Scotland. The Assault Training. 246 RE

Discussion in 'Veteran Accounts' started by sapper, Jul 22, 2008.

  1. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Well here goes, this is just a small part of many WW2 documents and histories about my Company, and associate units.
    This is by a Captain in the RE, from my company. A good friend and a gallant officer, (As are all Sappers!) Big Grin!

    The Company was to be in the leading assault as part of the Eighth infantry Brigade.
    Their job was to open a mine free path from the beach to the parallel road. And in the process: remove anything or anybody that stood in the way. Defensive positions ...concrete blockhouses... Anything. We were armed with "Beehive explosive charges" to blow up any beach gun positions.
    Success of the mission was down to those three Sword Beach Assault teams.

    In passing, the Royal Engineers landed before anyone (Except the DD tanks) to prepare the way for the landings. As an infantry man said later, "we landed to find the gallant sappers preparing the way"
    But more of that later. So this is back to 1943:-

    Then in March 1943 the whole of the 3rd. Infantry Division moved to Scotland for “Combined Operations” exercises. “246 RE” went to Dunoon at Troon for special training In the use of explosives, “at sea” exercises with ships of the Royal Navy, and in the use of various types of Assault Craft. On our return to the Company base in Kirkcudbright the accent was mainly on Infantry training, long route marches and carrying our engineer equipment in “man packs”

    Assault landing training was undertaken from a camp at Tignabruich on the western side of the Kyles of Bute, and at Invarary in Argyle where some of the cross channel passenger ships were being used as Infantry landing ships. Soon the newer tank Landing craft “LCT” and. Infantry assault craft “LCA” were arriving, practice landings, using live ammunition were undertaken and it was becoming clear that we were being lined up for some specific operation.

    IN TIGNABRUAICH THE LIGHTER SIDE OF TRAINING.
    During the training period at Tignabruaich, the whole Company went down with dysentery. Now were all in a tented camp, served with field latrines and there was never anyone to be seen, they were all busily engaged behind the Hessian screens.

    The platoons were due to go out on a landing exercise at “Blind Man’s Bay” but the Medical Officer, fearing for the well being of the Company, declined the responsibility of allowing the men to go in that state. However, after all ranks had trooped through the Medical tent, and taken a No.9 we all made a rapid recovery and off we went to the boats.
    TBC.
    Is this what you are looking for???
    Sapper
     
    Paul Reed and Bodston like this.
  2. j5spitman

    j5spitman Hairy vice marshall

    Most definately Sapper. I only wish I could get Tom Online to talk with you. Sadly he's got himself in the too scared to live too scared to die mentality and despite my paying for his broadband connction, it remains dormant. I shall print off your posts and see if I can't poke him out of his shell.

    My partner his daughter has a great deal of difficulty coming to the terms with the fact that her Regular soldier and Colour Sergeant Father has become so insular.

    But I digress, this is first class and thank you
    John

    Spitbloke over and out
     
  3. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Most of our landing exercises took place outside of the estuary and on to the beach at “Blind Man’s Bay” where we had built a number of “mockup” emplacements out of plaster board and some scaffolding.

    Some of the landings were made with “Live” ammo, after each exercise, a party of sappers would carry out any necessary repairs.
    It is said that a couple of the sappers of 2 platoon would set rabbit traps or snares in all of the convenient rabbit runs, collecting their spoils on the next day during the landing exercise. The rabbits were later sold in Tignabruaich for a shilling a head.
    One unusual task given to 3 Platoon was the construction of a large Naval floating target, comprising empty oil drums and tubular scaffolding, on which was mounted a great sheet of chipboard. All went well with Sgt. Gallagher in charge of the crew, which included Sapper Jim Pugh, until the thing was finished on the beach with the tide out.

    I had found a large chunk of stone to which we attached a reel of wire rope, to provide moorings. When the tide came in were to go afloat. We suspended the stone beneath the drums and waited for high tide, at which time, we started to lower the stone, but the wire rope whipped off the reel and snagged on the protruding end of the scaffolding, and nothing would loosen It. The tide was now going out, and our target was going with it. Sgt. Gallagher and the sappers were sent ashore to enlist the help of the boat section whilst I stayed “aboard” until help arrived, or until I might succeed in getting the “anchor” down.

    Very quickly the target sailed out of the Kyles of Bute and headed for the high seas as the sun set and darkness fell around me. With no signs of the ‘lifeboat’ I was beginning to be afraid for my own safety, and becoming very concerned with the various signal lights coming from seaward. I was quite sure that these were calls for recognition signals, and in default I was about to receive a shot across my bows!
    TBC Sapper
    Can anyone make this a "Sticky" so I can find it?
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Can anyone make this a "Sticky" so I can find it?

    Thread stuck.
    Great stories,
    cheers Brian.
     
  5. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Owen, hope you and the Children are well?
    Cheers mate.
    Sapper
     
  6. marcus69x

    marcus69x I love WW2 meah!!!

    Brilliant brian. Keep 'em coming.
     
  7. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Excellent stuff Brian - keep it coming!
     
  8. j5spitman

    j5spitman Hairy vice marshall

    Excellent stuff Brian - keep it coming!

    Hear Hear Paul. I have got some of Tom's memories here and I shall put them up both as they were written and also edited for punctuation etc, to make it easier for others. Thank you so much Sapper. I love this place. Just about the best forum I've ever entered, thank you all especially the vet's. Paul I don't know if you got it but I had sent you an email via your web site.

    Cheers everyone
     
  9. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    After a very long time I heard the sound of a motor boat and I was taken off, because we failed to tow the target on account of the cable and the dangling lump of stone, we were forced to cast off, and our handiwork drifted away. The Navy was informed but their search during the night failed to find it. Next morning it was spotted by binoculars, ashore under the cliffs down the coast. Although the CO Major Rodney Maude was not amused, at least the efforts of Sgt. Gallager, Sapper Jim Pugh, Sapper Jack Stevens and myself gave rise to a good laugh in the Company.
    Meanwhile in the senior command, things were happening and we were soon to round off our assault training and landings in this area, and we once again started to make our way back to Kirkcudbright. About this time Lance Sergeant Levio joined us from the N. Africa landings.

    WE PREPARE FOR THE ASSAULT LANDINGS.. THE MORAYSHIRE COAST WINTER 1943/4
    In Kirkudbright area, the Field Coys prepare for hard going in the Exercise entailing continuous heavy bridging tasks on the big rivers for a period of some 76 hours, before fatigue finally forced a halt to the operations which demanded strenuous duties and minimal rest. Then we were away again to Morayshire and the big Exercises.
    Unknown to most of us, this intensive training was in preparation for an assault landing invasion of Sicily, but in spite of the fact that certain specific bridging tasks had been practiced on fluctuating river flows, on special sites above the hydroelectric power stations, we were withdrawn from this operation and the 1st. Canadian Division took our place in the invasion of Sicily.
    Soon afterwards we received information that the 3rd. Division was to take part, instead, in the assault on North West Europe, and that we would be the first British Infantry Division ashore. This news brought with it a realistic and strenuous programme of battle training. In the first place, our Engineer duties were put to use in building replicas of the different types of concrete defences on the wild and wet hills near Moffat, where the Division had established a Battle School, complete with “German” soldiers in full infantry uniform to act as realistic enemy forces.
    TBC
    Sapper
     
    von Poop likes this.
  10. j5spitman

    j5spitman Hairy vice marshall

    Sapper this is riveting stuff. I'd no idea before your publishing these articles, that Tom had been up in Moffat. He had originally been in Folkstone with a Dieppe target in mind. They were replaced by Canadians and Tom and The Suffolks found themselves up in Scotland. I've seen the first big spark I've had out of him in a long time this morning, when I read him your posts. Watch this space I think he may have come awake. I just registered him here as sgtmanselli. Keep watching, it may be me doing the typing as he has severe carpal tunnel problems and can't type for long, but rest assured it will be his voice. Thank you Sapper.....TOP BLOKE!!!!
     
  11. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Yes I am aware of the Dieppe raid. There is an account of how our company embarked, sailed out to sea, and along what they thought was the French Coast at night.... Then returned to port.
    None of them knew what the hell was happening. They thought that we would be in the near channel vicinity and later engaged in action... if required. IN the event they sailed around all night. then went home.....

    Even today the actual plan is unknown. I think they sent the RE out off of Dieppe as a backup, just in case they were needed. Though I have nothing to prove that.
    But it is on record.
    Sapper
     
  12. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    Great stuff Sapper, keep em coming.!!!
     
  13. kfz

    kfz Very Senior Member

    Yes I am aware of the Dieppe raid. There is an account of how our company embarked, sailed out to sea, and along what they thought was the French Coast at night.... Then returned to port.
    None of them knew what the hell was happening. They thought that we would be in the near channel vicinity and later engaged in action... if required. IN the event they sailed around all night. then went home.....

    Even today the actual plan is unknown. I think they sent the RE out off of Dieppe as a backup, just in case they were needed. Though I have nothing to prove that.
    But it is on record.
    Sapper

    Maybe someone got wind it was turning into a cock up and pulled your boys back? Probably not. RE probably would have been first in if they where needed at all.

    Kev

    PS keep it comming Sapper, im enjoying this...
     
  14. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Here we started experimenting with special manpacks to carry the “beehive” explosive charges we were to use, for destroying enemy pillboxes and gun emplacements, and while all of this was going on, preparations were being made for the occupation of a special training area in Morayshire, where the coast and the road system bore a close resemblance to the area on the coast of France on which it was expected we would make an assault landing.

    All of this of course was known only to a select few in the War Office. Along a coastal strip from the little port of Burghead to Findhorn and across the river to the Culbin sands, a large number of “mockup” gun positions, and defensive positions were laid out. This was a most interesting occupation, which required quite a lot of imagination and ingenuity to produce “guns” and “concrete bunkers” out of fir poles and sheets of corrugated iron. All of these positions were given code names as were a number of groups of buildings and cross roads, all for the purpose of naming targets and objectives in the forthcoming amphibious exercises.

    My Platoon was billeted in a small nissen hutted camp close to the village of Findhorn, at the northern extremity of Kinloss Aerodrome, and the rest of the Company was in Gordonstoun near Burghead. Since it was wintertime I saw very little of the camp in daylight, we were off to our building tasks before daylight, and by the time we finished for the day it was dark again.

    The best thing about it was that we were well away from Company Headquarters and, for the most part, left undisturbed by the rest of the Company. The local people used to tell us of the old village, of days gone by, which used to lie to the north of Findhorn. One night during a severe storm the wind drove the sand off the beaches and completely buried the cottages.

    It was said that during the night the villagers cried out to be saved and their voices could be heard, coming up through the sands. It was said that one could sometimes still hear their ghosts crying out at night during the winter storms. Although I spent many nights in this great sandy waste I heard no voices but I will admit that It is a most weird place when the wind drove in from the North Seas across the Culbin Sands and one could easily imagine hearing cries.
    TBC
    Sapper
     
  15. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    BUMP!
     
  16. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    From December 1943 the 3rd. Division began to concentrate in Morayshire and link up in earnest with the Naval Force which was to carry us into the assault of the coast of France. All aspects of our specialist tasks were perfected and practised over and over again. The, whole Division and its supporting units began to engage in practice embarkations near Invergordon.

    Embarkations which were “dry” in that fields along the shore were marked out as “landing ships” in which we first assembled, and then the troops moved into “assault landing craft” enclosures from which “landings”were made.
    During these exercises the Naval personnel were responsible for marshalling the separate units from station to station, until they were led to their “landing craft” prior to the simulated “runin”

    In December also the full scale landing exercises started with the Navy, convoys went out into the North Sea, assault landings were then made on the prepared beaches.
    Some of the mockup construction work was carried out at night under the reflected light from searchlights, for these works, we received an extra allowance of one shilling per man for extra haversack rations. This was not the only work being done at night, however, because in the huts at the 3 Platoon billets in Findhorn, everyone seemed to be engaged in a veritable “cottage Industry” before Christmas.
    They were all busily engaged in making toys for young brothers and sisters, and some for their own children.. Model guns, tommy guns, airplanes being copies of those to be seen on the Kinloss airfield nearby. Sapper Bob Chapman was to be seen fashioning tiepins mounted with the King’s head cut from a silver sixpence, some of the more mechanically minded made cigarette lighters from 303 bullets.

    The Company Itself used to be engaged on frequent night infantry training exercises in the area of sand dunes between Findhorn and Burghead. The winter Was very cold and there was a good cover of snow. We used to dig in, each section preparing their own slittrenches with the whole Platoon forming an allround defence.

    Once dug-in, patrols went out to find out where the other Platoons were established and once found an attack would be laid on, using blanks and thunder flashes. In 3 Platoon we livened things up a bit by making a mortar and using thunderflash mortarbombs. It was all very secret...two lengths of tubing for the barrel. .making bombs by pushing the tinder end of one thunderflash tightly into the buttend of another.

    By angling the mortar barrel supported by a wire bipod, lighting the touch paper of the coupled thunderflashes and popping it down the barrel, the exploding thunderflash would ignite the second one and project it 30 yards or more, until it burst some six feet in the air above the target ! With two of these mortars and about 20 bombs we caused havoc on an attack one night, only to be accused of using “dirty tricks”. Well It made a bit of a change anyway.
    TBC
    Sapper
     
  17. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Brian,
    How many of your comrade had seen active service?
    Was there a sense of unreality about all the training ?
    Did the arrival of Lance Sergeant Levio from the N. Africa landings bring home the fact that soon it would be your turn to do it for real as it were?
     
  18. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Many of the company had seen service earlier in France and at Dunkirk. Indeed, they returned with a very fine record. The training is just taken in their stride. The arrival of Sgt Levio made no difference at all. Most had seen action and a lot of it! the others had been in the Blitz and HG, they tended to do what all British Service men do... Get on with it.
     
  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Cheers Brian, I was wondering how many of the 1940 campaign men were still there and how many had been posted away for thir places to be filled by you younger men?
     
  20. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    I replied to this three times and each time I pressed the wrong button losing everything
     

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