7th Survey Regiment R.A. June 1945

HAMBURG 1 Jun   RHQ est at political prison at ISENBRUCK barracks, HAMBURG. Hand-
ISENBRUCK       ing over to 20 LAA Regt RA.
bks       53 Bty : est at ISENBRUCK Bks HAMBURG and handing over accn to 20 LAA
        Regt RA. Recce parties sent to area HARDEGSEN 1/250000 sheet H 4542.
"       F Sp S Rg Svy : see above, nothing else to report.
TEUFFELSBRUKE       54 Obs Bty : handing over guard dutied at political prison at
HAMBURG       ISENBRUCK Barracks to 20 LAA Regt RA
"       F Sp S Rg Svy : handing over to 10 LAA Regt. All 20 LAA Regt moving
        entirely into ISENBRUCK barracks.
ISENBRUCK bks       HQ Tp : svy sec handing over adm duties to 20 LAA Regt RA. Rest of
        tp handing over accn as above.
  2     RHQ completed handover : advance parties to NORTHEIM C 565477.
        53 Obs Bty. Handover completed ; advance parties to HARDEGSEN C
        450416.
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy : handover completed : advance parties to HARDEGSEN
        C 450416
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy : handover completed : advance parties to area HARDEGSEN
        as above
        54 Obs Bty : completed handover of guard duties etc ; advance parties
        to USLAR C 318419
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy : advance parties to USLAR.
        HQ Tp : Svy sec handed over adm duties to 20 LAA RA and are not
        sitting- in on new adm staff in advisory capacity ; advance parties to
        area NORTHEIM 583475.
NORTHEIM 3     RHQ main parties moved to NORTHEIM and RHQ est in the Hotel SONNE
C 565477       BREITERWEG, NORTHIEM. The regt is taking over from
        CCB of the 8th American Armd Div and duties are to be the security
        of the Landkreis of NORTHEIM. At the same time the regt comes under
        comd 50 AA Bde
HARDEGSEN 3     53 Bty : est HQ at HARDEGSEN 450416 and main party moved into the
        area. Americans move at first light on the morning of the 4th
VOLPRIEHAUSEN       F Sp : main body moved to VOLPRIEHAUSEN 390426 to take over from
390426       the Americans. One of the main duties in this part of the landkreis
        is to organise and adm the large DP camp in VOLPRIEHAUSEN.
MORINGEN       S Rg : main body moved to MORINGEN - another large DP camp.
HARDEGSEN       Svy main body moved to HARDEGSEN with 53 Bty.
USLAR 313418       54 Obs Bty : main body moved to USLAR 313418.
LAUENFORDE       F Sp Tp main body moved into LAUENFORDE 1441 ; arrived at about 1900b
USLAR.       hrs ; DP camp est at this place.
USLAR       S Rg, Svy : main bodies of troops moved and arrived at USLAR with HQ
        54 Obs
NORTHEIM       HQ Tp : tp less svy sec main body moved to NORTHEIM and into the area
583475       of DP camp "A" - containing mainly RUSSIAN DPs on the Eastern out -
        skirts of NORTHEIM.
        Svy sec remaining at ISENBRUCK barracks to see that the adm of the
        prison is fully explained and working smoothly.
  4     RHQ at 0300b the American tps moved off, with all tps, Mil Gov Det
        etc. Landkreis of NORTHEIM is some 50 kilometres long by 25-30
        kms wide with the town of NORTHEIM on the eastern side of the kreis
        The kreis contains a large number of DP and PWX - the largest camp
        being a POLISH PWX camp in NORTHEIM containing some 4,500 POLES,
        but there are also other camps in NORTHEIM ( "A", "B", and "C" ) and
        camps at MORINGEN, VOLPRIEHAUSEN, and LAUENFORDE (2). Apart from
        this, there are DP scattered in all the villages in the kreis, and
        nationalities include RUSSIAN, POLISH, DUTCH, FRENCH, DANISH
        Belgian, Roumanian, Italian, Serb and Croat, Lithuanian, Latvian
        Esthonian, Norwegian, Greek and Swiss. Language problem is
        considerable, but most DP speak German. One of the first day's
        problems is the feeding of 4,500 hungry Poles and 600 wounded
        Germans, as no arrangements have been made for feeding PWX. This
        however was accomplished after much hard labour and many miles of
        travelling by Capt QM. At present the regt is doing not only
        security but also Mil Gov, Town Majors, UNRRA, etc
        53 Bty : Bty and Tps take over from the Americans at 0300B and continue
        to administer that part of the kreis allotted to them
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy : areas taken over ; nothing to report.
        54 Bty : area handed over by American tps who left at 0300B. Bty
        responsible for the WESTern part of the kreis, incl the town of
        USLAR and DP camps at LAUENFORDE. Tps engaged in police and
        military government duties in areas sub allotted to them. F Sp.
        reports " taking over billets and all liabilities completed ".
        S Rg, Svy : nothing to report.
        HQ Tp : area taken over and mil gov and police duties commenced.
NORHEIM 5     RHQ : Poles fed ; main crime in the area appears to be committed by
        Polish PWX and DP and Russian DP and is confined to bicycle and pig
        stealing and stealing of sugar and molasses for making schnapps.
        A Tp, 413 Bty, 54 S/L regt RA has come under comd this regt and is
        to share the adm of the EASTern end of the kreis with HQ tp. HQ
        is established in Burgermeister Peter Strasse NORTHEIM ( street
        re - named today in honour of prewar anti nazi burgermeister ).
        53 Bty
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy : nothing to report
        54 Bty
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy : nothing to report
        HQ Tp : svy sec rejoined tp at NORTHEIM ; nothing further to report.
NORTHEIM 6     RHQ : Pending arrival of Mil Gov Det in this kreis the 2 IC of the
        regt, Major R J Miller RA is assuming the duties of Mil Governor of
        the kreis. Nearest Mil Gov Det is in EINBECK in the ajoining
        kreis.
        53 Bty
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy : nothing to report
        54 Bty
        F Sp : GERMAN youth arrested for holding explosives in village of
        LAUENFORDE ; dynamite and grenades said to have been held for fishing.
        S Rg, Svy : noting to report
        HQ Tp : nothing to report
        A tp 54 S/L Regt : nothing to report
  7     RHQ : throughout the kreis nightly patrols have brought in certain
        number of petty criminals - curfew breakers and pig stealers. German
        owners seem always to give uncertain evidence, "Snap" bicycle muster
        parade in Polish PWX camp produced no evidence of stolen machines.
        53 Bty
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy : patrols, piquets and guards on VPs ; otherwise
        nothing to report
        54 Bty
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy : patrols, piquets and guards ; otherwise nothing to
        report.
  8     RHQ )
        53 Obs Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        54 Obs Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        HQ Tp )
        "A" Tp 54 S/L Regt RA )
  9     RHQ ) Nothing to report
        53 Obs Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        54 Obs Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        HQ Tp )
        "A" Tp 54 S/L Regt RA )
  10     RHQ : Lt HNT JOHNSTON has been instr to form a rest centre and regt
        leave club in the kreis. The club is to be for Ors and will provide
        48 hrs rest for Ors of the regt.
        53 Obs Bty ) Nothing to report
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        54 Obs Bty )
        F Sp : Lt Johnston att RHQ for forming leave club
        S Rg, Svy
  11     "A" Tp 54 S/L Regt RA )
        RHQ : nothing to report
        53 Obs Bty ) Bty engaged at HARDEGSEN on adm and
        F Sp ) removal of DPs from camp to camp ; complete
        S Rg ) store and MT inspections carried out by
        Svy ) Bty Comd
        54 Obs Bty ) store and MT inspections carried out by Bty Comd
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        HQ Tp : nothing to report
        A Tp 54 S/L Regt : nothing to report
  12     RHQ )
        53 Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        54 Obs Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        HQ Tp ) Nothing
  13     RHQ ) To
        53 Obs Bty ) Report
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        54 Obs Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        HQ Tp )
        A Tp 54 S/L Regt )
  14     RHQ : tp of Life Guards 1st Household Cavalry under comd 2/Lt J
        PHILIPSON Life Guards att for mobile patrols
        53 Obs Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        54 Obs Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        HQ Tp )
        A Tp 54 SL Regt RA ) Nothing
        RHQ ) To
        53 Bty ) Report
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        54 Obs Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        HQ Tp )
        A Tp 54 S/L Regt RA )
  16     RHQ )
        53 Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        54 Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy ) Nothing
        HQ Tp ) to
        A Tp 54 S/L Regt RA ) report
  17     ditto )
  18     ditto )
  19     ditto )
  20     RHQ : A 48 hrs leave club for Wos and NCOs and men was opened today at
        mr 555497 and named the WEALD CLUB. CC Camp is Lt HNT JOHNSTON RA and
        he is assisted by 4 Ors from B Tp 54 Bty together with a Polish female
        staff of 20 from the local Polish camp. The visitors accn capacity
        is 40 all ranks and it is proposed to run 3 48 hr leaves per week at the
        club. Joining instructions of the club are appended.
        53 Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy ) Nothing
        54 Bty ) to
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy ) report
        HQ Tp )
        A Tp 54 S/L Regt RA )
  21     ditto )
  22     RHQ. Maj SANDILAND RSF 2 IC of the 2nd Bn Royal Scottish Fusiliers
        and recce party for RSF arrived at RHQ
        53 Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy ) recce parties arrived from the 2 Bn RSF :
        54 Bty ) otherwise nothing to report
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        HQ Tp )
        A Tp 54 SL Regt RA )
  23     RHQ )
        53 Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        54 Bty )
        F Sp, S Rg, Svy )
        HQ Tp ) Nothing
        A Tp 54 SL Regt RA ) to
  24     ditto ) report
  25     ditto )
  26     ditto )
  27     ditto )
  28     ditto )
  29     RHQ : recce party moved off to area BREMERVORDE NE of BREMEN
        53 Bty, F Sp, S Rg, Svy : recce parties moved off
        54 Bty, F Sp, S Rg, Svy : "
        HQ Tp " ; otherwise NTR
        A Tp 54 SL Regt RA, NTR
  30     RHQ )
        53 Bty, F Sp, S Rg, Svy ) Nothing
        54 Bty, F Sp, S Rg, Svy ) To
        HQ Tp, A Tp 54 SL ) report