Subject: Operational Embarrassment

Discussion in 'Italy' started by Charley Fortnum, May 21, 2017.

  1. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Extracted from:
    WO 169-18860 - 11th Indian Infantry Brigade HQ (Jan-Sep 1944)

    I found this accompanying an intelligence overlay (a faded map reproduction with friendly and enemy dispositions marked).

    I think the adjutant may be suggesting the intel is slightly inaccurate:

    P7150867_1.JPG
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
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  2. Orwell1984

    Orwell1984 Senior Member

    One of the best military reports I've ever read! :cheers:
     
  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Is it an early form of fake news reporting - :-P

    TD
     
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  4. Pat Atkins

    Pat Atkins Well-Known Member

    Lovely! I'm attaching an entry in the 148 (SD) Sqdn monthly summary for December 1944 which isn't in the same league as the delightful Camerons report but which nonetheless does provide a little beacon of human emotion in an otherwise very dry genre. The squadron flew Halifaxes and liked them; for a while they had a couple of Short Stirlings foisted upon them and it's fair to say they never really took to them.

    Cheers, Pat

    Edit: in case opening the file is problematic, the entry says:

    'One Stirling aircraft LK 176 left the squadron for Maison Blanche. No tears were shed over its departure for its loss is a gain for the squadron.'

    Which I thought was rather poetic, really. The squadron wasn't very literary otherwise, very much bare bones in the records. Someone must have really disliked those Stirlings.
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Also not in the same league as the Cameron's but another example of the author allowing themselves a small opportunity to vent:

    War Diary, 3IG, September 10 1944, East of HECHTEL
    As is often the case the 1/50000 scale map bore no resemblance to the ground and, after one coy and one sqn had been launched on the chosen axis, it was proved that the going was entirely unsuitable to tks. Luckily, No 4 Coy, which had been sent forward for this task of ground recce were able to disengage from the enemy with very light cas...
     
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  6. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    There are actually a number of very wry observations in the HQ diaries for 5th, 7th and 11th Indian Infantry Brigades during 1944.
    Perhaps it's a product of many of their having been at war and overseas for a number of years by then.
    When time allows, I'll dig out some more.
     
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  7. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

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  8. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    How about -- short -- :lol:

    TD
     
  9. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Although some commandos started the shorts trials, they soon fell out...
     
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  10. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    How long's ... an inside leg!
     
  11. idler

    idler GeneralList

    I suspect the findings were very similar to the 'Pints versus Trousers' trials - too many of the former and you'll need a new pair of the latter.
     
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  12. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

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  13. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    A comic interlude (among many) extracted from:

    Reference: CO 717/198/2
    Description: Military situation: weekly intelligence summary [Malaya]
    Date:1950

    Note the procedures laid down in the final paragraph!

    P7910218.JPG
     
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  14. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    Sorry, I have to stop reading now, I have about 1.00m of snow outside my house.:plane:

    Stefan.
     
  15. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Gah. That's well off the deep end.
     

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