Return to Dover - Thursday 3rd September 1942

The War in Dorset - September 1942

The Small Scale Raiding Force was involved in raids on Les Casquets lighthouse in the Channel Islands and St. Honorine near Bayeux, Normandy.  In Operation Dryad on 2nd/3rd Septembera the successful raid on Les Casquets lighthouse destroyed the ‘U’ boat wireless transmitting station, capturing seven German soldiers, as well as vital code books and Naval information.

Tarrant Rushton airfield was constructed between Blandford and Wimborne, near Badbury Rings in Dorset. The aircraft was to field the first arrivals on French soil on D Day and 1st British Airborne set off for 'the Bridge Too Far' that was Arnhem from here.
 

Whirlwind aircraft from Warmwell in Dorset sank two armed trawlers in the Channel on 9th September.

On 11^thSeptember five people were killed by a single German bomb dropped on the Bournemouth Road in Parkstone, Poole; near where Chotie and her family lived.

A Poole flying-boat, the Clare, came down in the Channel after a fire, killing six crew and thirteen passengers on 14^th September.

(From 'Dorset’s War Diary - Battle of Britain to D Day’ by Rodney Legg, Dorset Publishing Company 2004 and ‘Poole and World War II’ written by Derek Beamish, Harold Bennett and John Hillier and published by Poole Historical Trust in 1980)

 

During September 1942 43^rdReconnaissance Regiment was still based in Dover, although that month they received orders to mobilise, complete with first line reinforcements. All reinforcements, including Dick, arrived during the month.

Inter-Squadron Exercises were held at the beginning of the month “bringing out many useful lessons in Section and Troop tactics and instituting considerable enthusiasm.”

Intensive First Aid training commenced early in the month, designed to train all ranks during the winter.

(From the War Diary of the 43^rd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.)

 

 

On 2^ndSeptember 1942 Dick passed his Trade Test as a Driver Mechanic

 

Copy of Record

TRADE TRAINING REPORT FORM

REPORT ON STUDENT          c) End of course

TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT  ADDRESS:    

THE DREADNOUGHT GARAGE AND MOTOR ENGINEERING WORKS (HOVE) LTD

STUDENT’S REGTL.  No 5731671     RANK Trooper          NAME  Williams R.K.

ORIGINAL UNIT        43^rd Recce. Regt.                COURSE (Trade)  D.M.

Duration of course    From 23^rd July 1942           To 2^nd September 1942.

SUITABILITY FOR TRADE - Very suitable                       

CONDUCT AND INTEREST - Good

PRACTICAl ABILITY -  Very Good

THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE - Good                                                                    

SUMMARY      Passed Complete Class 2 Test in Army Trade of DM*

REMARKS:

Will make an excellent D.M. Requires plenty of work.

Date   2/9/42                              S.F.Webb. Lieut O.M.E.

*DM = Driver Mechanic. Reconnaissance called for many more drivers and mechanics than standard infantry to successfully reconnoiter the battlefield. (From ‘The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War II’ by Richard Doherty, Osprey Publishing 2007.)

Copy of Record:

SERVICE AND CASUALTY FORM

Passed trade test and qualified for appointment as Drv. Mech. Tp. ‘D’ Cl.II                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3^rd September 1942 – a National Day of Prayer was held for the third Anniversary of the Declaration of War.

 

 

Letter - Thursday 3rd September 1942

5731671 Tpr Williams 

HQ Squadron, 43rd Recce Regt. Recce Corps

Home Forces 

Thursday

 

My Darlingest,

                                                                                    By the time you get this letter, I shall be back at Dover, but remember not to mention please or put anything but the address above.

            I hope this will reach you before the 6^th* – and so will wish you a very happy Birthday, and only wish I could be with you.  I have sent something – or rather it’s being sent – nothing much I’m afraid, but I wish you every happiness, with it.

            I went to the opera three times during the last week, the only nights I could get off and saw ‘Bohème’, ‘Trovatore’ &  ‘the Barber’**.  It was the Carl Rosa of course with Joan Hammond and Parry Jones.  Very good.  I met an Italian there (naturalised) and spent a very enjoyable night.

            Well, Darling, I’ll write again when I get to the other end, so all the very best, Precious

                                                                        Your loving

                                                                                    Dicker

                                                                                    Xxxx

PS. Have just started to run for the train…

 

*Chotie’s 19^th Birthday on 6^th September 1942.

**All famous Italian operas - Giacomo Puccini’s 'La Bohème’, Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Il Trovatore’ (The Troubadour) and Gioachino Rossini’s ‘Barber of Seville’. The Carl Rosa were a touring opera company.  Parry Jones was a Welsh tenor. Joan Hammond,
an Australian soprano, became internationally famous after the war.

***Benetti – mentioned again in letter sent in February 1943.

© Chotie Darling

 

On 7^th September 43^rd Recce had a demonstration of the Army Cadet sign system for all wireless operators, Dvr Ops (driver operators?) and officers.  (From the War Diary of the 43^rd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.)  Dick mentions being on exercise on the 7^th in his next letter.

 

 

7th September 1942 - Rommel withdraws from his attack on the El Alamein line at Alam Halfa Ridge in Egypt.