Last Days Together

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

7^th Wed –  Came home again for last day of leave.

8th Thur – End of leave.  Left Bognor for Dover via Victoria.

 

Photos taken at St Margaret's, 9 Sea Lane, Pagham on 8th March 1945:

Dick and Chotie

Chotie, Dick, Ma and Pa Williams

Chotie, Dilys, Ma and Pa Williams

Dick and Chotie with Pa Williams and dog

Chotie 8th March 1945

Dick 8th March 1945

 

 

On 7^th March US forces managed to take and hold the bridge across the Rhine at Remagen (between Bonn and Koblenz) and establish a bridgehead on the east bank.  Hitler had ordered that all the bridges across the Rhine should be destroyed but a rush attack by the Americans on the still intact Ludendorff bridge was successful and thousands of Allied troops were able to cross here.  (See World War II: The Bridge at Remagen)

 

52^nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance Regiment:

52^nd Recce was ordered to move to the centre of the Rhineland taking over from 53rd Recce. ‘B’ and ‘C’ Squadron assumed positions with ‘B’ maintaining contact with Americans forces now on the right flank of the regiment. RHQ and ‘A’ Squadron moved to Geldern.

(From the War Diary of the 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset)