1944 - 1949
The definitive research resource for the 1st KOSB from 1944-1949
1st KOSB EXERCISES
EXERCISE GRAB
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Fortrose, Black Isle, to the Moray coast (Greens of Burgie, near Forres)
Scotland
Plaque on the beachfront at Nairn. From'AWeeWalk.com'
Exercise "GRAB" was 1st KOSB's was a full-scale rehearsal of an assault landing from the sea, five months before D-Day. In the first week of January 1944 the Battalion travelled from its billets around Selkirk to a tented camp near Muir of Ord, north of Inverness, and on the night of 9 January marched to the hards at Fortrose on the Black Isle to board landing craft (L.C.T.s).
The convoy crossed the Moray Firth overnight, with the men sleeping on open decks in intense cold, and touched down on "F" Beach on the Moray coast at 1140 hrs on 10 January. It was a hard landing: a ten-foot swell was running on to a steep beach, "B" Company's craft broached to and "D" Company's got into difficulties close inshore.
Once ashore, "C" Company set off on bicycles down the Red Route while "A" Company and Battalion HQ marched across country. "A" Company took the Greens of Burgie feature at 1535 hrs, "C" Company dug in on the final objective at Blackburn Bridge, and two companies of 2nd Lincolns came under KOSB command. The Battalion held the Black Hillock position through the night, beat off a raid, took prisoners, and the exercise ended at midday on 11 January.
The Battalion then marched ten miles in three hours without a halt to entrain at Alves, near Elgin, and was back in Selkirk at 0520 hrs on 12 January.
WAR DIARY - 1ST KOSB
3 January 1944
General preparations for the impending move northwards for Ex. GRAB. Tracks left on Saturday and road party this morning for the INVERNESS area.
5 January 1944
The Bn. less A Coy. left SELKIRK by rail at 2145 hrs. arriving MUIR OF ORD at 0730. After detrainment marched 10 miles to Camp 4 where we are to concentrate. This is a tented camp and promises to be a chilly one although the practice of pitching two bell tents in one marquee counteracts the cold to some extent.
7 January 1944
Briefing for most of the day. C.O.'s briefing conference at 1100 hrs. followed by Coy. briefing. The lack of suitable accommodation and lighting makes briefing difficult. Some permanent building with good lights seems to be essential for this type of work.
8 January 1944
Tracked vehicles moved to a separate assembly area at 0930 hrs. and wheels followed suit at 1130 hrs.
9 January 1944
At midday Coys. practised the move from the concentration area which will be carried out after landing. Afternoon spent in rehearsing the splitting into craft loads. The Bn. moved off finally at 1830 hrs. in craft loads to march to the embarkation hards in FORT ROSE. Arrival at 2215 hrs.
10 January 1944
Exercise GRAB. See Appendices for detailed record of operations.
11 January 1944
Exercise terminated at Midday. The marching troops marched 10 miles in 3 hours without a halt to entrain at ALVES near ELGIN. Left at 2020 hrs.
12 January 1944
Arriving SELKIRK at 0520 hrs. Road and tracked vehicle parties will be returning in the next two or three days.
13 January 1944
Checking of kit and cleaning up after Exercise GRAB.
15 January 1944
Tracks arrive back in SELKIRK.
3 janvier 1944
12 janvier 1944
Supporting Documents
EX "GRAB" · 1 KOSB WAR DIARY APPENDIX · 9–11 JANUARY 1944
Hand-written log, five sheets. Place · Date · Time.
SHEET 1
9 Jan · 1830 · Camp 4 – Bn left by march route in craft loads 541, 542, 543 and 544 for embarkation hards. Icy roads and difficult going.
9 Jan · 2215 · FORTROSE – Arrived embarkation hards and dispersed in serials to various hards. Feeding etc.
2359 – Embarkation commenced into L.C.T.'s.
10 Jan · 0045 – Embarkation completed. Convoy left for R.V. at sea.
10 Jan · 0600 · At sea – Reveillé. Troops have been sleeping out on the open decks, 3 blankets per man and an extra gas cape being provided. Tent floorings of wood and canvas awnings assisted in counteracting the cold, which was intense.
0900 – Breakfast. The M.&V. stew for breakfast does not appear to be the best thing for troops at sea as far as keeping off sickness is concerned. Hot mince would be preferred. A ten foot swell is running but the
SHEET 2
(contd) morning is fine and cold.
10 Jan · 1000 (approx) · At sea – Contact remainder of our convoy i.e. the L.C.T's containing wheels and tracks which embarked at midday 9 Jan 44. Whole convoy sets course for landing beaches.
1030 – Landing beaches visible.
1140 · "F" Beach (6086) – Serials 541–544 incl. touched down. A difficult landing with a 10 foot swell running on to a steep beach.
1145 – Bn HQ, "A" & "C" Coys on shore. "B" Coy L.C.T. broached to. "D" Coy L.C.T. in difficulties close in shore.
1220 · Conc. Area (6186) – HQ, A & C arriving. "B" and "D" not yet on shore. Routing by Beach Gp to conc. area non-existent.
1250 – "C" Coy leave on bicycles on Red Route.
1300 – "A" Coy followed by Bn HQ commence cross country
SHEET 3
(contd) march to GREENS OF BURGIE feature (6079).
10 Jan · 1430 · 602822 – Two Coys 2 Lincs placed under comd. 1 K.O.S.B. by 9 Inf Bde. "A" Coy reach wood 602826.
1445 · 602826 – "C" Coy report fire from GREENS OF BURGIE area but push on. HQ in wood 602826. Twenty five cyclists from 2 Lincs arrive.
1500 · 602826 – 3 x 3" Mortars arrive with Mortar Comd. Carrier Pl. and A.Tk. Pl. also reported landed in part. "C" Coy report "BROMO" [?] clear.
1510 · 602826 – "A" Coy cross to wood at 608805 with S.P. from one Fd. Regt. Arty. 3" Mortars in posn. behind wood 602826.
1520 – "A" Coy capture M.G. post at 601799 and push on to GREENS OF BURGIE.
1535 · 608790 – GREENS OF BURGIE captured without opposition. Temporary consolidation by "A" Coy prior to pushing on.
SHEET 4
10 Jan · 1610 · 608790 – "A" Coy push on for final objective. Carriers and
1630 – A.Tk guns come up → HQ moves by carrier down Red Route to final objective.
1625 · 607757 – "C" Coy at final objective BLACKBURN BR. and commence to dig in, sending out cyclist patrol to 618739 and 614738.
1715 – Carrier outpost attacked by 40 enemy and 3 tanks. 2 Carriers lost, 1 escaped.
1730 – Advance Bn HQ arrives.
1830 – Arrival of A Coy.
1900 – Rest of Bn HQ arrives with two coys of 2 Lincs. HQ established 604761. (For dispositions of Coys see trace.) Digging in commences.
2000 (approx) · 604761 – C.O. holds co-ordinating 'O' Gp. Bn & sp. arms will hold the "BLACK HILLOCK" feature 6075.
2130 – D Coy arrive and take over from B Coy 2 Lincs.
SHEET 5
11 Jan · 0015 · 604761 – Raid by about 20 enemy on Bn left flank at about 611756. Repulsed, 1 offr and 8 O.R. P.W. taken.
0140 – Patrol reports CLUNY 596751 clear of enemy.
0230 – Patrol reports HILL OF MULUNDY clear of enemy.
– Enemy patrol clash at "A" Coy. 2 P.W. taken. Our losses nil.
0630 – D Coy leave to take up outpost posn at 618749.
11 Jan · 0730 – Stand to.
0845 – Stand down.
0930 – Bn snipers posted in [position?] HILL OF MULUNDY 6174.
0945 – 2 i/c 2 Lincs arrives to co-ordinate counter attack plans.
1030 – Conference on admin. for 2 i/c's Coys.
1200 – Exercise terminates.
Grid references are as written on the sheets. Words in [square brackets] are uncertain readings.
Exercise "GRAB", 10–11 January 1944: 1st KOSB lands on "F" Beach in Burghead Bay, takes the Greens of Burgie and holds the Black Hillock overnight before marching out to Alves. Plotted from grid references in the War Diary log. Map reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.
OUR TAKE
GRAB reads like a dress rehearsal written by men who knew the real thing was coming. The log is honest about what went wrong: a breakfast of M&V stew before a rough crossing ("hot mince would be preferred"), landing craft broaching in a ten-foot swell, no guides from the Beach Group to the concentration area, and briefing in tents without proper light. Each of those complaints was a lesson for June. The Battalion still got ashore, took its objectives and held them through the night, and then marched ten miles in three hours to catch the train home.
Transcribed from the original War Diary and appendices, 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers, January 1944 (War Diary 3–15 January 1944 and the hand-written Ex "GRAB" log, five sheets, 9–11 January 1944).