War Diary - CRE - July 1941
1 July 1941 – Reykjavik
Progress Reports:-
803 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers, period week ending 28/6/1941 – see Appendix A attached.
294 Army Field Company, Royal Engineers, period week ending 27/6/1941 – see Appendix B attached.
Commander, Royal Engineers visits Chief Engineer at Force HQ to discuss lay-out of Electrical Installation at Kaldadarnes.
2 July 1941
Lt Fox to Selfoss to recce load-carrying capacity of the suspension bridge there, and to recce a site for an alternative bridge.
Regimental Sergeant Major to Kaldadarnes to check records in office of 668 General Construction Company, Royal Engineers.
4 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers goes to Kaldadarnes.
Lt Fox flies to HOFN with Wing Commander Carter and Flt Lt Wilson RAF to inspect emergency landing ground under construction there.
5 July 1941
Field Engineer 1 inspects MIDDALR – HAFRAVATN Road. He finds that this is now passable although not completed.
Field Engineer 2 recces for road to proposed new Coastal Defence Gun sites on GARDAR peninsula.
Lt Fox recces for construction of a ramp at GUFUNES to enable Coastal Defence Guns to be lowered down a cliff and embarked on a ship.
6 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers goes to Kaldadarnes.
7 July 1941
Lt Fox goes to Borganes and on to Blonduos to examine and report on weight carrying capacity of bridges there.
8 July 1941
An Order of the Day announcing arrival of American reinforcements to collaborate in Iceland was read out at early morning parade.
Progress Reports:-
803 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers for period week ending 5/7/1941 – see Appendix C attached.
294 Army Field Company, Royal Engineers for period week ending 4/7/1941 – see Appendix D attached.
9 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers to HVITANES with the C.F.D.
Field Engineer 2 to Firing Exercise by Artillery at SANDSKEID.
10 July 1941 – Reykjavik
2/Lieut Fox returns from the North.
11 July 1941
Signals Exercise in which this HQ participated.
12 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers and Adjutant fly to Kaldadarnes to meet Air Officer Commanding in Chief.
Lieut A W E Fletcher, Royal Engineers, recently of No. 6 Bomb Disposal Company Royal Engineers arrived from UK and was attached to HQ - Commander, Royal Engineers (Operations).
13 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers and Adjutant got to Force HQ for a Conference on the Signals Exercise.
15 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers goes to BREIDABOLSSTADIR (1/25,000 Map Sheet Reykjavik – Hafnafjordur, Map Reference 188050) with Acting Officer Commanding 803 Road Construction Company Royal Engineers, to inspect site of new road to gun positions.
16 July 1941
Adjutant goes to VIK on reconnaissance.
Field Engineer 3 goes to Selfoss to recce for suitable site for a ferry across River ALFUSA.
17 July 1941 – Reykjavik
Adjutant returns from VIK. Recce report attached – see Appendix E attached.
18 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers goes to Force HQ to attend Conference on Combined Exercise of 70th and 147th Brigades, scheduled for next week.
19 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers attends a further Conference on the Combined Exercise and proceeded on from there to Kaldadarnes.
Field Engineer 3 goes to HOFN by air to inspect progress but prevented from arriving owing to poor visibility.
Progress Reports:-
803 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers for period week ending 12/7/1941 – see Appendix F attached.
294 Army Field Company, Royal Engineers for period week ending 11/7/1941 – see Appendix G attached.
804 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers for period week ending 11/7/1941 – see Appendix H attached.
20 July 1941
Field Engineer 3 goes to HOFN by air accompanied by Wing Commanders Kelly and Carter. This is the first landing of a Hudson aircraft on this airfield and was carried out successfully.
21 July 1941 – Reykjavik
Commander, Royal Engineers goes to Force HQ where he will be attached for the duration of the Combined Exercise as a member of the Directing Staff.
Field Engineer 1 will act as umpire for the duration of the Combined Exercise.
22 July 1941
11:15 hours. Exercise finished. Commander, Royal Engineers returns to this HQ. Commander, Royal Engineers attends Directing Staff Conference on the Exercise.
23 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers and Field Engineer 1 attend General Conference on the Exercise.
His Majesty’s Transports ROYAL ULSTERMAN, ROYAL SCOTSMAN and ULSTER MONARCH arrived from UK with returning leave personnel and reinforcements.
26 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers goes to Kaldadarnes.
27 July 1941
This HQ has received reinforcements from recently arrived drafts consisting of one Draughtsman (Arch), two L/Cpls E.S. Clerks and one Driver.
28 July 1941
Progress Reports:-
803 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers for period week ending 19/7/1941 – see Appendix J attached.
803 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers for period week ending 26/7/1941 – see Appendix K attached.
294 Army Field Company, Royal Engineers for period week ending 18/7/1941 – see Appendix L attached.
294 Army Field Company, Royal Engineers for period week ending 25/7/1941 – see Appendix M attached.
29 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers and Field Engineer 1 go to Force HQ with Officer Commanding 294 Army Field Company, Royal Engineers for Conference on programme for hutted Camp construction.
30 July 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers met State Engineer and Chief Engineer to discuss the programme of road construction and maintenance. Commander, Royal Engineers later went to Kaldadarnes.
Progress Report 804 Road Construction Company Royal Engineers – period ending 25/7/1941 – see Appendix N attached.
2/Lieut Fox goes to HOFN to settle accounts and bring back the men and materials.
Appendices attached to the July 1941 War Diary of the Iceland Force Commander, Royal Engineers.
None of the Appendices listed in the body of the War Diary appear to have survived to be included in the file.
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