508th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers, War Diary April 1940
1 April 1940. Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne.
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued. 2/Lt Scott returned from leave.
2 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued. 1 B.S.A. motorcycle W.D. delivered for HQ transport.
3 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued.
4 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued. Inspection of F.B.E. equipment by representative of C.E.S.S., Woolwich, Mr Fricker.
5 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued. Captain Byers, 2/Lt Bligh and 5 NCO’s to Ripon for demonstration of Fieldworks by 3rd T.E., R.E. 16:00 hours. Pay Parade.
6 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued. 2/Lt Thackeray reported for duty to Unit. 14:00 hours. Company dismissed to 23:00 hours.
7 April 1940
09:00 hours. Church Parade under 2/Lt Bligh. 11:00 hours. Company dismissed until 23:00 hours.
8 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Training for personnel not engaged in preparation for movement. 2/Lts Davison and Dodds reported back from six weeks Fieldworks Course at S.M.E. Chatham. 2 8cwt trucks delivered to Unit, 1 for HQ.
9 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued.
10 April 1940
07:00 hours. Advance Party leaves for B.E.F. 2/Lts Bligh and Davison, 4 Other Ranks, 1 30cwt lorry, 1 8cwt. 08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued. 5 3-ton W.D. lorries delivered to Unit and 1 compressor truck. 2 15cwt trucks for HQ.
11 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued.
12 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued. 14:00 hours. Pay Parade.
13 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued.
14 April 1940
12:00 hours. Road Party leave for B.E.F. under 2/Lt Thackeray, 15 Other Ranks.
15 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued.
16 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued.
17 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued.
18 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued.
19 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued.
20 April 1940
08:30 hours. Company Parade. Preparation for movement continued. 18:30 hours. Company marched out of Barras Bridge en route for B.E.F. 19:10 hours. Entrained at Central Station, Newcastle.
21 April 1940
08:00 hours. Company arrived Southampton Docks. 10:00 hours. Company embarked on “SS Ulster Prince”. 16:30 hours. Left Southampton to join convoy. 24:00 hours. Left the Solent for France.
22 April 1940
07:50 hours. Arrived at Le Havre, France. 11:00 hours. Entrained at Le Havre. 14:30 hours. Left Le Havre. 16:00 hours. Detrained at Bolbec, France. 17:45 hours. Marched into rest camp, Bolbec.
23 April 1940
12:30 hours. Road Party under Captain Byers left for working site.
24 April 1940
Company sorting stores.
25 April 1940
09:15 hours. Remainder of transport left for working site.
26 April 1940
19:30 hours. Remainder of Company marched out of rest camp for working site. 21:00 hours. Company entrained at Bolbec Ville goods yard.
27 April 1940
10:30 hours. Detrained at Tinques, our centre of operations. Two Sections of 45 Other Ranks each, sent to outlying positions, under 2/Lts Bligh and Thackeray. Remaining personnel allotted to duties.
28 April 1940
09:00 hours. Company Parade. Duties being discharged in 508’s usual efficient manner, transport collecting and delivering stores to various units in our area. 19:50 hours. Pay Parade.
The Field Returns of staff were completed and submitted on 28 April – for details see below.
There were no War Diary entries for 29th and 30th April 1940.
Appendices attached to the 508th Field Park Company War Diary for April 1940.
Field Returns.
Nominal roll of Officers on strength.
This listed the five Officers with the Unit on 28 April 1940 as:-
Captain C.F. Byers R.E. – joined the Unit on 3rd September 1939.
2/Lt H.F.N. Scott R.E. – no date given for joining the Unit.
2/Lt H K H Bligh R.E. – joined the Unit 17th February 1940.
2/Lt D E Thackeray R.E. - joined the Unit on 6th April 1940.
Captain E H Jacques RAMC – joined the Unit 17th April 1940.
Field Return of Other Ranks
This return showed a strength of 171 men – WO II, CQMS, Staff Sgt, 3 Sergeants, 4 Corporals and 161 men, of whom 34 were surplus to establishment, and were detailed on the next sheet.
Detail by trades of Surplus or Reinforcements required.
This return lists the types of tradesmen held on strength in this Field Park Company as surplus to establishment as follows:-
Boilermaker
Bricklayer
Carpenter
2 Clerks
2 Concretors
Miner
Moulder
25 Pioneers R.E.
The reinforcements required on that date of 28th April were as follows:-
Blacksmith
Draughtsman (mechanical)
Electrician
3 Engine Artificers
Sawyer
Tinsmith/Whitesmith
2 Welders
2 Engine Hands (Internal Combustion)
Sergeant
9 Drivers (Internal Combustion)
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