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 | Training and maintenance continued. BC inspected troops and attended a | |
| conference on Maintenance at RHQ. | |||
| 2nd | 0600 | Normal training carried out. Bty personnel re-organised and surplus crews sent to troops from A.Echelon. | |
| 3rd | 0600 | A.2 and A.1 Echelons combined for simpler administration. Normal Training. | |
| 4th | 0600 | Miniature range constructed for laying practice. Corps Cdr. visited RHQ | |
| and met all BCs. | |||
| 5th | 0600 | "J" Troop fired on miniature range during morning and "K" Troop during afternoon. BC gave "griff" talk to "A" Echelon personnel. Capt. "Q" | |
| inspected all A Echelon Vehicles. | |||
| 6th | 0600 | Practice on miniature range continued. Regtl M.O. gave lecture on "First Aid" to troops. BC went to Bourg Leopold Ranges to recce area for | |
| tomorrow's shooting. | |||
| 7th | 0600 | At 0500 hrs "L" Troop (less 1 - M.10 still bogged at Miniature Range) | |
| proceeded to Papenhoven (6278) under cnd 11 Hussars. One section of guns in action at Gebroek (6575). This section is in close contact with the | |||
| enemy and will be changed every 24 hours. "J" and "K" Troops fired Reduced Charge H.E. only at Bourg Leopold ranges. Direct and Indirect | |||
| laying was practised. Shooting was very successful in spite of apalling weather conditions. HE rounds fired at low elevations (1200 - 800 yards) | |||
| with "CAP ON" failed to explode, after cap was removed no further trouble occurred. There were NO misfires. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8th | 0600 | BC visited "L" Troop at Buchten where they are u/c "D" Sqn 11 Hussars, | |
| 1 section being in action at Gebroek (6575) and 1 section in harbour at Tp HQ in Buchten. Little enemy activity in area Gebroek, but some shelling | |||
| usually at mid-day. Little movement though enemy outposts about 400 yards away. Bty under warning order to move to 52 Div area and come under their | |||
| cmd for operation "Shears". | |||
| 9th | 0600 | BC visited "L" Troop and attended "O" group with 2 i/c Regt. at 52 Div HQ. Capt. "Q" and J" and "K" Trp Cdrs recced billeting area but Bty did not move | |
| as expected. at 2000 hrs message received that Bty would NOT move on 10 Decr. | |||
| 10th | 0600 | At 1430 hrs "L" Trp had shoot at suspected OP in Church in Susteren (679754) with one section of Guns securing 14 hits out of 22 rounds of H.E. and | |
| 11 hits out of 19 rounds APCBC. Shoot was entirely satisfactory and there were no misfires. | |||
| 11th | 0600 | BC visited "L" Troop and found all in high spirits at success yesterday's shoot. Winter-grade oils were put into M.10s and "B" vehicles. | |
| BC spent night with 2 i/c Regt. at 52 Div HQ discussing operation "Shears". | |||
| 12th | 0600 | BC returned to Bty at 1700 hrs. One more M.10 in "J" Troop broke it's clutch housing, this is becoming too frequent and complete check up on | |
| drivers ordered by BC. | |||
| 13th | 0600 | Operation cancelled. Endeavours now made to re-join rest of the Regiment who are over the Maas in the Sittard area but the area is very | |
| crowded and it will be difficult to find room. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14th | 0600 | Orders received to recce for billets between Maesyck and Mechelen (5665) | |
| on the West of River Maas. The whole area is full of troops and none were found. | |||
| 15th | 0600 | BC recced Maesyck for billets and found some in a Convent and orders | |
| awaited from RHQ before moving. | |||
| 16th | 0600 | Nothing of importance within the Bty. Sittard was lightly bombed during night. Enemy air activity appears to be mounting. | |
| 17th | 0600 | Nothing of importance within the Bty. The big German counter-attack into | |
| Southern Belgium seems to have caused increased enemy air acticity in this sector, Sittard was bombed for about 3 hours just after dark and there | |||
| was some straffing of roads in the Bree area. BC visited "L" Troop who are still u/c 11 Hussars at Buchten. Advised to-day that we are not to | |||
| move into Maesyck as it is not within the Div. area. | |||
| 18th | 0600 | News received at 1130 hrs that 15 LAA Regt had a Bty moving out of Dorne | |
| (5273) and that we could take over these billets. Recce party was immediately dispatched. | |||
| 19th | 0600 | "K" Troop moved to relieve "L" Troop in Gebroek and Buchten. Battery HQ | |
| and "J" Troop moved into Dorne (5273) where 1 section of "L" Troop rejoined the Battery, the other section to be relieved tonight. BC spent | |||
| day on Div.front and received news that Battery may move to Limbricht. | |||
| 20th | 0600 | Day spent in improving billets and maintenance. BC and 2 i/c visited "K" Troop. Enemy tank movement was heard and this was engaged by 5 RHA |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20th (Contd) | as "M" Target. Orders received from HQRA to move into Geleen (6665) | ||
| tomorrow. Section of guns of "L" Trp remained at RHQ for night. | |||
| 21st | 0600 | Battery moved at 0700 hrs, arriving at Geleen at 0915 hrs. Billets for Battery found in school at 658649. BC and Tp Cdrs proceeded on Tactical | |
| recce. | |||
| 22nd | 0600 | "J" and "L" Tp Cmds recced areas with their Nos.1. BC and 2 i/c recced area to the East of main Sittard Road, contacting Btys of Corps A.tk | |
| Regt. as far East as 52 Div front. BC and Capt. "Q" recced area in afternoon. | |||
| 23rd | 0600 | Further recces occupied most of the day, Tp Cmds and Nos.1 making | |
| themselves familiar with the emergency positions and routes. 1 O.R. slightly injured by propaganda shell. | |||
| 24th | 0600 | "K" Tp stood to for approx 3 hours during the night 23/24 Decr as an | |
| enemy patrol was heard. Further recce carried out in area of Geleen where we have reserve posns with 9 DLI. 2 i/c visited "K" Troop. | |||
| 25th | 0600 | A very quiet Christmas Day. Battery - less "K" Troop - enjoyed a | |
| substantial dinner. CO visited Battery. Things were quiet in "K" Troop area and the men there also fed very well. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events and Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26th | 0600 | At approx 0630 hrs the enemy attacked GEBROEK. The attack was preceded by | |
| mortaring and machine gun fire, during which time a patrol car brewed up to show the enemy on top of the position. Enemy was engaged with Browning | |||
| and Sten fire but quickly got amongst the buildings. As the 11 Hussars were withdrawing on foot, "K" Tp Cdr ordered his 2 guns to withdraw, which | |||
| they did, engaging the enemy with S.A.fire and 36 grenades. The raid was abortive as far as the enemy was concerned as he took no prisoners and | |||
| our casualties were negligible - no killed, 1 OR slightly wounded in "K" troop but remained at duty. Later in the day the position was re-occupied | |||
| and three German dead (including a Sergeant) were found. Two were in "K" Tp area. | |||
| 27th | 0600 | A quiet night. 8 Hussars are to relieve 11 Hussare tonight. "K" Tp remains | |
| concentrated in BUCHTEN. | |||
| 28th | 0600 | Another quiet day. "K" Troop remains concentrated in Buchten u/c 8 Hussars. Progress was made with heavy maintenance including changing of injectors. | |
| 29th | 0600 | Heavy maintenance continued. | |
| 30th | 0600 | Baths for Battery during morning. Demonstration of guard duties held in afternoon. | |
| 31st | 0600 | BC and 2 i/c recced area of our reserve positions. "J" Troop relieved | |
| "K" Troop from their poins at Buchten and "K" Trp returned to Battery at Geleen. |
Found this useful?
If you've found this resource useful please consider supporting us to digitise more war diaries, documents and maps.