On this day 16th June
1815 - 43rd - left England to join Wellington's Army in Belgium.
1815 – 52nd – With Sir Henry Clintons Division marched on Soignies, halted for night at Brain-le-Conte at midnight in torrential rain.
1917 – 2nd Bn OXF & BUCKS LI – ROCLINCOURT CAMP.
The Regiment was employed on Working Parties chiefly round WILLERVAL NORTH STRONG POINT and in TOMMY TRENCH.
1917 – 1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion – OUTPOST LINE K26Central to K14c3.9
Battn in the Line –
Enemy Artillery very quiet and the usual amount of movement in their lines was observed.
A patrol went out and successfully located a new site for a post at K20c72.
Weather: Fine and Warm.
Ration Strength: 20 Officers 573 OR
1944 - 2nd (Airborne) Bn, Oxf & Bucks LI – ST COME.
Much quieter day - patrols working well forward now, mortar & shell fire much less frequent now.
1944 – 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion:- NORMANDY
On the 16th June, while Queen beach was being shelled heavily, six out of seven landing craft, tank, beached at the time were hit. A petrol coaster carrying 500 tons of spirit and beached between these landing craft was not touched.
At 2000 hrs on this day a Spitfire crashed in the petrol dump, setting petrol alight. Miraculously the pilot was saved before being burnt, and the fire put out.
Things were now going so well that we were told that it was intended to replace the labour provided by the Battalion with pioneers and move the Battalion to Ouistreham so that it could protect the locks.
As a result of the speed with which the 6th Airborne Division had attacked on D Day these locks at the entrance to the Caen Canal had been captured undamaged, and as it was planned to use the docks of Caen as a principal supply port as soon as the town was captured, it was vital that these locks should be preserved intact.
In spite of the foothold won by the 6th Airborne Division on the east bank of the River Orne it had not been possible to drive the Germans from Franceville Plage at the mouth of the Orne. The 6th Airborne Division, in fact, was hard put to it to maintain the ground which it had won, and great battles were raging at Ranville and Herouvillette. In consequence the enemy were stationed only 3,000 yards from the docks, with no intervening troops, and it was considered probable that they would make a raid to demolish the gates and pumping machinery. The fact that they had not already made the attempt will always remain a mystery.
On the 16th June C Company was withdrawn from the ammunition dump and moved to defensive positions on the strip of ground between the locks and the entrance to the Orne.
On the same day an enemy aircraft attempting to bomb the locks was shot down.
1815 - 43rd - left England to join Wellington's Army in Belgium.
1815 – 52nd – With Sir Henry Clintons Division marched on Soignies, halted for night at Brain-le-Conte at midnight in torrential rain.
1917 – 2nd Bn OXF & BUCKS LI – ROCLINCOURT CAMP.
The Regiment was employed on Working Parties chiefly round WILLERVAL NORTH STRONG POINT and in TOMMY TRENCH.
1917 – 1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion – OUTPOST LINE K26Central to K14c3.9
Battn in the Line –
Enemy Artillery very quiet and the usual amount of movement in their lines was observed.
A patrol went out and successfully located a new site for a post at K20c72.
Weather: Fine and Warm.
Ration Strength: 20 Officers 573 OR
1944 - 2nd (Airborne) Bn, Oxf & Bucks LI – ST COME.
Much quieter day - patrols working well forward now, mortar & shell fire much less frequent now.
1944 – 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion:- NORMANDY
On the 16th June, while Queen beach was being shelled heavily, six out of seven landing craft, tank, beached at the time were hit. A petrol coaster carrying 500 tons of spirit and beached between these landing craft was not touched.
At 2000 hrs on this day a Spitfire crashed in the petrol dump, setting petrol alight. Miraculously the pilot was saved before being burnt, and the fire put out.
Things were now going so well that we were told that it was intended to replace the labour provided by the Battalion with pioneers and move the Battalion to Ouistreham so that it could protect the locks.
As a result of the speed with which the 6th Airborne Division had attacked on D Day these locks at the entrance to the Caen Canal had been captured undamaged, and as it was planned to use the docks of Caen as a principal supply port as soon as the town was captured, it was vital that these locks should be preserved intact.
In spite of the foothold won by the 6th Airborne Division on the east bank of the River Orne it had not been possible to drive the Germans from Franceville Plage at the mouth of the Orne. The 6th Airborne Division, in fact, was hard put to it to maintain the ground which it had won, and great battles were raging at Ranville and Herouvillette. In consequence the enemy were stationed only 3,000 yards from the docks, with no intervening troops, and it was considered probable that they would make a raid to demolish the gates and pumping machinery. The fact that they had not already made the attempt will always remain a mystery.
On the 16th June C Company was withdrawn from the ammunition dump and moved to defensive positions on the strip of ground between the locks and the entrance to the Orne.
On the same day an enemy aircraft attempting to bomb the locks was shot down.
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