A Brief History to 50th Divisional Signals in WW2

May 1940

Loos May 1

Unit in Loos Nr. Lille. Collective training.

May 11

Received 'Birch'. Captain W.A. Lee and personnel for Route Regulation detached.

Everbecq May 16

Advance Div.H.Q. established Everbecq SW of Brussels. Rear group at Loise Marie.

Hairseaux May 18

Div. withdrawn to the Chateau, Hairseaux. Rear group at Ballet.

Loos May 19

Div. moves to Loos. Unit in original quarters.

X Rds. Vimy May 20

G.O.Cs. 'R' Gp. R.V. at X-rds. Vimy. Adavance Div. H.Q. established Vimy Village. Rear Div. at La Bassee. Sig. Rear Gp at Avion.

Grocourt May 23

Rear Group move to Grocourt.

Loos May 24

Division withdrawn to Loos. Original quarters occupied.

Lebleu May 26

Adv. Div. H.Q. established in farm house at Lebleu, Nr. Premesques. Rear Gp at Erquinhem.

Brandhoek May 27

Adv. Div. H.Q. established at Brandhoek, between Ypres and Popperinghe. Rear Gp to Beselhoek, North of Popperinghe.

West Vleeten May 28

West Vleeten 476706. Rear Group West Vleeten. Transport and Stores, less 4 No.11 sets and Trucks, Cable Layers and Water Cart destroyed.

Lieut. Waugh, 2nd Lieuts Bruce and Bowman, and 90 other ranks ordered to proceed to La Panne to embark.

Aidenkerque May 29

Div. established Aidenkerque H.39988.

Aidenkerque May 30

Captain V.C. Mascall, R.A.O.C, and 48 other ranks ordered to proceed to Bray Dunes to embark.

 

June 1940

Malo Les Bains June 1

H.Q. Div. moved to Malo Les Bains. G.O.C. decided not to remain and Div. H.Q. established at Lleffringhouke.

June 2

Div. H.Q. and Unit H.Q. and No. 1 Company personel embarked via Dunkirk.

UK June 3

Unit dispersed over Great Britain.

Tatton Park June 8

Div. concentrating at Tatton Park, Mere, Cheshire.

Misterton June 21

Unit moves to Misterton, Nr. Crewkerne.

Langton House, Blandford, Dorset June 28

Div. H.Q. established at Langton House, Blandford, Dorset. Unit in tented camp adjoining.

 

The Story of the Golden Eagle at Dunkirk as mention in Post No.15

Golden Eagle

 

001 ALLEN J 2360839 50TH DIV SIGS 28/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
002 BERRY WR 14430043 50TH DIV SIGS 03/09/1944 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
003 BROWN E 2585248 50TH DIV SIGS 27/10/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
004 CAMBAGE H 2577035 50TH DIV SIGS 31/03/1945 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
005 CASSON N 2580774 50TH DIV SIGS 29/05/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
006 CHATER DK 2577889 50TH DIV SIGS 07/07/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
007 CLEMMIT JL 2576628 50TH DIV SIGS 27/05/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
008 COLLIN H 2380725 50TH DIV SIGS 16/07/1943 - - 17/07/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
009 COLSELL RE 2331773 50TH DIV SIGS 16/07/1943 - - 17/07/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
010 COMBEN PH 2590842 50TH DIV SIGS 15/10/1944 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
011 COOPER FG 2362364 50TH DIV SIGS 17/11/1944 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
012 COUTTS LG 2573358 50TH DIV SIGS 29/05/1940 - - 30/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
013 DAVIS CH 2341368 50TH DIV SIGS 03/08/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
014 DE LISLE AB 39196 50TH DIV SIGS 21/03/1943 - - 22/03/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
015 DOIDGE JGM 2330526 50TH DIV SIGS 27/05/1942 - - 28/05/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
016 FARMELO E 2583549 50TH DIV SIGS 07/04/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
017 FARR GH 2585002 50TH DIV SIGS 16/06/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
018 FERRIER JT 2575874 50TH DIV SIGS 29/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
019 FOSTER J 2565243 50TH DIV SIGS 08/01/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
020 GREEN RB 2381094 50TH DIV SIGS 07/04/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
021 GREGORY A 2360953 50TH DIV SIGS 29/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
022 GRIST LA 2592908 50TH DIV SIGS 23/10/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
023 HARLEY J 2356511 50TH DIV SIGS 30/01/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
024 HEATH FG 2377374 50TH DIV SIGS 21/03/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
025 HEATHWAITE J 2569980 50TH DIV SIGS 29/05/1940 - - 30/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
026 HICKMAN D 2571934 50TH DIV SIGS 29/05/1940 - - 30/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
027 HILL JR 14201160 50TH DIV SIGS 06/03/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
028 HOGG GD 11265186 50TH DIV SIGS 13/07/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
029 HULLYER WJH 5570789 50TH DIV SIGS 23/06/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
030 HUNT E 2571493 50TH DIV SIGS 16/06/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
031 JOHNSON P 4348996 50TH DIV SIGS 20/08/1944 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
032 JONES H 2325515 50TH DIV SIGS 12/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
033 LOWES G 2574936 50TH DIV SIGS 09/08/1944 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
034 MARSHALL RT 2575356 50TH DIV SIGS 29/06/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
035 NICHOLSON AC 4337984 50TH DIV SIGS 26/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
036 O'DELL EL 5946974 50TH DIV SIGS 16/07/1943 - - 17/07/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
037 OXLEY K 2582344 50TH DIV SIGS 29/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
038 PERRIS JE 13099663 50TH DIV SIGS 03/12/1944 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
039 REED JT 2571007 50TH DIV SIGS 29/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
040 RIXON J 4748753 50TH DIV SIGS 15/07/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
041 SIMS T 191146 50TH DIV SIGS 21/03/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
042 SYMONDS FH 2657692 50TH DIV SIGS 01/06/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
043 THOMPSON R 2341342 50TH DIV SIGS 25/03/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
044 TOWERS M 2574992 50TH DIV SIGS 11/08/1944 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
045 VALENTINE R 2382805 50TH DIV SIGS 30/04/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
046 VALENTINE E 2359577 50TH DIV SIGS 08/05/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
047 VAN BOCHOVE JCH 2385858 50TH DIV SIGS 06/06/1944 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
048 WAITON T 2577051 50TH DIV SIGS 29/05/1940 - - 30/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
049 WALKER LA 2569891 50TH DIV SIGS 01/02/1941 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
050 WATSON JE 2577050 50TH DIV SIGS 29/05/1940 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
051 WATT C 1820313 50TH DIV SIGS 28/06/1942 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
052 WESTON SJ 2047142 50TH DIV SIGS 08/05/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
053 WOOD SR 2583413 50TH DIV SIGS 16/06/1944 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
054 WRIGHT CW 2588097 50TH DIV SIGS 09/08/1944 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
055 WRIGHT R 2580769 50TH DIV SIGS 13/07/1943 ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS

 

CWGC :: Certificate

 

I found a list of chaps that your father may have known in the same diary:

 

Bridgewater to the Middle East
1940-41
After anti-invasion duties in 1940 Signals settled in to re-inforcing, re-equiping and training.
Various Trade boards were held and schemes taken part in.
From War Diary
2 May 1941: Junior N.C.O.s drill and duties courses held at Gothelney House, Nr Bridgewater. All corporals and lance corporals attended.
9 May 1941: Junior N.C.Os dispersed.
10 May 1941: Drill and Duty courses for Sergeants and Lance-Sergeants

18 May 1941: Baggage Party under Capt Robinson left for port of embarkation.
20 May 1941: Main body entrained to port of embarkation
21 May 1941:5:30am Main body and baggage party embarked on HMT F18.
22 May 1941: Sailed for destination ‘A’
20 June 1941: Main body arrived Durban - shore leave granted.
22 June 1941: Convoy’s Church Parade on the Durban Cricket Club Grounds.
23 June 1941: Leave Durban

Leaving Bridgewater
We were billeted at 14 Market Street, behind Burtons. HQ and Ak Section had an office there too.
There was a statue of Admiral Blake with his outstretched arm pointing to the billets. We always asked him the way on our way home from the pub. “Where’s the billet Blakey?”
We got knocked down on the Sunday lunchtime, Stan and me, just nearly outside the billets behind Burtons.
An officer came flying round the corner on a motorbike and mounted the pavement. Hit two civilians and pushed us up the entrance way between the shops, hit Stan in the side pretty bad. I took him along to the medical section and they sent him to field hospital.
The woman who had been knocked down died.
I went up to see him Monday afternoon, he knew we were leaving next day. I gave him a hand getting dressed and back to the billet. He didn’t want to be left behind. Suffered all the time we were at sea – six weeks- and some in the desert after that. He was black and blue!
So coming back from the pub on Monday night I asked Blakey which way the billet was. He looked a bit cold so I decided to get him a blanket. I managed to climb up on the plinth, fell off and with a bit of help tied the blanket round his shoulders.
Next day we all assembled with our kit at the church and marched through town on our way to the train station. As we passes old Blakey, Major Minor gave the “Eyes right” There was the Admiral with his blanket for a cape and the sign from outside the HQ office “Quiet Please” hanging on the end of his pointing finger!

The train was one with a corridor and compartments. At one point an officer came round and told us we would be passing through Darlington station. We had to keep the blinds down and nothing must be thrown from the train. That was the wrong thing to say. All sorts of things went out the windows with notes scrawled on!
At Greenock the train stopped right on the dockside and we boarded the Almanzora, a troop ship. This would be home for the next six weeks. I rigged up a hammock in the mess deck where we lived. We were locked in on a night. I remember one night we heard this great thud and thought we had been torpedoed. We had bumped another ship, but there was panic with people climbing over each other to try and reach the door that was locked in any case! ( ORDUNA and ALMANZORA were in collision 31/5 but continued with the convoy.)

We spent time on deck sunbathing or shooting at anything visible that might be a sea mine. No one hit anything as I recall. Later when it got warmer as we sailed further south we could sleep on deck. But if you hadn’t grabbed a place on deck by a certain time the crew would lock you in.

We anchored up just off Freetown, Sierra Leone and here the locals came out in canoes with fresh fruit to sell. They would throw a line up and then this pulley affair with two baskets. It was set up so they could check the money going down was enough before you got the fruit basket coming up.

Men would throw things in the water for them to dive for. They could stay down a long time. Then one would surface and shout “ I risk my ****in life for Glasgow tanner”, an old thruppenny bit!
----------------------------------
We anchored at Durban next and I was drawn for afternoon shore leave. Arthur and I went to a bar where we found that the local law said you could only buy your own beer. That way, they said, it was your own fault if you ended up drunk. We sat in big park after that then went back to the ship. While we were getting aboard there was a big commotion and haring along the quay comes Reggie Hauxwell pulling a rickshaw with the garry-man sat in it! He stopped by the gangway and let the garry-man get out, paid him and came aboard to applause and cheering.
HMS Barham was in harbour when we left, she was badly damaged and had come in for repairs.

 

War Diary (extract)
4 July 1941: Arrived Aden
5 July 1941: Left Aden
10 July 1941: Arrived Middle east. Disembarked Port Toufiq.
Moved into Mena Camp, near Cairo, same day.
14 July 1941: Capt. Shaw left with advance party for “guillotine” move.
16 July 1941: section locations this date: H.Q. & 1 Coy (less C Section) – Mena
E & J Sections - Quassasin
L Section - England
F & G Sections - At Sea
50th Bn. Rece. Corps (4 R.N.Fs)- England
17 July 1941:
18 July 1941: F,G & L Sections arrived Middle East, stationed Quassasin
24 July 1941: J Section (151 Inf. Bde) left Quassasin and embarked Port Said for Cyprus.
Main body (UHQ, 1Coy, HQ, 2 & 3 Coys) left Mena Camp, Cairo & embarked Port Said for Cyrpus.
25 July 1941: J Section (151 Inf. Bde) disembarked Cyprus – stationed Nicosia.
UHQ, 1Coy, HQ, 2 & 3 Coys disembarked Cyprus and stationed Larnaca.
30 July 1941: Lieut. J F Widgery disembarked Cyprus with part of Unit’s transport.

 

In the Field
6 August 1941: Rear Party under 2/Lt D A Smith disembark Cyprus.
G Section (124 Field Regt. Sigs Section) disembarked Cyprus.
L Section (69 Inf Bde. Sigs Section) disembarked Cyprus.
8 August 1941: Capt K A Waugh and advance party K Section (150 I. B. Sigs Sec.
Disembark Cyprus.
9 August 1941: Lieut L J Walter R.N.F. together with Cyprus Cipher Section personnel attached to Unit.
14 August 1941: Main body of K Section (150 Inf Bde. Disembark Cyprus.
16 August 1941: F Section (74 Field Regt. Sigs Section) disembark Cyprus.
25 August 1941: Lieut. W Bowman R.A.O.C. disembarked Cyprus with remainder of vehicles.

General: During the month the unit has been employed in taking over and extending existing communications. The following sections have been affiliated for purposes of supervision, personnel, technical training and stores – 2nd Heavy A.A. Regt R A Sig Section; Signal Troop, 3rd Husars; 9Wing
Section, Air Formation Signals.
Cyprus Signal Section under the command of Capt. R Liddington, became embodied in the unit. A detachment under the command of 2/Lieut. D W W Spittle was attached to HQ, 7th Division as Signal Section. Remainder of personnel gradually absorbed into sections of this unit.

 

War Diary September/October
September 1941 (extract)
General
During the month, the unit has been employed in manning and improving communications throughout the island, and also took part in a Signals exercise designed to test these communications. Out Sections took part in a number of Exercises held by formations to which they were attached.
Trade boards were held and certain personnel were up-graded.
Certain personnel attached to Rest Camp, nr Troodos for a period of 4 days at a time.
Unit competition run for Christmas card designs to be printed on Airgraph forms. 13 entries received.

October 1941 (extract)

General
Further extension and improvement of communications throughout the island occupied the attention of the unit during the month, and HQ and out-sections took part in a number of exercises.
The health of the unit was on the whole good.
Certain personnel were attached to Rest Camp at Nicosia and Mavrovouni for 7-day periods.

 

I remember the escort vessels occasionally weaving in and out of the convoy all the time we were at sea. We lost some of the cruisers early on when the Bismarck was rumoured to be about and they were detached near Gibraltar. They didn’t stay away long though.
I cannot recall stopping at Aden, but remember Exeter being fairly close to us when her sea plane crashed into the sea. We were also bombed at Tewfik – one ship across from us was on fire.

Mena I recall was under canvas. It would have been at this time that we were taken to see the Pyramids. I wish I’d taken more interest now in a lot of the places we passed through – Babylon and the massive ruins at Baalbek –never mind.

We landed on Cyprus at Farmagusta and were billeted in Larnaca. It was an empty house with small banana trees in the garden. We slept on the floor but at least there was a cook house so we didn’t have to make our own grub. Two of the lads were butchers and found a small slaughter house, asked permission, and killed a beast to supplement our rations.

Cyprus was a beautiful island but we were told that Jerry was on his way and that’s why we were there. The rumour was we had originally been heading for Crete, but it had fallen while we were at sea.

During my time on Cyprus with HQ I spent a lot of time doing nothing! Stan and I were detailed two 3 tonners and took loads of stone up into the Troodos where we were building a road. After that I spent time with our Quarter-bloke Norman Norcross delivering stores round our sections. I swam off Larnaca pier a lot and I stopped drinking! This was the result of a charge Major Minor put me on, with a lecture on how drink and the heat effected people. This only lasted until 27 September when, because of various duties I spent my 21st alone on the beach with a bottle of rum!

There we a number of air raids by the Italians –you couldn’t see them they were that high and not many bombs caused damage as I can remember.

We left Cyprus on a mine-layer. The bows opened up like one of those car ferries and we just walked aboard. Left all the transport on Cyprus and picked up vehicles from 5 Indian Div in Palestine. These were old South-African Fords that had seen better days. Mine had the glass out of the windscreen (to stop the sun reflecting off it), no doors and no cover on the back.

We heard that Jerry was coming through the Caucasuses for the oil fields and we had been rushed off Cyprus to go and meet the threat. So we moved up into Iraq.

 

View attachment 48587

Have not been able to locate Procat ref for War Diary Nov/Dec 1941. (But still looking).
50(N) Division moved up into Iraq to counter a German move through the Caucasus. When this was not realised the Division moved back into Egypt with stops in Syria and Trans-Jordan.
Here are some scattered recollections from Dad of that period together with one of the few photos he has.
We eventually ended up near Kirkuk in northern Iraq. Everywhere stank of oil. There were wells but it just seeped out of the ground. And the temperature range between day and night was ridiculous! Hot during the day and then temperatures dropping at night so that the oil and rain would freeze on the track-ways and roads making driving on a morning hazardous.
We were in tents again, dug a pit –pitched the tent over it and held it down as best we could. At night we were ordered to dig a groove under our sleeping gear, wrap our rifles and stow them under us. This was because of thieving by the locals. Once when driving back from a drop I remember the truck gave up. Sgt. Major Justice (“the names Justice but you won’t get any from me”) went off to get some help and left me on my own clutching my rifle and staring at the locals outside a stone hut who were staring right back! It seemed like a very long time before he came back with a recovery vehicle.
The weather was so bad that we wore a lot of kit. The double lined scarf could be made into a kind of wool hat and we wore our gas goggles when driving in sandstorms.
Cannot remember Christmas that year.
We moved back down into Syria and I think it was here we were stationed in Nissen-type huts somewhere near Baalbeck. It was here that they set film shows up in one of the huts, and we visited those ancient ruins that I didn’t have much interest in at that time.

 

War Diary (extracts) January –April 1942
12 Jan 42: Unit moved from Kirkuk into Desert. L.of C. under command of Major B Minor M.B.E.
17 Jan 42: Advance HQ at Baalbeck. Lieut H L Horn joined Unit.
19 Jan 42: (Rosh Pinna) Unit staged 2 days after move through Trans-Jordania and prior to move into Syria. Rear Div Signals Office opened at Tiberias.
21 Jan 42: Unit arrived and billeted in Caserne Gouraud. Took over from 6Australian Div Signals.
General
A number of exercises were planned for January but owing to extremely bad weather conditions it was only possible to hold them on a limited scale. The billets in Caserne Gouraud were a great improvement on the tents in the oilfield.

Feb 9 42: Warning order of move to Egypt received.
Feb 11/12 42: Unit moves from Baalbeck
Feb 22 42: Took over from 4 Ind. Div. Signals at 1500 hours. Responsibility for left sector of GAZALA front passed to 50 Div. Div came under command VIII Army.
General
Div was going to hold the “Baalbeck box” (prior to move to Syria). Light bombing and machine gunning of Div. HQ area on the 27th fortunately produced no casualties.

2 Mar 42: (Su Allusc) Signal exercise Corps HQ
8 Mar 42: Signals exercise held Div HQ
General
Month spent largely in improvement and adjustment of communications. Lines to Bdes were duplicated as were laterals to 1 South African Div. And 1 Armd. Div. The Unit played an important part in a successful operation against enemy positions in the area MECHILI-MARTUBA-TMIMI.
Unit casualties were Sigmn Sims died of wounds – one 9 set and vehicle destroyed by fire after receiving direct hits from cannon shells and two other vehicles abandoned –one struck a mine.

22 April 42: 150 Bde moved to position on left of divisional front being relieved by 1 S.A. Div.
25 April 42: Divisional HQ moved to position 14 miles S.E.
General
During the early part of the month the Unit was engaged in providing communications throughout the Division in its static role and with Bde Columns operating along the front.
Wireless heavily committed-unit very short of suitable MT particularly suppressed vehicles and charging engines.

 

As background and very simply, by early February1942 Rommel had countered Eighth Army advances of the previous year and was threatening Tobruk. The front was stabilised along the Gazala line-a series of brigade “boxes” running from the coast 50 miles south to Bir Hakeim. The “boxes” were surrounded by minefields and a stand- off developed as both sides re-grouped and built up strength.
“At this time the Div was static and I was detailed to taking stores and spares up to various out sections in the boxes. There would be an NCO in charge, either a sergeant or Quarter-bloke, who had the map references. After a while the tracks became that familiar that you could find the way second-nature. We also had a spotter along on every trip watching for enemy planes. In fact I went along with Stan once as his spotter. If you got the shout you were out of the vehicle and as far away from it as possible in a scrape of stones. We got fired on a few times, the track stitched along by machine gun fire from aircraft, but we never got hit. They weren’t interested in us, just the truck.

The desert isn’t all sand dunes –its scrub grass and stones – flat mostly, green up by the coast. There was sand in the wadi’s. There was sand up in Iraq

The “Boxes” were ridiculous, stuck in the middle of nowhere with mine-fields all round. We would come in from the back. The tracks had markers and the mined areas had taped corridors to use through them. Even so I once drove over the tape into a mine field (only a few yards) and had to get the spotter to watch that I reversed back along my tyre tracks.

There was nothing to see either, just desert. When we found our lads there would be maybe three of them in a hole with a radio. That would be HQ, there would be other lads out with each battalion and the artillery. We would stay there as short a time as possible, but nothing really happened on any of those details.

When we were stopped anywhere for a while first thing was to dig a slit trench for yourself, then dig in the vehicle. You dig a sloping pit and then drive in at the front so the engine is less liable to damage in an attack. Then cover it with nets. After that we would dig a big hole (not to big!) and fill sandbags which we piled around the sides. Then put canvas over and cover round with sand, stones and anything else to camouflage it. The Unit was spread out, with the vehicles scattered – not all in a line!

We drew four pints of water a day. Two pints for washing and drinking, and two that went to the cook-house. I think it was here that we had pilchards nearly every day. Lot of lads didn’t like them but I did. Ate a lot of pilchards – used the oil to rub on against the sun!”

 

War Diary May 1942
13 May: Capt R J J Barry posted to K Section (150 Inf. Bde.)
23 May: Indication that Germans likely to launch offensive and arrangements made for defence of Div HQ. Q Communications strengthened and additional wireless links established with 1st and 7th Armd. Divs in addition to liaison officers links.
27 May: German Offensive launched south of position held by Div in GAZALA line. Rear Div moved area GAMBUT. Div HQ threatened by German armoured units.
28 May: Div HQ threatened by German armoured units. Position evacuated on night 28/29 May and HQ established between 69 and 151 Bde boxes.
General: Throughout this period of the battle satisfactory W/T communication was maintained with all units in addition to Corps and 3 other Divisions. Line communications were maintained to all formations and units until the night of 28 May when direct line communications with 150 Bde and 13 Corps was broken though this was re-established with 13 Corps through 1 S. A .Div on the following day.
Use of codes found to be unsatisfactory owing to early compromisation and difficulty of re-distribution when in action.

 

War Diary June 1942
1 June: At the beginning of the month the unit were performing their normal role with the Division in the Gazala line. Main Div HQ situated in the 7 Med Regt box between 150 and 69 Bdes. At the end of the month German armour and 90 Lt Div had forced gaps in the minefields south of the 150 Bde position. This Brigade is very heavily attacked at 1400 hours on May 31st, the attack continues throughout the night. The first indication that the 150 Bde had been overrun came on the morning of June 1st when for the first time wireless communication was broken. At this time Capt R J J Barry was commanding K Section attached to the Bde HQ and Lieut D A Smith, E Section attached to 72 Fd Regt RA. Both officers and all personnel with the section at the time were missing after this action.
3 June: Div HQ shelled for the first time. This continued sporadically until the line was evacuated.
4 June: The unit suffered a great loss in the death of Major Basil Minor, MBE in 149 Field Amb resulting from shell wounds received earlier in the day, At the time of his death Major Minor was second in command and OC No 1 Coy. He had served with the unit since 1933.
5-13 June: remained in same position. System of communication considerably increased by setting up a number of battalion strong points to the rear of the Gazala position. Wireless heavily committed, but working without a break. Line parties also fully employed particularly in maintaining lines to new strong points in rear of line. One wireless detachment attached to Free French Brigade at Bir Hacheim.
14 June: After withdrawal of the Free French Bde during the night 10/11 June, enemy pushed forward North and East to rear of line, and by June 14 all communications with the line were seriously threatened. During the night 50 Div withdrew from the position, the unit being split amongst the two columns formed by Div HQ and the sections of No2 and 3 Coys remaining with the formations they were attached. Withdrawal was effected by a night march in a south-westerly direction, passing west and south of Bir Hacheim and then turning east until striking the Capuzze- Maddalena wire. ... at various points columns passed through Italian positions. During the night columns were split up and it was some days before the unit re-assembled at Bir-el-Thalata, when it was found that 10 personnel were missing.
15-21 June: Concentrated at Bir-el-Thalata. Detachments organised for fighting columns which it was never possible to put into operation.
21 June: L section proceeded west with 69 Bde in role as rearguard to 10 Ind Div retiring from Capuzze position.
22 June: Night march to Sidi Hamsa where came under command 10 Corps.
24 June: Move to position in wadi south of Mersa Matruh.
26 June: Move to position 3 kilo south of 25 kilo post on Mersa Matruh – El Daba coast road.
27/28 June: Night Two Bde attack launched on B Echelon and soft M/T of German columns advancing south of Mersa Matruh. Div commanded from Tac HQ to whom composite sections from 1 Coy attached. Shortly after dusk Main HQ forced to move west by emeny armoured units. HQ on move throughout the night, returning by coast road to position on following afternoon where joined Tac HQ. By this time main coast road cut by enemy columns.
28 June: Orders received for 10 Corps to break through surrounding enemy positions and retire east. Div concentrated south of coast road heavily shelled during evening. No. 1 Coy and UHQ formed into two columns moved at 2100hours due south. Considerable opposition met and vehicles abandoned after being hit by shell and anti-tank fire. Heavy mist at dawn provided valuable cover to parties proceeding east, but considerable number of officers and personnel lost owing to concentration point being in hands of enemy.
29 June
1 July: Concentration to rear of Alamein line. As a result of operation 27/29 3 officers and 85 other ranks missing

 

From appendices to the Diary the actions during May /June 1942 resulted in the loss of six officers and 169 other ranks, which included one officer and five other ranks K.I.A.

First figure is total from each section lost and where applicable the second figure is KIA included.
UHQ: 2 1
Admin: 4
M Section: 3
1 Coy – Div HQ: 1 1
A Section: 4 1
D Section: (D.R’s and cipher): 25 1
2 Coy – Div Arty HQ: 2
E Section: (72 Fld Regt) 34
G Section: (124 Fld Regt) 28
J Section: (151 Inf Bde) 5
K Section: (150Inf Bde) 43
L Section: (69Inf Bde) 6 1
Attached personnel: 12
169 5

 

Hello Mel,

I've owed you a PM for quite a while now; my apologies.

Just a line to let you know that I think this thread is really great. Keep up the good work!

Best,

Steve.

 

I had to ask before anyone else did about the pilchard oil – didn’t it make you smell. Dad said “After a while we all stank! And suffering from sun-burn was classed as a self inflicted wound and got you on a charge.”
“We were spread out in a big leager when Major Minor was killed. I heard that he was sitting on the edge of a trench with two other officers when an artillery round landed and two of them were killed by the blast -Not a mark on them it was said. The third officer was unhurt. Major Minor was well liked and had been our O C from the beginning. They were taking bets on Cyprus as to how long I’d get for insubordination, but he just gave me a good talking to – said I was one of his best soldiers in action and his worst out of it!
When the shout came to move (14 June) our orders were to head west until we were far enough out then to cut south, turn and follow the Milky-Way. We were told not to stop, not to pick anyone up and not to engage the enemy. We had no armaments on the truck apart from our personal arms. HQ were always away first so we set off out into the desert.
First thing you know we had all these DLI lads over the vehicle, hanging on the bonnet and in the doorways as well as in the back. So much for not picking anyone up! We went through an Italian leager during the night, they were spread out like ours with dug-outs. The DLI lads were firing at anything but mostly I remember grenades being lobbed. The one in my doorway was shouting ‘here share this’ So much for not engaging the enemy!
I think it was mid morning the next day when we leagered up. The DLI had left us by then and I cannot remember when or where they went. We had lost two trucks and ‘Shufty’ Brad; QMS Bradford and I drove back a fair distance but nothing was coming, so we decided they must have been nipped and got back to the unit.
The next clear memory is when we got told to move again (28/29 June) that was when all the Ak section lads got nipped. Horace Angus came and said there was a NAFFI thrown open up across the coast road and every-thing was buckshee. While they were away we got the shout. I saw him after the war and said something like that was an expensive trip to the NAFFI Horace!
Reading these lists I found that Capt Waugh who I escaped from Dunkirk with was taken prisoner here. It looks like we lost a lot of the original unit during this month.”

 

July 1942 (extract)
Egypt
1 July: With the exception of a small composite detachment which moved forward to provide commn for Tactical HQ., the unit moved back to area of AMIRIYA.
2 July: Unit moved to MAREOPOLIS camp, all 3 companies being in the same camp. Re-equipment and training is immediately started and courses in all trades are organised. Leave for a period on 72 hours at Divisional Rest Camp, ALEXANDRIA is granted to all ranks. A number of day trips to ALEXANDRIA are also organised.
10 July: No. 2 Coy attached GHQ Tps Signals and moved to MENA for re-equipment, before joining their Field Regts.
29 July: Lt-Col A B De Lisle posted to command Unit, arrived.
31 July: Lt-Col R M Percival posted to command 9 L of C Signals, left Unit and command passed to Lt-Col De Lisle.
August 1942(extract)
1-25 Aug: Main Div HQ situated at Mareopolis camp
25-31 Aug: Main Div HQ situated pt. 51059285 at side of Lake Maryut
General: During first half of month the Unit under went extensive period of individual and detachment training. Facilities were provided for bathing on the coast and day visits to Alexandria.
Period Aug. 20th to 31st Unit fully employed in providing communications from Div HQ., now commanding N. Delta Defence to Bde. And Area Troops and other troops in the area. During this period Signal Sections of the following Bdes. came under command of Unit:-
26 Indian Inf. Bde.
165 Fd Regt. R.A.
18 Ind Inf. Bde.
7 Ind Inf. Bde.
1 Greek Bde.
2 F.F. Bde.

During this period J section was detached with 151 Bde. under command 12 A.A. Bde.and 2Coy. with Fd Regts.