249th (Airborne) Field Company RE on D-Day and Battle of Normandy

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by PRADELLES, Jul 9, 2015.

  1. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Hi all,
    I wish you an happy new year 2019.
    Who live near the Royal Engineers Museum at Gellimsham, in Kent ?
     
  2. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Une bonne année Xavier ... :)

    Regards ...
     
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  3. brithm

    brithm Senior Member


    Came across some wounded sappers 249th (Airborne) Field Company, R.E.

    DNR Date Not Recorded/Registered(?) think those with DNR were wounded in summer 1944

    2003091 W/Cpl. Jermy, A.E. WIA DNR

    2161713 Dvr/i.c. Jones, G. WIA 10.6.44

    2074435 Spr. Schoolbred, A.H. WIA 10.6.44

    14601099 Spr. Birch, W.E. WIA 20.8.44

    1948465 Spr. Jones, T. WIA D.N.R.

    1888880 Spr. Beard, H.T. WIA D.N.R.

    14272964 L/Cpl. Bower, A. WIA D.N.R.

    2125916 Spr. Burns, J. WIA D.N.R.

    2154621 Spr. Hudson, J.F. WIA D.N.R.

    6300399 W/Cpl. Manser, E. WIA D.N.R.

    2113921 Spr. Tarry, R.N. WIA 18.6.44

    14272964 L/Cpl. Bower, A. WIA June 1944?

    2184282 Cpl. Copping, W.A. WIA 10.1.45
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2019
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  4. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Where did you found that Brithm ?
    Fantastic information for me.
     
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  5. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    "Wounded Airborne Sapper's Gripping Letter: Shields Man in First Glider To Land in Normandy"

    When Sapper Frederick Shorey was convalescing from being wounded in Normandy he wrote a letter to Shields Daily News detailling his D-Day exploits at Benouville bridge. He was in Glider No. 2 with Lt. David Wood; Shorey would a few months later be killed on boxing day 26th December 1944 with fellow Sapper Preece.
     

    Attached Files:

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  6. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Hi Brithm.
    I just contact with success his family yesterday.
    I think they didn't know this paper.
    Thank you a lot Brithm.
    If one day I finish to write my book, special mention for Brithm and Cee !! Two reincarnation of 6th Airborne Soldiers !!
    Thank you boys !!
     
  7. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Dear all,
    Do you have more information about this schema ?
    Regards,
    Xavier
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Xavier,

    I believe it is a drawing made by Captain Howard. Here's another version taken from a French site which describes it as "Le plan d'attaque du Major Howard". I'm not sure why he labels the various positions as he does.

    Le plan d'attaque du Major Howard.jpg

    Regards ...
     
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  9. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Thank you Cee.
    What do you think of that ?
    Defense plan ?
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Xavier,

    It must be defence then as your diagram above was done by the same hand. Some of the writing is hard to make out and he scribbles out a portion as if those plans were abandoned? I see he mentions the use of Sappers for patrols if available.

    Regards ...
     
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  11. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Hi all,
    How are you ?
    What did you do for the 75th Anniversary of Dday ?

    Question of the day :

    Extract from the OPERATION "OVERLORD" - 5 PARA BDE OO No.1 established on 24 May 1944

    14. Glider Loads
    (a) Outline
    Gliders 1-4. One rifle pl less handcart. 5 Sprs.
    Gliders 5-6. One rifle pl less handcart. 5 men Coy HQ.

    (b) Detailed Load Tables will be worked out by you in [?] with the RE and Bde Loading Offr.

    Is there no mention of sappers in gliders 5 and 6 ?
     
  12. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Xavier,

    If they are referring to the 6 Coup de Main gliders it must be a mistake as we know there were also 5 Sappers on both the 5th and 6th glider. Noticed there were a total of 6 men listed as being from "D" Company Headquarters in the nominal role on the Pegasus Archive (gliders 1, 2, 4 and 6).

    Regards ...
     
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  13. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Hi,
    Question of the day :
    Extract of the war diary of the 4th Special Service Commando HQ...
    "In their initial plan 45 R.M. Commando was intended to cross the ORNE estuary in rubber dinghies and proceed to attack MERVILLE"
    Where should they board on the Orne estuary ? Where should they land ?
    To remember about the footbridge :
    Extract from BrigadeHeadquarters, 5th Parachute Brigade
    "If 114762 (the footbridge) was captured the 45 RM Commando will cross here".
    Regards,
    Xavier P
     
  14. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Xavier,

    That's a curious one. You have to wonder what their original plans were before it was called off. I couldn't find a War Establishment for the RM Commando during the war. One from 1949 gives a total of 637 men including attachments. A regular SS Commando unit was composed of 458 men according to a 1943 WE. Even if they didn't all cross initially they would still need a fair number of dinghies. How did they propose to get them to the crossing site on the Caen Canal - manually or wait for vehicles to bring them up?

    First thought for a crossing site is where they built the York I Bailey Bridge which was directly west of the footbridge on the Orne. Close by there was an outpost of 7 Para men that dealt with the comings and goings of German gunboats during the morning and into the afternoon of June 6th.

    As for the locks in Ouistreham I'm not sure what the situation was. I imagine it was heavily fortified on June 6th. A June 7th aerial does show a double bridge crossing. Was that put up by the British only to be replaced by Tower I mid-June?

    Box-0303-7-June-1944-3282.jpg

    Regards ...
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2019
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  15. DannyM

    DannyM Member

    Hi,
    A couple of bits about the dinghies by an officer who was in “E” Troop, 45 RM Commando.

    45  RM  Commando.jpg

    Regards

    Danny
     
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  16. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    I think Commandos should cross the Orne Canal near the footbridge and used it to cross the river, "improvised crossings in vicinity of foot br 113762", but the plan changed during the Dday ! Why ???

    Extract of the war diary of the 5th Parachute Battalion HQ :

    "1 SS Bde
    comes under comd 6 Airborne Div on crossing the line of the rd OUISTREHAM - COLLEVILLE SUR ORNE 0878 - CRESSERONS 0480 at approx H + 2 to H + 3 hrs. After clearing enemy posn at STE AUBIN D'ARQUENAY 0877, 1 SS Bde is crossing the CANAL and river at approx H + 4 hrs 30 by brs 098748 and 104746 and by improvised crossings in vicinity of foot br 113762 to mop up coastal area FRANCEVILLE - CABOURG 2180 - VARAVILLE."
     
  17. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    In the same war diary...

    "Commando crossing at foot br 113762 is being protected by patrols from post at X rds 122755."

    "Assistance to 1 SS Bde in crossing CANAL and river about H + 3 to H + 4
    7 Para Bn will give max fire sp during the move of 1 SS Bde to brs 098748 and 104746 and improvised crossing 113762. Routes will be cleared and traffic controlled by Pro during this period. 12 Para Bn will strengthen battle outpost at X rds 122755 as tactical situation permits so as to neutralise with patrols enemy post at 132766 and protect crossing."

    "RE
    PHASE II

    (e) Preparation of LZs (see para 15)
    (f) Recce, neutralisation and removal of enemy minefds on priority to be laid down by Bde HQ.
    (g) Recce site for A Tk gun raft and folding boat ferries (Class 9).
    (h) Recce and est if possible personnel ferry for 1 SS Bde in area of br 113762 by H + 3 hrs.
    (j) Recce site for Class 40 br near brs 098748 and 104746.
    During PHASE II all RE work will be centralised under comd Maj P.A. WOOD, 591 Para Sqn RE until reverting to comd CRA on completion of tasks."
     
  18. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Good account of the 45 RM Commando group who brought along the dinghies! Yes I can imagine that Day's group were more than happy to dump their dinghies and paraphernalia at the bridge after hoofing it all the way from the beach.

    Xavier's quote comes from the "5 PARA BDE OO No.1" which was the intended course of action and plans written up prior to D-Day. The "improvised crossings in vicinity of foot br 113762" is of course referring to 45 RM Commando. It later mentions the same Commandos: "Commando crossing at foot br 113762 is being protected by patrols from post at X rds 122755".

    I'm not sure when the plan changed for 45 RM commando? Perhaps it was an on the spot decision made on June 6th to use Pegasus Bridge when it became known it was successfully captured. Or they could have abandoned the plan earlier and took along the dinghies as insurance in case the bridges over the Canal and Orne were destroyed?

    Regards ...
     
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  19. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Xavier, sorry I didn't refresh and missed your latest post.

    Regards ...
     
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  20. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Two gunboats were in the sector...
    It's very hasardous to cross a river in dinghies just in front of them...
    May be...
    Regards...
    Xavier
     

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