War Diary 384th Field Battery 142nd Field Regiment RA | ||||
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | Remarks & references to appendices |
Okehampton | 2.10.39 | 0930-1000 | Battery marching drill and words of command. | |
| 1030-1230 | Gun drill, surveyors signallers under their own instructors. Drivers maintenance. | ||
14.00-16.30 | Lecture map reading & compass. Gunners lecture ammunition. Remainder PT Five men and an NCO reported at the station at 1900 hrs for instruction in fire fighting. | |||
Okehampton | 3.10.39 | 0930-1000 | Same as previous morning | |
10.30-12.30 | ||||
1400-1630 | Bath Parade | CC | ||
Okehampton | 4.10.39 | 0930-1000 | Same as previous morning | |
10.30-12.30 | ||||
Afternoon Organised Games. Battery football. | CC | |||
Okehampton | 5.10.39 | 0930-1000 | Battery marching drill | |
1030-1200 | Battery lay out on the Parade Ground. Inspection by the Commanding Officer Lt. Colonel EAN Seymour TD afternoon. Gunners lecture “The Gun”. Drivers lecture manoeuvre. Remainder PT . | CC | ||
Okehampton | 6.10.39 | 0930-1000 | Battery marching drill as a whole battery. | |
1030-1230 | Gun drill, signallers under their own instructors. Surveyors and acks lecture by Captain Harper. | |||
1430 | Pay Parade under Captain Harper. Billet money paid out under Captain Stoddart. | CC | ||
7.10.39 | 0930-1000 | Battery marching drill | ||
1030-1230 | Public clothing inspection of Greatcoat, Groundsheet, Haversack, Gas mask civilian & respirator, Steel helmet, water bottle & mess tin. | |||
Half holiday in afternoon. | CC | |||
8.10.39 | Church parade at Parish Church. Marched off 9.38 | CC | ||
9.10.39 | 0930-1015 | Very wet morning. Lectures, Gunners fire orders, Drivers lecture maintenance. Signallers under their own instructors. Subalterns and Acks lecture by the IG Southern Command. | ||
1045-1230 | Lectures, map reading for drivers. Gunners lecture Co-operation with the infantry. | |||
1400-1630 | Gunners Gun Drill, Signallers under their own instructors. Acks & Subaltern Officers under the IG | CC | ||
10.10.39 | 0915-1000 | Battery marching drill | ||
1030-1230 | Route march with respirators or Haversacks or Ground sheets | |||
1400 | Bath Parade 2/Lt. HR Boileau was posted to the 384th Battery. | CC | ||
11.10.39 | 0915-1000 | Foot & Boot Inspection. Boots were found to be in a bad state. Feet were on the whole in good condition. | ||
1030-1230 | Gun Drill. NCOs Guard Duty. Games in the afternoon. Very wet day. | |||
12.10.39 | 0900-1200 | Battery Staff Drill Order, held on Dartmoor for first time. | ||
1400 | Gunners lecture Night Occupation and PT remainder. PT and night occupation. Duty men paraded with 384th Bty for baths at Okehampton Camp. | CC | ||
13.10.39 | 0915-1000 | Battery marching drill in morning. Specialists and Signallers had a lay out in the morning. | ||
14.10.39 | Full kit inspection was held in the morning. Kit was found to be complete and in good order. | |||
15.10.39 | Church Parade at Okehampton Parish Church. | |||
16.10.69 | 0915-1000 | Battery marching drill | ||
0900-1230 | Battery Staff Drill order on South moor area one position occupied. | |||
17.10.39 | 0915-1000 | Battery marching drill on football field. | ||
1030-1230 | Gun Drill. Drivers, specialists & signallers under their own Instructors. Bath parade in the afternoon. Three men for reserved occupations were discharged. No 921702 Gnr Endicott, No 917176 L/Bdr Rottenburg, No 852427 Gunner Hosegood | |||
18.10.39 | Foot & Boot Inspection in the morning. Boots were in a bad state feet were good. Signalling Sergeants, Troop SMs and Officers had motor cycle instruction. | |||
19.10.39 | 0900-1230 | Battery Staff Drill Order on Dartmoor. Very thick mist during the early part of the exercise. | ||
1345-1415 | Lecture on points from the drill order. An order was given that all radiators must be emptied at night. | |||
20.10.39 | 0915-1230 | Route march along Hatherleigh road. Pay parade in afternoon. Very bright day. 29 militia then arrived. | ||
21.10.39 | 0915-1000 | Battery marching drill. | ||
1030-1230 | Public kit inspection. Water bottles were cleaned out with hot water & soda. A branch of the NAAFI was opened in the White Hart Garage. | |||
22.10.39 | Church Parade at the Parish Church Okehampton. Preacher the Rev Compton. | |||
23.10.39 | 0900-1230 | Battery Staff Drill Order on South moor. Very fine day. Gunners marching drill and gun drill. | ||
1515 | Lecture on points from Drill Order. | |||
24.10.39 | 0900-1230 | Battery Staff Drill Order with the 383 Bty as an opposing force. A very fine day. Gunners night occupation practice. | ||
1515 | Lecture points from drill order. | |||
25.10.39 | 0915-1000 | Battery Marching Drill. | ||
1030-1215 | Public Kit inspection. Half Holiday in afternoon. | |||
26.10.39 | 0915-1000 | Battery Marching Drill | ||
1030-1230 | Gun Drill. Drivers, Signallers & Specialists under their own instructors. Afternoon lecture on map reading for Specialists & Signallers. Gunner PT and map reading. 2/Lt Hyett, 2/Lt Sir William Williams and Lt PM Martin were posted to the Battery. | |||
27.10.39 | 0915-1230 | Route March on Tavistock Road. A very fine morning. | ||
1400 | Pay Parade | |||
28.10.39 | 0915-1000 | Battery marching drill. | ||
1030-1230 | Foot & Boot Inspection. Boots had been repaired but some in a bad state. Half holiday in afternoon. | |||
29.10.39 | Church Parade at the Parish Church. March as a Regiment headed by the Town Band. | |||
30.10.39 | 0900 | Battery marching drill. | ||
1030 | Lecture on night occupation of positions. Practice afterwards. | |||
1515 | Motor cycle instruction for NCOs A/Cs and TSMs. Very wet day. | |||
31.10.39 | 0915-1000 | Gas Drill | ||
1030 | Gunners practise night occupation. Officers practised motorcycle riding. Bath parade in afternoon. Night occupation of position carried out at 2045 hrs. | |||
