88th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery. War Diary December 1942

2 December 1942 LLANIDLOES.

Lt McLAREN proceeded on Course of Instruction, School of Artillery, Larkhill.

6 December 1942

Major E F WOOLSEY attached 9th King’s Own Scottish Borderers to assist in conversion to Anti-Tank.

8 December 1942

Lt J POMFRET ceased to be attached 49 Division Battle School.

12 December 1942

Lt T E WILCOX returned from course at Royal Artillery Motor Transport School, RHYL.

15 – 17 December 1942

Royal Artillery (Portsmouth) Band visited the unit.

17 December 1942

Arrival of a draft of 30 Other Ranks.

18 – 20 December 1942

Exercise arranged and conducted by Divisional Camouflage Officer (see Appendix attached).

19 December 1942

Lt J H TATHAM posted to “R” Battery.

28 December 1942

Captain J P J GAUDIN ceased to be attached to HQ 49 Division and attached to Royal Artillery 49 Division.

Demonstration by “T” Battery at Harlech for C-in-C Home Forces.

30 December 1942

“Q”, “R” and “T” Batteries to be known as 134, 135 and 136 Batteries with effect from 1 January 1943.

31 December 1942

Lt S LOWES posted to “T” Battery.

GENERAL

1. During the month the Batteries fired Rifle and Bren Calassification Practices.

2. An Anti-Tank Gun detachment under command of 2/Lt D MILLER toured the Anti-Tank Platoons of the Divisional Infantry Battalions to assist in training.

3. During the month the following Officers attended 2-day Courses at 49 Division Street Fighting School – Majors G A McCLELLAND and C L PHILLIPS POWELL, Captain S A HUTCHINSON, Lts S LOWES, G R LOWES and A I SHARP.

Appendices attached to the December 1942 War Diary.

Camouflage Exercise 18 – 20 December 1942

These pages described the detailed arrangements for teaching camouflage skills, and practising concealing anti-tank guns and equipment, including observation exercises, and “scripts” for the various elements of the course.

As part of the course Dominie aircraft would fly over the camouflaged guns and low oblique photographs would be taken. Officers would be passengers on these flights and this would include the G.O.C. Some positions would be deliberately badly camouflaged to illustrate the lessons to be learned.

To contact the author by e-mail with any queries, or to send information - click here.