1- VOL. LXV. No. 1 ~CR~H, 1951 THE ROYAL ENGINEERS JOURNAL CONTENTS Engineers in the British Commonwealth Occupation Force-Japan Lieut.-Colonel A. T. J. Bell I Over the Elbe at Artlenburg . Colonel R. N. Foster 15 Arctic Hitch-Hike . "Gremlin" 31 Factors in the Defence of the West . Major-General B. T. Wilson 51 The Welgh-Batching of Concrete . Major E. H. Jenkins 57 "Operation Plainfare" . Colonel A. MacG. Stewart 64 It Never Rains but it Pours Lieut.-Colonel M. C. A. Henniker and Major H.R.D. Hart 81 Correspondence . 91 Memoirs, Book Reviews, Technical Notes . 96 PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS CHA i uobo 2669 INSTITUTION OF RE OFFICE COPY AGE DO NOT REMOVE iAH . .-. f I E---- - CE ME NTATI O N: for sealing water lakags, arurting settement of structures, remeding dtrioraiu of concrete or masonry works. G U N IT E: for reconditioning defective concrete struc twes, encasing structural steelwork, lining tunnels, water reservoirs and other works. 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I CENTRAL s234 LONDON Kingsbury Road,Kingsbury, N.W.9 (SALES OFFICE) COLINDALE 7033 MANCHESTER 54 Brown Street, 2 DEANSGATE2128 MIDDLESBROUGH Lloyds Bank Chambers, Albert Road MIDDLESBROUGH 2805 NEWCASTLE Lambton House, Lambton Road, lesmond JESMOND2744 PLYMOUTH R.2 Shapter's Field, Cattedown PLYMOUTH 4031 SHEFFIELD 53 Snig Hill SHEFFIELD 26805 SOUTHAMPTON National Provincial Bank Chambers, 194Above Bar SOUTHAMPTON 4597 185-187-189, FINCHLEY ROAD, LONDON, N.W.3. Telephone: 3Ialda Vale 6070 Telegrams: Semtex, Haver, London. 50SE/CI I iv ADVERTISEMENTS By Appointment Makers of Weatherproof Clothing to His Majesty The King Burberry Hacking Jacket with slant side pockets. Deep centre vent. In Burscot Tweed. Slacks in tan shade Cavalry Twill or Bedford Cord. Fancy Waistcoats in Sporting colours. BURBER RYS HAYMARKET, LONDON, S.W.I Telegrams: Burberry, Lesquare, London Telephone: Whitehall 3343 BURBERRYS LTD Agents for Burberry Coats and Shoes in all principal towns --- srau--re· THE ROYAL ENGINEERS JOURNAL Authors alone are responsible for the statements made and the opinions expressed in their papers. VOL. LXV CONTENTS MARCH, 1951 PAGE I. ENGINEERS IN THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH OCCUPATION FORCE-JAPAN. BY LIEUT.-COLONEL A. T. J. BELL, O.B.E., ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERS (With Photographsand Afap) . 2. "OVER THE ELBE AT ARTLENBURG." BY COLONEL R. N. FOSTER, D.S.O., O.B.E. (With Diagram) . 15 3. ARCTIC HITCH-HIKE. BY "GREMLIN." (W1ith Photographs and Sketch) . 31 4. FACTORS IN THE DEFENCE OF THE WEST. BY MAJOR-GENERAL B. T. WILSON, C.B., D.S.O. (RETD.) . 51 5. THE WEIGH-BATCHING OF CONCRETE. BY MAJOR E. H. JENKINS, R.E. (With Photographs) . 57 6. "OPERATION PLAINFARE." BY COLONEL A. MACG. STEWART 64 7. IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS. BY LIEUT.-COLONEL M. C. A. HENNIKER, D.S.O., O.B.E., M.C., R.E., AND MAJOR H. R. D. HART, R.E. 81 8. CORRESPONDENCE . 91 9. MEMOIRS 96 MAJOR-GENERAL G. E. GRIMSDALE (With Photograph) . F.S.G.P. BRIGADIER-GENERAL F. RAINSFORD-HANNAY, C.B., C.M.G. (With Photograph) . A.G.R-H. COLONEL R. E. M. RUSSELL, C.V.O., C.B.E., D.S.O. (With Photograph) . C.C.P. BRIGADIER SIR EDWARD A. '1ANDY, KT. (With Photograph) . C.G.L. 10. BOOK REVIEWS . 106 A SHORT HISTORY OF THE BRITISH ARMY . M.C.A.H. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE SURVEY OF INDIA. VOLUME II K.M.P. ROADS . D.R.H. STAR ALMANAC FOR LAND SURVEYORS . A.H.D. PROJECTION TABLES FOR THE TRANSVERSE MERCATOR PROJECTION OF GREAT BRITAIN . J.K. CONCRETE PRACTICE IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION . E.E.P. ELEMENTARY THEORY OF STRUCTURES . D.A.S. TEN TON TRAVEL . L.R.E.F. 11. TECHNICAL NOTES . 112 THE MILITARY ENGINEER WINTER CONCRETING ALUMINIUM FOOTBRIDGE AT PITLOCIIRY THE COUNCIL OF THE INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS (Incorporated by Royal Charter, 27th February, 1923) Patron-HIS MAJESTY THE KING President Major-General Sir Horace E. Roome, K.C.I.E., C.B., C.B.E. M.C. ... ... 1951 Vice-Presidents Major-General A. D. Campbell, C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C. ... ... 1948 Major-General J. C. F. Holland, C.B., D.F.C ...... ... ... 1951 Elected Brigadier A. G. Bonn, C.B.E., M.C. ... ... ... 1948 Lieut.-Colonel W. B. Sykes ...... ... 1948 Major-General C. A. West, C.B., D.S.O., M.C. ... 1948 Colonel F. C. W. Fosbery ...... ... 1948 Colonel R. P. G. Anderson ... ...... ... 1949 Colonel R. K. Millar, D.S.O. ............... 1949 Brigadier J. S. W. Stone, C.B.E., M.C. 1949 Brigadier C. D. Steel, O.B.E............. 1949 Major W . M. Inglis ... ... ... ... ... 1949 Brigadier C. G. Martin, V.C., C.B.E., D.S.O ... 1950 Lieut.-Colonel F. A. Rayfield ......... 1950 Colonel R. M. A. Welchman ......... 1950 Major G. Widdowson ... ... ... ... 1950 Captain J. L. Stevens ... ... ... ... 1950 Brigadier R. Gardiner, C.B.E ........ ... 1950 Ex-Officio Brigadier C. E. A. Browning, C.B.E., M.C ..... ... D/E.-in-C., W.O. Colonel I. G. Loch, O.B.E . ........ ... A.A.G., R.E. Brigadier B. C. Davey, C.B.E. ... ........ Comd., S.M.E. Brigadier C. E. M. Herbert, C.B.E ... ... D.Tn. Major-General L. D. Grand, C.B., C.I.E., C.B.E ... ... D.F.W. Brigadier J. C. T. Willis, O.B.E . .. Dir. of Mil. Survey Colonel C. M. Maclachlan, O.B.E. ...... ... D/Comd., S.M.E. Brigadier L. F. Heard, C.B.E. ... ... ... ... Comd., Trg. Bde., R.E. Corresponding Members K. Ray, C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., Union Defence Force, Major-General 1949 South Africa ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Ist January, Lieut.-Colonel A. R. Currie, D.S.O., D.F.W., New Zealand Military Forces ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Ist January, 1949 1949 Colonel H.W. Love, O.B.E., Canadian Army ... ... ... Ist February, 1949 Brigadier J. Mann, D.S.O., E.-in-C., Australian Military Forces ... Ist March, Secretary and Editor R.E. Journal Brigadier C. C. Phipps, C.B.E., M.C. ... ... ...... ... 13th January, 1945 Bankers Lloyds Bank, Ltd., Cox's and King's Branch, 6 Pall Mall, S.W.I. 3,C50. 1.3.51. Engineers In The British Commonwealth Occupation Force-Japan 2,3 ENGINEERS IN THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH OCCUPATION FORCE-JAPAN By LIEUT.-COLONEL A. T. J. BELL, O.B.E. Royal Australian Engineers INTRODUCTION THIS article deals with the work in Japan of the Royal Engineers of the Commonwealth, principally between mid-9I47 and early I949. The writer is not competent to describe the earlier days from the commencement of the Occupation in December, I945. Briefly, this first period was one which included the inevitable improvisation, shortages of stores and all the other problems usual in an Engineer organization designed for one set of conditions, and finding itself in another completely different set. By mid- I479 the necessary organi- zation for the task in hand was evolving, Japanese industry was recovering, hence stores were becoming easier to obtain, procedures generally were being more firmly, but happily not too firmly estab- lished, and a large number of major projects was well under way or approaching completion. Now if we may digress for a moment about Japan itself. Pre-war, at any rate to many Australians, Japan was the land of the Mikado and Madam Butterfly.