WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944
– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg
Date 26th-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 27th November Major-General D.A.H. Graham returned to 50th (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 50th from January 1944 to 17th 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.)
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