War Diary 756th Field Company, Royal Engineers, August 1944
1 August 1944
Company repairing roads near COLOMBELLES, GIBERVILLE, Demouville and Cagny. Operating water point and hot shower baths at Demouville.
1 Platoon built machine gun posts for Kensington Rifles Company HQ in quarry at map reference 095728.
2 Platoon at LE MARIQUET and 1 and 3 Platoons at St HONORINE. All areas subject to shelling and Company HQ bombed at night.
2 – 6 August 1944
Company employed as above on roads etc. Company HQ moved on 6 August to other side of river near BLAINVILLE map reference 086736 owing to persistent bombing of quarry at nights.
7 – 9 August 1944
Company employed on repair of roads etc as above.
9 August 1944
CQMS Keeper posted to 289 Field Park Company as CSM. All Company prepared for mine clearance during Brigade attack on VIMONT. See separate report at Appendix A. This Appendix was not present in the file, or had not been photographed during the research.
9 – 14 August
See Appendix E. This Appendix was not present in the file, or had not been photographed during the research.
10 August 1944
Company moved to LE POIRIER map reference 106632. Area shelled by large calibre shells twice during the day. In addition to mine clearance work No. 3 Platoon and one Platoon 757 Field Company under command were employed clearing debris and dust from roads in Cagny, LE POIRIER and FRENOVILLE. Company continued to operate water point at Demouville.
11 August 1944
Company employed clearing routes, mine clearance, operating water point and shower baths.
16/17 August 1944 Night.
Company moved to STAR WOOD map reference 123616.
17 August 1944
Division advanced beyond VIMONT. Recce Officer left under orders C.R.E. to get details of bridges blown on main route forward from VIMONT to River DIVES at map reference 252608.
12:00 hours. Recce Officer reported two bridges SPIKE and NAIL at map reference 222609 blown, but SPIKE passable for one-way traffic.
14:30 hours. Reported bridge DOG over River DIVES also blown, probable gap 80 feet.
15:00 hours. Officer Commanding and Advance Party from 3 Platoon moved up to HQ HALLAMS.
15:30 hours. Officer Commanding and Recce Officer able to approach to within 50 yards of bridge but unable to get to flank to estimate gap owing to enemy spandau fire.
21:00 hours. Company HQ moved up to new harbour at PEDOUZE map reference 202608.
21:45 hours. Officer Commanding and Lieutenant Oglesby went down to bridge but too dark to see.
18 August 1944
01:00 hours. HALLAMS attacked across river to provide 1000 yards bridgehead.
01:15 hours. Advance Party 2 Sections 3 Platoon started work with TD9 bulldozer to clear considerable amount of debris. Gap measured and bridging equipment required found to be 130 foot Double Double Class 40.
01:30 hours. As considerable clearance had to be done it was decided NOT to start building bridge until 07:00 hours.
07:00 hours. Bridge building started by 2 Platoon and 2 Sections 3 Platoon in view of enemy but no interference by them. Estimated time of completion 14:00 hours.
13:45 hours. Bridge opened and complete. 1 NCO and 6 men left as paint party.
15:00 hours. 16 large calibre shells exploded near bridge. Thereafter several shells. No casualties but very little traffic able to use the bridge. The time for Advance Party work would have been much improved had it been possible to see the bridge in daylight.
14:00 hours. 2 Sections 1 Platoon started Advance Party work on Class 70 bridge SPIKE at map reference 422609 on River LAISON. Bridge required was 40 foot Double Single Bailey with 10 foot ramps let in flush with road surface.
18:00 hours. Excavation in very hard roadway complete. Old road surface found beneath upper surface.
21:30 hours. Bridge was subject to air bombardment. Near misses only. No casualties.
24:00 hours. Bridge completed and maintenance party left on site.
19 August 1944
Company in harbour at PEDOUZE. 3 Platoon erected hot shower bath in harbour and majority of Company bathed. Water point at Demouville handed over to Corps Troops Royal Engineers.
09:00 hours. Recce Officer sent under orders of Commandant Royal Engineers to get details of demolished bridge (BELL) at map reference 321563 on River DIVES.
19:00 hours. Recce Officer returned with report.
20:00 hours. 1 and 3 Platoons and Tactical HQ moved to temporary harbour at map reference 267558. Bridging equipment ordered to rendezvous at same location.
23:00 hours. 1 Platoon moved up near bridge ready to start work when Infantry success signal for bridge had been given.
20 August 1944
02:00 hours. Success signal. Advance Party started work under general mortaring of area.
05:00 hours. Advance Party work complete and 3 Platoon started building 60 foot Class 40 Single Single Bridge without end posts and with 20 foot ramps. Only 1 lorry could be brought down to site at once and this had to be backed for 200 yards.
08:15 hours. Bridge opened for traffic. No mechanical equipment was required and there were no casualties.
14:00 hours. Company moved into harbour at map reference 296557.
21 August 1944
Company moved into harbour at map reference 304596. Each Platoon employed clearing mines from verges on Divisional centre line.
22 August 1944
All verges and roads cleared of mines from map reference 300593 to 328587 to 328597 and also 305603 to 408859. Work continued to map reference 405900.
15:00 hours. Officer Commanding attended 147 Brigade “O” Group and endeavoured to get close enough to see demolition of bridges over River TOUQUES at CUILLY-LE-VICOMTE map reference 527921 and 532920.
19:00 hours. 3 Platoon Advance Party arrived but unable to start work.
23 August 1944
05:30 hours. Infantry attack to form bridgehead.
07:30 hours. 3 Platoon able to start Advance Party work on first bridge KNIFE and bulldozer used to clear approaches. Original approaches too badly cratered to use so bridge site chosen 20 yards to South. Some mines found and lifted. Area mortared. 80 foot Single Single Class 40 Bailey required with 20 foot ramps.
11:30 hours. Bridge building by 2 Platoon commenced and Advance Party 3 Platoon started work on second bridge BEER.
14:00 hours. Bridge building by 2 Platoon complete.
15:30 hours. Advance Party work on bridge BEER complete and bridge building by 2 Platoon commenced. 50 foot Single Single Class 40 Bailey required without end posts. 20 foot ramps. 3 Platoon Advance Party at the same time built 2 culverts with Armco culverting on far approach and laid 75 yards Sommerfeld Track.
17:30 hours. BEER complete but mines found on far side of culverts. 40 Tellermines (some booby trapped) were lifted by 2 Platoon. No casualties.
18:15 hours. Brigade transport crossed. Lt Clarke broke left leg as a result of motorcycle accident.
24 August 1944
Company moved to new harbour at LE PIN map reference 830942. Recce of bridge at LA VALETTE map reference 668948 carried out. 60 foot Double Single Bailey required with end posts because of nature of bank seats.
25 August 1944
01:00 hours. 3 Platoon started Advance Part work.
07:00 hours. 3 Platoon completed their Advance Party work having encountered 55 “S” mines and 16 Tellermines. 2 Platoon started building.
09:30 hours. Bridge opened for traffic after 10 more “S” mines located on far bank. 3 casualties due to “S” mines in dark. (None of these appeared to have been fatalities).
21:00 hours. Recce Officer left to investigate damage to culvert. Reported 30 foot Double Single Bailey required as gap 20 foot. 1 Section 2 Platoon cleared bankseats.
26 August 1944
07:10 hours. Bridging equipment arrived and 2 Sections 1 Platoon built and completed bridge by 08:55 hours. 2 and 3 Platoons employed clearing routes forward and proving for mines.
14:00 hours. Company moved to new location at map reference 792995.
15:00 hours. Demolished bridges near APPEVILLE map reference 850030 required to be repaired. 1 Platoon ordered to stand by for Advance Party work but Infantry Brigade had not expected before 23:00 hours.
20:30 hours. 1 Platoon ordered to move down to area of bridge and 3 Platoon to follow with bridging equipment after half an hour.
21:00 hours. Officer Commanding and marshalling party left to try and get sight of bridge before dark but were blocked by 1 Platoon who had been stopped by mines in roads at map reference 830992. Casualties 3 killed (Sapper John COOK, Sapper George ILES and Sapper George WELLS) and 4 wounded by “S” mines.
22:00 hours. 2 Platoon then ordered to do Advance Party work instead of 1 Platoon who were to evacuate casualties and clear roads of mines.
27 August 1944
01:00 hours. Code word to proceed with work received and 2 Platoon commenced clearing long and narrow approach road for possible mines and to enable bulldozer to get to site.
13:00 hours. Remainder of Sommerfeld approximately 150 yards, slewing bays for tanks and marking of tank and wheeled vehicle approaches completed. Maintenance party of 2 Sections 3 Platoon left on site.
14:00 hours. Company moved into harbour near MONTFORT-SUR-RISLE map reference 859014.
15:00 hours. 1 Platoon completed clearance of mines on road 793992 – 800992 – 820988 – road junction 830992 – main road 837994. Following mines were lifted – 7 “S” mines, 24 Tellermine 43 at 830992. Also 11 “S” mines and 9 Tellermine 43.
18:00 hours. 2 Platoon completed clearance of approaches to demolished bridges. Approximately 30 Tellermines found set in concrete. Bulldozer cleared demolished house from end of lane near church at map reference 852035.
28 August 1944
1 and 2 Platoons employed clearing and repairing bomb craters in main road LIBUREY to PONT AUDEMER and ST GEORGE DU VIEVRE to PONT AUDEMER. 3 Platoon erected water point at map reference 818072 suitable for 15 vehicles per hour.
29 August 1944
Timber towers 12 foot high erected by 3 Platoon for “S” tanks at water point. 3 Platoon also erected hot water showers in ETREVILLE and half the Company were bathed.
Company moved over River RISLE to new harbour near chateau at map reference 859091.
03:30 hours. 1 Platoon Advance Party work on bridge (ORANGE) commenced. Both bridges had been blown and debris sown with mines. It was therefore decided to bridge 50 yards upstream where the two streams of the River RISLE met. One 80 foot Double Single Class 40 Bailey required.
05:30 hours. estimated time of completion for two bridges and 2 culverts given as 12:30 hours.
07:00 hours. Bankseats completed after difficulty in getting stores over river and dark night. 3 Platoon commenced building.
09:30 hours. Building of first bridge completed and bulldozer and equipment for second bridge (PIP) over small stream, crossed ORANGE.
10:10 hours. Advance Part work on PIP completed and bridge building started by 3 Platoon. Bridge required only 20 foot Single Single with 20 foot ramps, no end posts.
10:45 hours. PIP completed and stores and bulldozer for two culverts at map reference 852034 taken over to the culverts.
11:30 hours. Two culverts completed, 50 yards Sommerfeld laid and 3 gaps in hedgerow made on far approach by bulldozer. First vehicle of 147 Brigade Group crossed including 1 Squadron Sherman tanks, 1 hour before estimated time of completion. Completed work on bomb craters in road LIBUREY – PONT AUDEMER. 2 Platoon cleared roads PONT AUDEMER to BOURNEVILLE etc.
30 August 1944
Company in harbour maintaining equipment.
14:00 hours. Officer Commanding arrived at QUILLEBEUF to investigate report from Recce Regiment that sunken ferry boat could be repaired in five hours. Ferry found to have been sunk by bombs and no chance of repairing it in much less than 14 days. However, as “A” Squadron Recce Regiment most anxious to get about six Carriers across the River SEINE, Commandant Royal Engineers allotted equipment for 2 Class 5 rafts and 1 Class 9 FBE (floating bridging equipment) raft to be built for ferrying at QUILLEBEUF.
16:00 hours. 2 Platoon ordered to build and operate the rafts and to move complete and at once to QUILLEBEUF.
20:00 hours. Rafting equipment arrived and 2 Platoon started building three rafts.
23:00 hours. Rafts complete and ready for ferrying Recce Regiment elements across at 07:00 hours next morning. Remainder of Company in harbour.
31 August 1944
07:00 hours. First Carrier “A” Squadron Recce Regiment driven on to raft but went too far and raft sunk, blocking the way for second raft.
09:00 hours. Second carrier loaded and ferried across SEINE. Current 5 knots, wind strong and width of river 1500 feet. Impossible to get line across river but just possible to ferry raft using 2 Seagull motors at full throttle.
10:00 hours. A third Class 5 5 raft built from spare equipment and put into operation to replace sunken raft. Sunk raft prevented use of Class 9 raft as insufficient motors available. Commandant Royal Engineers asked for 2 motor boats to tow rafts as Seagulls NOT powerful enough.
12:00 hours. First sunken raft recovered at low water and rebuilt.
14:00 hours. 10 vehicles ferried across but conditions getting worse. 3 propulsion units and 6 stormboats arrived in place of motor tugs.
14:30 hours. The propulsion units were fitted to the Class 9 raft and stormboats put into service ferrying maintenance stores across. 3 propulsion units found inadequate for the unwieldy Class 9 FBE raft which consisted of 2 floating bays and one half floating bay with balancing gear and extra propulsion provided by 2 stormboats pushing behind.
16:00 hours. Another Class 5 raft swamped and sunk in the middle of the river. Third Calss 5 and stormboats went to assistance of crew who were being carried rapidly down stream to LE HAVRE. All were saved but much time lost in ferrying. Class 5 rafting discontinued as current and weather conditions quite unsuitable. Class 9 attempted and two very difficult crossings made by 24:00 hours. Raft had to be left on far bank.
20:30 hours. 1 Platoon ordered to QUILLE BEUF to relieve 2 Platoon who had had many hours hard work. 22:30 hours. 1 Platoon arrived and took over ferrying.
1 September 1944
Conditions almost impossible. Class 9 raft NOT returned to South Bank until after 3 hours work.
14:00 Conditions improved and one journey made with Class 9 raft. An attempt to take one Carrier on the Class 5 raft resulted in its sinking in mid-river. Crew were recovered. Further rafting abandoned.
Appendices attached to the August 1944 War Diary for 756th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
Report on bridges built by the Company since D-Day.
By arrangement with the staff at The National Archives, permission was obtained to upload the photographs taken of the original pages of the War Diary in circumstances where the usual typing of text would be inadequate. The bridging report was one such document so the 4 original pages are included below.
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