War Diary 757th Field Company, Royal Engineers, February 1944
1 February 1944 Ashman’s Hall, BECCLES.
Weather. Dull.
I Platoon on Assault Bridging. 2 Platoon at TOWCESTER. 3 Platoon assisting on 5 Mines Course for Brigade personnel.
2 February 1944
Weather. Fair.
Routine normal.
3 February 1944
Weather. Cold.
5th Mines Course ended.
4 February 1944
Weather. Fair.
Routine normal.
5 February 1944
Weather. Fair.
Platoon Officers to HQ RE on Wireless Telegraphy exercise. Half day.
6 February 1944
Weather. Fine.
Conservancy.
7 February 1944
Weather. Fine.
1 and 3 Platoons Bailey Bridging – Drygap.
8 February 1944
Weather. Fine.
As above.
9 February 1944
Weather. Cloudy.
All Senior NCOs attached for 2 days to Brigade to brief Infantry on the use of Assault Bridging Material.
10 February 1944
Weather. Very cold – snow and sleet.
Demolitions and Drill.
11 February 1944
Weather. Fine but cold.
1 and 3 Platoons on Bridging Exercise. Bailey - built 120 feet Double Double Bailey between 13:30 hours and 01:00 hours Saturday.
2 Platoon returned from Wolverton n17:00 hours.
12 February 1944
Weather. Fine.
1 and 3 Platoons dismantled Bridge.
13 February 1944
Weather. Fine.
Conservancy and Drill. Rugger and Soccer matches in the afternoon.
14 February 1944
Weather. Fine.
Platoons on Drill and Demolitions.
15 February 1944
Weather. Fine.
As above.
16 February 1944
Weather. Rain all day.
Company paraded Sotterly Park for address by Commander in Chief in morning. Afternoon – Demolitions and Billet conservancy.
17 February 1944
Weather. Cold and wet.
Commander Royal Engineers' inspection of HQ and Platoons and all billets.
18 February 1944
Weather. Showers of snow.
Skeleton HQ on Exercise “PONTOON”.
No. 1 Platoon unloading stores at BECCLES STATION. No. 2 Platoon loading Bailey at HALESWORTH. No. 3 Platoon on Demolitions.
19 February 1944
Weather. Cold and snowy.
HQ on Exercise “PONTOON”. Platoons loading Bailey bridge at HALESWORTH.
20 February 1944
Weather. Cold.
HQ on Exercise “PONTOON”. Platoons loading trucks for Exercise “LAM”. Pioneer Platoons 10th DLI, 11th DLI and 1st Tyneside Scottish report for Exercise “LAM”.
This exercise involved the construction of a substantial bridge - named "FRASER Bridge" - which may well have been designed by the Company Commander - Major L A M Fraser (hence the title of the exercise) - and also serves as an excellent example of co-operation between Infantry Pioneers and specialist Engineer troops.
21 February 1944
Weather. Cold and snow showers.
HQ on Exercise “PONTOON”. Platoons on Exercise “LAM” commence building Class 24 Bailey Bridge over River Blyth at Southwold.
22 February 1944
Weather. Cold and snow showers.
Whole Company on Exercise “LAM”. Bridge visited by G.o.C. 49 Division and Chief Engineer 30 Corps. For the details of this construction project – see below.
23 February 1944
Weather. Cold.
Company on Exercise “LAM”.
24 February 1944
Weather. Cold.
Company on Exercise “LAM”. Bridge at Southwold completed.
25 February 1944
Weather. Cold and showery.
No. 1 Platoon have day off. Nos 2 and 3 Platoons clearing up site at Southwold. Officer Commanding goes on leave.
26 February 1944
Weather. Showery.
No. 1 Platoon on Works clearing up bridging site.
Nos. 2 and 3 Platoons have holiday.
27 February 1944
Weather. Cold.
Company on conservancy and attending lectures by Acting Officer Commanding in morning. Holiday in afternoon.
28 February 1944
Weather. Fine and cold.
No. 1 Platoon working at bridging site. Nos. 2 and 3 Platoons moving Bailey Bridging Equipment from HALESWORTH to BECCLES.
Attachments to the War Diary for February 1944.
Exercise “LAM” – Construction of Fraser Bridge.
By agreement with staff at The National Archives the original photographs of the Appendix describing the arrangements and the project to construct this sizeable bridge, involving support from the 70th Brigade’s Infantry Battalions’ Pioneer Platoons, are set out below.
Thanks are due to the military specialist staff at The National Archives who had agreed that in certain limited circumstances, especially where diagrams or charts were involved, the photographs of original pages might be used on the Website, rather than pages being typed from the photographs as has happened throughout the Website. In this particular instance this has allowed a full set of documentation to be opened to public view, which would otherwise not have been able to be included with the War Diary.
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