49th Division Provost Company War Diary - October 1940

1 October 1940 Reykjavik, Iceland.

06:00 hours. Fine day. Normal duties. Field Artillery Firing Exercise at Lake Kleifervatn. M.P. engaged in traffic control and car parks for spectators.

2 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Company Office moved to new office at Nissen Hut Camp, Myrargata, Reykjavik. Normal duties.

3 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Colder. Normal duties. 8 men from other units stationed in Iceland joined Company on 3 weeks’ Probationary Course.

4 October 1940

06:00 hours. Rain. Fine later. Normal duties. Increased number of Special Investigation Cases and Field General Courts Martial.

5 October 1940

06:00 hours. Heavy rain all day.

Act of gallantry:- “On the evening of 5th October 1940, No. 4850594 Q.M.S. White, M.P.S.C. and No. 340139 P.O. East C.M.P. regardless of personal safety, succeeding in re-capturing a prisoner who had attempted to escape from the Detention Barracks by swimming out to sea. The G.o.C. directs that these acts of gallantry be entered upon the documents of the above W.O. and man”.

6 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Snow on hills. Colder. Special Church Parades. Canadian Battalions in march past. M.P. engaged on traffic control etc. Normal duties.

Company Part 1 Orders Nos 153 – to 164 issued and filed with the War Diary as Appendix A (the documents do not appear to have survived in the original file).

7 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Cold. Normal duties.

8 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Cold. Normal duties.

Company Part 1 orders Nos 165 to 168 issued and filed in the War Diary as Appendix B (the original documents do not seem to have survived in the War Diary file).

9 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Cold. Normal duties. M.P. engaged on convoy work – movements of guns from Kaldadarnes to Reykjavik.

10 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Colder. Normal duties.

11 October 1940

06:00 hours. Rain. Very cold. Normal duties.

12 October 1940

06:00 hours. Rain. Cold. Normal duties. Further convoy work Kaldadarnes.

13 October 1940

06:00 hours. Rain. Cold. Normal duties.

Company Part 1 Orders Nos. 169 to 175 issued and filed in the original War Diary as Appendix C (these documents do not appear to have survived).

14 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Normal duties.

15 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Normal duties. Inspector General Gort arrived Reykjavik Docks 10:30 hours. M.P. engaged traffic control. Hotel duties. Outriders etc. Every available man in Company out on duties.

16 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Normal duties. I.G’s tour of inspection continued. M.P. on duty at Force Boxing Tournament.

17 October 1940

06:00 hours. Dry. Cold. Normal duties. I.G’s tour continued.

18 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Cold. Normal duties. I.G’s tour continued. Field Firing Exercise at Kleifervatn. Convoy of ships arrived. Every man out on duty.

19 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Warmer. Normal duties. I.G’s tour continued. Visited Hospitals in the Reykjavik area.

16:00 hours. I.G. Gort left Reykjavik by boat for Akranes and Northern Iceland.

14:00 hours. Aldershot. Lieutenant C A Hessler and 63 Other Ranks (Alabaster Draft and Reinforcements) left to join Company.

19:15 hours. Left Euston.

20 October 1940

09:30 hours. Arrived Gourock. Embarked on Empress of Australia. M.P. engaged on boat duties during voyage. Uneventful trip. Very fine weather.

06:00 hours Reykjavik. Fine. Warm. Normal duties. M.P. at Church Parades.

21 October 1940 Reykjavik.

06:00 hours. Fine. Warm sunshine. Normal duties.

13:15 hours. Alabaster Force Reliability Trial over 27-mile difficult course. Two M.P. teams entered. First Team 123 marks. 2nd Team 147 marks out of 300 possible. Winning Team 49th Division Signals 270 marks. M.P. engaged on Course, Traffic Control etc.

22 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Normal duties.

Company Part 1 Orders Nos. 176 to 181 issued.

23 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Warm sunshine. Normal duties. Increased number of accident and special investigations cases.

24 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Colder. Normal duties.

25 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Very cold. H.M.T. Empress of Australia arrived Reykjavik Roads. Troops commenced to disembark.

Lt. C.A.Hessler and 63 Other Ranks disembarked and joined Company at M.P. Headquarters, Reykjavik.

M.P. engaged on Docks, gangways and Traffic Control. Other normal duties carried out.

26 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Normal duties. New draft being accommodated.

27 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Normal duties. Church Parades.

28 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Cold. Normal duties. New draft commenced duties.

Permanent road patrol Sub-Section and Docks Section instituted. Also Reserve Section standing by.

29 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Normal duties. M.P. reinforcements (4 men) sent to Akureyri and 2 men to Artun.

Canadian Battalions, Fusiliers Mont Royal and Royal Regiment of Canada embarking on Empress of Australia.

Company Part 1 Orders Nos. 182 – 186 issued and included in original War Diary file as Appendix A (these documents do not seem to have survived in the file).

30 October 1940

06:00 hours. Fine. Normal duties. Considerable amount of work. Raid on Troopships for letters being taken to England against censorship regulations.

31 October 1940

06:00 hours. Wet. Cold. Normal duties.

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