ABSTRACT
The parties had begun to make ready two days before the expedition was decided on, in compliance with A.T. 1209 of the 11th, addressed to the Hood, Nelson and Barham, which ran as follows : ‘ Marine detachments of 100 men from each ship and seamen field gun's crews may be required for a special operation ‘ to occupy small islands for limited period shortly ; parties would be required to be self-supporting for one month, and to land and mount 12-pdr. gun or 3* 7-in. howitzer; necessary preliminary preparations to be made \ Orders next day increased each party by 70 men ; and on the 13th came orders for the 21st Light Anti-aircraft Battery, Royal Marines, and two detachments of the 11th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Marines, to join the expedition. On the same day Lieutenant-Colonel Simpson, R.M., was appointed in command of the force, which was to be transported to Norway in the sloops Black Swan, Flamingo, Auckland and Bittern. Some 45 officers and 680 men actually sailed, with three 3 • 7-in. howitzers and eight anti-aircraft pom-poms for the field force, and two 4-in. guns for Aalesund ; but the searchlights stayed behind.
