Well, never knew that! While I was an Officer at Warminster, the PCD Officer students used to use Dieppe as one of their battle scenarios where they were leading platoons etc etc. Didn't concern me but at the end of the Course there was a talk by an actual veteran of Dieppe (and later a POW) who would talk about the realities of leading men in action when the shxx was REALLY hitting the fan and things were olooking a bit grim. I asked him what plans were in place if, by some chance, they actually gained a strong foothold and found that they could hold a bridgehead for, say 24 hours while the enemy were running around like lost souls trying to get their act together.
I was thinking of reinforcements from the UK. But no, there were no plans. Just go in, reccy in strength, destroy, take prisoners and get out. Interesting
BOUGAINVILLE. 1945-04-17. PRIVATE J.E. DAVIES, 24 INFANTRY BATTALION, CONCEALED BEHIND A TREE WITH HIS BREN GUN DURING AN ATTACK AGAINST THE JAPANESE AT HATAI JUNCTION, BUIN ROAD.
Description
AMIRIYA, EGYPT 1940-10. THIS BREN GUN PIT NEAR ALEXANDRIA IS THE DESIGN OF AN Australian DIGGER AND IS REGARDED AS A MODEL OF ITS KIND IN THE DESERT. THE GUN MAY BE USED AGAINST LAND ATTACK AND LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT. MEMBERS OF THE CREW ARE: LANCE CORPORAL R. N. KENTWELL, IN CHARGE OF THE POST, PRIVATE G. J. CASE (LISMORE), THE GUNNER, AND PRIVATE TOM COLLINS (LISMORE, NSW), THE NUMBER 2. (PHOTOGRAPHER FRANK HURLEY)
Description
1945-04-22 A FORWARD OBSERVATION PATROL FROM C COMPANY, 2/1 INFANTRY BATTALION RESTING AFTER STRIKING LEVEL GROUND ONCE MORE. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL ARE:- PTE P.K. DUNLOP, BREN GUNNER (1); CPL J. SELLIN, OWEN GUNNER (2).
Description
1944-02-10Private Keith Waller (left) an Australian bren gunner receives a cigarette and light from Private First Class Archie Norman, of Texas (right), after the link up of the 30th Infantry Battalion, with American forces at Yuat River.
Two members of the Home Guard, armed with a 'Tommy gun' and Bren light machine-gun, manning a slit trench on the green at Dorking, Surrey, 1 December 1940.
Two members of the Home Guard armed with a 'Tommy gun' and Bren light machine-gun, Dorking, Surrey, 1 December 1940.
Yep. It also says Camerons on the census plate on the tail board of the little Morris Commercial lorry. See it? ! Cameronians above the letter Z (for the type of light lorry) and then the census or WD number 397315. It might not mean this of course but just a stab in the dark
. But no, there were no plans. Just go in, reccy in strength, destroy, take prisoners and get out. Interesting
PM
