On 9th January 21st Army Group advances again and 6th Airborne Division retake Bure. US 1st Army approaches nearer to Houffalize and US Third Army is counter-attacking towards Houffalize from the south.
On 10th January the advance of British XXX Corps continues and 6th Airborne Division take a number of villages east of Rochefort moving towards La Roche-en-Ardennes and Saint Hubert.
The US 1st Army prepare to attack on a broad front east towards St Vith as well as continuing for Houffalize.
(From WW2-net Timelines and Brits in the Ardennes.)
Lieutenant Laing of 61st Recce’s C Squadron returns to Val de Poix (south of Bure and east of Saint Hubert) on 10th January. After losing an armoured car he patrols forward on foot to establish the enemy is still there. They withdraw the next day and, to continue pursuit and maintain contact, Lt. Laing rebuilds a bridge and clears mines and booby traps. (From Lt. Laing’s citation for the Military Cross in 61st Recce Battle Honours.)
Colonel Brownrigg describes other heroic feats by 61st Recce:
“Towards the end of the campaign, frost, mines and blown bridges made further advance impossible except on foot. We were asked to investigate Saint Hubert (west of Bastogne), which was strictly in the American boundary. Lieutenant Spreag, on his first operation as troop leader, started by carrier. When that was blown up on a mine he transferred himself to a horse (first time on horseback). With two Belgian woodsmen he rode to the outskirts of St Hubert, then straight through it. The Bosches had just left. That night the BBC reported that British Armoured cars had entered St Hubert, and the next morning the Corps Commander* sent a liaison officer to congratulate us on being the first to enter St Hubert, and would we please never go there again, as the Americans were not pleased.” (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)
*I’m not sure who this was because Wikipedia says that during the Battle of the Bulge Lieutenant-General Horrocks was temporarily relieved of his command by Montgomery because he had become ‘nervy and difficult with his staff’ (source Nigel Hamilton).
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