War Diary 756th Field Company, Royal Engineers, June 1944
1 June 1944 TAVERHAM.
All Company employed painting vehicles olive drab, waterproofing vehicles, loading stores etc in preparation for Continental Operations. Company at 6 hours notice to move.
3 June 1944
Trial move ordered at 04:00 hours by Officer Commanding. Company moved complete less residue party of ? men with seven 15cwt and one 3-ton lorry each with trailers.
Company returned immediately by rear entrance into camp, harboured tactically, dug in, camouflaged etc. All huts were then thoroughly cleaned out and put out of bounds.
Officer Commanding with Advance Party including 1 Driver, 1 Batman, 2 Driver/Operators and 1 Lance Corporal in Officer Commanding’s M14 half-track vehicle, moved with 147 Brigade “O” Group at 19:00 hours to Marshalling Camp T.3 in area Canning Town.
4 June 1944
Officer Commanding’s Advance Party arrived at T.3 Camp.
5 June 1944
Main Body under Second-in-Command left Taverham Camp during the evening for Marshalling Camp T.5 near London Docks.
6 June 1944
Advance Party and Main Body in respective harbours. Residue Party moved from Taverham Camp to Great Yarmouth.
7 June 1944
Vehicles of Main Body loaded on to Motor Transport ship SS “Fort McPherson”.
8 June 1944
Advance party embarked on L.S.T. at Albert Dock. Proceeded down Thames at 22:00 hours. Poor visibility. Main Body embarked on Motor Transport Ship.
9 June 1944
Advance Party at sea. Visibility poor and sea rough.
10 June 1944
Advance party convoy attacked by 6 Destroyers and 10 E Boats off Le Havre. One petrol tanker blown up and attack beaten off by own Destroyers. Arrived off beaches opposite LE HAVRE at 08:00 hours. Disembarked on to JIG Sector at 18:15 hours. Proceeded to assembly area and Rendezvous for Brigade “O” Group.
11 June 1944
Main Body at sea. Attacked by enemy aircraft at 03:40 hours. Glider bombs dropped near ship and one out of four hit ship and entered the coal bunker. Captain Burdett arranged to dispose of this bomb which failed to detonate. See separate report at Appendix 75. For details of the Report see below.
A copy of the text supporting the recommendation for the award of the George Medal to Captain Arthur Graham Burdett and Corporal Frederick John Jackson can be found on Captain Burdett's and Corporal Jackson's Personal Memorial Pages.
12 June 1944 ST GABRIEL.
Main Body landed on MIKE Section 1 day late. All arrived and harboured in orchard near ST GABRIEL. Bulldozer and water supply vehicles reverted to command.
13 June 1944
Company concentrated at St Gabriel. Personnel familiarise themselves with a large assortment of enemy equipment captured by the Company including 75mm Anti-Tank Gun, MG 42 machine gun, several types of anti-tank mines and rocket-propelled anti-tank weapons.
14 June 1944
Company moved forward under command 147 Infantry Brigade to Ste CROIX GRAND TONNE map reference 888744. Brigade took over sector of front line on right of 8 Canadian Brigade and opposite German 12th SS Division. No. 3 Platoon with under command one troop of 219 Anti-Tank Battery ordered to act as mobile reserve for the Brigade to protect left flank which was left very open. Company ordered to STAND TO at 04:00 hours.
15 June 1944 Ste CROIX GRAND TONNE.
Company remains at Ste CROIX GRAND TONNE under command 147 Infantry Brigade with No. 3 Platoon as mobile reserve. Company responsible for protection of Brigade left flank. One German armoured half-tracked reconnaissance vehicle captured by Company at Audrieu and put in working order.
2 Platoon removed all booby traps from BROUAY which had that morning been taken by the 11th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. Lieutenant J M A Paterson wounded and Driver F Clark killed when their armoured reconnaissance car ran over 3 Tellermines on road BROUAY – Audrieu at 21:00 hours. Car turned completely upside down and all equipment destroyed. 3 Platoon employed clearing minefield.
17 June 1944 LOUCELLES.
Company ration lorry destroyed by fire from Messerschmidt 109 at supply point. Driver D B Wright killed, Sapper F R Willis wounded (and sadly died a few days later). Lance Corporal J S Robertson escaped.
Sapper Milligan, Bren Gunner of 3 Platoon shot down one Messerschmidt 109. (Believed to be the same that destroyed ration lorry).
3 Platoon employed erecting hot water shower baths at ST LEGER. 1 and 2 Platoons cleared routes and mines near BROUAY. Company moved to new location just north of LOUCELLES map reference 872738.
18 – 19 June 1944
All Platoons clearing routes of mines and booby traps. 42 cows buried.
20 June 1944
Shower baths erected in BROUAY for 147 Brigade. Used first by remnants of 6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment who had had very severe fighting in Cristot.
Company harbour area shelled. Approximately four shells every ten minutes. The first shell (probably 88mm armour-piercing) made direct hit on 3 Platoon’s 3-ton winch lorry. Lorry was completely burnt out and for men were wounded. Company moved to new area at MARTRAGNY to prevent further damage to equipment.
21 June 1944 MARTRAGNY.
1 Platoon erected new hot showers near Company HQ for use of Divisional troops. All Platoons clearing routes and burying dead cattle.
22 – 24 June 1944
All Platoons clearing routes. Lieutenant K Higton and Lieutenant J F Harris posted to Company. Lieutenant R Brown evacuated with slight injury to foot.
25 June 1944
Company less 1 Platoon under command 147 Brigade for Operation MARTLET. 2 Platoon under command 11th Royal Scots Fusiliers with 3 Platoon in reserve for attack on FONTENAY-LE-PESNEL.
26 June 1944
11th Royal Scots Fusiliers attack and capture FONTENAY. 2 Platoon 756 heavily mortared in wood DU PARC DE BOISLANDE. Sgt Lakin wounded and Sapper Metcalfe missing. 1 motorcycle destroyed by direct hit.
27 June 1944
2 Platoon clear FONTENAY of mines and booby traps and clear routes through for Battalion transport. 1 and 3 Platoons clear routes forward for Brigade. 3 Platoon erected new shower bath in FONTENAY whist still under shell and mortar fire.
28 June 1944
Further clearance of routes forward particularly in FONTENAY. Each Platoon recovered quantities of enemy equipment and timber. 1 enemy Tiger Tank destroyed in FONTENAY.
New hot shower bath erected in Cristot.
Company reverted to command Commandant Royal Engineers. Company moved location forward to Audrieu map reference 868717.
29 – 30 June 1944
All Platoons employed improving two routes forward and two lateral roads for Brigade. More timber collected for Corps. 1 Platoon cleared minefield North of FONTENAY at first light. Minefield located from captured enemy chart.
Appendices attached to the June 1944 War Diary of 756th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
Report to Commandant Royal Engineers from Company Commander 756th Field Company regarding disposal of bomb on SS Fort McPherson.
This three-page report has been uploaded to the Website under the arrangements made with The National Archives whereby photographs of original War Diary pages might be used rather than being retyped, where this would take a lot of effort. That flexibility is much appreciated. The pages are set out below.
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