War Dairy 229 Army Field Company R.E. - February 1945

Commanding Officer: Major A.E.Frost BEM RE/ Major F.E.Ladly RE

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Event and Information	References to Appendix
CAMMAGIORE L963093	1		Mild weather - thaw continues. Rock falls expected. Road muddy but two way traffic being maintained. Platoon quarries started to give about 10 tons daily have increased output to 30 tons per day.
	2		Mild weather - thaw continues. A/CRE (Major F.E.Ladly RE) visited HQ and gave information that Coy would be taking over another mile of ACE Route south of existing commitment. Road muddy but open two way.
	3		Rain at night. Thaw continues. Road very soft in places due to thaw in ground below stone which has been put down since frost began. Confirmed that Coy boundary will extend south to map ref L 9490971 from 0730 hrs 4 Feb.	AF Ws 3008 & 3009A
	4		Rain in night but fine and sunny later - thaw continuing. Small fall of rock reduced road to one way for stretch of 50 yds. Fall cleared and two way traffic resumed by 0800 hrs.
CAMAGGIORE	4		Road very soft in parts owing to thaw and use of river gravel
	5		Fine and sunny. Thaw continues but road drying in parts. Consider the worst of the thaw now over. Pls working hard removing soft spots and filling with stone. Lt. HS Barnes RE to visit CAGRE regarding proposed moved of 1 Pl to train Italian Pnrs. Capt.W.Wright RE joined Coy. to take over apptmt of 2IC.
	6		Fine and sunny. 1 Pl. packing preparatory to moving off to new location. Committments on ACE Route now divided between other two pls.
	7		No.1 Pl. moved to new locatin Q.914360. Weather mild. Road failing in one or two places owing to formation thawing out. Major AE Frost RE left to take up apptmt oas OC Tng. Coy. RETD.
	8		Mild. Thaw continues. Task of 1Pl. to train LEGNANO ??? Gp. Italian Army.
	9		Heavy rain and snow. All road parties engaged in getting water off road. 2 Pl working until 2230 hrs constructing protecting wall N abutment downstream Barry Bridge. Carpenters from 2 Pl redecked Barry Bridge during night.
	10		Mild and sunny. CRE's 'O' Group 1000 hrs. Slight rock fall north of HQ. Road clear by 0800 hrs.	AF Ws 3008 & 3009A
	11		Mild. Road works continue without incident.
	12		Commitments north of Barry Bridge excl handed over to 13 Corps w.e.f. 0700 hrs. 2 Platoon's boundaries unchanged. 3 Platoon boundaries now L 949071 incl bridge to masonry explosive store L 931064
	13		Weather fine and sunny. Italian labour of 2 and 3 Pls changed over. Road starting to dry out.
	14		Weather fine. Work proceeding according to plan. 2/Lt FUGACCIA arrived 2000 hrs.
	15		Weather fine and sunny. Road almost completely dried out.
	16		Weather fine. Bulldozer clearing at quarry. Road work proceeding without incident.
	17		Weather misty. Road work proceeding.	AFW 3008 & 3009A
	18		Weather fine - road works normal. Major F.E.Ladly returned to unit 1700 hrs.
	19		Dull morning - looked like rain - cool. Some snow flakes, and cold in afternoon. Road works very normal.
	20		Slight frost night 19/20. Sunshine in afternoon. Boundaries as shewn on Sitrep. ACE Route is now very hard, dry and dusty for 80% of this Coy's length (CAMAGGIORE - FIRENZUOLA). Work is concentrated in cleaning out all ditches and grips ready for further rain. Stone is quarried from side of road at rate of approx 120 tons a day. The density of men working on road is about 30 per mile, made up of Sappers 50, Italian Military Labour 40, and Italian civilians 90. 40 others are employed quarrying. There are still odd pockets of snow particularly south of FIRENZUOLA.
	21		Frost night 20/21 -3°C in Coy HQ area. Bright sunshine in morning.
	22		Weather fine - road works normal. Major F.E. Ladly R.E on leave
	23		Weather fine - road works normal.
	24		Weather fine - road works normal.	AF W 3008 & 3009A
	25		Weather fine - road works normal.
	26		Weather fine - road works normal.
	27		Weather fine - road works normal.
	28		Weather fine - road works normal.

Folder also contains:

Sitrep 159 - 186

Source: National Archives WO 170/5207