War Dairy 229 Army Field Company R.E.

War Dairy 229 Army Field Company R.E. - December 1944

Commanding Officer: CAPT A.E.FROST BEM RE

Place Date Hour Summary of Event and Information References to Appendix

CAMMAGIORE 1 0800 C.R.E s conference at H.Q. at 1000 hrs. A special effort by 1 and 2 Pls to improve road in the VALSLVA area. Westher fine but road very muddy and traffic very dense. Steady progress made and raod much improved.

2 Owing to rapid deterioration of South approach to ASAMFU Bridge 1 Pl's special effort was suspended and personnel put on urgent maintenance work at bridge approaches. Traffic very dense - weather fine - road muddy but drying. A.F.W. 3008 and
A.F.W. 3009A.

3 Weather fine but overcast. Road muddy being badly cut up by vehicles with chains. Maintenance parties working all out at bad places. Called H.Q. by W/ at 1400 hrs, saw C.R.E. and discussed the cribbing at approaches to ASAMFU BRIDGE.
Lt. P.L.A.Williams joined this Unit posting from 4 CRU.

4 Lt. MAS Williams ordered to report to C.R.E. 8 Ind Div for advice on Bailey Suspension Bridge. Weather fine - road drying

CAMMAGIORE 5 CRE 2 GHQ Tps inspected road. Satisfactory progress maintained in spite of dense traffic. Fine drizzle in morning, fine in afternoon. Road drying and standing up to traffic fairly well. Night work by 1 Pl on crib and south approach to ASAMFU BRIDGE.

6 Cmdr 16 Army Group RE and CRE visited road - misty and damp - rain later. Road patrols out on maintenance.

7 Rain at first - fine later. CRE s conference in morning.
Road very bad in afternoon - top surface almost completely destroyed between MORRADUCCIO and ASAMFU BRIDGE by dense traffic and bad weather.

8 Heavy rain in afternoon - did good by washing mud from road.
Lt. MAS Williams returned from CRE 8 Ind Div.

9 CRE's conference at 1700 hrs - instructed to make special effort to make crib fit for two way traffic AFW 3008 & 3009A

CAMMAGIORE 10 Fine day. Good progress in crib - land sliding over retaining wall.

11 NCRE walked road with O.C. Fine but damp - rain later. Road improving and taking traffic well.

12 Damp. Routine tasks. Mud clearance priority on road.

13 Rain at night - road very slippery.

14 Normal routine tasks - mud clearance and drainage priority.

15 Normal routine tasks - mainly trying to keep centre on road. Traffic still dense.

16 Cmdr 16 Army Group RE and CRE visited road. Weather fine but dull and misty. AFW 3008 & 3009A

17 Crib opened to two way traffic - road surface slippery and muddy. Weather misty.

18 Rain - road in very bad condition. All men employed clearing mud from road and pitching stone.

CAMMAGIORE 19 CRE's conference at 1000 hrs. Company boundaries changed. This Company now responsible for "ACE ROUTE", BARRY BAILEY BRIDGE Map Ref L 963092 inclusive to VALSALVA Map Ref M 002132 exclusive. Platoon boundaries re-allotted 1 Pl BARRY BRIDGE to Bailey Bridge Map Ref L 977115 inclusive 3 Pl Bailey Bridge exclusive to MORADUCCIO QUARRY; 2 Pl MORADUCCIO QUARRY to VALSALVA exclusive.

20 Fine. Breakdown of 10 RB in quarry - causes slow receipt of stone on road. All Pls working to get mud off the road.
Met CRE in afternoon.

21 Wet.

22 Fine and cold early then quick thaw causing damage to road.
Saw CRE about quarry improvements.

23 Some snow in the night. Cold and dry - signs of more snow. AFW 3008 & 3009A

24 Road covered 2" - 4" of snow - traffic having difficulty on frozen road.

25 Road frozen - good going for traffic. Thaw in afternoon - no serious damage. Work ceased at 1400 hrs - road patrols only.
Men sat down to an excellent meal and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

26 Thaw in late morning - road standing up fairly well - frost in late afternoon.

27 Abutments at Bailey Bridge Map Ref L 977115 collapsed owing to quick thaw at 1100 hrs. Danger of bridge falling into river 100 feet below. Cmdr 16 Army Group and CRE instructed me to save bridge if possible. Work commenced at 1230 hrs. Bridging equipment arrived from 6th Armd Div Field Park Sqdn at 1230 hrs. Work on bridge continued through night. See special report re method at Appendix "J".

28 0600 Bridge re-opened to traffic. CRE ordered me to add 11 bays triple truss to T/D, CRE 13 Corps Troops lending crane and equipment to arrive on site morning of 29th. Very bad thaw in morning and afternoon making road dangerous.

29 Fine and cold - road in good condition. Work started on erecting triple stories to Bailey Bridge by 1 Pl at 2100 hrs 29 Dec. Great difficulties experienced in pulling up chord bolts owing to sag in bridge. Work 60% completed at 0700 hrs 30 Dec. Work will re-commence at 2100 hrs 30 Dec. Bridge remains open.

30 Some snow in morning - fine later. Raod slippery in places owing to forst and snow. Work continued on Bailey Bridge at 2100 hrs - see special report as in Appendix 'K'.

31 Weather fine, and road in very good condition. Still endeavouring to pull up the chord bolts in last two bays on south end of Bailey Bridge.

CAMAGIORE 31 Major F.E.Ladly returned to duty from hospital and sick leave - retakes over command from A/Major A.E.Frost w.e.f. 1 Jan 45.
A/Major A.E.Frost relinquishes the acting rank of Major retaining the temporary rank of Captain and appointment of 2 i/c.
A/Capt M.A.S.Williams relinquishes the rank of A/Capt.

Folder also contains:

Situation Reports 97 to 127 on constuction work to H.Q. 16 Army Group RE. These detail job number, a description, location, when, percentage complete, civilian labour, plant and remarks.

Report on Method of Adding 20 ft to 150 ft T/D Bailey Bridge ... to prevent destruction of bridge by collapse.

Report on Tripling up 170 ft T/D Bailey Bridge ... to increase classification to Class 40.

Source: National Archives WO 170/1674

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Event and Information	References to Appendix
CAMMAGIORE	1	0800	C.R.E s conference at H.Q. at 1000 hrs. A special effort by 1 and 2 Pls to improve road in the VALSLVA area. Westher fine but road very muddy and traffic very dense. Steady progress made and raod much improved.
	2		Owing to rapid deterioration of South approach to ASAMFU Bridge 1 Pl's special effort was suspended and personnel put on urgent maintenance work at bridge approaches. Traffic very dense - weather fine - road muddy but drying.	A.F.W. 3008 and A.F.W. 3009A.
	3		Weather fine but overcast. Road muddy being badly cut up by vehicles with chains. Maintenance parties working all out at bad places. Called H.Q. by W/ at 1400 hrs, saw C.R.E. and discussed the cribbing at approaches to ASAMFU BRIDGE. Lt. P.L.A.Williams joined this Unit posting from 4 CRU.
	4		Lt. MAS Williams ordered to report to C.R.E. 8 Ind Div for advice on Bailey Suspension Bridge. Weather fine - road drying
CAMMAGIORE	5		CRE 2 GHQ Tps inspected road. Satisfactory progress maintained in spite of dense traffic. Fine drizzle in morning, fine in afternoon. Road drying and standing up to traffic fairly well. Night work by 1 Pl on crib and south approach to ASAMFU BRIDGE.
	6		Cmdr 16 Army Group RE and CRE visited road - misty and damp - rain later. Road patrols out on maintenance.
	7		Rain at first - fine later. CRE s conference in morning. Road very bad in afternoon - top surface almost completely destroyed between MORRADUCCIO and ASAMFU BRIDGE by dense traffic and bad weather.
	8		Heavy rain in afternoon - did good by washing mud from road. Lt. MAS Williams returned from CRE 8 Ind Div.
	9		CRE's conference at 1700 hrs - instructed to make special effort to make crib fit for two way traffic	AFW 3008 & 3009A
CAMMAGIORE	10		Fine day. Good progress in crib - land sliding over retaining wall.
	11		NCRE walked road with O.C. Fine but damp - rain later. Road improving and taking traffic well.
	12		Damp. Routine tasks. Mud clearance priority on road.
	13		Rain at night - road very slippery.
	14		Normal routine tasks - mud clearance and drainage priority.
	15		Normal routine tasks - mainly trying to keep centre on road. Traffic still dense.
	16		Cmdr 16 Army Group RE and CRE visited road. Weather fine but dull and misty.	AFW 3008 & 3009A
	17		Crib opened to two way traffic - road surface slippery and muddy. Weather misty.
	18		Rain - road in very bad condition. All men employed clearing mud from road and pitching stone.
CAMMAGIORE	19		CRE's conference at 1000 hrs. Company boundaries changed. This Company now responsible for "ACE ROUTE", BARRY BAILEY BRIDGE Map Ref L 963092 inclusive to VALSALVA Map Ref M 002132 exclusive. Platoon boundaries re-allotted 1 Pl BARRY BRIDGE to Bailey Bridge Map Ref L 977115 inclusive 3 Pl Bailey Bridge exclusive to MORADUCCIO QUARRY; 2 Pl MORADUCCIO QUARRY to VALSALVA exclusive.
	20		Fine. Breakdown of 10 RB in quarry - causes slow receipt of stone on road. All Pls working to get mud off the road. Met CRE in afternoon.
	21		Wet.
	22		Fine and cold early then quick thaw causing damage to road. Saw CRE about quarry improvements.
	23		Some snow in the night. Cold and dry - signs of more snow.	AFW 3008 & 3009A
	24		Road covered 2" - 4" of snow - traffic having difficulty on frozen road.
	25		Road frozen - good going for traffic. Thaw in afternoon - no serious damage. Work ceased at 1400 hrs - road patrols only. Men sat down to an excellent meal and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
	26		Thaw in late morning - road standing up fairly well - frost in late afternoon.
	27		Abutments at Bailey Bridge Map Ref L 977115 collapsed owing to quick thaw at 1100 hrs. Danger of bridge falling into river 100 feet below. Cmdr 16 Army Group and CRE instructed me to save bridge if possible. Work commenced at 1230 hrs. Bridging equipment arrived from 6th Armd Div Field Park Sqdn at 1230 hrs. Work on bridge continued through night. See special report re method at Appendix "J".
	28	0600	Bridge re-opened to traffic. CRE ordered me to add 11 bays triple truss to T/D, CRE 13 Corps Troops lending crane and equipment to arrive on site morning of 29th. Very bad thaw in morning and afternoon making road dangerous.
	29		Fine and cold - road in good condition. Work started on erecting triple stories to Bailey Bridge by 1 Pl at 2100 hrs 29 Dec. Great difficulties experienced in pulling up chord bolts owing to sag in bridge. Work 60% completed at 0700 hrs 30 Dec. Work will re-commence at 2100 hrs 30 Dec. Bridge remains open.
	30		Some snow in morning - fine later. Raod slippery in places owing to forst and snow. Work continued on Bailey Bridge at 2100 hrs - see special report as in Appendix 'K'.
	31		Weather fine, and road in very good condition. Still endeavouring to pull up the chord bolts in last two bays on south end of Bailey Bridge.
CAMAGIORE	31		Major F.E.Ladly returned to duty from hospital and sick leave - retakes over command from A/Major A.E.Frost w.e.f. 1 Jan 45. A/Major A.E.Frost relinquishes the acting rank of Major retaining the temporary rank of Captain and appointment of 2 i/c. A/Capt M.A.S.Williams relinquishes the rank of A/Capt.