Chotie Darling

A Diary for 1945

Chotie's mother gave Dick a diary for Xmas:

 

Extract from Army List for January 1945 (corrected to 16^th December 1944)  from Recce Mitch’s post of 7^th June 2013 – thumbnail (33 of 35 or page 372) for Army List with R.K. Williams entered as a WAr Substantive Lieutenant from 1/5/44.   The British Army List is a list of British Army officers.

 

On 1st January 1945 the Luftwaffe launched Operation Baseplate, a major offensive strike against Allied airfields in the Low Countries.  Although many Allied planes were destroyed the operation failed to achieve the air superiority that would enable them to resume their advance.

 

Yellow for Friendship

On 31^st December the Germans launched a new offensive ‘Operation Nordwind’ against the Allies in Alsace-Lorraine.  Aimed at the thinly stretched front line held by US 7^th Army (which had sent re-inforcements north to support Patton’s 3^rd Army in the Ardennes) the attack was not successful in reaching Strasbourg but inflicted considerable damage on the defending US forces, who suffered a large number of casualties. It also created another ‘bulge’ in the Allied lines around Colmar, south of Strasbourg.

 

In the Ardennes the Americans held Rochefort (between Dinant and Saint Hubert) again by the 31st December but 61^st Recce were also located there according to Don Aiken. 

With different units operating so close to each other special precautions had to be taken to avoid ‘friendly fire’:

“The weather … had improved so much that the Allied air forces were able to seek out and attack the enemy at will. We had been issued with yellow sheets to display on the upper surface of our cars in order to identify ourselves to our airmen as we patrolled no-man's land. This proved to be a very fortunate forethought on several occasions as we were buzzed spitefully by US planes; forcing us to dive into frozen ditches to gain some protection from the overhead threat. Thankfully, the recognition sheets did their job and we managed to avoid being shot up.”

(Extract republished from 'From the Breakout to the Rhine' by kind permission of Don Aiken.)

 

However, 31^st December still brought another loss to the regiment. 61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes the following who died on this day in 1944:         

        Corporal Douglas Mackintosh (age 27) of Torquay, Devon        

who is laid to rest in Adegem War Cemetery between Bruges and Gent, north-west of Brussels.  A number of isolated graves from various communal cemeteries and churchyards in Belgium have been brought into this cemetery since the end of the war.

(See 61st Recce Roll of Honour, courtesy of Recce Mitch.) 

We will remember them.

A very able Commander - Saturday 30th December 1944

As Usual

Sat 30 Dec

Chotie Darling,

                                    I’m very sorry, Precious, for not having written you before, but it just hasn’t been possible.  I’ve now got the first free day for nearly a fortnight, so everything depends on today.  The mail has been very poor lately – I received your letter and calendar, for which many thanks, Darling.

            I’ve been at it for a fortnight, as I say, so Xmas was just another day.  I had an indifferent breakfast and a worse meal about 10 pm when I got back from patrol.

            Weather here has been quite good – very cold but plenty of sun.  The countryside here is really lovely quite like North Wales, and a wonderful change after the Nijmegen Bridgehead! (I had nine weeks there!)

            I hope you are keeping fit, Darling and warm!  It’s bitterly cold in armoured cars as the engine is in the rear and you get no protection from the wind.

            We shot another three Boche on Xmas Eve (one nearly shot me first) and another five on Boxing Day, which puts my troop in the lead again.  What a gruesome business!

            Hope Margaret is progressing well – I shouldn’t wonder the baby was late this weather!

            On Xmas Day the Squadron Leader* had a terrific crash in his jeep whilst out visiting the various troops.  They carted him off with severe concussion and he’s expected to be in hospital for at least a month.  So much the worse as he’s a very able Commander.

            Diller has been home on leave I believe, but I’ve heard no news of Brinner lately.  He’s supposed to be getting some leave I believe.

            I’ll enclose this letter** with the three little books*** I bought in Malines – if you would just keep them safe, Darling.  As I say it’s not much good sending them home as mother’s sure to throw them away in the Spring.

            I must close here, Chotie Darling –

                                                All my love Precious          

                                                            Dicker.

 

*Major Frank Harding had been the B Squadron leader from 12^th June 1944. He received the Military Cross for B Squadron’s role in the operation at Amayé-sur-Seulles and Condé-sur-Noreau in Normandy, the advance across France into Belgium and the holding of 15 miles of the Belgian Escaut Canal including Oudenaarde from the 4th  to 7th September.

‘He never spared himself and his cheerfulness in any difficulty or danger has been a great inspiration to his Squadron’ (from his Military Cross citation).

 

**Perhaps because it was enclosed with the books, this letter seems somewhat freer with military information than Dick’s usual correspondence.

***my mother kept these three little leather bound books Dick bought (in Antwerp) but they eventually fell apart from love and use. One contained four Shakespeare tragedies (Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet) and the others were philosophical essays I think.

© Chotie Darling

 

 

On 30^th December the Germans launched a heavy but unsuccessful attack on the corridor connecting Bastogne to American forces south of the German salient.  The US Army began a major counter-offensive from the south on the same day and the British attacked Houffalize, north of Bastogne in the centre of the German bridgehead, meeting fierce resistance.

 

Dick may have been out of the fighting that day but Don Aiken had records including 61^st Recce at Houffalize on 30^th December.  The Regiment certainly experienced tragedies that day....

 

61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes the following who died on 30th December 1944:

          Trooper Dennis Robert Carter (age 20)

          Trooper Richard Charles Collingwood (age 27) of East Molesey, Surrey, killed in action as part of the Anti-Tank troop.        

who are laid to rest in the Hotton War cemetery, south of Liège, Belgium.

 

Mark Howard recounts how his father Roy Howard (of ‘A’ Squadron) remembered the awful accident that killed both men.  Their armoured car was forced off the road by an American lorry in full flight from the advancing Germans and, rolling down a bank, burst into flames.  Roy administered morphine to one of the men as he lay dying trapped inside. (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes another comrade who died on 30th December 1944:

            Trooper Thomas Webb (age 19) of Bispham, Blackpool, Lancashire

who is laid to rest in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, between Bruges and Gent, north-west of Brussels.  A number of isolated graves from various communal cemeteries and churchyards in Belgium have been brought into this cemetery since the end of the war

(See 61st Recce Roll of Honour, courtesy of Recce Mitch.) 

We will remember them.

Bravery and the Belgian SAS

“During our time in the Ardennes we saw Belgian paratroopers.  These daredevils had jeeps with a machine gun mounted - not much protection or armour there.”  (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

Lt J.W Cunningham of 'B' Squadron's 16 Troop recalled: "a Belgian SAS Troop was also atached (to 29th Armoured Brigade).  Their officer had been killed riding a horse through a minefield.  Their armoured jeeps mounted Vickers gas operated maching guns with a very high rate of fire.  They had to be restrained somewhat.  They were very confident." (From 61st Reconnaissance Veteran's Memoirs).

The Belgian paratroopers would have belonged to the 5^th Special Air Service, an elite airborne unit consisting entirely of Belgian volunteers.  They worked as a reconnaissance squadron in the Ardennes, supporting the 6^th British Airborne Division.

Sergeant Hollingworth was acting as the wireless link for a patrol of Belgian SAS in the village of Han-sur-Lesse, between Rochefort and Wellin, when they came under fire from machine guns and a tank.  He used his armoured car to engage the enemy, enabling the Belgian patrol to withdraw safely and returning to tackle a German patrol and ensure the escape of the SAS.

 

On the same day, 29^th December 1944, Dick’s room mate Lieutenant Eric Macey was in action with Corporal Mulcahy near Tellin (between Rochefort and Saint-Hubert).  They moved their armoured cars into an exposed position to draw fire and locate the enemy.  Then having laid down smoke and covering fire to enable the other car to retreat Lieutenant Macey remained there until the enemy positions, including a tank, were confirmed.

Also on 29th December, C Squadron’s Lieutenant Michael Anthony Urban-Smith and Lance Sergeant Kenneth Scott Moorhouse were operating south-west of Saint Hubert, 12 miles in front of the Brigade’s position.  Finding all crossings for the river L’Homme blocked, and with orders to recce enemy positions, they led two patrols on foot across the river in daylight.  The patrols located and engaged the enemy near Hatrival, moving behind the German forward outposts to check positions.

(See Military Cross citations for Lieutenants Macey and Urban-Smith and Military Medal citations for Sergeant Hollingworth, Lance Sergeant Moorhouse and Corporal Mulcahy in 61st Recce Battle Honours.)

‘Forward on foot alone and under fire’

On 27^th December 1944 61^st Recce were in the Celles area between Dinant and Rochefort.

Sergeant William Henry Hollingworth of 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment earned the Military Medal for his role in the Ardennes.  On 27^th December he took his troop to recce the blown bridge at Villers-sur-Lesse, west of Rochefort. Going forward on foot alone at the bridge he discovered several Germans and narrowly escaped an enemy patrol.  Re-positioning his armoured car he then attacked the next patrol, killing or wounding all the enemy.

 

On 28^th December 1944 ‘C’ Squadron’s Lieutenant Patrick Laing removed a road block of 10 trees while under mortar fire and, encountering another road block, went forward on foot under fire to locate the enemy outpost (a house being used as the HQ for a garrison) and estimate their strength. Lieutenant Laing returned to Val de Poix (south of Rochefort and east of St Hubert) later in the Ardennes conflict and, finding the village still occupied by Germans, put the information to good use.

(From Sergeant Hollingworth and Lieutenant Laing’s citations – see 61st Recce Battle Honours.)

 

On 28^th December the American 1^st Army divisions successfully defending the Elsenborn-Monschau area launch a counter-attack against the Germans gaining valuable ground.

The Tipping Point

The limit of the German advance was reached on 25^th December and from the 26^th December the German army started to withdraw.  Bastogne was reached and relieved by the US 3^rd Army from the south.  11th Armoured Division was replaced by the British 6^th Airborne, having pushed the enemy back from Celles near Beauraing, the tip of the salient.

61^st Reconnaissance Regiment remained in the Ardennes and Dick’s troop shot five Germans on 26^th December. 

 

Eric Postles remembers further action in the Ardennes:

"We moved up to Celles, Houffalize and Rochefort.  With the weather improving our planes were able to give support and break up the enemy attack.  We once helped a farmer with a difficult calving for which he was most grateful.  The snow was so deep we didn’t have to worry about mines. 

One incident of note was when 13 Troop of our Squadron came across a King Tiger (the biggest and newest of the German tanks) and its crew surrendered after its commander was shot by the troop’s sniper when he put his head out of the turret." (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

An icy Xmas

Sandy Handley continues his account:

 “Christmas 1944 was cold and threatening snow.  We were mainly out in the open, seldom inside bricks and mortar – surprising what a body could put up with.  I know sitting in our Humber was really draughty at times.

 Christmas Day 1944 we were not on Recce patrol.  Our HQ decided the forward troops should have some fresh meat instead of tinned corn beef or tins of stew, which tasted horrible.  They sent some fat pork and potatoes.  Of course, we hadn’t the equipment to cook.  We boiled the pork in a large biscuit tin and the same with the potatoes.  Some earth doused with petrol was used as a fire.  I thought HQ needn’t have bothered.  It was a poor effort, all the messing about, and I always have hated fat pork anyway.  They say ‘hunger finds no fault with the cook’ but this was ridiculous.  Later I opened a tin of corn beef and had biscuits spread with our ration of margarine and jam.  I can’t say that we were starved – the ration packs we had were OK.”

(From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

 

Some troops may have been enjoying a little more luxury. In the newsletter of the Old Comrades Association Max Murphy, of B Squadron’s anti-tank troop, recalled spending Christmas 1944 at the ‘Chateau de Wepion’ - presumably the beautiful Chateau de Dave, also known as Fernan- Nunez Castle, on the banks of the River Meuse south of Namur.

 

However, by Xmas day it had become extremely cold in the Ardennes:

“Christmas Day saw the peak of the German advance, and I remember that on that day on returning to base, after a bitter cold day of patrolling through the snowy forests, we were all handed a Christmas celebratory bottle of beer. When I opened my bottle and tried to drink from it - nothing came out - the beer was frozen solid! The only solution was to break the bottle and lick the beer like an iced-lolly.
We spent the next few days in patrolling the hills and woods of the Ardennes, amongst the thick snow and ice which often made the forest trees look like fairyland.”

(Extract republished from 'From the Breakout to the Rhine' by kind permission of Don Aiken.)

 

Dick mentions that his squadron leader, Major Frank Harding, was injured on Xmas day in a ‘terrific crash’ when visiting the troops in his jeep. Suffering severe concussion he was likely to be hospitalised for a month.  Eric Postles includes this in his account of Christmas 1944:

"On Christmas Eve we were issued with bottles of beer but next morning although we had a big stove burning all night, the bottles were frozen solid and the beer was useless.  For the first time we were issued with self-heating cans of chocolate drink and soup.  We just had to ignite the core wick and the contents were quickly hot. 

We came under the command of 29 Armoured brigade then joined with units of 6 Airborne Division from the UK.

We left the bridge, moving forward to support attacks against the German spearhead.  The deep snow made foot patrols difficult and the Germans again fired airburst shells, which looked more sinister against the whiteness of the snow.  American troops were fleeing madly from the German advance and unfortunately early in the action an American lorry, being driven much too fast, hit our squadron leader’s jeep, which was parked off the road on a bend.  Major Harding was badly injured but he survived the war.  Our armoured cars were constantly patrolling between British forces and the US army, who bore the brunt of the action to squeeze the enemy back."  (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Roy Howard tells an amazing tale of Christmas Day 1944 in his book of 61^st Recce ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ (Brewin Books 2004).  Temperatures were the lowest recorded for sixty years and he was on a mountain near Dinant, crouched in a hole in the snow wearing white camouflage overalls.  They heard the occasional Christmas carol from German troops in the valley below who the RAF attacked the next morning.

 

Close encounters

“Another Recce patrol we did in the Ardennes, our light Humber leading as usual, this time on a winding narrow road.  We came slowly round a corner and so quiet - we saw two heads just above the ditch at the side of the road.  Immediately I had my Bren gun at my shoulder.  Dan said quietly “Give’em a burst” but I said “be sure they’re not Germans dressed as Yanks”.  We had been informed previously that the enemy were imitating the Yanks.  Although we were 10 yards or so from these two Germans, Dan, our cool Corporal took a look through the binoculars and said “they’re Gerry alright – fire away”, which I did.  The two heads disappeared in a split second and Dan told the driver to reverse quickly.  We didn’t want to get too involved; we reversed around the corner, just in case.  I didn’t know whether I’d hit any of the two Gerrys but we had to be careful – they may have had a Spandau or a Bazooka pointed at us.  I think they were as surprised as we were.

When we had gone about 50 yards in reverse the engine packed up.  Of course we were afraid at any moment Gerry would come round that corner or come along the hedgerows and sling a grenade at us.  Dan said to the driver “What’s up?”  After a pause our driver said “We’re out of petrol.”  Whereupon Dan shouted at him and said in unprintable words “Get out and fill the tank from the spare jerry can and be quick about it”.  The driver got out and unstrapped the spare jerry can and slopped it in the tank, put the cap on and quickly got back in the car and got started.

Although it was very cold in the Ardennes I think we were all sweating while this was going on.  Soon we were reversing away from danger – I thought the further away the better. 

These situations stay in the memory all the time.”

(From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

 

Dick recounts that his troop shot three Germans on 24^th December.

 

61^st Recce’s Corporal Mulcahy, working with the Americans, also had a close encounter with the enemy that day:

'On 24^th December when his patrol reached Beauraing (east of Givet) they were asked by the American officer in command there to go forward to give the order for a bridge over the Lesse (a tributary of the Meuse) about 10 miles ahead to be blown.  The American officer had only jeeps with him which he did not wish to send forward as there were reported to be tanks in the area.  As the American officer stressed the urgency of the bridge being blown, Corporal Mulcahy, without hesitation, drove forward to the bridge at 40 mph, and in spite of being fired on by an enemy tank, contacted the officer on the spot and the bridge was blown.'

(From the citation for Corporal Mulcahy’s Military Medal - see 61st Recce Battle Honours.)

 

The German advance towards the Meuse had nearly reached Dinant on 23^rd December but suffered important losses (some inflicted by the British 11th Armoured Division11^th Armoured Division) and was forced to withdraw on 24^th December.  Fierce defence of the Elsenborn Ridge by US forces on the northern shoulder of the salient was also successful in diverting the offensive aiming for Liège. 

 (From the Centre for Research and Information on the Battle of the Bulge.)

Christmas Trees

“In the Ardennes we were patrolling the front line, 20 miles along the river.”   From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61^st Recce (pers comm).

 

Sandy Handley describes those early patrols in the Ardennes:

"One great feature of the Ardennes was the numerous trees.  We knew by the time we got up to Namur we wasn’t going to any Christmas Party although we had plenty of Christmas trees!  We had our Recce Patrols, the usual formation, our light car leading two heavy cars and one light car trailing.  Our car was most times leading, which was pretty nerve racking, creeping around some of the smaller roads, some of which were no more than a narrow lane, and the endless trees – we thought at any moment the enemy would jump out and attack us.

One time, whilst on patrol, a great tree was lying across the road.  The weather being dull and misty we couldn’t see more than a few yards in front anyway.  We reported over the radio and reversed quickly out of the way, all the time expecting a burst of fire or a bazooka (a hand held tank buster) and it could have been a nasty situation.  These things happened and there were casualties but we were again in luck (this time).

Going along the main road we met up with an American Recce unit.  I thought their vehicles were more streamlined (modern) than ours.  We had a conflab – I thought ‘a very friendly lot’ and they appeared to be so relaxed.  That was more than I was."

(From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

 

Clearer weather from the 23^rd December meant that Allied Air Forces could at last take to the air and begin to attack the German offensive, which is sometimes known as ‘Operation Autumn Mist’.  Until then their advance had certainly benefitted from the fog and poor visibility. (From the Centre for Research and Information on the Battle of the Bulge.)

Into the Ardennes with 11th Armoured Division

Sandy Handley and Anthony Rampling continue the 61^st Recce story:

“I thought we had said farewell to our trusty old Humber (Liktor) but on that cold, misty December morning we started off, this time to Namur in the Ardennes.  In convoy it took about 24 hours, stopping and starting.” (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

 

“When we got to Brussels it was packed full of traffic, military and otherwise, and the streets were full of girls waving at us.”  We couldn’t get through for all the girls surrounding us.  (From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61st Recce - pers comm).

 Sandy:

"We eventually joined up with the Armoured Brigade of 11 Armoured Division.  The plan was to hold the line of the River Meuse from Namur to Givet, then patrol farther forward.”

Tony:

“Eventually we got to the Ardennes and we were told to keep going until we met resistance which we did.”   We were in the front as Recce.

 

Eric Postles remembers guard duty on the Meuse: "On 21st December, Army Headquarters ordered the regiment to become immediately operational and throughout the night we worked to re-equip.  By the night of 22^nd we were manning the River Meuse bridges from Namur to Givet.  The weather had gone bitterly cold and very heavy snowfalls meant that our Airforces could not fly.  Our troop was in a deserted café near one of the bridges.  Guard times were shortened and we wore woollen balaclavas and white smocks for camouflage in the snow.  The balaclavas were provided through Lady Mount’s appeal to soldiers’ relatives to knit them.  My mother knitted several of them."  (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Colonel Brownrigg explains the role of 61^st Recce in the Ardennes:

“We joined the armoured brigades of the 11^th Armoured Division in the Ardennes, first sitting along the length of the Meuse from Namur to Givet and then gradually patrolling farther forward, until towards the end of the campaign we had a battle ground of our own with a front of 20 miles between the Americans and the rest of the British.  Day after day the armoured cars set out to find and kill as many of the enemy as they could, and daily they met anti-tank guns and tanks.  And when the armoured cars could not get on, the assault troops penetrated deep into enemy territory.”

(From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

 

IWM archive photo of 11th Armoured Division badge 

(SAVE THE IWM STUDY CENTRE)

The 11^th Armoured Division, known as the Black Bull, had been almost continuously engaged in action, since it landed in Normandy on 13^th June 1944 with British VIII Corps.  Deployed in Operations Epsom and Goodwood to take Caen and Operation Bluecoat near Caumont, it famously liberated Amiens enabling the crossing of the Somme during the advance through France and was also involved in the liberation of Antwerp.

After Market Garden, where it was tasked with securing the right flank of the advancing ground forces, it was engaged in clearing pockets of German resistance remaining west of the Maas/Meuse river.

At the beginning of December units of the 11^th Armoured Division were in reserve near Ypres but were ordered back into action to hold a defensive line along the Meuse between Namur and Givet to resist the German advance in the Ardennes.

 

61st Recce started patrolling straight away. The citation for Corporal John Frederick Mulcahy’s Military Medal includes this description of his patrols:

‘His armoured car troop was engaged in continuous patrolling between St Hubert and Rochefort* from the 22nd to the 29th December 1944. The situation throughout was extremely uncertain, as the area of these patrols, about 10 miles forward of any main Allied position, covered the tip of the German salient, and while the Americans were holding firm on the flanks, in many places there were no troops to bar the progress of the German tanks in the centre.  For most of the period Corporal Mulcahy’s car was the leading car of his troop.  Every day they made contact with the enemy, three times with German tanks.  During this time Corporal Mulcahy’s handling of his car was so skilful and courageous that it became a byword in his squadron.’

* a distance of about 13 miles/20 km south-east of Dinant, between the Meuse and Bastogne i.e. the direction of travel for German forces.

(See 61st Recce Battle Honours http://61st-reconnaissance.weebly.com/medals--awards.html 61st Reconnaissance Regiment Living History Group.)

 

Don Aiken was also involved in action from the first day:

 “We arrived at Namur a few days before Christmas, and were immediately given the task of contacting a forward unit of US Engineers who had been instructed to blow a bridge over a small river whenever they sighted the German advance. The orders had now been changed to 'blow up the bridge regardless', but radio contact with the Engineers had been lost.

We set off on our mission and we were shocked to see convoys of US troops retreating in total panic. They threw us some fags and shouted that we were going the wrong way.

We approached our destination, and turned a corner to see that the road ran down into a steep valley, with a similar road running round and down the cliffs on the other side. At that moment we heard a loud explosion and knew that the bridge had been blown. We continued for a short way down the road before spotting the US Engineers running up behind the hedgerow and waited for them to arrive. It was then that I observed a German tank on the road across the valley and, almost immediately, a puff of smoke from his 88 mm. gun. There was a whoosh as the shell screamed over my head and took a lump out of the road and part of the tyre from the armoured car which stood a few yards behind me. Within a few seconds our armoured cars had disappeared up the road and round the corner, in reverse."

(Extract republished from 'From the Breakout to the Rhine' by kind permission of Don Aiken.)

 

61st Recce restored for action

“Then the Ardennes came on and we rushed up to the Ardennes” From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61^st Recce (pers comm).

 

Report written by a Military Observer as recorded in 'MILITARY AFFAIRS No.28' dated 22nd January 1945:

"The Recce Regiment which went ahead of our main striking force in the Ardennes Battle was the 61^st Recce Regiment.

Formerly the Recce Regiment of a famous British Division, the 61^st have seen almost continuous action since D. Day, and were the first to break out of the bridgehead on D Plus 2.  It was the only Recce Regiment to be employed in the breakthrough into Holland.

Men of this Regiment were the first to enter Lille, Oudenarde and Ghent.  On one occasion their leading vehicles were 65 miles ahead of their infantry, and all were actively engaged.  They took part in the Escault Battle, and to date have taken 4,000 German Prisoners, their best day’s bag numbering 1,000.

In the German Christmas offensive the Regiment was switched to the Ardennes and the men, although working in completely unknown country, miles ahead of our main forces, sent back such valuable information on the disposition of enemy troops that our advance went ahead smoothly."

 

Colonel Brownrigg continues his account:

“Runstedt had begun his offensive.  At 1100 hrs on 21^st December the Chief of Staff at 21^st Army Group Headquarters rang up and ordered us to remobilise and move.  By working night and day we were on the move, fully equipped by 0900 hrs the next day.”

(From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

 

This was no mean feat as Anthony Rampling remembers:

“When we were in Izegem the Ardennes campaign started and our vehicles were all left on a dump.  We had to get them ready and proceed to the Ardennes.”

 

and from Sandy Handley’s version story:

“On the 21^st December the Regiment was told to re-equip, replace all the radios, guns, etc.  The Germans had broke through in the Ardennes, so instead of being disbanded and in Belgium we worked all through the night fixing guns on the car, ammunitions and radio.” (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

 

Don Aiken explains:

 “Hitler himself had ordered 3 Armies, totalling twenty-one Divisions (although well below strength), to be assembled in Germany ready for a huge counter-attack.  This began on December 16th, meeting with great initial success and the American defence lines were cut to ribbons.
The situation was becoming very serious, as the whole 'sharp-end' of the Allied forces was in danger of being isolated.
The British forces directed a push down from the north onto the advancing Germans. We were given 24 hours to reclaim our vehicles and equipment and move out to the Ardennes. This we did.”

(Extract republished from 'From the Breakout to the Rhine'  by kind permission of Don Aiken)

Bastogne and bringing in the Brits

By 20th December 1944 the rapid German advance into the Ardennes was beginning to slow as fuel supplies ran short and the Allies planned their resistance. 

The Allied Air Forces were still grounded by poor weather and limited visibility but the 101st Airborne Division  reached Bastogne, the convergence of all the main roads in the Belgian Ardennes, by truck just as the German attack on the town began. The siege of Bastogne was not relieved by the Allies until 26th December and the resistance of US forces there is legendary. Brigadier McAuliffe responded to demands for surrender when surrounded with a single expletive usually referred to as “Nuts!”

US 1st Army command seemed to be in disarray and Eisenhower decided to put Montgomery in charge of all the Allied forces to the north of the German offensive (21st Army Group and the US 1st Army) while General Patton with the US 3rd Army led resistance from the south.  Until then the British had not been involved in the fighting in the Ardennes...

A Massacre and an Accident

17^th December 1944 – the US 82^nd and 101^st Airborne (see previous Chapter) are released from reserve to reinforce American troops in the Ardennes.  

At Malmedy, south-west of Menschau, 86 American Prisoners of War are murdered by their SS captors.

In the Battle of Schnee Eiffel/St Vith (south-east of Malmedy) the Germans sucessfully trap up to 9,000 Americans who surrender on 19th December.

 

On 17^th December Dick appears to have been involved in a traffic accident. When driving a car between Marktstraat and Grote Markt in Izegem he knocked a lady, Elza Lammertyn, off her bike and she broke three ribs.

Here’s the (mouse-chewed) police report of the incident:

Beginning of the Battle of the Bulge

16^th December 1944 – Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstadt, the German Army Commander in the west and Field Marshal Walter Model, commander of German Army Group B, launch ‘Wacht am Rhein’ (‘Watch on the Rhine’), an offensive in the Ardennes.  Hitler wanted to cross the Meuse in a poorly defended area and recapture the strategic port of Antwerp.

German forces successfully breach the American lines on the first day on a 70 mile front – many wearing captured uniforms, using Allied equipment and speaking English cause confusion and destruction in the Allied defences.

Known in English as ‘The Battle of the Bulge’ the surprise attack was initially aimed between Monschau, a town on the German border east of Liege and south of Aachen, and Trier (historically known as Treves), north-west of Luxembourg.

The 5^th and 6^th Panzer Armies with 7^th Army to the south had advanced in secret on the area between General Hodge’s US 1^st Army in the north and General Patton’s US 3^rd Army in the south.  If they reached Antwerp they would have successfully trapped Montgomery’s 21^st Army Group (British and Canadian) as well as the US 1^st Army.  However, both German commanders believed these goals were unattainable.

 

Eric Postles remembers the start of the battle: "On 16th December, the Germans opened a big armoured offensive in the American sector of the Ardennes and swept through a raw American Division.  It took the route of the 1940 offensive and their propaganda said they would sweep through Belgium to the coast.  Rumours spread about parachute troops dropping, troops dressed as nuns and troops in American uniforms.  All this created a feeling of panic in the civilian populations..."  (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

Belgian belles and the joys of Izegem - December 1944

Chotie Darling

 

Dedicated to the memory of my mother

and all those who hold the forever young of war in their hearts.

 

Part 4        Only the Enemy in Front   

 

Chapter 14     Belgium and the Ardennes

 

Sandy Handley starts this story:

“In December 1944 we heard that 50 Division was being broke up.  We went back to Izegem to hand in all our equipment, vehicles, ammunition guns and radios.  On the brighter side it looked as though we were to be in Izegem for Christmas.”  (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

 

Anthony Rampling remembers Izegem with great fondness:

“When we left ‘the Island’ in in Holland we were sent to Izegem to disband - because there were so many casualties they were going to disband the 50 Division and the 61^st Recce.  In the meantime they sent us to Izegem and we had a marvellous time.  Everybody found a Belgian belle.  I found a girl called Georgette – she was the first love of my life I suppose.”

Izegem was about the best time we had in the war.  When we got to Izegem everyone did what they wanted.  You did your own thing there – sitting about in cafés and going to dances.

“Nothing happened, no discipline, we just did what we liked.  Most of us walked around all day from one café to another.  That was about it.”

 

“My driver and myself stayed in a bakery in Izegem.  Most of the other chaps got billeted in private houses, which was much better actually.  They gave us a breakfast which consisted of stale iced cakes and very strong black coffee, which we weren’t used to.”

From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61^st Recce (pers comm).

 

Dick had found himself rather better quarters (letter written in mid-December 1944):

61^st Recce

RAC BLA.

Chotie Darling,

                                    Sorry I haven’t been able to write you before but I’ve only just finished quite a considerable amount of work.  I received your letter telling me of the birth of Margaret’s baby today – the first letter I’ve had for weeks (almost).  Our mail has all gone astray again.

            I’m back to the town I went to some month ago – the neighbouring town to the one where Madeleine lives.

            For once in a while I’m living in luxury – I had all the billeting to do in this place so naturally I picked myself a first-class place.  The family – (father, mother, four daughters and three sons) do everything possible to make me feel at home.

            Being people of considerable intelligence they all speak English, French, Flemish and German, so life here is quite an education in itself.

            They have also a very fine collection of records – all the piano concertos and several operatic records so Ronnie comes round pretty often to get a grip on them.  The oldest daughter (20) plays Chopin rather well – but she’s engaged to a bloke in the Belgian Embassy….

            They’re all very interested to hear about your work – they’ve all just seen their first ATS (they’re in Ostend in their hundreds) but they’ve never actually met any.

            We’re having a real holiday while we may – and the old beer certainly flows here.

            Is Margaret pleased it’s a boy?  I’ll bet you’re more thrilled than she is.  Send her my best wishes and congratulations when next you write, won’t you?

            I should have some news when next I write, but I can’t tell you anything at present.

                    All my love, Chotie Darling,

                                                Dicker

P.S. I’m enclosing something for Xmas.  I’ll write you again to reach you by then.

                                                            R.

 

*Presumably the family of Monsieur and Madame Octave Sintobin-Anne, who Dick visited again later in the war.

 

 

One of the cards in Dick's 1945 diary.

  © Chotie Darling

 

Eric Postles was also quite comfortable:

"We were ordered to Iseghem in Belgium to disband.  All the regiment were billeted with families, each troop more or less in the same street. 

Corporal Martindale and I were put with the Deschermaker family at Hondstrat 10.  They were shoemakers doing the cutting and stitching at home and had a factory for assembly work.  There was mother and father, Andre, who had been in the Belgian Army during the 1940 fighting; Simone, Paula and Jeanne (the three girls) and Renee who was about ten.  We slept for the first time in a proper bed, drew our rations and handed them to the family, who we ate with.  After an initial day or so we became accepted members of the family.  No guard duties, no ‘stand to’, peace and quiet. 

We reluctantly handed in our vehicles and our equipment to the Quartermaster staff and prepared for Christmas.  We went to the barbers in the town square for a shave and had coffee and cakes in the cafés.  As the Deschermaker radio had been confiscated I gave them one of the Phillips sets purloined in Holland.  We did not seem to have any problem communicating with a mixture of French and English and helped out with cutting shoe tops."  (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Max Murphy of B Squadron’s Anti-tank troop wrote of a post-war return to Izegem in the newsletter of the Old Comrades Association:

“In Iseghem, although I could no longer remember the name or the address of our hostess during the period when we were in ‘civvy billets’ there, I managed to find the house and to my surprise the same dear old lady was still in occupation.  We had lunch with her and reminisced as best we could through the language barrier.”

 

Colonel Brownrigg was lamenting the demise of 61st Recce:

 “We handed in all our fighting vehicles, ammunition and petrol to various dumps.  All wireless sets were removed from their vehicles, and the Quartermaster had all stores in a barn for checking.  And so we were all preparing to drown our sorrows in Christmas feasting.”

(From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

 

Prematurely perhaps?

 

Don Aiken continues the tale:

 “At this point it was decided to consolidate and regroup.  Part of this regrouping meant that 50th. Division, which had been badly reduced in strength, would be disbanded and broken up to make up losses in other Divisions.
With this in mind we, 61st. Reconnaissance Regt., were sent back to a small town called Iseghem (Izegem), which is situated in Belgium, close to the French border. We were billeted in various houses, cafés and so on, and our H.Q. and cook-house was situated in the railway goods yard. All our vehicles and equipment were taken to a dump somewhere on the road to Antwerp. We had a few days of wonderful bliss. Nothing to do but have a few drinks in the cafés and idle our time away.

We hadn't reckoned on the Germans. They had realised that the defensive strength of the US Army in the Belgian Ardennes forest was not good, with only 4 Divisions holding a front of 80 miles long….”

(Extract republished from From the Breakout to the Rhine by kind permission of Don Aiken)

A Bath and a new Battle Dress - Wednesday 6th and Friday 8th December 1944

61^st Recce Regt

RAC BLA.

Tuesday (sic) Dec 6^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    Many thanks for your letter from home, which I received yesterday.  Yes, Darling, you can come as my batwoman any time you like – though I don’t think I’d get much work done.  Perhaps it would be better to wait until I get back to England, and I’ll apply for you then…. Let me know if you’re on, and I’ll start teeing-up the necessary formalities.

            I expect Margaret’s baby has arrived by now.  Give her all my best wishes won’t you Darling?  I’ll try to write her if I can find time.

            I was very lucky last night, hearing the whole of Beethoven’s ‘Fidelio'* – his only opera, in German from Munich.  'Turandot' was also on but of course I wasn’t to know that.  Actually, I heard the last note – as I switched from Munich to the Home Service.  It was the first time – believe it or no – that I’ve heard ‘Fidelio’ in its entirety, which was quite a thrill, as you can well imagine.

            Well, my darling, I suppose you’ll be back again by the time you receive this.  I expect you managed to have a pleasant, if lazy time (knowing you….).  Don’t forget to let me know of anyone you happened to meet – though I don’t suppose there’s many of the old stagers about – unless they also happen to be on leave.

            Yes, 'Fanny'  is quite a good book**, but Sadleir has no need to write, as he’s rolling in money, anyway.  The film, of course, was shocking – but then I expected that.  Merle Oberon’s effort at George Sand*** will be equally ludicrous – she just hasn’t the ability to play that extraordinary woman.

            Did I tell you I read HE Bates ‘The Poacher’?  It’s a very fine piece of writing – which I can heartily recommend.  I must admit I was sitting in front of a fire – always a luxury out here - with the old pipe, which may have influenced my criticism.      Got a new battle dress**** today (a great thrill) but don’t yet know when I’ll be able to wear it to advantage.  I rushed it to the local tailor (there’s only one in this wretched village) and got the lapels faced-up.  He (the tailor) couldn’t speak any English and I can’t speak any Dutch so you can imagine the proceedings.

            Ronnie has just turned-up with a bottle of ’29 Bordeaux, so it looks likes being a happier evening than I expected.

 

            Two more days have elapsed since I wrote the foregoing – though nothing of any interest has happened.

            I’ve moved once again, but still find myself in the inevitable farmhouse.  The last one we were in was really ideal.  Our usual practice was to do a week or so ‘in the line’ and have a week back at the farm in reserve.

            The three Armoured Car Officers (Geoff Winzer, Eric (Schoolmaster) Macey and I) used to share a room, with the equally inevitable stove (no Dutch houses have open fires) and of course the radio.  There was always plenty of work to do, especially on the cars, but we usually had the evenings free, and spent most of them with the Burgomaster.

            The Rhine (they call it the Maas in Holland*****) flowed by, some hundred yards from the farmhouse, and there was a cluster of gaily-painted barges alongside the dyke.  Had it been spring it would have been very pleasant – though I spent many happy hours wandering along the dyke road on the few sunny days we did have.

            To come back to earth – I hope to get a bath this afternoon – the first for six weeks or more.  Always a great occasion.  Must close here to tee it up with the Squadron Leader.

            Tons of love, Chotie Darling   

                                   Dicker                                     PTO.

 

P.S.  Do you think you could get me some leather buttons?  About this size:- (drawing of circle 1.4 cms across) for utilizing battle dress?  I need about 30.  Also four of five big ones for great coat?

            Let me know if there’s any chance won’t you?

                                                                        Love

                                                                                    D.

 

*Thomas Mann, the great German writer, commented when Fidelio was performed in Germany soon after the war:

"What amount of apathy was needed [by musicians and audiences] to listen to Fidelio in Himmler’s Germany without covering their faces and rushing out of the hall!”

The music and theme of love, liberty and justice “for all men…will always represent an appeal to our conscience” (Wilhelm Furtwängler, German composer, 1948).

**the novel “Fanny by Gaslight” by Michael Sadleir.

***Merle Oberon, and Anglo-Indian actress, played George Sand, the French writer and Chopin’s lover, in a biographical film of the composer released in 1945 – “A Song to Remember”.

****’Battle Dress’ was the standard uniform in the British army made of woven wool (serge) with a short jacket that buttoned to high-waisted trousers.

*****Dick has got confused – the Maas is a separate river flowing east and then south of the Rhine.

© Chotie Darling

 

Eric Brewer wrote against 5th December that he:

“Moved to Ell, near Weert (south-east of Eindhoven and west of Roermund) in a civvy’s house.  Having a good time.”  (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

Dick was presumably at Mill and then at Ell, near Weert,

when he wrote this letter.

 

"Holding bits of the line"

Eric Brewer’s diary for 3^rd December reads:

“Moved today to Mill (got relieved by the 59th*).  Spent the night in a café.”  On December 4^th he was still at the same place.

*possibly the 59^th Anti Tank Regiment of the Royal Artillery, part of the 43^rd Wessex Division.

Colonel Brownrigg’s account of 61^st Recce continues:

“In December, to our immense sorrow, the axe fell on the 50^th Division.  The Regiment, thus orphaned, survived for a time, thanks to our Corps Commander, who rang up the Commander-in-Chief in my presence to say we would be worth a brigade to him.  But after holding bits of the line for the 49^th* and 53^rd** Divisions we were ordered back to Iseghem to disband.” (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

*the 49^th (West Riding) Division, symbolised by a Polar Bear, was serving with the First Canadian Army.  They garrisoned ‘the Island’ between Arnhem and Nijmegen during the winter of 1944.

**the 53^rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was attached to XXX Corps and had been fighting to remove the Germans from the western bank of the Maas.  It was based around Roermund (south-west of Eindhoven and Weert) until 18^th December.

 

Eric Postles recalled working with the 53^rd Division:

"30 Corps General Horrocks tried to keep the regiment as Corps troops but we only got a brief respite before disbandment.  We helped 49 Division who had taken over “the Island” and took over from the Monmouths of 53 Division on a canal near Venlo.  The lock gatehouse was built into the bank and was reached along a long, white-taped, deep, muddy track, which ran through a minefield.  We found an injured cow stuck on the stairs but dare not kill it because of the smell it would create.  It was moaning all the time.  All through the day and night the Germans fired rifle grenades – not a very accurate weapon – at the house plus mortar fire.  We were glad to leave the place and the moaning cow."

(Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

Operation Noah

Dick had not left trouble behind him with the flying-bombs of Malines. On 1^st December Eric Brewer wrote in his diary:

“Gerry started to flood the area. The water has risen 2ft, many Gerrys trapped.”

and on the next day:

“Water still rising – Gerry blew another dam last night and the place is quite bad.  Many Gerrys gave themselves up because the flooding had trapped them.  They are nearly all air force chaps.”

(From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

Operation Noah was put into effect but many local men refused to leave 'the island' with the evacuation leading to its new name 'Men's Island'. Reading the account of looting on 'the island' by Easy Company (and the British!) in 'This Band of Brothers' one can understand why they were reluctant to leave.

Malines - Friday 1st December 1944

61^st Recce Regt

Rac

BLA

Friday 1^st Dec.

Chotie Darling,

                                    Many thanks for your letters, which I received rather late as I had no mail whilst in Belgium – some six or seven days in all.  Sorry to hear you don’t think much of the area you’re in.  Personally, everwhere north of the Thames stinks as far as I’m concerned.  There are exceptions of course, but they’re few and far between.

            I had a very happy time in Belgium, though I was only there for five days as it took some time to get there.  I managed to get to Audenarde (the town I liberated 6th September) and met the Gervaert family.  It was Madeleine who gave me, or rather lent me the Balzac’s and the Mozart.  They were very surprised and pleased to see me and made me very welcome.  It was Sunday afternoon so of course all the family were there.

            They speak Flemish when at home but French among their friends, - and of course when I’m there.  It’s very odd to be completely bi-lingual, as I’m sure they carried on in French after I left, and probably didn’t revert to Flemish until the following day.

            I’m afraid there’s little news to tell you, owing to censorship, but hope to have some for you in the near future.

            I spent a night on the way back in Malines (Michlin*) which is one of the pleasantest towns in Belgium.  The only snag there, are the flying-bombs, which, although not intended to land there have the annoying habit of failing short on occasion.

            I saw two go over the following morning, the first I’d seen.  I heard them whilst some distance away, and watched them pass right over us which was quite a thrill as we were sweating on them dropping on us.

            There are some first class cafés in Malines – full of beer and ice-cream creations.  I had a most wonderful one – with martini and grated nuts – quite a work of art.

            Had a letter from Brinner with yours telling me he was in the Isle of Man!  Apparently he’s there on an Infantry course – before returning here again.

            He managed to get home for a couple of hours and Mother of course got such a shock on seeing him that she was bad all the afternoon!  As it happened Dad was in London visiting his father who was 79 that day, and of course he missed him.  He’s going to try to get some more leave after the course has finished.

            Had two letters from mother, about sixty of these pages I should think, full of news.  My Uncle Tom (mother’s younger sister’s husband) was blasted by bombs in London and again in Canterbury – and three doctors and a couple of Specialists say he can’t last more than another two months, as being blasted has brought out a latent tubercular germ.

            I’m sorry I can’t write you a more newsy letter, Darling, but it just isn’t ‘on’.  I should be able to give you something more definite in a week’s time.

            Must close here, Precious.

                        Goodnight, Chotie darling

                                                Yours always

                                                            Dicker

P.S. Ronnie is still worrying me about that polyfoto!

                                   

*Mechelen (Malines) between Antwerp and Brussels.

During the German occupation Malines or Mechelen was a Nazi transit camp.  More than 25,000 Jews from Belgium were transported to concentration camps including Auschwitz death camp. Presumably Dick knew nothing of this recent history…

 

© Chotie Darling

Medals & Awards

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 28th      Place ELST

‘The lull was broken tonight at 2330 hours when the area of RHQ was heavily shelled for 15 minutes.  A house directly opposite our Command Position and occupied by an Outpost party from 124 Field Regiment received a direct hit.  2 Other Ranks were killed and two civilians slightly wounded.

The first quota of honours and awards was received by the unit today.  Lieutenants J.G.PILSBURY and A.R.V. STONE have been awarded MCs (the Military Cross), S.S.M. PAGE the DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal), and Sergeant ATKINS and Trooper TRAYNOR the MM (Military Medal).’

(See http://61st-reconnaissance.weebly.com/medals--awards.html.)

 

 

War Diary of 61^st Recce – the rest of the war diary of 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment appears to be have been lost.  However, Anthony Rampling remembers the whole war diary being viewed at regimental re-unions some years after the war. Tony and many others took copies of parts of diary.  Anthony lent his copy of the D Day and Normandy sections to someone and it was never returned. He now holds only this section on ‘The Island’, kindly copied to me for use on this blog.

Major-General Douglas Graham

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 26^th-27th         Place ELST

‘The lull in enemy activity continues.  Apart from the Schmeisser which fires every night from NORTH of our extreme right hand positions, and a few enemy who have been seen, there has been little to report.

V2s continue to be launched from NORTH of ARNHEM.

An enemy HQ was located by “C” Squadron in a house at 723730 and engaged by our artillery.  Direct hits were observed.’

 

On 27^th November Major-General D.A.H. Graham returned to 50^th (Northumbria) Division as Commanding Officer.  Douglas Graham, CB (Companion of the Order of the Bath), CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) and DSO (Distinguished Service Order) and Bar (an additional award to the DSO), MC (Military Cross) had commanded the 50^th from January 1944 to 17^th October.

During this time the Division had played an important role in Operation Overlord and the Normandy Campaign (particularly during the battle for Tilly-sur-Seulles) and a supporting role with XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden.

 

The news that 50th Division was to become a training unit back in Blighty was now shared with their Reconnaissance Regiment, 61st Recce.  Eric Postles writes:

"At the end of November came the shock news that 50 Division was to be returned to England.  Although a Territorial Army Division it had been in action more than any other division.  They had been part of the BEF in 1940, at Dunkirk and then straight out again to North Africa in the Knightsbridge Battle where one of its brigades was cut off and had to surrender.  This included my cousin Harry Smith.  They were also in Greece, Alamein, the Mareth line, Tunis and led the invasion of Sicily and Italy before coming back to the UK for D-day.  We had only been with them for a very short time but the Divisional Commander was fulsome in his praise of the part we played." (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

Flying Bombs

On 22^nd November Eric Brewer “moved into the house…just like a luxury, as bad as it is.  Gerry still active and also plenty of mortars.”  Eric wrote “Still the same” for the rest of November except for 25^th November when he “saw flying bomb.”

(From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 23^rd-24th         Place ELST

The past two days have been very quiet.  “B” Squadron have reported Schmeisser (MP38 or MP40 German machine guns) fire from opposite their right hand position and a few enemy have been seen.  “A” Squadron are having an equally quiet time at ZETTEN.  Shelling of our sector has continued.

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 25th      Place ELST

At 1100 hrs today 20 enemy were seen by “B” Squadron at 745716.  Heavy mortars effectively engaged them.  Several V2s have been seen today approx. 10 miles NORTH of our positions.

A call to Monty

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 21st      Place ELST

‘The quiet today was broken by a NEBELWERFER firing on ELST.  The Divisional Artillery engaged with good effect.

The Divisional Commander again visited the unit to bid us farewell, on taking command of 7 Armoured Division.’

On 22^nd November 1944 Brigadier Sir A.B.G. Stanier (Bart) of the 231^st Infantry Brigade, took over from Major-General Lyne as Acting Commander of 50^th Division until Major-General D.A.H. Graham returned on the 27^th November.

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 22nd     Place ELST

‘The CO left for BRUSSELS this morning to try and avert the disaster threatening the Regiment.’

 

Colonel Brownrigg decided to try to have the disbandment of his regiment cancelled and drove to XXX Corps HQ where General Horrocks listened to his appeal over lunch and quizzed him on the situation on the ‘Island’.

Col. Brownrigg recalled:

‘The General then told his ADC to get Monty on the telephone.  Word came back that Monty was having lunch – was it urgent?  “Yes” said Horrocks.

A few moments later I heard Horrocks start “I have Brownrigg with me.”  Not surprisingly this didn’t ring a bell with Monty, but Horrocks explained and told him that 61 Recce was to be broken up and “they would be worth a brigade to me.”  Monty apparently said he’d see what could be done, “but you – Horrocks – won’t get them.’

(From ‘Only the Enemy in Front Every other beggar behind…’ The Recce Corps at War 1940-1946’ by Richard Doherty, Tom Donovan Publishing Ltd 1994)

Top Brass, a V2 and the dangers of laying mines

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 19^th       Place ELST

‘The Commander of 1 Canadian Corps* visited the unit this morning as did the Divisional Commander Major General L.O.LYNE DSO.

A “V.2” Rocket was seen being launched from NORTH of ARNHEM.

The Sappers started mine laying tonight.  An accident regrettably resulted in two men being killed and four wounded.’

*Lt-General Charles Foulkes.  1 Canadian Corps had been fighting in Italy - at Monte Cassino and the assaults on the Gothic and Rimini lines. In February 1945 they joined 1 Canadian Army to complete the liberation of the Netherlands, taking Arnhem in April 1945.

 

Eric Brewer was : “Still in the same place and plenty of water…Gerry shelling and mortar, also Spando.  The infantry sappers laid a minefield tonight.”

On 20^th November he recorded: “things are still bad.  Another two chaps went ill, I feel pretty bad, all the chaps feel the same.  The infantry are still laying mines – one chap dropped one and got his foot blown off.  The shrapnel just missed us.”

(From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

An escaped American from Kassel

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 17^th       Place ELST

‘The regiment – less “A” Squadron – moved to the ELST area and was in position by 1900 hrs.  Regimental HQ is established at 709693, with “B” Squadron right in area 7370, and “C” Squadron left in area 7171.  The weather could not have been worse but with some adjustments it will be possible to put most of the troops under cover of some sort.

The take-over was quite peaceful and it appears that there are no positions in close contact.  The rain continued and a forward position in “B” Squadron’s sector was flooded out and had to be withdrawn.’

 

Dick returned to the ‘Island’ on 17^th November. 

“B” Squadron were on the front line near Bemmel until early December.

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 18^th       Place ELST

‘Today has been spent in making preparations with the Royal Engineers to mine the Regiment’s front.  In addition Squadrons are wiring as fast as they can.  The sappers are due to start mining tonight.

There has been little enemy activity today and apart from three men seen by “C” Squadron this afternoon at 721717 shelling and mortaring has been slight, though ELST and BEMMEL have had their usual daily plastering.

At 2000 hrs a US infantryman walked into RHQ.  He was from 2^nd US Infantry Division and had been taken prisoner by the Germans at NANTES at the end of August.  He escaped from CASSEL (Kassel in central Germany, between the Ruhr and Leipzig) and aided by civilians had reached ARNHEM then making his way through the enemy front line.  He regrettably knew very little of the enemy facing us.

Arrangements were made today for the evacuation of the ‘island’ should the enemy breach the dykes – Exercise ‘NOAH’.’

 

Eric Brewer might have appreciated this.  On 18^th November he wrote:

“Moored in a position, Bemmel near Arnhem - about the coldest and wettest position I have ever been in.  There is 2 ft of water in the slit trenches and we have to stand in it. Three chaps went ill tonight. I reckon I shall have had it if I stay here.  Plenty of Spando fire.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

Music from Germany - 16th? November 1944

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 16^th       Place WINSSEN

‘ “A” Squadron relieved “B” today in area 6071.  Orders were today received for the Regiment to take over the sector EAST of ELST from 151 Brigade.  Relieving an Infantry Brigade has now ceased to be a novelty but this particular sector has extra problems as “A” Squadron are still to remain under command of 501 RCT at ZETTEN.’

Eric Brewer wrote: “Moved to base at Venssen (Winssen) in a civvy house.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

 

61^st Recce Regt

RAC BLA

Chotie Darling

                                    Many thanks for your last letter – which I received whilst ‘on the job’.  However, I’m now in a cushy area once again so I can now reply at ease.

            I was very pleased to see that you had enclosed the photos, darling – they’re very very good indeed.  I’m afraid I had to part with one of them – Ronnie the ‘artist’ wanted one to keep.  Don’t mind do you?

            Glad to hear you got the magazine – I also thought the stuff in them pretty good.

            As regards the perfume, I may be able to get some in the future – but I don’t quite know how.  You see there’s nothing here – all that sort of thing is in Belgium, and I said goodbye to Belgium months ago.  Also there’s the snag of changing guilders into Belgian francs – no mean task as the Field cashier is never seen within 20 miles of the ‘front’ and I’m certainly never 20 miles from it!  However, I’ll see what I can do – Brinner may be  able to manage something.  I could have got some in Antwerp but I haven’t sufficient Belgas – only guilders.

            Don’t tell Margaret, but Ted’s crowd haven’t fired a shot in anger for about 8-9 weeks!

            Nothing much to do here – we’re in a little village, which is very deadly but as there’s so much to do in the way of personal and vehicular maintenance we find our time is pretty occupied.

            I’m anxiously awaiting a letter from Brinner as his last P.S. said he had just been granted 7 days leave before joining his unit!

            We’ve had a little snow here but not much.  As the ground was wet, it didn’t lay anyhow.

            Have read Graham Greene’s ‘Stamboul Train*’ (Guild Books) which I can recommend.  I think you may have read some of his other efforts – ‘Brighton Rock’ ‘Ministry of Fear’, ‘England made me’ ‘A Gun for Sale’ (filmed as “This Gun for Hire’) etc, etc. 

            There’s a helluva dearth of books in the Squadron.  Never seem to be able to get anything to read.  I carry about 30 books on my car – but I’ve read them a good many times now – and anyhow they’re all in French.

            I’ve got the devil of a lot of washing to do this afternoon – looks as though it will take me about four hours.  The laundry system over here is lousy as there’s no marking ink available and you never get the same stuff back again.

            Must close here for lunch will write some more this afternoon.

           

Well, Darling, I’ve had lunch and got the stove cracking so I’m beginning to thaw out for the first time for days.  We’ve also got the radio going.

            Eric, Geoff and Charlie from ‘C’ Squadron went to the Burgomaster’s last night for a game of bridge so ‘Junior’ (Ronnie) and I sat in here and managed to get a wonderful programme from Munich.  It was announced in German and consisted entirely of Italian Operatic records.  We had that beautiful tenor/Baritone duet from ‘Fozzer del Destino’ (Verdi)** sung by Gigli and Corrado Zambelli*** - easily the finest recording of this particularly lovely duet.  Also an aria by Janina Arangi-Lombardi (- the second soprano in the world before the war) from Donizetti’s ‘La Favorita’****.

            ‘Junior’, luckily, had brought a bottle of Burgundy so what with a warm fire, mellow wine and Verdi, we simply revelled.  What it is to be simple-minded!

            Must close here to get back to earth and laundry!

                        All my love, Precious

                                                            Dicker.

 

*a novel set on the ‘Orient Express’

**’La Forza del Destino’ (The Power of Fate’), an opera by Giuseppe Verdi set in Spain and Italy.

*** Corrado Zambelli was an Italian bass and Beniamo Gigli was the most famous tenor of the early 20^th century.

****a grand opera in French by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti, also set in Spain.

© Chotie Darling

Rising Water

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 13^th       Place WINSSEN

‘Lieutenant P.E.D. BAMPFIELD* joined the unit as Intelligence Officer today from the 42^nd Battalion R (Royal?) Tanks.  The water level at NIJMEGEN bridge has risen greatly in the last few days.  It is believed that the enemy is now in a position to flood ‘the island’ by blowing the dykes on either the River WAAL or NEDER RIJN.’

*later disabled – see supplement to the London Gazette. 

 

Eric Postles recalled the cold and wet:  "The weather grew colder and we now wore our tank suits, jerkins and ‘long John’ woolen underpants.  Conditions were made worse when the Germans breached the river bank which resulted in wide areas being flooded.  Slit trenches were made unusable and wellingtons were provided."  (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

On 15^th November Eric Brewer was: “on forward outpost on the River Patrol floating about. Behind us somewhere saw two chaps crawling so we changed our position.  Blooming cold tonight – plenty of Spando fire etc.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

Remembrance

I’m very sorry to announce that Sandy Handley passed away recently. 

He died aged 94 on 21^st October 2014 after a short illness.

Sandy served first in the Royal West Kents and saw active service in the 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment and the 52^nd (Lowland) Recce Regiment.

Anthony Rampling and Sandy Handley at Longueval cemetary remember their fallen comrades

Sandy's paintings of army life are an important witness to the life of the Recce men and his stories from the battlefront of the Second World War have enlivened this blog. I am extremely grateful that he took the time and trouble to record them and that his good friend and comrade, Anthony Rampling, was able to share them with me.

  Sandy Handley, front left, in his 52nd Recce days

Sandy Handley in July 1945

Sandy Handley and 'C' Squadron of 52nd Recce in winter '45/'46 (with some ex members of 61st Recce)

I hope that you too have enjoyed Sandy’s memories and will also remember Sandy on this day of remembrance for all who gave their life in service.

 

 

 Remembrance photo from British Legion website.

 

 

 Personal recommendation - in commemoration of the start of the First World War:

Centenary Words & Music Of The Great War matches the remarkable poetry of those war years against the music of the era, along with new compositions inspired by the war.

 

At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

(From 'For the Fallen' by Robert Laurence Binyon, 1914)

 

2 Canadian Corps

On 9^th November 1944 50 (Northumbrian) Division joined 2 Canadian Corps.  This appears to have been a temporary arrangement since, in early November, Montgomery had announced that most of the Division would return to England as a training division. Many of the reinforcements assimilated to make up the Division's losses (488 officers and almost 7,000 ‘other ranks’ since D-Day) were to be posted to other formations on active service.

2 Canadian Corps, under the leadership of their Commander, Lieutenant General Guy Simmonds, had spearheaded the British-Canadian advance from Caen to Falaise (see Operation Totalize and the Big Push begins ) and then captured Dieppe, Boulogne, Calais and Ostend.  Leading the First Canadian Army they had been heavily involved in the Battle of the Scheldt - attempting to open up access to the critical port of Antwerp, since the beginning of October.  German resistance on the Scheldt finally ended on 8^th November 1944 and the Corps were then tasked with expelling German forces from the eastern provinces of the Netherlands and then driving them out from the west bank of the Rhine – ‘the Island’.

 

 

Not everyone was pleased the Canadians had arrived:

    “I remember a small place called Ewyk* by a canal.  We were billeted in a house which was to us a little luxury after living mainly in the open.  We were occupying the attic of the house; the Dutch couple were so friendly.

    Not far away was the canal.  Our driver and myself got friendly with the two daughters on a barge.  One name I remember was Gerada. She always mentioned that she had a Dutch Fiancée, so we were on our good behaviour and a day or two later some Canadians had muscled in so I thought we’d better move along.  I didn’t want no bad feelings and get thrown in the Canal.  So we parted amicably. 

    We wasn’t in these places long enough to get a romance going so Gerada is just a memory of a pleasant Dutch girl.  Of course one wonders where they are now, perhaps after the war they continued chugging up the Canal, married and so on.”  (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

*Ewijk is a village west of Nijmegen bridge and south of the Waal.

 

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 10^th       Place ZETTEN

' “B” Squadron relieved “C” today.  The relief was uneventful and completed by 1800 hrs.'

 

Eric Brewer of ‘B’ Squadron had written in his diary for 6^th November:

“Moved to Zetlon (sic) on outpost. Plenty of Spando fire also shelling and mortar.”

 

Dick and ‘B’ Squadron were at Zetten, on ‘the Island’ east of Elst, until the 16^th November 1944.

 

"First break since the 6th June" - Friday 3rd November 1944

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 3^rd – 9th          Place WINSSEN

‘The Regiment still remains at WINSSEN.  It has rained continuously since the beginning of the month so the unit’s first break since the 6^th June comes at a good time.  Despite the weather, many games of football and hockey have been played.

Place ZETTEN

In the Zetten area all is quiet, any aggressive intentions the enemy may have had in that area have apparently gone.’

 

 

Letter written on Friday 3rd November 1944

61^st Recce Regt RAC

BLA.

Friday Nov 3^rd

Chotie Darling,

                                    Of all places to write you from I find myself in a palatial hotel in Antwerp – where I’m spending my 48 hrs leave.  I arrived here at about 3 pm yesterday having had to drive the party here myself in a three-tonner – no mean task in itself as it took about five hours.

            Couldn’t do much yesterday as, by the time I’d got things teed up it was dark and it’s pretty deadly finding your way about in a strange town in the dark.

            Had a walk round the shops this morning – but didn’t see anything worth buying.  I did eventually buy three little books – on Degas, Rembrandt & da Vinci respectively – very good.  I’ll send them on to you if you’ll keep them for me.

            It’s quite a pleasant town with plenty doing.  It’s now nearly mid-night and I’ve been around this evening – ‘bout a dozen night clubs cabaret shows, etc so you can well imagine I’ve pretty well had it.

            The two other officers I came with are pretty deadly – go for ENSA* Shows, etc so I went for the night-clubs (full of Yanks, Canucks**, Poles, ATS Canuck WAACs etc) and saw a few Belgian strip-tease acts, etc.  Aren’t I awful!

            The prices are murder! but to counteract this, drinks in the Officers’ Hotel I’m staying in are very cheap – five francs for a cognac against 60 outside, etc.

            Why is it, as soon as I get drunk I always feel like packing up and writing to you?  It’s always the same.  Must be some psychological reason for it.

            Must close here, Darling – will write you in the more sober light of tomorrow,

                                                            All my love

                                                                                    Dicker

 

*ENSA stood for the ‘Entertainments National Service Association’, which provided entertainment for the British Forces during World War 2.  It was popularly known as an acronym for ‘Every Night Something Awful’.

**Canadians

 © Chotie Darling

 

Chotie was now based at 6^th Hy (M)A.A. Practice Camp

at Cleve near Bude in Cornwall

RAF Cleave was an experimental and training establishment for anti-aircraft gunners on an exposed clifftop near Bude, near the northernmost point of Cornwall.

Zetten, Winssen and Opheusden

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 1^st-2^nd   Place ZETTEN

‘ “A” Squadron continued to hold their positions at ZETTEN.  The area is quiet apart from spasmodic mortaring and shelling and the only extra commitment is the daily Armoured Car patrol to OPHEUSDEN.  This battered village is unoccupied, abandoned by the enemy and only entered daily by our cars, an American and usually a German patrol.  The entire area is heavily mined (Schu-mines* mainly), and the Americans suffer almost daily casualties from them.

                   Place WINSSEN

The remainder of the regiment are resting at WINSSEN, overhauling equipment and cleaning up etc.

*German anti-personnel mine with a wooden body making it difficult to detect with metal detectors.

 

Dick was in Antwerp, Belgium

from the 2^nd to the 4^th November 1944

when he returned to Winssen.

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 1^st-2^nd   Place ZETTEN

‘ “C” Squadron relieved “A” today.  The relief was unfortunately marred by a stray mortar bomb which burst alongside a “C” Squadron carrier killing 1 Other Rank and wounding 4.

 

61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes the 'Other Rank' who died on 3rd November 1944:

          Trooper Frederick Stanley Ronald Smith (age 28) from Collier’s Wood, Surrey   

who is laid to rest in the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. 

(See 61st Recce Roll of Honour, courtesy of Recce Mitch.)

We will remember them.

'Towrope'

Lieutenant Laing, a former Technical Officer and then a troop Commander in “C” Squadron, and Captain Joe 'Towrope' Meredith both received honours for their recovery of 20 vehicles over five nights at Driel, all of which had been left by previous units as beyond recovery.  They were often within 500 yards of the enemy, under shell and mortar fire, while effecting these recoveries.

Lieutenant Patrick Anderson Laing (of one of the Unfortunate Incidents en route to Belgium) received the Military Cross for this and other deeds while Captain Joseph Meredith received the MBE:

“No officer has served the Regiment better or more loyally than Captain Meredith, either during the period of training at home or during active service abroad.”

(See 61st Recce Battle Honours.)

P.S. There is a great picture of Captain Joe Meredith leading RHQ in leaving ‘the Island’ during floods in November 1944 in Jeremy Taylor’s ‘Band of Brothers’  (copied in Roy Howard’s ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’). I would like to be able to post a copy here if anyone can help – it doesn’t seem to be on line anywhere...

 

Anthony Rampling describes leaving ‘the Island’

The Island

“We were pushed out of Arnhem and withdrew a few miles out and we established ourselves and then the Germans flooded the dykes so we were surrounded.  They called us ‘the Island’ and it was very wet and muddy and as we came out of there the armoured cars had to go through about two foot of water to get away from it.”

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 28th     Place DRIEL

‘The relief went well without any interference and the last troop was clear by 2300 hrs.

 

‘B’ Squadron

were now at Winssen on the south bank of the Waal,

north-east of Nijmegen

until 10^th November 1944.

 

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 29^th–31st        Place WINSSEN

‘The day has been spent in settling in and doing some badly required maintenance.

                             Place ZETTEN

“A” Squadron’s commitment at Zetten is not great and the unit has come through another ‘crisis’ in good shape.  The difficulties facing a Recce Regiment taking on a purely infantry role, in what must be one of the most unpleasant sectors on the 2^nd Army front, are great.  Despite the continual mortaring and shelling our casualties have been very light.’

                                                Lt Col. Commander 61 recce Regiment, R.A.C.

The Durham Light Infantry

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 27th     Place DRIEL

‘There was considerable enemy activity during the early hours of this morning.  Motorised and horse drawn transport was heard moving in the area 6776 and digging at 6876.  In addition there was a certain amount of Machine Gun and Mortar harassing fire.

A company raid by 6 Durham Light Infantry* took place on area 7074 through the “B” Squadron troop established there.  “B” Squadron neutralised enemy fire on the flanks of the attack with Light Machine Gun and Mortar fire.  Few Germans were encountered and our own troops had no casualties.  It is apparent that the enemy is holding the line very thinly and it is believed that all active patrolling is being carried out by SS troops held in reserve.  Certainly the 47 Fortress Battalion has shown none of the aggressive qualities which are apparent in the patrols.

At 0940 hrs “C” Squadron reported 12-15 men moving at 706759 and the artillery engaged the area effectively.

During the day orders were received for our relief by elements of 101 US Airborne Division and much of the preliminary work in the hand over was done.  The relief is due to take place tomorrow night and the Regiment, less “A” Squadron , is to concentrate in the WINSSEN** area.

“A” Squadron go under command of 501 RCT (Regimental Combat Team?) and are to hold a sector of the ZETTEN*** area with outposts forward on the river line and an Armoured car patrol daily to OPHEUSDEN****.’

*Anthony Rampling had met the Durham Light Infantry when he got lost after landing on the Normandy beaches: “They were tough – all they’d got was what they carried.”

**Winssen is a village on the south bank of the Waal, north-west of Nijmegen.

***Zetten is on ‘the Island’ west of Elst.

****Opheusden is west of Zetten on the south bank of the Neder Rijn/Lower Rhine.

Second in Command - Thursday 26th October 1944

61^st Recce Regt

RAC BLA.

Thursday October 26^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    Sorry I haven’t been able to write you for a couple of days or so, but I’ve been very busy doing 2^nd in command to the Squadron Leader – a pretty exacting job.

            Can’t tell you what I’m doing at present – though it’s nothing very thrilling – just a lot of painstaking work.  It falls to my lot to issue all rations, clothing, rum, etc and entertain visiting Colonels, etc when the Squadron Leader is out (very often)

            Had a long letter from home yesterday.  Dad’s been up to Town several times lately to try to negotiate the sale of ‘Clevedon Lodge*’ our old town-house.  Not very successful as it’s been damaged to the extent of £150 by flying-bombs.  Also town-houses aren’t much in demand at present.  He’s letting it go for £1500 but no one’s angling yet.  He’s promised us kids £50 each if he manages a sale – though I can’t see much prospect of that, at present anyhow.

            I had a good night at pontoon three days ago when I won another 60 guilders (£6 approx.).  I’ve also acquired a 4 guinea ink pencil at this pleasant game.

            Is it still possible to buy those fleece lined gloves in England without coupons?  They’re usually marked ‘industrial’.  Would you let me know – and if the answer’s ‘Yes’ I’ll send you a postal order or cheque to send me some, if you would.  I have no gloves at all at present – which can be rather inconvenient in the cold spaces out here.

            Yes, Eric** did smoke ‘Baby’s Bottom’*** – but only, I think, to shock the girl behind the counter.  I smoked it myself for some time, when we first got to Bournemouth.  Quite a pleasant smoke.

            Whether Brinner will ever fire a shot in anger seems a moot point, as he’s still at the Regimental Holding Unit.

            I hope you’re not serious about going abroad as you’ll probably end up in some awful place and certainly won’t get home for years.  People seem to think the war’s all over, by the way everyone’s reacting.  The biggest and most bitter battles are yet to come.

            It’s not many weeks to the next Xmas, is it?  And I’ll be eating my Xmas dinner in a slit-trench.

            Must close here.

                        All my love, Darling

                                                Dicker

 PS  Contents from the Paris paper printed in Dutch & French as well, I see.

*There’s a Clevedon Lodge near Wimbledon at SW19 6AS in London but it appears to be modern flats.

**Eric Kessler http://www.chotiedarling.co.uk/my-blog/2013/03/best-battle-dress-monday-8th-march-1943.html , Dick’s best friend from the Dorsets and before.

***a smooth blend of tobacco.

 © Chotie Darling

 

Note enclosed:

Thursday October 26^th

Chotie Darling,

            Have just got hold of this magazine – so thought I’d send it to you straight away.

            Apparently it’s “Beyer’s Fashion-Leader” – a German publication*

                                                Much love, Precious

                                                            Dicker

P.S.  You might send it on to Diller to get her views!

 

*See art history blog for images of Beyer dress patterns.

 

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 26th     Place DRIEL

“C” Squadron relieved “A” in the left hand sector.

'B' Squadron's Assault Troop

On 23^rd October Eric writes: “Slack went away as he got hurt from last night’s do (see Eric’s diary for 22nd October) but I think he will be OK.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 24th     Place DRIEL

‘Last night was again quiet and today nothing was heard until 1345 hrs when two spandaus opened fire from 704747 and 704755.  They were engaged by our Mortars and silenced.

501* RCT (?) on our left sent a patrol across the NEDER RIJN tonight.’

*the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the US 101st Airborne (‘Screaming Eagles’).

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 25th     Place DRIEL

‘The enemy’s policy is still to be low during the day and confine his activities to mortaring and shelling only.  Today has been very quiet again though the inevitable movement started at last light. 

At 1935 hrs an enemy patrol worked its way behind our outpost at 707764.  It was then seen and engages by “B” Squadron assault troop with good results, and some hits were scored.  They were driven back over the railway line taking their casualties with them. 

Apart from Small Arms fire on the railway opposite 13 Troop and some good harassing fire on known enemy localities by 124 Forward Regiment the remainder of the night was peaceful.’

The action involving 'B' Squadron's Assault Troop (Eric Brewer's Troop) sounds remarkably like the event described by Eric in his diary for 22nd October. 

Deserters

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 23rd     Place DRIEL

‘Contact Patrols last night had nothing to report.  The quietness of the last two days was enlivened by a deserter surrendering to one of our Officers at 0900 hrs.  The Prisoner of War – from 47 Fortress* Battalion – had only been in the Wehrmacht (German Army) since June and though willing to talk knew very little.

This afternoon “B” Squadron reported 12 enemy who appeared at 7074 along the line of the railway.  They were heavily and effectively engaged and not seen again.’

*a Fortress (or Festung) infantry division in the German army was used to garrison critical sites.

 

Reg Harper’s account of ‘the Island’ includes “the night we had a prisoner. 

I was Guard Commander, doing my rounds when I encountered the sentry who had ‘found’ this person.  In the pitch black of the Island, illuminated intermittently by a firework or two over towards Arnhem, it was difficult to see who or what we had.  The nearest source of light was the Intelligence Office so there we took him. 

Opening the door, we shoved him in, to be confronted by a bemused IO, Colonel Brownrigg and Sergeant Cotter.  We then divested this disreputable figure of various knives, pistols and what have you, which were in his pockets, socks and anywhere else.  The Intelligentsia questioning him did not get very far, the odd grunt as I remember.  It turned out eventually that he was an American deserter………Oh, the excitement of it all!”   (From the newsletter of the Old Comrades Association.)

Rescuing the British Airborne

Sandy Handley remembers watching for escaped British Airborne:

“Another place in the area our troop had to go to was a small village.  I can’t think of the name, may have been Mary Magdalene.  Our job was to keep a lookout for any of our Airborne chaps who’d managed to get away from the Germans. 

This part of the river was 10 to 15 ft wide.  We had a lookout in the attic of a house which overlooked another building on the other side. We could actually see Germans scuttling about; we had a good target for a grenade or a machine gun but the Officer ordered no firing.  These enemy then disappeared.  I think maybe our Regiment was a bit spread out so maybe we didn’t start anything which we couldn’t follow up. 

The situation seemed to relax a bit and some of the men wandered away from their vehicles.  I sat in my Gunner’s seat on our Humber and started to write to my parents.  Our vehicle was stationary beside a Church with heavy iron railings, all of a sudden we were mortared; the men who had wandered off came running back to the cover of the vehicles.  There was a terrific explosion as one of their mortar bombs came down.  I crouched down.  After a time all went quiet and I peeped over the turret and saw the iron railings were cracked in half and lying on the ground.  I think another couple of inches and our Humber, with me in it, would have gone the same.  I felt too shaky to finish my letter.  After this everyone was ordered to remain with the vehicles.” (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

 

On 22^nd/23^rd October 1944 more than 100 British Airborne troops, who had been hiding in German occupied territory north of the Lower Rhine, were rescued near Renkum, (a village east of Arnhem, c. 6 km from Driel).  This operation involved Canadian engineers and the famous ‘Easy Company’ (2^nd battalion, 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, US 101^st Airborne – see 'Band of Brothers' ). The rescued men were flown back to the UK and reunited with their comrades who had escaped in Operation Berlin a month ago.

Jammed by the Boche - Sunday 22nd October 1944

POSTCARD Naarde Markt - Sunday 22^nd October 1944

Monday 22^nd (sic)

Chotie,

                        Still trying to get …id of these things!  I’ve had to cross the …lace name out on this …ne for security reasons.  Letter posted with this, and there’s …lenty more to come!

                                    Dick

 

Letter written on Sunday 22^nd 1944

61^st Recce Regt RACBLA.

Monday October 22 (sic)

Chotie Darling,

                                    Have just received your letter of the 18^th, which is pretty good going.

            Your hope that things aren’t going to badly is reasonably justified.  I’ve had three days’ rest – it’s been pretty deadly as I’m the only officer here, but it has been rest nevertheless.

            I go up to Squadron HQ tonight to take over duties of 2^nd in command as Ted goes away for 48hrs leave in Antwerp tomorrow.  It’s my turn next but I don’t know how things will turn out yet.

            Solomon*’s over here somewhere – he was playing in Eindhoven a fortnight ago, so with luck I might see him.

            Missed Pouishnoff** yesterday, when the programme was jammed by the Boche at the last moment.  Was I mad!  I’d waited all day to hear him.  We’re so near Germany that it’s easy for them to jam English stations.

            Glad to hear about your leave - might as well get all you can.

            Thanks for posting some tobacco Darling, it was certainly very welcome.

            Have been doing a little reading lately and at present am struggling through a massive tome entitled – ‘The Arts – Man’s Quest for Beauty’ by Rothenstein and Henry Wood**.  Quite a fine piece of work, though a little deadly in places.

            (They’ve just brought me in a cup of coffee which is made from acorns!  Surprisingly enough it’s considerably better than pukka coffee as made in England.) 

            This book includes Chapters on painting, drawing & design, Sculpture architecture, Music and Dramatic art, so it’s quite comprehensive!  I’ve only got as far as sculpture, so there’s a long way to go!

            Must close here to pack things for tonight.

                                                love

                                                            Dicker X.

 

*Solomon Cutner - a British pianist known simply as ‘Solomon’.

**’The Arts – Man’s Quest for Beauty’ by Sir William Rothenstein and Sir Henry Wood, published in 1935.

 © Chotie Darling

 

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 22nd     Place DRIEL

'Normal patrolling was carried out last night without incident.  Today has been very quiet except for the usual spasmodic shelling of our forward area.  “B” Squadron relieved “C” during the night without incident.'

 

I’m not sure Eric Brewer would agree that the night of 22^nd October was ‘without incident’.  He wrote in his diary:

“On outpost tonight Gerry came behind us – a small patrol of roughly 10 men.  I noticed them and shouted “Halt, who goes there?” when they were 25 yards away and they were 10 yards away when they stopped.  I wasn’t half scared but they only opened up with Smisy (small arms?) and our Bren gun and grenades soon got rid of them.” 

(From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

 

Dick and ‘B’ Squadron were now on the front line,

east of Driel on the south bank of the Lower Rhine

until 28^th October 1944.

 

"Quiet" on the Western Front

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 20th     Place DRIEL

'Today has been comparatively quiet and no enemy movement was observed until 1405 hrs when “C” Squadron reported fresh digging in area 7076.  “C” Squadron area was shelled spasmodically from 1420 to 1500 hrs and in response to numerous SHELLREPS a hostile battery at 644785 was dealt with by our medium artillery. 

At 1610 hrs “C” Squadron engaged what appeared to be a periscope on the railway embankment 705755 with light machine gun fire.  The result, a loud explosion, sheet of flame and black smoke indicated that a mine had been hit.

Another small enemy patrol was encountered by one of “A” Squadron’s patrols moving WEST along the river bank at 679762.  A few shots were exchanged without any conclusive results.  Nothing further was seen though our patrol remained in the farm at 678763 until 0530 hrs 21 Oct.'

 

Eric Brewer wrote in his diary for 20^th October:

“Shifted tonight to the other side of Arnhem.  Gerry 100 yards away, one was 25 yds. A few grenades etc.”

The next day he was “cut on outpost tonight – Gerry throwing grenades over our positions and plenty of Spando fire but otherwise quiet.  Can see Gerry walking about, also his outpost.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 21st      Place DRIEL

'Today has been exceptionally quiet.  No enemy movement was observed until 1945 hrs when a spandau fired from 711734 and movement was heard in that sector.'

Another Recce PoW dies in captivity

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 19th     Place DRIEL

'The night has been uneventful.  “C” Squadron moved their Command Post to the area of the sugar factory at 684746 under cover of darkness.

There has been little enemy activity during the morning though spasmodic mortaring and shelling has continued.  This afternoon however the enemy has been more active and at 1405 hrs “C” Squadron located 2 mortars on the NORTH bank of the NEDER RIJN and several vehicles were observed in the same area 7077, and at 1412 hrs some cyclists carrying WT sets.  Dusk brought the inevitable increase in enemy activity and our outposts again reported movement in area 7077.  At 2130 hrs the US troops on our left reported an enemy patrol, approx 10 strong, had crossed the river and landed in area 6675, they were fired on and contact lost.  At 2145 hrs “A” Squadron reported that they had located the patrol in the buildings at 675762 and they were heavily stonked.  Nothing more was heard.'

 

61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes the following who died on 19^th October 1944 as a Prisoner of War:      

Sergeant Edward Harper (age 34) of Exhall, Warwickshire

who is laid to rest in the Utrecht (Soestbergen) General Cemetery (Utrecht is south of Amsterdam).  PoW.

(See 61st Recce Roll of Honour, courtesy of Recce Mitch.)  

We will remember them.

Driel

On 17^th October 1944 Major-General L.O.Lynne relieved Major-General D.A.H. Graham as commanding Officer of 50^th Division until 22^nd November.

 

 WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 17th     Place APPELTERN                 DRIEL (south-west of Arnhem on south bank of Lower Rhine)

During the night orders came from Division.  The Regiment is again to move to the island and to hold the area SW of Arnhem relieving 69 Infantry Brigade.  Recce parties left early and the handover to 43 Recce Regiment was completed by 1300 hrs.

The DRIEL area 6875 is under direct enemy observation from the high ground WEST of ARNHEM and the take over from 69 Infantry Brigade had to be done at night.  Regimental HQ is east at LIENDEN 682708* and the reserve Squadron – “B” – is also in that area.  The ground is so open and roads so bad that the armoured car troops cannot be employed so they form an additional reserve.  The Regiment having to take over a complete Brigade sector, the ground will be thinly held and the present intention is to relieve each Infantry Company with a carrier or assault troop.  “C” Squadron are to hold the right sector and “A” the left.  Only at one point, the railway bridge 7076, is there any close physical contact.  The roads are narrow, treacherous and flanked by the inevitable deep ditches so the problem of moving vehicles up to their new area is nos easy one.

*west of Elst, in the middle of ‘the Island’.

 

Dick was now on ‘the Island’ again but on reserve at Lienden

between Herveld and Elst

until 22^nd October 1944.

 

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 18th     Place DRIEL (south-west of Arnhem on south bank of Lower Rhine)

The relief was completed by first light and only a few vehicles were ditched in the process.  There was fortunately little enemy activity during the take over.  By day only N/cs are safe moving up to “A” & “C” Squadron HQs and all admin has to be carried out after dark.  During daylight the present intention is to hold the forward psots with skeleton crews, the remainder withdrawing to nearby houses under cover, though by night the slit trenches are manned by all.

That the Germans have plenty of artillery and ammunition at their disposal is known and their outposts are alert.  This was shown when 3 men entered “C” Squadron’s outpost at the same time.  Two shells were immediately fired from NORTH of the NEDER RIJN both scoring direct hits in the building.  One OR (Other Rank) was wounded.  Orders have accordingly been issued to restrict movement in the forward areas to the minimum essential traffic.  Enemy movement was negligible until 1530 hrs when “C” Squadron reported an enemy patrol, 20 strong, in their sector EAST of the railway.  After a brief exchange of shots the enemy withdrew.  The CO moved a Tactical HQ up to “A” Squadron’s command Post at DRIEL tonight.

 

Rather puzzlingly Don Aiken has written in his account of 61^st Recce:

17th October - Venray
18th October - Aachen

Venray is in the Netherlands east of Eindhoven but Aachen is much further south in Germany east of the Netherlands border and the city of Maastricht. The Battle of Aachen was raging at the time between American and German forces on the Siegfried line.  (Extract  republished from 'From the Breakout to the Rhine by kind permission of Don Aiken)

 

Eric Brewer had moved to ‘near Elst near Arnhem’ on 16^th October where he was ‘in reserve’ with the rest of 'B' Squadron, including Dick, until the 20^th October (from ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004).

Action on the Waal

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 16th     Place APPELTERN (west of Nijmegen, near the Maas)

After another uneventful night the enemy were again active this morning.  At 0900 hrs a “B” Squadron outpost at 441669 was engaged by an enemy SP gun from the North bank of the WAAL.  The outpost was hit and the Troop Commander, Lieutenant A.R.V.STONE*, was slightly wounded.  Enemy movement has been on a reduced scale today.  He is making use of all available cover in his efforts to avoid detection.  Despite this, five men crawling along the road at 395633 and men digging at 462691 were fired on with good results.  At 1900 hrs it was learned that 43 Recce Regiment** are to relieve us tomorrow.  Our future role is not yet known.

*see 'Belgium' for the action that earned Lt. Albert Stone the Military Cross.

**Dick’s Regiment before his commission.

Wamel

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 13th     Place HERVELD         APPELTERN (west of Nijmegen, near the Maas)

'53 Recce Regiment arrived today and the relief of “A” & “B” Squadrons started immediately.  Squadron leaders in the meantime were reccying the new area SOUTH of the R WAAL and covering the SOUTH bank from LEEUNEN* 4968 to the bottle neck between the R WAAL and R MAAS.  At 1300 hrs command at HERVELD changed to 53 Recce Regiment and the unit was installed in its new area by 1600 hrs having relieved 52 (L) Recce Regiment**.  RHQ was established at APPELTERN 578615 “A” Squadron being in reserve in the same area.  The Regiment is now under command of 4^th Armoured Brigade with “B” Squadron centred on WAMEL*** 4367 and “C” on DREUMEL 4163. The present intention is to hold the ground with a ….(pages missing from diary here)

 

*Beneden-Leeuwen is west of Nijmegen on the south bank of the Waal.

**Dick’s future regiment.

***On the Waal west of Leeuwen

****south-west of Wamel, also on the Waal.

 

Dick and ‘B’ Squadron were at Wamel on the south bank of the Waal

until 17^th October 1944.

 

Eric Brewer of ‘B’ Squadron’s Assault Troop had moved to Wamel two days earlier, according to his diary and, in Dick’s language, soon had ‘his feet under the table’:

“made friends with a girl called Annie.  Plenty of 771 (?) round this way…also some Prince’s Greens*” (11^th October 1944)

*the Prince Consort's own Rifle Brigade, also known as the ‘Green Jackets’ for their uniform.

“saw the girl I know – had tea there, also some drinks and a bunch of grapes.  They are funny people, in the day they call everyone Tommies, at night they are scared as anything.” (12^th October 1944)

“still the same position on forward outpost directing artillery fire on Gerry outposts, a bit of action through the night.” (13th October 1944)

“still same place, went to house again for tea.  Gerry fired at the church tower today and brought it down.  Some of our chaps in Store’s troop were up there – luckily the first one hit the church low, they only got a bit of shrapnel in them.  Lucky they did not get more.” (14^th October 1944).

(From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

Lieutenant Griffiths, Croix de Guerre

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 12th     Place HERVELD

'After a quiet night enemy movement has increased again particularly on “A” Squadron’s front where men digging, ambulances and horse drawn tpt (transport?) have been seen throughout the day.  An armoured car patrol from “A” Squadron moved to the SOUTH bank of the R WAAL in the DRUTTEN* area and watched enemy movement in front of our Forward Defence Lines.  All movement seen today has been engaged by artillery.  “A” Squadron patrolled towards the DODEWARD* area.  Leaving at 1400 hrs the patrol was unable to make any progress cross country owing to the wide ditches.  The patrol Commander (Lieutenant C.R.Griffiths***) then decided to move down the ditch by the NORTH side of the road towards 555693.  At 558699 an enemy outpost was encountered.  The occupant did not need much persuasion to make them surrender and proved to be from 363 Infantry Division.  They stated that a mixed company was holding the area and that morale was low.  The patrol was then fired on by spandaus from the NORTH and mortared heavily from the same area.  It withdrew safely however and suffered no casualties.'

*Druten is north-west of Nijmegen.

**Dodewaard is on the north side of the Waal, west of Herveld.

***See 'Amiens and the Somme' and 'Across the Frontier'  for more information on Lt. Griffiths.  “This Officer’s example of cheerfulness and steadiness in every danger has had far reaching effects on his Squadron” (from 61st Recce Battle Honours.)

'C' Squadron Patrol

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 9th       Place HERVELD area

‘ “B” & “C” Squadrons positions were reviewed and improved during the day.  “C” Squadron’s outpost on the Island SOUTH of HIEN 5769 reported movement on a number of barges which are moored in the creek SOUTH of DODEWAARD (west of Herveld on the Waal).  Intermittent shelling of the whole area throughout the day increased to heavy concentrations SOUTH of 17 Troop’s positions on the railway at 1800 hours.  This was followed by an attempted penetration of the American Forward Defence Lines further WEST at 1820 hours.  Two SP juns and a few infantry were employed by the enemy, though it is difficult to see just what he hoped to achieve by this abortive mission.  Though some American outposts were withdrawn the whole situation was stabilised by 1900 hours.

15 Troop of “C” Squadron have confirmed the number of barges in the DODEWAARD as being 15.  The night was quiet.’  

 

 WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 10th     Place HERVELD area

‘At 900 hrs “C” Squadron sent out a Recce patrol on foot to investigate the barges at 555693.  The patrol – consisting of 2 NCOs – had not returned by 1000 hrs so the to commander – 2/Lt J. ARNOTT – and 1 OR (Other Rank) set off to investigate.  The OP covering them heard the sound of shots and subsequently saw a figure being pulled along the ground by some Germans.  It is feared that all have been made PW (Prisoners of War).  On the rest of the front the day has been generally quiet with a noticeable decrease in enemy shelling.’

 

61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes the following who died on this day:

          Corporal Roy George Whitehouse (age 23) formerly of the North Staffordshire Regiment who is mentioned on the Groesbeek Memorial (south-east of Nijmegen).

            Trooper John William Gridley (age 20) of Ilford Essex, formerly of the 61^st Training Unit who is laid to rest in the Assisi War Cemetery, south-west of Perugia in Italy.(?) 

who is laid to rest in the Mierlo War Cemetery, east of Eindhoven. (See 61st Recce Roll of Honour, courtesy of Recce Mitch.) 

We will remember them.

 

 

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 11th     Place HERVELD

'Today has been generally quiet with only intermittent shelling of the Forward Defence Lines.  “A” Squadron relieved “C” Squadron  during the day without incident.

Some news of the missing personnel has been received from an American Outpost in the HIEN area (west of Herveld near Dodewaard).  The first patrol was apparently surprise by a party of Germans and taken prisoner.  The second was ambushed and both members wounded.  The Officer was subsequently seen limping away with his captors and 2 SBs (subordinates?) carrying a stretcher.'

 

61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes the following who died on this day:

          Trooper Maurice Raine (age 19) of West Hartlepool, County Durham    

who is laid to rest in the Utrecht (Soestbergen) General Cemetery (Utrecht is south of Amsterdam). PoW.

(See 61st Recce Roll of Honour, courtesy of Recce Mitch.)  

We will remember them.

The ‘Koynell’ - Monday 9th October 1944

There are a few US 101st Airborne Colonels that Dick could be referring to in this letter (more if the Lieutenant-Colonels are included).  Colonel Gerald J. Higgins was HQ Chief of Staff, Acting Colonel Ewell was commanding Officer of the 501^st Parachute Infantry Regiment from 8^th October, Colonel John Michaelis was CO of the 502^nd PIR, Colonel Robert F. Sink of the 506^th PIR and Colonel Joseph Harper was CO of the 327^th Glider Infantry regiment (from the Paratrooper Research Team.) 

 

61^st Recce Regt RAC, BLA.

Monday Oct 10^th (sic)

Chotie Darling,

                                                Many thanks for letters received this morning dated the 5^th and 3^rd (?).  I sent you a field post card yesterday as I was rather pushed for time and expected to be even more pushed today.  However, thing’s seldom turn out as expected and today I have plenty of time, as I’m working as Liaison Officer with an American Colonel.

            Sorry to hear you just missed meeting your father in Bristol – better luck next time.  Also sorry to hear of your move back to Bristol area, as you had your feet so well under* in the farm!

            Things are just beginning to look Autumnal here though it’s much later in these parts.  A lot of trees have been shot-up of course which is rather misleading.

            I didn’t know Bluain’s husband was an airborne type.  Glad to hear he got out OK – also that Ted is still alive and kicking.

            Colston Hall* is certainly a consolation for returning to Bristol – I haven’t heard a thing for ages.

            I shouldn’t volunteer to go abroad as you’ll probably go to Egypt or somewhere and you’ll never get demobbed.  However it’s up to you, of course.  I believe Diller was toying with the idea.

            Weather has been very pleasant here for the last few days – genuine October weather in fact.  The countryside is deadly flat but quite picturesque owing to such pretty farmhouses and windmills.

            I’m desperately short of tobacco at the moment as my supply from home is still in the post – 9 wks!  Brinner sent me some from Base but he’s not able to get much himself, and I’m smoking quite a bit these days – needless to say.  If you could possibly send me some duty-free it would be very welcome Darling (….) and I’ll send you a cheque as soon as my new cheque-book arrives.

            I must have spoken too soon about the weather as it’s just started to rain.  I’ve now retired into my armoured car where I started this letter.  It’s frightfully cramped for this sort of thing.  Hope it doesn’t last.

            Spent three days with a very nice family in a large town recently.  We were harboured in an orchard and Geoff Winser and myself were offered a room and a bed apiece.  Needless to say we soon had our feet under** and spent a very enjoyable time there.

            Must close here, as I have to meet the ‘Koynell’.                         

                                                All my love,ChotieDarling                                                               

                                                                                    Dicker.

 

In early October Chotie appears to have moved back to the Bristol area

Her address was now:

W/242328 Pte Chalkley B.E. .

“B” Troop

462. “Hy” M. A.A. Bty. R.A.

Woodlands Camp

Almondsbury

Bristol

Almondsbury is north of Bristol and Woodlands appears to be an area west of here, now the junction of the M4 and M5.

* http://www.colstonhall.org/ Bristol’s concert hall.

**short for ‘feet under the table’ meaning comfortable and welcomed in someone else’s home. Dean Farm near Cheltenham had obviously been hospitable to their ATS lodger.

  © Chotie Darling

 

 

The Screaming Eagles

The 101^st Airborne Division, ‘the Screaming Eagles’, is renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, Operation Market garden and the Battle of the Bulge.  It has since paid a prominent role in many military campaigns and is one of the most highly decorated units in the US Army.

 

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 8th       Place HERVELD (west of Elst)

‘The Regiment – less “A” Echelon – crossed NIJMEGEN bridge at 1030 hours and came under command of 101 US Airborne Division.  We are based on HERVELD 6369 and RHQ and “A” Squadron are located there.  “B” & “C” Squadrons are forward.  The area lends itself easily to defence and Squadrons are mainly behind the American FDLs (Forward Defense Lines?) with the armoured car and some carrier troops forming mobile outposts looking WEST and NORTH over the NEDER RIJN.  In addition “C” Squadron assault troop and “B” Squadron Anti-tank Battery have formed a block on the railway at 580714.  The area was taken over from 52 Recce Regiment* and the relief completed by 1600 hours.  The remainder of the day was fairly quiet with only intermittent shelling of the FDLs.’

*Dick’s future regiment

 

Dick was now on ‘the Island’ again.

The regiment remained near Herveld until 13^th October 1944.

 

Eric Brewer’s diary for 8^th October records: “two counter attacks also shelling which has increased.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

Sandy Handley recalls “After the Arnhem do we was used for line holding, watching long stretches of river or open ground for which our mobility and communications were well suited.  We were sometimes supporting the 101 American Airborne.  Later we had a series of ordinary infantry positions in the lowland between Arnhem and Nijmegen.” (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

 

 

Field Service postcard sent to Chotie by Dick on 8th October 1944.

With the Yank Airborne

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 6th       Place ELST area        NIJMEGEN

'The regiment moved from divisional reserve SOUTH of the River Waal to our old harbour SOUTH of NIJMEGEN.  By 1400 hrs “A” Squadron were the only sub-unit NORTH of the river.  Efforts were made to have “A” relieved, but the relief was not completed until 2200 hrs.  The day has been generally quiet with some slight shelling of NIJMEGEN at last light.'

 

Dick was now south of Nijmegen again,

away from the front line.

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 7th       Place NIJMEGEN

'Today has been devoted to bathing, maintenance etc.  We have been warned that we return to the ‘Island’ tomorrow, it is believed to the WESTERN sector.'

 

Reg Harper tells of trying to back to Nijmegen to have a bath where Regional HQ ‘had their feet under the table in civvy billets’ by pretending he needed to take a truck back.  Unfortunately he encountered the legendary ‘Towrope’ Captain Joe Meredith, the Technical Adjutant who had organised the water-proofing of vehicles for D Day and who wasn’t to be fooled. Corporal Harper was sent packing, back north over Nijmegen Bridge to ‘the Island’.  (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 Tony Rampling remembers just how important a bath might seem: 

Washing and Shaving

“Well we obviously didn’t wash very much.  They tried to get us to shave, which we did under pressure.  I actually grew a moustache to make myself look a bit older because I looked quite a boy I think.  By and large we stank so much, that, well you wouldn’t have come near us.”  From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61^st Recce (pers comm).

 

On 6^th October Eric Brewer of 61^st Recce’s ‘B’ Squadron Assault Troop wrote in his diary:  “Moved to Arnhem.  Prisoners are only 15 years old with about 6 weeks’ service in.   Plenty of spando fire.  Our guns have been firing all the time.  We are with the Yank Airborne.”

On 7^th October he was:  “Still at Arnhem, east of it” (and remained there until the 9^th). “Gerry put in 4 counter attacks today, also plenty of shelling.  We are with the Yank airborne – they are a fine lot of chaps.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

Roy Howard explained: ‘Owing to manpower shortages in the British 2^nd Army, US 82^nd and 101^st Airborne Divisions were moved north of the Waal to the ‘Island’ to hold the tip of the salient with 61^st Reconnaissance regiment; and remained there until the end of November.  In this period their losses equalled those taken during the Airborne phase.  They became a much blooded Division’.    

The 101^st Airborne Division spent 72 days in combat in the Netherlands from the start of Market Garden  to late November 1944.  They suffered 1,682 casualties in the defensive fighting on ‘the Island’ alone.

(From “March to Victory: Guide to World War II Battles and Battlefields from London to the Rhine” by John T Bookman and Stephen T Powers, published by Haynes in 1986 and “Race for the Rhine Bridges 1940 1944 1945” by Alexander Mckee, published by Souvenir Press 1971.)

 

Over Nijmegen Bridge

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 3rd       Place NIJMEGEN

‘Today has been quiet.  “A” Squadron have returned from 69 Infantry brigade and reverted to Regimental control.

Tonight a warning order from Division arrived.  The Regiment moves NORTH of NIJMEGEN tomorrow.’

 

Eric Brewer wrote: “We were relieved to go for baths – first one since Bayeux…Saw a dog fight…Gerry is after the bridge but he got shot down and we saw the parachute.”

On October 4^th, while still at Nijmegen he wrote: “as I write this this the sound of mortar shells, air craft and machine gun fire can be heard.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 4th       Place NIJMEGEN  ‘The Island’

‘The Waal was crossed at 1400 hrs and the Regiment moved to the area 6968 just SOUTH of ELST.  We are in Divisional reserve though tactically disposed in Squadron ‘blobs’ centred on the BEMMEL* area.’

*a village south east of Elst

 

Reg Harper from 61^st Recce RHQ (Regimental Headquarters) recalled ‘the Island’ in the newsletter of the Old Comrades Association:   

“The damp, dreary and dismal ‘ISLAND’, that notorious place between Nijmegen and Arnhem we got to know so well during that October/November ’44…North it was again over Nijmegen bridge where, as Colonel Brownrigg wrote the heart sank every time you did it, and in my memory the throttle foot also went down hard on many occasions.”   (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

Dick and the rest of 61^st Recce had all moved to ‘the Island’,

near Elst (between the Waal and Lower Rhine rivers)

south of Arnhem, which was still held by the Germans.

 

 

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 5th       Place ELST area

‘Today has been quiet. “B” & “C” Squadron’s location remaining unchanged.  “A” Squadron moved from Regimental reserve and came under command of 151 Brigade* relieving 6 Durham Light Infantry from the area immediately NORTH EAST of NIJMEGEN bridge.  “A” are not seriously committed.  They have only a narrow sector to hold, and that, one which is unlikely to be the enemy’s ‘Schwerpunkt’** should an attack develop.  Five officer reinforcements ex 34 RHU***

*part of 50^th Division.

** a German word meaning literally ‘hard point’, the schw­er­punkt is the unmov­ing tar­get of a strat­egy - the one objective every­one is work­ing toward.

**Replacement Holding Unit or something to do with the Royal Hussars (part of 7^th Armoured Brigade)?

61st Recce War Diary

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 1^st. Place MILL (south of Nijmegen and Grave, Netherlands)

‘The dawn of another month finds the Regt’s location unchanged.  RHQ still at MILL 6545 with “B” & “C” Sqns East of the village and “C” Sqn patrolling the WEST bank of the R. MAAS.  The Armd Cs are now the only troops committed and the enemy is remaining quiet.

Orders were received from Division that the Regt is to move tomorrow to the NIJMEGEN area and adv parties from 3^rd (Br) Div arrived during the afternoon.  Sqns started to thin out during daylight and by 2200 hrs the relief was complete.  The relief has been on a generous scale – an inf bn relieving one of our armd c patrols at CUYK 7249.’

 

According to his diary Eric Brewer was already on his way: “Shifted to Nijmegen. Passed over the bridge the first airborne captured*…..50 of squadron allowed out to Nijmegen so we tossed up but was not lucky.”  (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

*Nijmegen bridge was captured by the US 82^nd Airborne and XXX Corps on 20^th October 1944.

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 2^nd.       Place MILL (then) NIJMEGEN

‘Most of the early part of today has been spent preparing for the move NORTH.  “A” Sqn are still under comd 69 Inf Bde NORTH of NIJMEGEN and it looks as though the Regt may be complete again before long.  The move took place at 1700 hrs and Sqns were in the new locn – SOUTH of NIJMEGEN – by last light.  RHQ was est at 702585.

 

Eric Brewer describes some action on 2^nd October: “Attack went in today – Yanks and British.  Plenty of fighting going on, also plenty of bombs going over.  Shelling and mortar, 4 hrs, heavy, also a few spando active.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

 

Dick crossed the Maas and moved to south of Nijmegen.