Burma 1944.

23 Bde Standard Drill for Emergency Landing Strips.

(Original document dated 7 Feb '44)
From my Grandpa's collection who was Capt 12th Fld Coy RE having joined them in N Africa in 1940.

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1. Dimensions.
As required by particular A/C. Minimum 250x X 30x runway plus 100x at either end clear of flying obstructions.

2. Preliminary Work.
a) Recce by recce pl RE Offr, RAF Offr, & Coy comd if poss.
b) Coy comd makes defensive plan.
c) Recce pl clear & CL mid cross path.
d) RE Offr marks same with tape.

3. Defences.
According to topography. General plan similar to Sup Drops.

4. Construction work.
a) Coln arrives nr site from direction of A.
1 pl infantry followed by Commando pl report to RE Offr.
Pl dumps formed at C.C. mules also left at these points.
Arms dumped under guard at D.D.D.D. by secs.

Meanwhile Inf Coy comd places defences in posn.

b) Inf pl march up mid cross path & each sec is allotted 1 quarter of the strip as its task, RE Offr point out CL direction & limits of work.

c)Inf secs move off from mid cross path towards end of strip as indicated by arrows. Task - to clear all brushwood, bushes, stones and easily movable objects to edge of strip.
Tools used - dahs, kukris, bayonets & entrenching tools.
Direction & dressing maintained by pl offr & Sj

d) Commando pls follow inf in same way by secs & are responsible for moving obstacles which the latter can NOT tackle. They also prepare for demolition of trees, rocks etc.
Commando secs do NOT keep in line but infiltrate through inf as required.
Tools pl equipment & axes, picks.

e) When inf reach limits of strip they report to RE Sjt at E.E. & are directed to clearing of 100x of flying angle.
(Note:-RE Sjts are also responsible for supervision of their own half of landing strip.)

f) Ditto for commando pl, division of work being as before.

g) As soon as all charges are prepared RE Sjts report to RE Officer who clears the area & gives the order to fire.

h) Second run similar to the first one and is done by one for both pls as required.
Tasks-clear up after demolitions, haul trees away, fill craters & finally level the surface.
Meanwhile a det of the commando pl u/c of the RAF Offr mark the strip with white corners & L at centre

Thor Signals as described in Special Force Comd's Trg Notes No 6 may be employed for this purpose. If not available strips of parachute cloth may be pegged to the ground.

i) Completion reports made as follows:-
RE Sjts to RE Offr - to RAF Offr - to coln comds.

5. Drill for very dense jungle.

The area may be treated as two separate landing strips placed end to end. A pl of inf and half of the commando pl would then be employed on each sec using a drill similar to that detailed above.

I recently unearthed these images from my Grandpa's collection & thought to add them to this thread for context /continuity.

(Image - Major G.W. Robinson, 12th Field Company RE. Burma, 1944.)

Collecting in a supply drop.

Chindit Column, Burma, 1944.