Post by Diarist on Jun 23, 2016 12:05:44 GMT 1
Monday afternoon we finished processing the material from the forward HQ near Salisbury then yesterday and today we have been busy at TRADOC HQ drawing up movement plans for our units. While most of the personnel will be arriving by train at Salisbury railway station a lot of the heavy equipment will be off-loaded at Tisbury located about 7 miles from the front. Unfortunately it is a single track rail line so we shall have to park trains further up the track so that a 2nd, 3rd and 4th train can be off-loaded. All four trains can then be sent back to Salisbury so that supply trains can follow. All this has to be done after dusk on the 23rd but before midnight. The experience gained in Italy will be put to good use here.
The blocking force on our right wing will be deployed before the 23rd to give the impression of more emphasis there. We've gone as far as Southampton to requisition buses to move the infantry to the front. We now have enough transportation to move all the infantry of our two mobile brigades. The buses will only be used for 2nd and 3rd echelon units. George Patton and the Armour section are doing most of that work.
I've been working with CPT Mark Williams on the airborne operation. I'll be using five Valentia transport aircraft for the airdrop. They can carry two platoons of parachute infantry and a couple of Lewis LMG teams. The remaining seven Valentia's will be used to carry 'commandos' to seven nearby airfields where we believe the enemy's squadrons are located. They have orders to destroy all aircraft at the airfields because it will still be dark and therefore difficult to determine which aircraft belong to Red forces.
Tomorrow, Thursday, I'm going to London in the morning to let them know that I'm still alive then in the afternoon AVM Freeman and I have a meeting at Vickers Aviation.