| Regiment | 2nd Wiltshire |
|---|---|
| Location | Beauvois, France |
| Entry | 0100: Message from 13 Inf Bde warning Bn to be prepared to move at 0800 hrs. today 0120: Lt-Col Moore deps for conference at Bde HQ. 0210: Message to coys QM and MTO warning them to be ready to move 0800 hrs today. 0230: Lt-Col Moore returned from Bde conference. RMO, Rev. Chadwick and L. Agent warned of move at 0900 hrs. 0310: 2/Lt Clarke warned to meet RASC Tp Carriers. Coy Cmdrs - arriving for orders of move in the morning. 0345: Last Coy Cmdr arr for orders. 0350: 13 Inf Bde Movement Order No.8 received. 0355: 2/Lt Woodcock dep for Bde to pick up 8cwt to relieve Major Bearne at Div. 0510: Major L.H. Bearne returned from Rear HQs 5 Div. Movement Order No.14 issued 0710: BBC News Bulletin announced that Dutch army had put down their arms. 0705: Major Bearne, Bdr Montague and 7 NCOs dep as adv Billeting party. 0745: Sec No.8. Tp carrying Coy reported, and distributed to coys. 1005: Head of Bn column passed Bn S.P 5 minutes late, to allow the tail of Bde HQs to get past. ST POL 1015: Head of column passed Bde S.P on time. Major J.H. Peacock comdg Bn column, as Lt-Col Moore, Capt Hoare (RSO) and Capt Comerford-Green (RIO) went on ahead from here. Owing to fast pace set, Head of column passed timing points 13 mins ahead of time. BETHUNE 1135: Air Raid Warned sounded as head of column passed through BETHUNE. LENS 1157: AA guns fire from BETHUNE - shell bursts at great height above LA BASSEE. ROUTE - ST POL - BETHUNE - LENS - SECLIN - ASCQ - CHERENG (Belgian frontier) TOURNAI - RENAIX - OGY - GRAMMONT. Distance 96 miles. TOURNAI 1457: Passed T.C.P. No.1 at TOURNAI, halt outside TOURNAI for 10 minutes. AA gunfire heard, shell bursts at great height overhead. MOLEMAIX - RENAIX 1545: Passed T.C.P No2. Increasing number of refugees, especially cars and other vehicles encountered en route. The Bn column became increasing [sic] difficult to control. Refugee traffic especially thick about RENAIX and the road to OGY. FLOBECQ 1641: Passed T.C.P. No.3 Column rather scattered. OGY - BUISAMONT 1510 (? 1710): [As diary] Met guides at Div D.P at OGY. Major Bearne guided column onto LESSINES and OVERBOULAERE to billets at KLEINEN - BUISEMONT and BUISEMONT (a mile S.E. of GRAMMONT). Coys debussed. RASC lorries proceeded to WOOD S. of GRAMMONT Coy billets. 1917: Warning order issued for move tomorrow. 2015: AA Gunfire to south. Enemy plane at great height proceeding EAST. 2200: Lt-Col Moore to Bde HQs to conference. 2320: Message to coys that Bn is at two hours notice to move. 2330: Air Raid Warning sounded. Weather: Hot, Fresh breeze from ST. POL to BETHUNE. Hazy sky, some clouds, very dusty. Reference to Appendices: App 'R' and 'S' |
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