuable in their civilian employment than in uniform. Some industries experienced shortages of skilled manpower as a result of men volunteering for service.)

22nd February 1940

Pte John Nellis 2759571 was recruited direct to the unit. (Subsequent checks by the Black Watch discovered that he already had a Regimental Number – 2756720 - issued under a different forename – Hugh - and therefore he reverted to that – the one quoted in the War Diary at the time of his joining being cancelled in the relevant Black Watch Enlistment Book).

At some point in late February or early March the Unit was filmed for Pathe News - and a short, 20 second, clip of the Battalion on parade with the Pipes and Drums was released for use in Cinemas on 7th March. The clip appears on YouTube and can be seen here [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YvNcFCah2U] Thanks are due to Reuters News Agency for permission to put the link in place, and to Ian McCulloch, who spotted it during his own researches. The men appear to be fully equipped with battledress and 1937 Pattern Webbing, while the Officers and the Band are kilted. Sadly, within a few weeks, many of these men were either killed in action, wounded and captured, or evacuated via Dunkirk, following the Panzer ambush at Ficheux and Mercatel.

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