View MapView MapNational Archive Reference: WO 171/921
The "References to Appendices" column for this document was empty so has been omitted.
All diaries for this unit:
Please use the contact us page to report any errors or inaccuracies.
Many of the location in this diary have been geocoded, these locations are highlighted
clicking on them will display them on a map. Many location also have historical maps and aerial photographs
of the area available.
Found this useful?
If you've found this resource useful please consider supporting us to digitise more war diaries, documents and maps.
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 0600 | Bty non-operational from 0900 to 1100 hrs to enable troops to have baths. | |
| Church service at 1130 hrs. BC, 2 i/c, and Trp Cmdrs on recce during afternoon for gun posns. Bty being in Div Reserve may have to do one of | |||
| three tasks - (1) protect field gun area (2) support 131 (Q) Bde lending depth to their posns (3) defend L of C on Veghel - Uden - Mistelrode road. | |||
| Bty lay-out was sited on ground roughly in area of Rukven 4345 and 4344. Weather:- some rain but mainly fine. | |||
| 2nd | 0600 | Further recce by BC and Trp Cdrs in morning to co-ordinate Trp gun posns. | |
| Still in Div Reserve. Posns will not be taken up unless enemy counter-attack imminent. Weather:- Fine, cold. | |||
| 3rd | 0600 | "K" Trp, u/c 257 Bty, ordered to be part of a Task force to take ever from | |
| U.S. Paratroops in area of Heeswijk 4341. Trp posns recced and Trp moved into leaguer area in afternoon. BC recced possible enemy OPs on our front | |||
| to be destroyed but none were found within range. Weather:- Fine, cold. | |||
| 4th | 0600 | Lt. FW Brown took over "L" Trp, Capt PD Balfour reverting to BHQ. BC accompanied CRA, CO and BC 257 Bty on inspection of A.tk layout of the | |
| area which included 257, 260 Btys and 1/6 and 1/7 Queens gun posns. Weather:- Fine, cold. | |||
| 5th | 0600 | "L" Trp had a shoot for GRA. Moved out of Bty area night 4/5th and moved | |
| to gun area - 422445 - at 0530 hrs. Target was Church at Doornhoek (386446) Range tried between 3600 yds and 3800 yds. The extreme range made accurate | |||
| hitting difficult. A fire was started in front of the Church preventing its use for the day as an OP and some damage done to steeple. | |||
| Weather: Fine, cold. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | 0600 | BC and CO visited gun layout of A.B.C. posns. 2 i/c visited "K" Trp | |
| in Heeswijk area and inspected gun posns. BC took "J" Trp out on Trp training in afternoon. Weather:- Fine. | |||
| 7th | 0600 | "J" and "L" Trps on trp training. Lt. Brown recced in front of FDLs to see | |
| if further firing at shorter range was possible on Doornhoek Church but found enemy too near to reasonably bring guns any nearer than the 3800 yds | |||
| in the FDLs. Report presented to CO in afternoon. | |||
| 8th | 0600 | "L" Trp had shoot against Church & Steeple OP at Doornhoek (386446). This was a diversion to distract attention from 8 Hussars raid on Middlerode (4043) | |
| "L" Trp opened fire at 1345 hrs for half-an-hour claiming 90% hits at 3800 yds Enemy retaliated with mortar fire towards end of shoot. Weather:- Fine. | |||
| 9th | 0600 | Lecture by Education Officer to Bty in morning. BC attend CO's conference | |
| at 1700 hrs. "K" Trp relieved by "J" Trp at last light. "K" Trp returned to Bty concentration area. Weather:- Fine. | |||
| 10th | 0600 | BG visited in "J" Trp in new posns at Dinther. BG took "L" Trp on Trp exercise | |
| at 0830 hrs. CO gave lecture to Officers and NCOs of "K" & "L" Trps on new drill and deployment for SP A.tk when supporting infantry. | |||
| Weather:- Heavy rain all day. | |||
| 11th | 0600 | Trp exercise for "L" Trp at 0830 hrs. Many useful lessons learned. "K" Trp on maintenance. Weather:- Fine, rain at night. | |
| 12th | 0600 | Div.Catering Adviser visited Bty. "K" Trp on maintenance. "L" Trp on Trp Scheme. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13th | 0600 | "K" Trp on exercise from 0800 to 1200 hrs, object of exercise to train Nos.1 | |
| in cross country movement and deployment. At 1700 hrs one gun of "J" Trp fired on house at Heeswijk (423409) which had been reported as an enemy | |||
| amn dump, gun was fired from 425413. Results not entirely satisfactory as only the roof was visible, the walls being hidden by treas and canal | |||
| embankment. 15 rds AP hit the house but the HE appeared to burst amongst the apple trees owing to the sensitive nature of the fuse. Whilst returning | |||
| from this shoot Capt JA Hill, 2 i/c Bty. was accidentally killed. | |||
| 14th | 0600 | Capt JA Hill was buried in Dinther Church Yard in morning. No activity of any sort. "L" Trp relieved "J" Trp at 1800 hrs. | |
| Weather:- Fine, warm. | |||
| 15th | 0600 | No activity of any sort. M.10s radiators filled with Anti-freeze mixture. | |
| 16th | 0600 | No activity of any sort. | |
| 17th | 0600 | During night 16/17 1/5 Queens staged a series of harrassing shoots with | |
| all types of weapons, in which 3 RHA joined, to test enemy reaction. This was slight after 90 minutes. Enemy DF fire came down in area of Heeswijk. | |||
| 18th | 0600 | 1/6 Queens relieved 1/7 Queens. 258 Bty came under cmd 131 Bde and one trp | |
| of this Bty relieved "L" Trp at last light. | |||
| 19th | 0600 | Nothing to report. | |
| 20th | 0600 | Nothing to report. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21st | 0600 | Preparations made for 131 Bde attack to aline 2 miles short of 'S Hertogenbosch | |
| Bty remains in Div. Reserve. 1 sec "J" Trp moved at 1600 hrs to house at 427447 to move to firing posn at first light on 22nd to engage Doornhook | |||
| Church Tower to prevent it being used as an OP. Attack in 3 phases - Phase I. 1/7 Queens attack onto Middelrode area at 0630 hrs. on completion | |||
| of phase I 1/5 Queens attack to Doornhoek area 3844 - Phase III 1/5 and 1/6 Queens onto final objective Berlikum Sanatorium de Loofert 365472 | |||
| 22nd | 0600 | Zero hour for attack was 0630 hrs. counter-battery fire having been fired | |
| from 0200 hrs by Div. Arty. It was soon evident that enemy arty was not very strong although 1/7 Queens were fairly heavily shelled in area | |||
| Middelrode. Sec. of "J" Trp opened fire in very bad visibility on Doornhoek at 0745 hrs. A number of hits were scored and subsequently a fire was | |||
| started and the smoke obscured the tgt. Firing ceased and was not started again until 1500 hrs when 5 RHA reported the tower being used as an OP. | |||
| More hits were scored and another fire started. At 1515 hrs firing was again stopped as own tps were approaching Doornhoek. | |||
| 23rd | 0600 | See "J" Trp returned to Bty, | |
| 24th | 0600 | Preperations made for the forthcoming battle. "K" Trp left Bty at 1230 hrs | |
| to join "G" Bty 5 RHA. Major JH Boag MC., RA was called away to attend a FGCM and Maj. JJ Barclay MC - 2 i/c took cmd of Bty. Battery | |||
| less "K" Trp moved to area 453367 for the night. Lt.R. Knowles and 3 ORs posted to Bty. | |||
| 25th | 0600 | "J" Trp came u/c 8 Hussars. "L" Trg in reserve with RTR group. A very unexciting day. BHQ tac established for night at 344395. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26th | 0600 | "L" Trp moved up to area 328371. BHQ Tac moved to Helvoirt (267415) and | |
| "L" Trp moved with them. For the purpose of guarding Helvoirt during the night "L" Trp came under command 1/7 Queens, reverting to Bty cmd next | |||
| morning. | |||
| 27th | 0600 | Tac and "L" Trp moved up to Udenhout (198383) where "L" Trp took up posns round Tac Bde. BHQ Tac established for night at 202380. | |
| 28th | 0600 | "J" Trp left 8 Hussars and came under cmd 1/6 Queens. "K" Troop had a shoot | |
| at Church tower at 156398 which was a suspected OP. Shoot was very successful, 36 hits being scored out of 37 shots. "J" Trp again came under | |||
| cmd 8 Hussars at 1145 hrs. "K" Trp came under Bty cmd at 1630 hrs. BHQ Tac "K" and "L" Trps moved to Heikant (165354) and spent night there. | |||
| 29th | 0600 | "J" Trp deployed in area 144383 and given tasks to the West and | |
| South. "K" and "E" Trps moved to area 132353 for the night. | |||
| 30th | 0600 | "L" Trp joined 1/7 Queens at first light. BHQ Tac moved to area 071419 | |
| where night was spent with "K" Troop. "L" Troop, with 1/7 Queens, were in area 035423 and "J" Troop at Dongen 067396. Major JH Boag, MC RA returned | |||
| to Bty and took over cmd of Bty at 1630 hrs. 2 i/c returned to Heikant to reserve billets for Bty. | |||
| 31st | 0600 | "J" and "L" Trps came under cmd Bty at 0800 hrs. Bty moved to Heikant | |
| (168357) arriving at 1000 hrs and settled into billets. |
Found this useful?
If you've found this resource useful please consider supporting us to digitise more war diaries, documents and maps.