289th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers, War Diary May 1944

6 May 1944 LODDON. First reinforcements despatched to Reinforcement Holding Unit BORDEN CAMP.

Army Forms W 3008 and 3009 issued in respect of Basic Element, Light Aid Detachment and 23 Bridging Platoon. See Appendix A attached to the War Diary. These forms had either been removed from the original file or were not photographed on the research visit to Kew.

8 May 1944

Two one-ton trailers collected by Basic Element and Light Aid Detachment as additional transport.

13 May 1944

Army Forms W 3008 and 3009 issued in respect of Basic Element, Light Aid Detachment and 23 Bridging Platoon. See Appendix B attached to the War Diary. These forms had either been removed from the original file or were not photographed on the research visit to Kew.

14 May 1944

Orders received to Concentrate in permanent location and to complete by a time and date notified under codeword “CORNELIUS”.

20 April 1944

Army Forms W 3008 and 3009 issued in respect of Basic Element, Light Aid Detachment and 23 Bridging Platoon (attached). See Appendix C attached to the War Diary. These forms had either been removed from the original file or were not photographed on the research visit to Kew.

25 May 1944

Orders received from Commandant Royal Engineers “CORNELIUS 09:00 hours 29 May 44”.

27 May 1944

Army Forms W 3008 and 3009A issued for Basic Element and for permanently attached 23 Bridging Platoon and No. 9 Light Aid Detachment. Appendix D attached to the War Diary (for details see below).

28 May 1944

09:00 hours. Company at 6 hours’ notice to move.

Appendices attached to the War Diary.

Field Return of Officers dated 27 May 1944.

This Return shows that there were four Officers in post – a complete set of appointments, matching the War Establishment, and that there had been no changes in the preceding week.

The second page of the Return identified the four Officers concerned, all of whom were with the Company, as:

Major I D S Brown, Royal Engineers, in post as Officer Commanding the Company since 9 February 1943.

Captain J H M Broughton, Royal Engineers, in post as Second in Command of the Company since 12 October 1943.

Lieutenant P R Arthur, Royal Engineers, in post as a Company Officer since 25 June 1942.

Lieutenant J A S Mowat, Royal Engineers, in post as a Company Officer since 10 November 1943.

The Service Numbers of these Officers were unreadable, due to a fold in the document, but they are recorded on the Company’s Main Page.

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