War Diary: 2nd Battalion The Cheshire Regiment

Month and year: November 1944

The 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiments November 1944 war diary covers the units time in the Netherlands in the area around Slijk Ewijk and Oosterhout

National Archive Reference: WO 171/1276

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Page 1 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Slijk Ewijk	1st	1100	Coy Comdrs Conference re Defensive Fire Tasks on the Divisional front.
			and alterations in the F.D.L S.
		1245	Conference ends.
			Quiet Day Nothing of interest to report. Some enemy shelling and mortaring.
			Enemy air activity slight over Nijmegen Bridge.
	2nd	1100	Usual morning conference of Coy Comdrs.
		1230	Conference ends - no changes,
		1530	The C.O. leaves to contact Major, L.Abel O.C. "C" Coy and proceeds with him to
			visit his Pln Posns.
		1730	Returns to Tac HQ.
			Enemy shelling during the evening - shells landing in the vicinity of
			Slijk Ewijk.
	3rd	1100	Usual morning conference. at which changes in the F.D.L's and D.F. Tasks are
			discussed also Harassing Fire Programme from 1600 hrs today until 1600 hrs
			tomorrow is arranged.

Page 2 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Slijk Ewijk	3rd (cont)		Conference ends at 1200 hrs.
		1800	Commanding Officer and Capt Peck leave to visit 11 Pln "C" Coy commanded by
			Lt. Kershaw. Object to test out the method and time taken to bring down
			D.F. Fire on receipt of a call from the inf. Time taken by Pln 2 mins 7 secs.
			This time can be reduced to 1 1/2 mins by several minor adjustments.
		1930	C.O and L.O. return to Tac HQ.
			Lt. C.S.Dupre leaves to attend a MMG Course at the SAS Netheravon - duration
			5 weeks.
			Enemy air activity slight - one FW 190 shot down over Nijmegen Bridge by
			Ack-Ack fire. Some enemy shelling of F.D.L's this evening.
	4th	1100	Conference of all Coy Comdrs re Harassing Fire tasks from 1600 hrs 4th -
			1600 hrs 5th Nov.
		1230	Conference ends.
			508 U.S. Para Regt relieved 231 Bde this evening. 231 Bde come into
			reserve in Nijmegen and take over the close defence of Nijmegen Bridge.

Page 3 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Slijk Ewijk	4th (cont)		Some slight enemy air activity over Nijmegen Bridge this afternoon - bombs
			dropped in Nijmegen.
	5th	1100	Usual morning conference re harassing programme D.F. Tasks and F.D.L's.
		1235	Conference ends.
			Inter Pln reliefs in Nijmegen Bks take place today.
			Some enemy air activity this afternoon - no bombs dropped. Slight shelling
			and mortaring throughout the day.
			Rugby match this afternoon between Bn and 50(N) Div HQ - Bn lost 13 pts - 5 pts.
	6th	1100	Coy Comdrs conference attended by 2/i/c "A" and "B" Coys and O.C. is "C"
			and "D" Coys.
		1200	Conference ends.
			Coys and Inf Localities as under: reading from North to South -
			69 Bde with in sp "B" Coy and 1 Hvy Mortar Pln.
			151 Bde. with in sp "C" Coy and 1 Heavy Mortar Pln.
			508 Para Regt with in sp "A" Coy and 1 Heavy Mortar Pln.

Page 4 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Slijk Ewijk	7th	1100	Usual morning Coy Comdrs Conference re D.F. Tasks and F.D.L's.
		1215	Conference ends.
			Nothing of interest today - day quiet. Some slight shelling and mortaring
			of our FDL's during the day,
			231 Inf Bde relieves 69 Inf Bde tonight - 69 Bde comes into Div reserve
			in Nijmegen.
	8th	1100	Coy Comdrs conference re D.F. Tasks and F.D.L's.
		1230	Conference ends.
			"B" Coy now in sp of 231 Bde in the Northern part of the Div sector.
			Inter Pln relieves take place tomorrow.
			Enemy air activity over Nijmegen bridge this evening.
	9th	1100	Coy Comdrs conference re Harassing Fire Tasks F.D.L's etc.
		1235	Conference ands.
		7400	Adjt and 2/i/c visit Rear HQ 50 Div re welfare etc.
		1630	Return to Tac HQ.

Page 5 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Slijk Ewijk	9th (cont)		Some enemy air activity this afternoon - no bombs dropped.
			Slight shelling and mortaring of the F.D.L's this afternoon and evening.
	10th	1100	Usual morning conference.
		1230	Conference ends.
		1400	Commanding Officer leaves to visit "C" Coy's platoon posns with Major.Abel
			O.C. "C" Coy.
		1530	Returns to Tac HQ.
		1730	C.O. visits "B" Coy Pln posns.
		1930	Returns to Tac HQ,
			Some enemy air activity this evening,
	11th	0930	C.O. visits 231 Bde re advisability of putting one of "B" Coy's secs in
			the F.D.L's.
		1100	C.O. returns "B" Coy section will not take up posn in the F.D.L's.
		1100	Coy Comdrs conference re D.F. Tasks, Harassing Fire, F.D.L's. etc.
		1200	Conference ends.

Page 6 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Slijk Ewijk	11th (cont)		69 Bde has relieved 508 Para Regt of 82 US Airborne Div. All 3 Bdes of 50(N)
			Div are now. in the line holding the Eastern flank of the Nijmegen bridgehead,
			Heavy enemy shelling during the day.
	12th	1100	Usual morning conference which ends at 1220 hrs.
		1345	Major Moon 2/i/c and Capt Cutler Adjt leave to visit Rear HQ 50(N) Div and
			also "B"Echelon.
		1445	Return to Main HQ.
			"B" Echelon personnel evacuated from the "Island" leaving an enlarged Tac HQ
			behind. Total pers 4 Offrs and 21 O.R's and 7 vehs.
			Tac HQ is now at four hours notice to move from the "island".
			The possibility of flooding the island by the enemy blowing up the dykes is
			a distinct possibility.
	13th	1100	Coy Comdrs conference re D.F. + Tasks and F.D.L's Capt. Kelly 2/i/c "A" Coy
			and Capt Handford 2/i/c "B" Coy attend owing to the absence of their Coy
			Comdres on leave in Brussels.

Page 7 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Slijk Ewijk	13th	1215	Conference ends.
			Quiet Day N.T.R. Some enemy shelling during the morning. Enemy air activity slight.
	14th	1100	Coy Comdrs Conference re D.F. F.D.L's etc.
		1315	Conference ends. Some slight alterations in D.F. Tasks and F.D.L's necessary
			owing to the withdrawal of the Hamps to more suitable ground. Previous area
			is completely waterlogged,
			Slight enemy shelling and mortaring during the day increasing during the
			early hours of the evening.
	15th	1100	C.O. to Div HQ to attend a G.O.C. S conference.
		1230	Returns to Tac HQ.
			Quiet Day N.T.R. Usual shelling and mortaring during the early hours
			of the morning
	16th	1100	Coy Comdrs conference during which some new D.F. Tasks were arranged,
		1230	Conference ends,
			Quiet Day. Slight enemy shelling during the day.

Page 8 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Slijk Ewijk	17th	1100	Coy Comdrs conference.
		1200	Conference ends.
		1330	C.O. to "C" Coy and 151 Bde HQ.
		1530	Returns to Tac HQ.
			Some enemy shelling of the bridge area otherwise front fairly quiet.
			Enemy air activity - two fighters over this afternoon awarded a warm reception
			by our Ack Ack and made off in a Northerly direction.
	18th	1100	Usual morning conference attended by Coy Comdrs.
		1135	Conference ends.
			61st Recce Regt relieved 151 Bde less 9 D.L.I. Bde boundaries lengthened
			to include Coy locn on left and right.
			231 Bde take over Coy locality of 151 Bde.
			69 Bde take over a Coy locality of 151 Bde.
			61st Recce being left holding a narrow front with 2 Sqns fwd and 1 in res.
			Slight enemy activity during the day some shelling and mortaring.

Page 9 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Slijk-Ewijk	19th	1100	Coy Comdrs conference.
		1230	Conference ends.
			Plns in Nijmegen relieved today after a 5 day rest.
			Increased shelling of the bridge area today some hits scored on rd leading
			to bridge and also roundabout in Nijmegen.
	20th	1100	Usual morning conference.
		1230	Conference ends.
		0930	C.O. to Div HQ to attend a conference re the relief of the Div.
		1200	Returns to Tac HQ.
			Slight enemy shelling of the F.D.L's today. Enemy air activity nil.
	21st	1100	Coy Comdrs conference.
		1200	Conference ends.
		1345	C.O. to Div HQ to see Maj General Graham re relief of Div.
		1530	Returns to Tac HQ.
			Increased enemy shelling of the F.D.L's. Some bombs dropped in Nijmegen by

Page 10 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
Slijk Ewijk	22nd	1100	Usual morning conference at which company comdrs attend.
		1130	Conference ends.
			151 Inf Bde are relieving 231 Inf Bde this evening.
			Advance party left for Iseghem in Belgium which is to be the Bn concentration
			area when the Div is relieved. Ref 2 Cheshire Admin Inst No 6.	See Appendix G.
			Some enemy arty stonks on Elst and Bemmel during the early hours of the morning,
	23rd	1100	Usual morning conference. Ends at 1230 hrs.
			101 Airborne Div HQ are moving into Slijk Ewijk their HQ haveing been shelled.
			Tac HQ will have to move into Oosterhout tomorrow morning. Some shelling this morning,
	24th	0900	I.O. and Sigs Officer reece new area in Oosterhout.
		1100	Tac HQ moves to new locn in Vicarage in Oosterhout - all Tac HQ are billetted
			in houses.
			Day spent in settling in in new locn.
			Some enemy shelling of Nijmegen bridge this afternoon.

Page 11 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Slijk Ewijk	25th	1100	Coy Comdrs conference and lecture on Meteor Telegrams and method of correction
			for same.
		1300	Lecture ends.
		1430	C.O. to 124 Field Regt re Meteor Telegram.
		1530	Returns to Tac HQ.
			Strasbourg captured by 7th US Army.
			Quiet day N.T.R.
Oosterhout.	26th	1100	Usual morning conference.
		1230	Conference ends no changes reported.
			231 Bde relieved by 69 Bde today. Bdes disposns reading from North to South
			now 151 Bde - 61st Recce Regt - 231 Bde. 69 Bde in res in Nijmegen,
			Enemy activity on front today very slight.
	27th	1100	Usual morning conference, Ends at 1200 hrs.
		1430	C.O. to Div to attend a G.O.C's conference.
			Slight enemy air activity over Nijmegen bridge this afternoon.

Page 12 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Oosterhout	28th	1100	Usual morning conference.
		1150	Conference ends.
		1200	Enemy dropped a few shells in the village - no damage caused.
		1400	Adjt and I.O. to rear Div to arrange accommodation for Coys being relieved
			during the next 2 - 3 days. A Coy and 3 Hvy Mor Pls to be accommodated
			in Empire Bks, Nijmegen. "B" and "C" Coys conc in area North Of Wychen.
		1700	Return to Tac HQ.
		1800	C.O. of 2 Kensingtons 49 Div who are relieving 50 Div in the island to see
			the C.O. re handing over of Posns, D.F. Tasks etc.
			Enemy air activity nil. Enemy stonked Oosterhout village this evening at
			1400 hrs about 30 shells - no damage or casualties caused.
	29th	0600	Enemy stonked Oosterhout village S.P. Guns ? Some 40 shells landed, fortunately
			no casualties caused.
		930	O.C. 2nd Kensingtons 49 Div MG Bn to see C.O. D.F. Task Traces and Pln Posns
			handed over.

Page 13 of 13

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Oosterhout.	29th (cont)		O.C. 2 Kensingtons leaves.
			Quiet day. Very little shelling and mortaring on Div front today.
	30th	11000	Usual morning conference.
		1230	Conference ends,
		1600	Coy Comdrs conference re future of the Bn.
			Quiet day. Bn is moving off tomorrow for new area in Iseghem in Belgium.
			Pln Posns have now been handed over to the 2 Kensingtons 49 (WR) Div.
			During the period 1 - 30 Nov 3 MMG Coys and 4 Hvy Mor Plns were deployed
			on the Divisional front, with the following tasks:
			(a) Immediate retaliation. (b) Harassing Fire Programme. (c) Defensive Fire Shoots.
			During this period one Pln from each Coy was resting at NIJMEGEN bks for a period of
			5 days at a time, so that each pln in turn had a short period of rest. Mor O.P's were
			established on each Bde front and on three of four occasions good opportunity shoots were
			carried out against enemy who were baling out their slit tranches. On average each Mor Pln
			fired 100 bombs in a 24 hr period. Enemy mortar activity was slight.

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War Diary: 2nd Battalion The Cheshire Regiment

Month and year: November 1944

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