96 Coy (Troop Carrying) RASC discussion relating to Platoon Remarks

Discussion in 'RASC' started by Paul Bulmer, Jul 10, 2022.

  1. Paul Bulmer

    Paul Bulmer Member

    I am gradually transcribing the 96 Coy (Troop Carrying) RASC Platoon remarks which are attached to the Coy War Diary.

    I have a few questions relating to the Platoon remarks, which I would appreciate help from the forum.

    A typical example (shown below) is from the ‘B’ Platoon remarks for the 16 August 1944

    Embussed S.Staffs at 0900 hrs. at 935448. Passed Bde S.P. 920432 at 1032 hrs. via LA MOUSSE, ST OMER to D.P. 959399. Time passed Div Point 1107 hrs. Debussed at 970392 at 1110 hrs. Harboured 980389 at 100 hrs. Instructed to proceed R.V. at 936497. Guided to 967517 and harboured.

    Most days, the remarks referred to the “Time passed S.P.” or “Time passed Bde S.P” They also appear to remark on the “Time they passed D.P.”

    I would like to know the significance of the Platoon keep stating the time they passed Brigade S.P. & D.P.

    On another point, the Platoon remarks talk about certain Routes they named, including Comet, Square, Moon, and Bottle. Is there a map showing these routes?

    I understand the vehicles have badges identifying their company, Brigade or division. Does the 96 Coy (Trooping Carrying) RASC use any specific badge?
     
  2. hutt

    hutt Member

    Based on tracing my fathers route with a RASC company through Italy I would make the following suggestions.
    Start by locating the coordinate positions on a modern map and then the original WW2 maps. Use something like the echo delta site to do that. That will probably give you some routes that may seem obvious but if it’s anything like Italy it will be more complex. In Italy it is quite clear that the nature of the roads and sheer weight of traffic required very careful planning and segregation. What you will need to find are the maps that show these named routes. I worked up through the diaries of the formations that my fathers unit was under command of and in one AGRA diary, found some maps. After that I began to look through the diaries of Millitary Police / Provost companies and some also contained topological maps with named routes junctions etc and an indication of their suitability for classes of vehicle and directions if part of a one way system. It will involve a lot of speculative opening of diaries at Kew so not really practical if you can’t get there. That’s my suggestion. Good luck.
     
  3. idler

    idler GeneralList

    The timings are probably important as it's unlikely they were the only convoy on the roads, so they would have been allocated a slot and expected to stick to it. An RASC platoon of 30 lorries in isolation would occupy 3/4 miles of road at the standard tactical 40 vehicles to the mile (vtm). At a not-unlikely speed of 15mph they alone would take 3 minutes to pass a point. Then you've got to have space to get them off the road at each end. The mention of a Bde SP suggests that 3 battalions plus each battalion's vehicles, plus the brigade's. Your road's now being monopolised for maybe 20-30 minutes; if all goes well.
    Allocation of units to roadspace is one of those easily-forgotten but crucial bits of behind-the-scenes staff work.
     
    hutt and Osborne2 like this.
  4. Paul Bulmer

    Paul Bulmer Member

    Thanks for the information. I will research this and report to the forum with anything I find.
     
  5. Paul Bulmer

    Paul Bulmer Member

    Thanks for the information.
    I see what you mean about allocating a set time on the road for any transport detail to avoid traffic jams.

    I am not sure what you mean when you say:-
    by the mention of a Bde SP suggests that 3 battalions plus each battalion's vehicles, plus the brigade's. Your road's now being monopolised for maybe 20-30 minutes; if all goes well.
    Can you expand on this?

    Do you think SP stands for Start Point, and it is this time the convoy has been told they must hit for their slot on the road. DP means Debussing Point.
     
  6. idler

    idler GeneralList

    A Bde SP implies that a whole brigade of 3 battalions is on the move. With around 15 TCVs per battalion plus some for brigade troops, that's 50-ish TCVs. They'd take around 1.25 miles of road alone (at 40 vtm).

    Now the TCVs are only carrying the 'marching' elements, so you've got to add each battalion's own vehicles and those of Bde HQ to the convoy. I don't know the figure off the top of my head but 50 per battalion is probably quite conservative. Let's say a 6 mile convoy. At 60mph (1 mile per min) they'd take 6 minutes to pass a point, but they're doing around a quarter of that, so a 24 minute pass time.

    Apologies if that's even more confusing!
     

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