Field Marshal Montgomery visited the divisional area on the 24th of June 1945 to hold an investiture, and our armoured cars provided his escort.

Research members of 43rd Wessex Reconnaissance Regiment, HQ Squadron

The Regiment’s HQ squadron was not a front-line fighting reconnaissance unit, like squadrons A-C. The role of HQ squadron is to operate the regiment’s senior command; liase and coordinate actions with Wessex Divisional commanders; where necessary agree tactics with other officers of Wessex Infantry regiments, with whom Recce may be operating; maintain daily paperwork such as the War Diary and Casualty reports; and to manage all supply logistics and support which enable the regiment’s fighting squadrons to operate at, and beyond, allied forces front-lines.

In support and expansion of the Normandy invasion beach-head, the entire 43rd Reconnaissance regiment – excepting B squadron – sailed from Tilbury, London on the transport ship MT-72 Derrycunihy. HQ squadron was split between hold 4 and hold 5. On the morning of 24th June 1944, having anchored off Sword beach for two days due to bad weather, as the engines finally started, the Derrycunihy was blown in two by an Oyster mine dropped by the Luftwaffe overnight. A more detailed account can be read here.

As a consequence of this disaster, the regiment suffered huge losses of 189 men, and 150 number wounded. The day delivered the greatest casualty record of any regiment. For HQ squadron it also meant very heavy losses, including the entire orderly staff with the exception of one man – Trooper Ridout.

After survivors were rescued, and over the following days, all salvagable vehicles and equipment were recovered initially to Lion-sur-Mer, then to a harbour where the Regiment was reformed over the following five weeks. A detailed account of what happened throughout the regiment’s campaign, is available in the ‘Day-by-day, The fight for Europe‘ pages.

A few keys facts about HQ squadron include,

• Colonel Kinnersley was Commanding Officer (CO) from … to …
• Major A Cole-Packer became CO from May 1945. He was also co-author of the important regimental history book ‘Record of a Recce Regmt’, which has been the source of most historical accounts reproduced here.
• The HQ quartermaster Major Ben Vigrass‘, responsibilities included supply of Ammunition; Signal (radio) spares; Motor Transport (MT) repairs, and collaboration with the assigned REME attachment. Responsibilities were further distribted down under Captains.
  • HQ A Echelon ‘Maintenance’ was under Captain J M Ellis. Not to be confused with Captain J G A Ellis!
  • HQ B Echelon ‘Supply’ was under Captain TBC. Possibly Captain Peter Harris ?
    • Each Squadron’s supply interests were represented within HQ by a Squadron Quarter Master Sergeant (S.Q.M.S). While we know their names, we don’t know which SQMS was responsible for each squadron.
• HQ included a unit of eight 6 pdr anti-tank guns. These were only in action once, on or about 16 Oct 1944 at Dreumel (Source: Record of Recce Regiment p138). These were under the command of Lt Douglas (D E R) Scarr.
• HQ also had additional unit of 3” mortars – TBC