War Diary of P Battery Dragon Troop, Royal Horse Artillery 1939

War Diaries of P Battery (The Dragon Troop), Royal Horse Artillery

1939

Home	1940	1941	1942
	1943	1944	1945

August 1939 Commanding Officer:
Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
Mersa	August.		Location throughout month - Mersa Matruh
Matruh	1st		"C" Troop to Mersa Matruh. Bivouaced at El Alamein
	2nd		Arrived Mersa Matruh
	3 - 7		Reconnaissance of Defensive Positions.
	7 -23		Digging Gun Pits and communication trenches.
	23/24		Codeword "UMBRELLA" received.
	24.	0900	Train Party to Mersa Matruh
		1900	Code word "FLIT" received
		2930	Issue of all Anti Gas equipment.
	25	0500	Road party left Abbassia for Mersa Matruh. Bivouaced night 25/26 at El Alamein.
	26	1400	Road Party arrived Mersa Matruh.
	27		Tents and vehicles dispersed. Headquarters commenced digging slit trenches. A, B and C Troops digging gun pits
	28		B and C Troops to defensive positions. Digging continued on twelve Anti Tank Gun Positions. Positions manned day and night, detachments cooking own food on positiions,
			Strength of Battery:- Officers .........2. Lieut J.W.H. James. R.H.A.
			Lieut. F.B. Wyldbore-Smith. R.H.A.
			Other Ranks....120. (W.O.. cl. 11 (BSM) GILES. G)

			J.W.H. James
			Lieut. R.H.A
			Commanding "P" Battery R.H.A.

September 1939 Commanding Officer:
Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	September		Location unchanged
	2	1115	War Declared. Eyeshields to be worn when in open.
	4		Mobilization ordered. (Battery was actually already mobilized) but that peace accounting would continue.	Mobilization order attached as App "A"
	7		Wearing of eyeshields, carrying of respirators and anti gas equipment discontinued.
	8.		Gas sentries withdrawn but Main Guard kept detector ground outside Guard Tent.
	9		Guns called in from defences to Headquarters for training.
	10		Training and Field Works continues.
	13		Anti gas clothing handed into stores. King Farouk of Egypt visits British and Egyptian Troops in the Western Desert.
	14		Work on defences continues.
	23		Demonstration. Types and recognitions of British Air Craft.

			J.W.H. James
			Captain,. R.H.A
			Commanding "P" Battery R.H.A.

October 1939 Commanding Officer:
Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	October		Location unchanged
	16		Vehicles and Guns lined up. Medical inspection of all Ranks.
	17		Troop of four guns arrived from "D" Battery R.H.A. for Reserve Line. Lieut P.W.G. Pope R.H.A. was commander of this detachment.
	19		Field Firing - 2 pounder. N.C.Os Lectures and Gun Drill Classes.
	27-30		Mersa Matruh Manning Exercises.
	20th.		Lieut. P.W.G. Pope R.H.A. and "C" Troop proceeded Mersa Matruh to complete the defences inside the wire and came under command of "P" Battery R.H.A.
	27th.		Mersa Matruh Manning Exercise.

			J.W.H. James
			Captain,. R.H.A
			Commanding "P" Battery R.H.A.

November 1939 Commanding Officer:
Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	November		Location unchanged
	1		2/Lieut W.T.L. Tanner R.A.R.O. arrived to relive Lieut Pope.
	13.		Fifty per cent of the Battery on Field Works. Fifty per cent on training.
			Other ranks on Maintenance Lectures, Gun Drills and Driving Instruction
			W.O. and N.C.Os Navigation and Map Reading.
			Sixteen Bofor Anti Tank guns received.
	14		Sixteen 2 Pounder Anti Tank gins despatched to Abbassia.
	23		T.A.B. Inoculation - All ranks.
	27		Advance Party to Abbassia. (1 Sgt and 3 Other ranks.)

			J.W.H. James
			Captain,. R.H.A
			Commanding "P" Battery R.H.A.

December 1939 Commanding Officer:
Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	December		Location unchanged
	1		Individual Training
	3		Work on Defences continued.
			1 W.O. III, 1 B.Q.M.S., 4 Sgts. & 7 Bdrs granted War Subst. Rank.
	6-7		Annual Rifle Classification.
	9		Demonstration by "B" Troop for G.O.C. 6th Division. Reconnaissance at SIWA.
	10		'P' Battery R.H.A. handed over Matruh defences to 'J' Battery R.H.A.
	11		Rail and Road parties left MATRUH for ABBASSIA. Rail party arrived ABBASSIA.
	12		Road party arrived ABBASSIA.
	14		Maj. H.W.L. COWAN R.H.A. took over command of 'P' Battery R.H.A.
	18		Armour's Inspection.
	20		Respirator Inspection.

			CW Cowan
			Major. R.H.A
			Commanding "P" Battery R.H.A.

Home	1940	1941	1942
	1943	1944	1945