Traffic - Saturday 24th March 1945

By 24^th March over a million men were waiting to attack across the Rhine.

 

Trevor Whitfield, who was with ‘C’ Squadron of 52^nd Recce wrote:

‘The rest of the Regiment was given the administrative job of getting the leading battalions and regiments from their concentration area up to the river bank.  This job was organised from a tented camp in the woods at Sonsbeck* by 12 Corps HQ.  The weather was delightful and the birds were singing in the woods and could be heard in the intervals of the barrage.'

*between Kevelaer and Xanten.

(From ‘Time Spent or The History of the 52nd-Lowland-Divisional Reconnaissance Regiment January 1941-October 1945’ by Trevor D.W.Whitfield, published by Mountain 1946.)

 

52nd (Lowland) Div Recce Rgt.

RAC BLA.

Saturday Mar. 24^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    I’ve received your parcel Precious, for which many thanks.  It must have cost a fortune!  I’ve had to work out a roster for the pills and things.

            Well, my Darling, I’m in a smashing billet away from my troop in charge of about 20 miles of road as Traffic Control Officer.  Imagine it, armband and all!  I look quite a dog….

            I’m afraid it won’t last for long though – it’s much too cushy for that.  I’m with two other subalterns who share my simple taste in living so we’re really very happy.

            The farm is situated in rolling pine forest land with about half the countryside under the plough.  Where there’s an absence of pines there’s a mass of heather, and with the really hot weather we’ve been having here for the past week the scent from them is overpowering.

            I’ve been out walking this evening with a captured shotgun having a crack at the odd rabbit.

            There’s also a swift flowing river some 300 yds from the farmhouse, so we sit and laze on the banks when we’ve nothing special to do, and talk a lot of rot of course.

            I was sorry to hear about your tooth trouble.  I hope it’s  better now.  Touch wood,  I haven’t had any for years.  I’m sorry to say however that the Doc has been checking up on my inoculations and he’s been chasing me around with a damn needle.

            What do you think of the news?  Brinner* is mixed up in it somewhere but I haven’t mentioned it in my letters home.

            Hope you’ve settled down to routine again after all this time. For myself, I’m right back in the groove – rut! 

            Nothing else to write about, so I’ll close here.

            What Branch of the National Provincial? Parkstone?       

                                                Goodnight my Darling

                                                Your ever loving husband

                                                                        Dicker.

 
*Brinner must have been in the 5^th (Hackney) Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment Royal Berkshire regiment who assisted the 15th Scottish Division across the river (the same Division Sandy Handley had been assigned to for the Rhine crossing ). The 5^th Battalion of the Berkshires remained in Xanten until peace was declared and for the rest of the year carried out garrison duties. (From Unit History: Royal Berkshire Regiment.)

© Chotie Darling