War Diary: 1st Battalion The East Lancashire Regiment

Month and year: November 1944

The 1st Battalion The East Lancashire Regiment November 1944 War Diary covers the units time in the Netherlands.

National Archive Reference: WO 171/1330

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WO 171/1330 1st Battalion The East Lancashire Regiment

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Page 1 of 5

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
BEEK ZWARTBROEK	1	0800	0800 hrs Recce Parties moved off to ZWARTBROEK and ELL. The bn moved off
			at 1500 hrs, passing through KINROY and taking over posns, "A" right in ELL 6493, "B" and "C" in ZWARTBROEK 6394, "D" 634950. Bn HQ was est in
			a fm ho at 627944. "C" Coy were ordered to move fwd to ELLBURG WOODS 6494 to occupy posns there on first light 2 Nov.
	2	0300	At 0300 hrs an enemy patrol armed with bazookas raided ELL causing cas
			to 10 men of 1 Manch and knocking out 2 carriers and M.M.Gs. The patrol escaped. It was believed to have come in from the South crossing the
			NEDERWEERT canal between us and the Belgian Bde on our right. Infm was received of suspected minefields and booby traps and the Pioneers de-
			loused a number of these in the morning. "C" Coy moved into posn un- observed. There was some shelling during the day. Patrols went out
			during the night to the canal but no rafts or boats were seen there. "C" Coys patrol laid A/P mines on the canal bank hoping to trip up an enemy
			patrol.
	3		Patrols heard and saw enemy on the far side of the canal but only for a few moments. Contact was made with the Belgians before dawn and before
			midnight. "A" Coy patrol returned from the bridge 654936 at 2300 hrs and encountered a trip wire, suffering three casualties.
	4	0640	Patrols had nothing to report in the early morning, At 0640 hrs a house in
		2335	"D" Coy area was set on fire by an enemy patrol. 2335 hrs, report was received that Lt. Tidey with a patrol from "B" Coy had encountered enemy
			on the canal bank at 651940., Lt. Tidey being wounded. Lt-Col. Burden relinquished command of the bn and went to BRUSSELS preparatory to taking
			up an M.S. appointment in England.

Page 2 of 5

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
ZWARTBROEK	10		A civilian engineer with knowledge of the canal was found who informed us
			of the existence of culverts under the canal. The only one in the bn area was investigated at 1800 hrs but found impassable. Advance parties went to
			WEERT.
	11		The bn was prepared to concentrate back in WEERT for a few days rest.
WEERT		1600	Relief was completed at 1415 hrs and the whole bn under cover by 1600 hrs
	12		Adm was carried out. The whole bn being bathed.
	13		The bn received preliminary warning of an attack across the WESSEM canal. This operation was known as "MALLARD" and was to be carried out by 53 Div
			in conjunction with 51 Div crossing further North. Regimental Band arrived under Bandmaster A.B. Yule and gave two concerts in "B" Coy area.
	14		Orders were given out for operation MALLARD. Bn was to be called fwd from
			WEERT to a conc area in ELL whence it had to go fwd over the canal into a brhead formed by 160 Bde preceeded by 1/5 Welch. The attack was to
			start this night and the bn had to be ready to move by 1000 hrs 15 Nov. 2IC, Major C.W. Griffin, reconnoitred the concentration area in ELL. Orders
			for the operation are attached as Appendix A.	Appx A.
	15	1045	Infm was received at 1045 hrs that the brhead was now fairly secure. According to civilian reports received at 1600 hrs, no enemy were West of
			BAEXEM 7092. Bn moved fwd to ELL without incident. C.O., Lt- Col. Allen
		1330	had gone fwd at 1200 hrs and having seen us safely in, followed up 1/5
		1600	Welch, remaining in contact with us by W/T. At 1600 hrs bn was ordered to cross the canal moving via, STENWEG to cross by a Class 9 bridge at

Page 3 of 5

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
ELL	15	1730	664916 following Bde HQ. By 1730 hrs the bn was across and by 1900 hrs had
			reached the road ROERMOND - WEERT at 695934 without opposition. Here, however, "R" mines were discovered. The rifle coys moved fwd on foot and
BAEXEM			by 2000 hrs had reached the line of the railway in 7094. "F" Ech vehs following the road supposed to be clear of mines, were held up when Lt.
			Nickson in his carrier was blown up. Fortunately, he was only slightly wounded due to the good sandbagging of the vehicle. Two O.Rs. were also
			wounded. The R.E. pl under comd then cleared a way, however, and the vehicle party arrived in at 0030 hrs. Major U.F. Hussey de Burgh
			relinquished 2IC of the Bn. w.e.f. 16th.
	16		An 'O' Gp was held just after first light and orders given for an adv fwd to capture the village of NUNHEM the route lying along a track North
			of the railway and North of HAELEN. The bn passed the S.P. (level crossing
		1130	706943) at 1130 hrs, "C" Coy leading. In sp of the bn was a Sqn of tks,
			and a Pl of R.Es. The advance was completely without incident, no mines or enemy being encountered, and the bn took up a def posn around NUNHEM at
		1400	1400 hrs 1/5 Welch on the right at the same time occupied HAELEN.
	17		Patrol was sent out to see whether 51 Div tps had reached NEER on our left flank. This patrol encountered a few enemy and one bn sniper was killed.
			No sign of friendly troops was seen. There was intermittent shelling on the bn front during the day.
	18		The enemy again shelled fwd of the bn area. 2140 hrs contact was made
			with 7th Black Watch on out left in NEER.
	19		"C" Coy patrol reported back from area of house 789956 and stated that these buildings went up in flames just before they arrived there. This

Page 4 of 5

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information
NUNHEM	19	became known as BURNT FARM. A number of shelreps were passed to Bde during
		the day. A number of patrols were again sent out during the night but encountered no enemy.
	20	O.Ps. est in area 777956 sent in a number of reports during the day of enemy
		movement, which was effectively shelled. "D" Coy patrol to Burnt Farm but no incident reported.
	21	Enemy were again seen on the opposite side of the MAAS and were shelled. A
		number of Shelreps were sent in.
	22	Nothing of note to report.
	23	Arty fire was directed on enemy targets on the far side of the river. At 1930 hrs "D" Coy again est patrol in Burnt Farm area.
	24	Shots were heard from Burnt Farm area at 0500 hrs. Line to the patrol was
		"Diss". At 0730 hrs patrol returned, one man having been wounded, (Their line being cup, a recce party investigated and was shot up by a German with a
		machine pistol).
	25	Patrol est that the MAAS had over-flowed its banks and was flooding the surrounding ground rapidly. At 1630 hrs what was believed to be a V.2. was
		launched from some 10 miles away to the East.
	26	The enemy began to use Rocket Shells on this front but these were not directed at the bn. 2130 hrs the area was attacked by a few enemy aircraft
		dropping A.P. bombs, but there were no casualties.

Page 5 of 5

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
NUNHEM	27	0127	Bn area was again attacked by enemy aircraft, some H.E. and A.P. bombs
			being dropped. The attack was slight, finishing at 0215 hrs and causing only two cas to the bn from A.P. bombs. The attached M.M.G. Pl of 1 Manch
			however, suffered 2 killed and 6 wounded. Bn prepared to move in accordance with orders received, to take over the area BROEK and KESSEL 8200 from
			6 RWF. NUNHEM was occupied by one coy of 1/5 Welch which took over the
		1345	bn posns at 1300 hrs. Bn moved off at 1345 hrs via HAELEN, ROGGEL (7397)
KESSEL			HELDEN to BROEK, occupying posns with three coys fwd - "A" 805900, "C" 813000 "B" 825006, "D" 821009, Bn HQ being est at 806014. Contact was
		1900	made with 2 Mons on the right at midnight. Relief was completed by 1900 hrs. There was only some slight shelling from the enemy.
	28		There was intermittent shelling by 88 mm and 105 mm during the day. C Coy
			suffered two cas. Patrols had nothing to report.
	29		Again some shelling occurred on the bn front. Bombs dropped in the evening by a single plane turned out to be RAF leaflets, telling the recipients
			how quickly they could get to England. Advantage was not taken of this offer.
	30		Enemy activity on the opposite bank at 824000 was engaged at 0035 hrs by
			arty. At 0515 hrs enemy heard at 827996 were mortared. 1415 hrs and again at 2200 hrs, enemy were seen and heard on the opposite bank and were
			mortared and shelled, direct hits being secured. Bn was warned to be prepared for a 6 ft rise in water level the following day.