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22.20 hrs.
Visit from Company Commander.
23.45 Patrol contacted searchlight unit
who reported crew standing-to.
00.25 Yellow warning.
00.40 Planes overhead; posted additional
sentries.
01.25 Planes still overhead. Searchlights
trying to locate.
01.45 Sirens sounded.
02.10 Visit from Orderly Officer.
02.50 More planes overhead.
03.20 All clear.
03.30 Mounted second guard.
03.40 A.F.S. report rifle shots in direction
of Forge Lane, also two shots reported
at 03.50 by Wardens in Aston Wood direction. Surrounded
wood with searchlight crew and later discovered
that the two shots were fired accidentally, one by a Sutton
mobile patrol and one by a searchlight
sentry. The police were also present.
06.00 Signed off. A very exciting night.
August 23/24th, 1940
21.14 hrs. Guard mounted. O.P.
manned. Weather cloudy, wind N.W.
22.40 Visited by Company Commander and
2 i/c. Issued with sixteen blankets.
23.15 Visited by Orderly Officer.
23.50 'Phone message received
from Deputy Warden :
"Flashing lights reported by occupant
of 164, Rosemary Hill Road, in direction
of
Shenstone and Lichfield."
Two men sent to investigate. Found to be flares used by
Military at Owlets Farm, 1½
miles from Shenstone.
23.45 Patrol contacted by searchlight unit.
02.45 Sirens sounded. 'Planes very active.
Bombs and A.A. fire.
03.00 O.P.
re-manned. Clear sky.
03.30 Visit by Orderly Officer.
03.50 All clear.
04.05 Sirens sounded. 'Planes over.
05.15 All clear.
06.00 Guard dismissed.
The "flashing lights" keep our
Guards busy and frequently involve long journeys and long
and patient investigation before being cleared. Each report
is investigated: one concerned a report of a local inhabitant
that each night intermittent lights resembling signalling
were visible from Rookery Wood in a north-westerly direction.
It takes the whole platoon two hours and an organised scheme
with three observation posts and with synchronised watches
recording each flash to determine that the lights were masked
headlights of cars topping a rise on the Chester Road a
mile and a half away.
(......continues.....)
32
(Images of the Platoon can be seen on this page)
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