Route March, 1 May 1944: 2nd Parachute Battalion Signals Section and Assault Platoon
Note:
The War Office base map used in this document is Sheet 55 (Grantham) of the England and Wales One-Inch Popular Series, GSGS 3907 - 1933-43, and is reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland. It can be accessed online here: Map Sheet 55 Grantham of the wartime military Ordnance Survey series.
Route march undertaken on 1 May 1944 by the Signals Section and Assault Platoon of the 2nd Parachute Battalion.
This route march was undertaken by the Signals Section and Assault Platoon of the 2nd Parachute Battalion on 1 May 1944. The start and finish points of the march were Stoke Rochford Hall, where they were based.
The route as recorded in the War Diary was:
Stoke Rochford - crossroads 398461 - Burton Goggles 4345 - road junction 447454 - road junction 448481 - crossroads 384498 - Stoke Rochford
The final section of the route between the crossroads at 384498 (Great Ponton) and Stoke Rochford Hall was not recorded, so it is not possible to state whether this section involved marching south from Great Ponton along the Great North Road (A1), or marching west from Great Ponton, and then south, along minor roads.
The distance from the start point at Stoke Rochford Hall to the crossroads 384498 (Great Ponton) was 12 miles (approximately 19 kilometres).
A paratrooper makes a heavy landing during an exercise. (Critical Past film 65675058877)