National Archive Reference: WO 171/838
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Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | C. in C. 27 Army Group (Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery KCB, DSO., | |||
MC.,) visited HQ 8 Armd. Bde at 1015 hrs. | ||||
The Commanding Officer and the following ORs of the Regiment were presented | ||||
to the C. in C. | ||||
Tpr.MacKillopp - "A" Sqn Tpr.Millbrook "B" Sqn. - Sergt.Harris 56 "C" Sqn. | ||||
Brigadier Essame DSO, Comd. 214 Inf. Bde. called in the morning to see the | ||||
Commanding Officer on our departure from 43 Div. | ||||
Squadron Recce parties visited the new area at SCHIMMERT during the day and | ||||
were allotted their areas. | ||||
2 | The Regt. moved to area in 30 Corps reserve at SCHIMMERT (six miles W. of | |||
BRUNNSUM) for rest (10 days approx.). 147 Regt.RAC relieved us of our | ||||
commitments with 214 Inf. Bde. Move accomplished without incident except | ||||
that "C" Sqn. (leading Sqn.) mistook the route at the start and never even | ||||
passed the S.P. joining in the column at SCHINVELD. | ||||
3 | The Commanding Officer and the Adjutant walked round Sqn. areas in the |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
3 Contd | morning. All ranks appeared to be in quite comfortable billets. The | |||
Padre visited Sqns. and held Services during the day. | ||||
4 | The Commanding Officer and 2nd-in-Comd, attended conference at Bde.H.Q. in | |||
the morning when accommodation and forthcoming Operation "SHEARS" were | ||||
discussed, and as a result of this the Commanding Officer held "O" Gp. in | ||||
the afternoon at which forthcoming Operations were outlined. | ||||
5 | The Commanding Officer and the Adjutant visited "B" Echelon in the | |||
afternoon and the Commanding Officer spoke to members of the Echelon on | ||||
recent Operations and GEILENKIRCHEN battle. At tea time order was received | ||||
for "B" Echelon to be clear of their billets by to-night and they therefore | ||||
moved up into the Regimental area. Two new Officers joined the Regiment | ||||
to-day - Captain J.M. Shelley and Lieut. N. Andrew and are posted to "B" Sqn. | ||||
6 | The Commanding Officer held conference in the morning and also attended | |||
"O" Gp. at Brigade in the afternoon of the forthcoming Operation "SHEARS". | ||||
Preparations were made for Exercise LINNEY HEAD (field firing exercise) with |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
6 Contd. | 157 Bde. of 52 (L) Div. We were to co-operate with the Glasgow Highlanders, | |||
and Officers and men came over in the afternoon, were addressed by the | ||||
Commanding Officer and had a look round our tanks. | ||||
7 | "A" Squadron with "A" Sqn. SRY, some flails and crocodiles carried out | |||
rehearsale of Exercise Linney Head on some ground South of VALKENBURG. The | ||||
object of this Exercise being to introduce the Inf. Bns of the 157 Inf. Bde. | ||||
52 (L) Div. to the Regts. of this Bde. which will be working with them in the | ||||
next Operation "SHEARS". | ||||
The exercise consisted of a battle run with our tanks shooting the Inf Coys. | ||||
on to their objectives. | ||||
8 | "B" and "C" Squadrons carried out Exercise Linney Head with 1st Glasgow | |||
Highlanders in the afternoon, 13/18 H having used our tanks for similar | ||||
Exercise in the morning, when their Army Comd. and Corps Comd. paid a visit. | ||||
1800 | The Commanding Officer attended Conference at 157 Inf.Bde. on Op. "SHEARS". | |||
90 | Snow fell in the afternoon. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
9 Contd. | ||||
1400 | The Commanding Officer held "O" Gp. at which the Squadron Leaders of the | |||
617 Assault Sqn. REs and all "B" Sqn. Officers and Lothian and Border | ||||
Horse (Flails) also attended. | ||||
1800 | The Commanding Officer attended conference at HQ of Glasgow Highlanders. | |||
The Commanding Officer of the 52nd Recce Regt. (Lt.Col.J.Hankey) who spent | ||||
a week with the Regiment in 1941 when we were at Edgecote called in the | ||||
morning to discuss Operation "SHEARS" as affecting our "C" Sqn. which were | ||||
to support them at one stage during the battle. | ||||
10 | The Commanding Officer attended all day Conference at HQ 52 (L) | |||
Div. on Operation SHEARS which was scheduled to come off within | ||||
the next three or four days. | ||||
11 | 1000 | The Commanding Officer held "O" Gp. for Operation SHEARS, holding | ||
separate one in the afternoon for the supporting Arms (i.e. the | ||||
Crocodile Sqn. 1 Fife and Forfar),Flail Sqn. (Lothian and Border |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
11 Contd. | Horse) and AVRE Squadron. | |||
Operation SHEARS was a Corps Operation designed to destroy and | ||||
clear all the enemy in the HEINSBERG pocket and then drive N.W. | ||||
to link up with the British forces in the area of ROERMOND. | ||||
The Intention of the Regiment was to form mobile trains with | ||||
the Glasgow Highlanders and later the 52 Recce Regt. and that | ||||
they should break out from the "Gate" just N. of Tripsrath. | ||||
Capture of SCHLEIDEN and then SCHAFHAUSEN dominating ERPEN. | ||||
That would be done the first day and on D plus 1 the Regiment | ||||
less "A" Squadron would be in support of the 52 Recce Regt.who | ||||
would go through the villages NW of ERPEN as far as BRAUNSRATH | ||||
and HONTEN while the 13/18 H and S.R.Y. together with their | ||||
Infantry from 52 Div. having captured HEINSBERG on first day | ||||
would drive on N.W. up the valley, and the Guards Armd.Div. | ||||
carry out an attack due N. from area of SITTARD-GANGELT leaving |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
11 contd. | the 7th Armd. Div. to take over the line previously held by the | |||
Gds.Armd.Div. | ||||
Method: (This is only a Summary). Plan NO.1. would consist | ||||
of "B" Sqn. with Company of Glasgow Highlanders in Kangaroos, | ||||
2 Tps. of Crocodiles, 1 Tp. Flails, 2 Tps. AVRES were to pass | ||||
through 43 Div. who would before train set off have advanced | ||||
their line to include WALDENRATH - HOOVENWOODS. This train | ||||
would capture SCHLEIDEN and dominate ERPEN. The second train | ||||
would consist of the Regt. less "B" Sqn. the Glasgow Highlanders | ||||
less one Coy. with the remainder of the supporting arms, with | ||||
the task of capturing SCHAFHAUSEN. | ||||
Other trains consisting of 13/18 H. and S.R.Y. and remainder of | ||||
52 Div. were to follow, 13/18 H, having the task of capturing | ||||
HEINSBERG on night of D-Day. The Regt. were to harbour at | ||||
DORATH. No wheeled vehicles would be allowed at all for D Day. | Day. |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
11.Contd. | Therefore replenishment was planned to be done by turretless | |||
Honeys and ARVs. operation dependent upon the ground hardening | ||||
as at present tracks would be bogged on leaving the roads. All | ||||
the trains would form up on roads S. of GEILENKIRCHEN, and it | ||||
was our responsibility once Train No.1 had got through the "Gate" | ||||
which would probably be mined in addition to the crater already | ||||
in the road there, to inform Bde. whether or not the second and | ||||
successive trains could start. To enable the Commanding Officer | ||||
to give this decision, the Commanding Officer would follow "B" Sqn. | ||||
closely as far as the "Gate" and then await the second train and | ||||
join up with RHQ. | ||||
12. | Ground still muddy. Operation SHEARS postponed owing to weather. | |||
The Regiment would now operate with the 6th Cameronians of 156 | ||||
Bde. instead of the Glasgow Highlanders who have moved up into | ||||
the line. Officers and O.Rs of the 6th Cameronians visited the |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
12 contd. | Regiment in the morning and after a short talk by the Commanding | |||
Officer they all had a look at the tanks. | ||||
18 | Operation SHEARS cancelled owing to further rain and very bad mud. | |||
8th Armd.Bde. reverted under comd. 30 Corps. The Commanding | ||||
Officer held a conference in the afternoondealing with domestic | ||||
points. | ||||
14 & 15 | Time spent in "B" vehicle inspections and a dig out of the tanks. | |||
It was learned that we together with the rest of 30 corps would | ||||
go into the rest area for re-training prior to Spring offensive, | ||||
and that we would not have to go into action for the rest of the | ||||
Year. Thus the first six months Operations were concluded | ||||
during which our casualties for these six months were Killed, | ||||
Wounded and Missing - Officers 33. O.RS. 254, and tanks knocked | ||||
out by enemy weapons 76. Despite these casualties the Regt. is | ||||
still up to strength in total personnel, but not quite in tank |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 & 15 contd. | personnel. The tank state for to-day, 15th December, 1944 | |||
showed we had 58 tanks on the road. | ||||
16 | NTR. | |||
17 | The Commanding Officer held a conference in the morning dealing | |||
with future training system which would involve short term | ||||
training of tradesmen, such training being completed by 7th Jan. | ||||
Advance parties proceeded to EINDHOVEN where we were to move. | ||||
18 & 19 | All Sqns. fired from their tanks at Linney Head. | |||
The Commanding Officer held Conference on 19th December. The | ||||
enemy launched a big counter attack on the 1 US Army front S.W. | ||||
of LIEGE, and it appeared to have broken through. The total | ||||
enemy forces engaged appeared to be about 20 Divs. and the | ||||
Americans seemed to have little hope of stopping them until they | ||||
reached NAMUR - LIEGE on the Maas. 8 Armd.Bde. had now to plan | ||||
local Defence Scheme ready to deal with any enemy paratroops, and |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
18 & 19 Contd. | a scheme was drawn up for the defence of SCHIMMERT. The | |||
Regiment was to stand to every day at Dawn and Dusk. | ||||
20 & 25 | Many Recces carried out for Anti penetration role which we are now | |||
doing in the 52 Div area - WABAUCH - BRUNSSUM - SCHINVELD, and | ||||
also in the 102 U.S. Div. area EAST of GEILENKIRCHEN and SOUTH | ||||
of PUFFENDORF. The Americans reacted very quickly to the | ||||
Bosche attacks and despite bad weather in the first few days | ||||
which hindered air operations the Bosche did not reach LIEGS. | ||||
or NAMUR, but advanced elements did reach the MAAS in one drive | ||||
SOUTH of LIEGE. Our move to EINDHOVEN was definitely cancelled. | ||||
on the 23rd December the weather cleared and for a number of days | ||||
our aircraft had a marvellous time in shooting up enemy vehicles | ||||
and enemy AFVs. The Regiment was able to observe Christmas Day | ||||
in customary manner despite being at half an hours notice, and | ||||
the Christmas dinner was far better than that of last Christmas |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
20 - 25 Contd | which we had spent at Fort George. The Commanding Officer as | |||
usual visited all Squadrons during their christmas dinners. | ||||
Fortunately we did not have to turn out on Christmas Day. | ||||
26 - 28 | The big picture now looked definitely better and the Americans | |||
had definitely held the shoulders of the German salient and had | ||||
beaten back elements of Pz. Divs who were threatening the | ||||
MAAS. The Commanding Officer held a Conference on 28th December. | ||||
It was still appreciated that the enemy might put in quite strong | ||||
but limited attacks on the 12 Corps front to prevent any British | ||||
Troops being withdrawn to go to the assistance of the Americans | ||||
in the SOUTH. | ||||
29 - 31 | Ground hardened with frost and snow fell. Enemy spoiling attacks | |||
were put in on Gangelt and Tripsrath front but were beaten off | ||||
with very heavy losses for the enemy and no ground was lost. | ||||
The Regiment did not have to move out on any occasion, and was |
Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information | References to Appendices |
---|---|---|---|---|
29 - 31 Contd. | still static at SCHIMMERT. |