AWM52 1/11/18/2 - 1946, part 2, Headquarters London Victory March Contingent, Narrative of events - Part 2

Conflict:

Second World War, 1939–45

Subject:

Documents and letters

Status:

Open for review

Accession number:

RCDIG1020019

Difficulty:

54	(a) One store freighter		Two Assistant
	(b) One refueller		Marshals
55	Two domestic ﬁre tenders
56	(a) One M.T. breakdown tender
	(b) One fire crash tender
57	(c) One dental caravan	Towed by Buick
	(b) One astradome caravan	Towed by Humber
58	One mechanical horse	Scammel (6-ton) with type ”E”
		bomb. Eagle trailer with large
		bomb
59	Two loaded bomb tenders.
60	(a) One cooking tender.
	(b) One mobile canteen tender.
61	Two Radar vehicles.
62	One 3-ton tender with trailer	Trailer loaded with propellers.
63	(a) One E.V.T. tender.
	(b) One office tender.
64	(a) One parachute drying tender.
	(b) one parachute power and servicing Tender.
65	(a) One tipping tender.
	(b) One tractor.
66	Two 1,000-gals. Tenders.	One water, one petrol.
67	One Arctic tractor with trailer	Loaded with aircraft fuselage.
68	(a) One ﬂoodlight tender.
	(b) One oxygen plant tender.
69	Two 3-ton tenders with trailers	One landmark beacon trailer,
		one aerial lighthouse trailer.
70	(a) One workshop tender.
	(b) One power 20-kVA tender.
71	Two Radar vehicles.
72	One Arctic tractor towing trailer	Loaded with airborne lifeboat,
		Mk. 2.
73	Two ex. Heavy tenders	One carrying light tractor, one
		carrying platform elevating
		truck.
74	Two mechanical horses	With trailers carrying torpedoes.
75	Two mechanical horses	With attached mechanical horse
		loaded with boxed S.A.A.
76	Two tenders	One road sweeping, one with
		Johnson snowplough attachment.
77	Two Radar vehicles.
78	One balloon winch trailer	With hydrogen cylinder trailer.
79	(a) One heavy ambulance.
	(b) One flying control tender.
80	Two air passenger coaches.

Group Letter	Group	Contingent	Order in Procession	Vehicles by Type	Remarks	No. of Vehs. In Contingent	Interval between Vehs. (yds)	Total Length of Contingent (yds)	Marshalling Officers
(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	(e)	(f)	(g)	(h)	(I)	(j)
C	Royal Air Force		81	Two troop carrying tenders.
	—continued		82	(a) One Radar vehicle.
				(b) One pantechnicon tender.
			83	(a) One 2,500-gals. Petrol tender.
				(b) One heavy crane (mobile).		64	20-yds.	994-yds.
GAP 75-YDS.
D	Civilian Services	National Fire	84	Two patrol cars	Police				Senior Marshal,
	and Industrial	Service	85	Two control vans.					Maj. A. D. Murray,
	Contingent.		86	Two turntable ladder vehicles	(100-ft.).				Scots Gds.
			87	Two turntable ladder vehicles	(60-ft.).
			88	Two overseas N.F.S. vehicles and pumps					Two Assistant
			89	Two auxiliary towing vehicles	With trailer pump.				Marshals.
			90	Two pump escapes.
			91	Two self-propelled heavy pump vehicles
			92	Two water tenders.		18	20-yds.	254-yds.
		Civil Defence	93	Two Civil Defence Reserve Column
				Rescue Vehs.
		Services.	94	Two light rescue vehs. (London).
			95	Two heavy rescue vehs. (London).
			96	Two rescue vehicles.
			97	Two rescue cranes.
			98	Two tippers with skips.
			99	Two decontamination vehicles	Civil Defence Services
			100	Two American Ambulances (Great Britain)
			101	Two ambulances.
			102	Two ambulances.
			103	Two mobile canteens.
			104	Two mobile emergency food units
			105	Two blood transfusion vans.		26	20-yds.	326-yds.

		Agriculture	160	One farm tractor and binder	}On platform lorry.
			107	One trencher for farm drains	}On platform lorry.	2	30-yds.	62-yds.
		Transport	108	Two London buses.
		Services.	109	Two provincial buses.
			110	Two 6-8 ton articulated vehicles.
			111	Two cruiser cranes.
			112	Two 6-ton mechanical horses.
			113	Two Mechanized Transport Corps cars.
			114	Two insulated meat vans.		14	20-yds.	195-yds.
		Public Utilities.	115	(a) One mobile coast radio station
				(b) One mobile telegraph office.
			116	(a) One motor gas compressor.
				(b) One gas lorry	With purging machine trailer.
			117	Two standard electricity repair units	With trailers.
			118	Twp Metropolitan Water Board vehicles	With trailers mounting electrically	8	20-yds.	119-yds.
					driven water pump.
			119	Two Y.M.C.A. mobile canteens
			120	Two Church Army mobile canteens.
			121	Two Salvation Army mobile canteens.
			122	Two National Savings vans.		8	20-yds.	121-yds.		15
GAP 75-YDS.
E	Army	Royal Armoured	123	One Comet command tank.					Senior Marshal,
		Corps.	124	Two scout cars.					Maj. J. D. Hornung,
			125	Two scout cars.					O.B.E., M.C.,
			126	Two armoured cars.					Irish Gds.
			127	Two armoured cars.
			128	Two Chaffee (light) tanks.					Two Assistant
			129	Two Chaffee (light) tanks.					Marshals.

Group Letter	Group	Contingent	Order in Procession	Vehicles by Type	Remarks	No. of Vehs. In Contingent	Interval between Vehs. (yds)	Total Length of Contingent (yds)	Marshalling Officers
(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	(e)	(f)	(g)	(h)	(I)	(j)
E	Army—continued	Royal Armoured	130	Two Cromwells.
		Corps—continued	131	Two Cromwells.
			132	Two Comets
			133	Two Comets
			134	Two Churchills.
			135	Two Churchills.
			136	Two Shermans.
			137	Two Shermans.
			138	Two Crocodiles.
			139	Two Flails.
			140	Two Flails.
			141	Two bridge-laying tanks.		37	20-yds.	517-yds.
		Royal Artillery	142	One jeep.
			143	One jeep.
			144	Two self-propelled 25-pdrs.
			145	Two self-propelled 25-pdrs.						16
			146	One jeep.
			147	Two towed 25-pdrs.
			148	Two towed 25-pdrs.
			149	One jeep.
			150	Two towed 5.5 guns.
			151	Two towed 5.5 guns.
			152	One jeep.
			153	Two towed 7.2 hows.
			154	One jeep.
			155	Two self-propelled 17-pdrs.
			156	Two self-propelled 17-pdrs.
			157	One jeep.
			158	Two towed 3.7 anti-aircraft guns.
			159	Two towed 3.7 anti-aircraft guns.			Troop
			160	One jeep.			Comdrs'
			161	Two Bofors guns.			jeeps only
			162	Two Bofors guns.			10-yds. in
			163	One jeep.			front of
			164	Two searchlight lorries.			troops.
			165	One jeep.			Remaining
			166	Two towed 77-mm. hows.	Air transportable.		gaps
			167	Two towed 77-mm. hows.	Air transportable.	42	20-yds.	637-yds.

Royal Engineers	168	One jeep.
	169	Two AVs. R.E.
	170	Two Centaur dozers.
	171	Two Arks.
	172	Two Class 1 angledozers.	On S.M.T. trailer with Matador.
	173	Two Tournapuls (Super C) with 12-yard	Carryall type L.P.
		scrapers
	174	Two graders	Caterpillar 12.
	175	Two excavators R.B. 19 with dragline	On 18-ton Carriemore trailer
		eqpt.	with Matador tractor.
	176	Two bomb disposal lorries	With trepaning and steaming
			out apparatus.
	177	One Unicraft	On S.M.T. low loader with
			Matador tractor.
	178	Two 153-h.p. Diesel tank engines	On 20-ton 8-wheeled trailer with
			Matador tractor.
	179	Two survey printing lorries.		22	20-yds.	388-yds.
Royal Corps of	180	One jeep.
Signals.	181	Two cars	Towing trailer with W/T set.
	182	Two cars	Towing trailer with line eqpt/
	183	Two 3-ton wireless lorries.
	184	Two 3-ton cable-laying lorries.
	185	Two 3-ton command vehicles.					17
	186	Two half-tracks.
	187	Two armoured command vehicles.
	188	Two tractors	Drawing 6-ton semi-trailer Signals
			type 303.
	189	Two 3-ton lorries	Towing beam wireless trailer.
	190	Two 15-ton cable lorries.		31	20-yds.	309-yds.
Infantry	191	One jeep.
	192	Two half-tracks.
	193	Two half-tracks.
	194	Two M.M.G. carriers.
	195	Two M.M.G. carriers.
	196	Two Universal carriers
	197	Universal carriers
	198	Two Windsor carriers	Towing 6-pdr. anti-tank guns.
	199	Two Windsor carriers	Towing 6-pdr. anti-tank guns.
Army Air Corps	200	Two jeeps	Special Air Service.
	201	Two jeeps	Special Air Service.
	202	Two jeeps with trailers	Air transportable.
	203	Two jeeps with trailers	Air transportable.
Special Forces	204	Two jeeps
	205	Two jeeps		29	20-yds.	366-yds.

		Agriculture	106	One farm tractor and binder	} On platform lorry. }	2	20-yds.	62-yds.
			107	One trencher for farm drains	} On platform lorry. }
		Transport	108	Two London buses.
		Services	109	Two provincial buses.
			110	Two 6-8 ton articulated vehicles.
			111	Two cruiser cranes.
			112	Two 6-ton mechanised horses.
			113	Two Mechanized Transport Corps cars.
			114	Two insulated meat vans.
		Public Utilities	115	(a) One mobile coast radio station
				(b) One mobile telegraph office.
			116	(a) One motor gas compressor.
				(b) One gas lorry	With purging machine trailer.
			117	Two standard electricity repair units	With trailers.
			118	Two Metropolitan Water Board vehicles	With trailers mounting electrically Driven water pump.	8	20-yds.	119-yds.
			119	Two Y.M.C.A. mobile canteens
			120	Two Church Army mobile canteens.
			121	Two Salvation Army mobile canteens.
			122	Two National Savings vans.		8	20-yds.	121-yds.

E	Army	Royal Armoured	123	One Comet command tank.					Senior Marshal,
		Corps.	124	Two scout cars.					Maj J. D. Hornung,
			125	Two scout cars.					O.B.E., M.C.
			126	Two armoured cars.					Irish Gds.
			127	Two armoured cars.
			128	Two Chaffee (light) tanks.					Two Assistant
			129	Two Chaffee (light) tanks.					Marshals.

Group Letter	Group	Contingent	Order in Procession	Vehicles by Type	Remarks	No. of Vehs. In Contingent	Interval between Vehs. (yds)	Total Length of Contingent (yds)	Marshalling Officers
(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	(e)	(f)	(g)	(h)	(I)	(j)
E	Army—continued	Royal Army	206	One jeep	Carrying Commander.
		Service Corps.	207	Two jeeps.
			208	Two weasels.
			209	Two troop carrying lorries.
			210	Two water lorries.
			211	Two bulk petrol lorries.
			212	Two machinery lorries.
			213	Two 3-ton lorries.	Towing generator trailers.
			214	Two 10-ton lorries lorries.	Towing bakery trailer (oven).
			215	Two 10-ton lorries lorries.	Towing bakery trailer (machinery).
			216	Two D.U.W.K.
			217	Two folding boat eqpts.	Towing trailers.
			218	Two pontoon lorries
			219	Two Matador lorries	With pontoon trailers.
			220	Two Diamond T tank transporters	With trailers carrying L.V.Ts.
			221	Two armoured personnel carriers.
			222	Two four-stretcher ambulances.		33	26-yds.	508-yds.
		Rpyal Army	223	One jeep.	Carrying Comdr.
		Ordnance	224	(a) One binned stores trailer	Towed by 6-ton Dennis.
		Corps.		(b) One boot repair trailer	Towed by 6-ton Dennis.
			225	(a) One binned stores trailer
				(b) One mobile office.
			226	(a) One mobile crane.
				(b) One breakdown lorry	Scammel.
			227	Two water trucks
			228	(a) One mobile oxygen plant.
				(b) One mobile inert gas plant	Towed by Matador compressor Tractor
			229	(a) One clothing repair trailer	Towed by 3-ton lorry.
				(b) One mobile laundry boiler trailer.	Towed by Matador tractor with bath Unit.
			230	Two mobile acetylene plants	Towed by Matador tractor.
			231	Two mobile laundry washing machine	Towed by Matador tractor.
				trailers
			232	Two boot repair plants, air transportable	One stitcher, one finisher towed By jeeps.

	233	(a) One workshop servicing trailer
		(b) One air transportable laundry.
	234	Two jeeps.	Army Film and Photographic Unit.	23	20-yds.	380-yds.
War Correspondents.	235	Two jeeps.		2	20-yds.	24-yds.
F.A.N.Y. and	236	Two mobile canteens.		2	20-yds.	26-yds.
N.A.A.F.I.	237	One jeeps	Carrying Comdr.
R.E.M.E.	238	Two 20-ton tank transporters	With trailer carrying Class I
			Crawler tractor.
	239	Two heavy breakdown tractors.
	240	Two heavy breakdown tractors.
	241	Two 3-ton machinery lorries
	242	Two 3-ton machinery lorries
	243	Two jeeps.	With machinery trailers.
	244	Two jeeps.	With machinery trailers.
	245	One 40-ton tank transporter	With trailer carrying Cromwell
			tank.
	246	Two armoured recovery vehicles
	247	Two beach armoured recovery vehicles		20	20-yds.	320-yds.
Army Fire	248	Two fire tender lorries	Towing trailer fire pump.
Service.	249	Two fire engines		4	20-yds.	40-ydsm
			TOTAL VEHICLES 430 and 80 motor-cycles
			TOTAL LENGTH OF COLUMN (including 4 75-yd. Gaps) 6,643-yds.

20
APPENDIX " B "
Parade State and Order of March of the Marching Columns
Chief Marshal ; Brig. H. R. Norman, D.S.O., Coldm. Gds.

Group Letter	Group	Contingent	Order In Procession	Detail	Strength		Ground Space (ft.)	Interval (ft.)	Remarks	Marshalling Officers	Depth and Distance (yds.)
Group Letter	Group	Contingent	Order In Procession	Detail	Offrs.	O.Rs.	Ground Space (ft.)	Interval (ft.)	Remarks	Marshalling Officers	Depth and Distance (yds.)
(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	(e)	(f)	(g)	(h)	(i)	(j)	(k)	(l)
A	Allies		1	Band of the Grenadier Guards		54	28	5	In 8's	Senior Marshal for Allies Group : Col. Sir Geoffrey Hippisley Cox, C.B.E., T.D.
			2	Band of the Inniskilling Fusiliers		33	16	45	In 8's
		U.S.A	3	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6		Lt.-Col. D. Forde, Coldm. Gds.
			4	Staff Officers	3		1	9
			5	Flag Party	3		1	6
			6	U.S.A.		72	21	45
		U.S.S.R.	7	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6		Major D. R. Daly. Scots Gds
			8	Staff Officers	3		1	9
			9	Flag Party	3		1	6
			10	U.S.S.R.		72	21	45
		China	11	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6		Major C. R. Wigan, M.C. Welsh Gds.
			12	Staff Officers	3		1	9
			13	Flag Party	3		1	6
			14	China		72	21	45
		France	15	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6		Major Hon. P. P. Cary, Gren. Gds.
			16	Staff Officers	3		1	9
			17	Flag Party	3		1	6
			18	France		72	21	90
		Belgium	19	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6		} One Assistant Marshal
			20	Staff Officers	3		1	9
			21	Flag Party	3		1	6
			22	Belgium		24	5	45
		Brazil	23	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
			24	Staff Officers	3		1	9
			25	Flag Party	3		1	6
			26	Brazil		24	5	45

Czechoslovakia	27	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6	}
	28	Staff Officers	3		1	9
	29	Flag Party	3		1	6
	30	Czechoslovakia		24	5	45
Denmark	31	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
	32	Staff Officers	3		1	9
	33	Flag Party	3		1	6
	34	Denmark		24	5	45
Egypt	35	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6	} One Assistant Marshal.
	36	Staff Officers	3		1	9
	37	Flag Party	3		1	6
	38	Egypt		24	5	45
Ethiopia	39	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
	40	Staff Officers	3		1	9
	41	Flag Party	3		1	6
	42	Ethiopia		24	5	45
Greece	43	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
	44	Staff Officers	3		1	9
	45	Flag Party	3		1	6
	46	Greece		24	5	45
Iran	47	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6	} One Assistant Marshal.
	48	Staff Officers	3		1	9
	49	Flag Party	3		1	6
	50	Iran		24	5	45
Iraq	51	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
	52	Staff Officers	3		1	9
	53	Flag Party	3		1	6
	54	Iraq		24	5	45
Luxembourg	55	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
	56	Staff Officers	3		1	9
	57	Flag Party	3		1	6
	58	Luxembourg		24	5	45
Mexico	59	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
	60	Staff Officers	3		1	9
	61	Flag Party	3		1	6
	62	Mexico		24	5	45

Group Letter	Group	Contingent	Order in Procession	Detail	Strength		Ground Space (ft.)	Interval (ft.)	Remarks	Marshalling Officers	Depth and Distance (yds.)
Group Letter	Group	Contingent	Order in Procession	Detail	Offrs.	O.Rs.	Ground Space (ft.)	Interval (ft.)	Remarks	Marshalling Officers	Depth and Distance (yds.)
(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	(e)	(f)	(g)	(h)	(i)	(j)	(k)	(l)
A	Allies—continued	Nepal	63	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
			64	Staff Officers	3		1	9
			65	Flag party	3		1	6
			66	Nepal		24	5	150
		Netherlands	67	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
			68	Staff Officers	3		1	9		One Assistant Marshal.
			69	Flag party	3		1	6
			70	Netherlands		24	5	45
		Norway	71	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
			72	Staff Officers	3		1	9
			73	Flag party	3		1	6
			74	Norway		24	5	45
		Poland	75	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
			76	Staff Officers	3		1	9				22
			77	Flag party	3		1	6
			78	Poland		24	5	45
		Transjordan	79	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
			80	Staff Officers	3		1	9
			81	Flag party	3		1	6
			82	Transjordan		24	5	45
										}One Assistant Marshal.
		Yugoslavia	83	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
			84	Staff Officers	3		1	9
			85	Flag party	3		1	6
			86	Yugoslavia		24	5	45
		Sudan	87	High Ranking Officers	3		1	6
			88	Staff Officers	3		1	9
			89	Flag party	3		1	6
			90	Sudan		24	5	45
					198	807	284	1,757			645
B	Dominions		91	Band of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent		51	28	5	In 8's	Senior Marshal, Dominions
				Regt.						Group: Lt.-Col. M. E.
			92	Band of the Royal Military School of Music	1	80	40	45	In 8's	St. Barne, Scots Gds.

Last edited by:

Ray Stenhouse

Last edited on:

18 July 2025, 4:34 pm

Last updated: 18 July 2025