Dick spent the New Year in the comparative safety of Honnay, a little village between Beauraing and Wellin, where he was based for 5 days in all. On 1st January XXX Corps were operating offensively south of the River Lesse and contact was made with enemy posts held by 9th Panzer Division at Wavreille, Bure and St Hubert (all 61st Recce patrolling areas) as well as Hargimont and Jemelle, east of Rochefort.
The huge Luftwaffe attack on Allied airfields in Belgium, Holland and France (Operation Baseplate) resulted in a net loss of German planes, many shot down by their own anti-aircraft batteries due to excessive secrecy surrounding the operation. The Allies were now assured of air supremacy but the skies in the Ardennes had clouded over again since the 26th December.
In January the weather became the main enemy – temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees centigrade and there was nearly a metre of snow to contend with, as well as icy roads, hidden mines and booby-traps. “I was never so cold in my life as in the Ardennes. If you had to sleep in an armoured car it was like sleeping in a fridge” (Tony Rampling). One night Dick had found a rough barn for his troop to sleep in. Tony and another chap were sent to fetch the rum ration – they had one or two spoonfuls each every night – and, after “sipping” it on the way back Tony swore at Dick (the only time he ever challenged an officer) “When are you going to get us out of this **** place?” Dick didn’t put him on a charge and said very little.
On 3rd January Montgomery launched a major counter-offensive with US 1st Army attacking from the north and XXX Corps from the west. 6th Airborne Division moved in first, through Beauraing and Wellin, following the 61st Recce and Belgian SAS reconnaissance line towards Bure and Wavreille, where they met fierce opposition.
Lieutenants Urban-Smith and Fling led the way to Wavreille with a local Belgian nobleman, overcoming a group of Germans who came up behind them and driving the enemy from the village. They had to withdraw following fierce counter-attacks but the next day 6th Airborne re-took the village. At Bure there was intense fighting over a number of days – 29th Armoured Brigade with the 5th Para captured the village, were driven out again and finally held the village on 9th January in what became one of the toughest battles of the campaign. Four 61st Reconnaissance Regiment men were killed on 4th January. Sandy Handley wrote: “Sadly we had several casualties in the Ardennes but considering we were front line troops our casualties were light, although one casualty was one too many.”
On 5th January the news broke that Montgomery had taken command of the US 1st and 9th Armies, split from rest of the American General Bradley’s forces by the German offensive. The British press inferred that Monty had saved the day in the Ardennes, aggravating a dangerous rift between the Allied Commanders. This was further inflamed by Monty’s own arrogant behaviour and a fake BBC News broadcast by the Germans implying that the British Field Marshall had saved the US 1st Army from disaster. Churchill attempted to mend relations by citing the huge American losses – c. 80,000 men compared with the British 2 to 3,000 - but political damage was done that diminished Britain’s role in the invasion and occupation of Germany and even affected President Eisenhower’s reaction to the Suez Crisis.
“Fighting in the Ardennes reached a degree of savagery unprecedented on the western front” (Beevor). The German slaughter of American prisoners at Baugnez-Malmédy, and the murder of civilians, led to large numbers of revenge killings, some even condoned by senior officers. On 7th January two British armoured cars at Forrières (east of Wavreille) also shot surrendering Germans.
Operation Nordwind in the Alsace launched major offensives north of Strasbourg on 5th January and south, from the Colmar pocket, on 7th January. However, on 8th January the German High Command at last ordered a withdrawal in the Ardennes. 9th Panzer Division pulled back to a line east of Rochefort and Marche-en-Famenne on the 6th Airborne front, withdrawing from Jemelle that night. The sound of bridges being blown could be heard as the Germans retreated from the salient.
Dick had found billets for ‘B’ Squadron in a large village and time to write to Chotie on 8th January. His letter, restricted “about 90%” by self-censorship is full of family news with updates on his injured fellow officers Lt. Geoff Winzer and Major Harding. Dick was staying with “a charming family who do everything they possibly can to make things as pleasant as they can be, under these circumstances.” Belgian civilians suffered terribly in the Ardennes offensive – about 2,500 were killed (as well as c.500 in Luxembourg) and many who survived the bombing and heavy artillery barrages emerged from cellars and vaults to starvation and disease. 88,000 were made homeless. Towns and villages were reduced to rubble, food stores had been raided by the Germans, livestock slaughtered and furniture, or anything else that would burn, destroyed by troops of both sides trying to keep warm.
On 9th January Groupont, Forrières, Jemelle, Hargimont and, at last, Bure, were occupied by 6th Airborne who continued moving towards la Roche-en-Ardennes and Saint Hubert the next day. 61st Recce were asked to investigate Saint Hubert, although it was in the American sector. When the carrier of the new troop leader, Lieutenant Spreag, was blown up on a mine he transferred to a horse (first time on horseback) and rode into St Hubert with two Belgian woodsmen to find the Germans had just left. The Americans were not pleased when the BBC reported British armoured cars were the first to enter Saint Hubert.
The Christmas Eve massacre at Bande was discovered by 1st Canadian Battalion, (working with 6th Airborne) on 11th January.
The same day 61st Recce patrols contacted US VIII Corps from Patton’s 3rd Army in the area of St. Hubert. Lieutenants Spreag and Abercrombie “walked 20 miles through shocking country beset with mines to contact the Airborne Brigadier. He was so impressed that he at once offered them jobs”. By the end of the next day they had walked over 50 miles (Colonel Brownrigg).
“Despite the snow, the cold, the landmines and the roadblocks, as well as German defensive actions the British continued their advance and hampered the withdrawal plans of the German troops trying to escape the pincer movement of the allied armies”(from ‘The British in the battle of the Ardennes’).
On 12th January British and US 1st Army forces link up in Roche-en-Ardennes and the next day patrols from 6th Airborne Division contact the US 3rd Army’s 87th Infantry Division at Champlon.
The Russians had now begun three massive offensives on the eastern front and were striking from Poland towards Berlin. Germany’s commitment of forces in the Ardennes and Alsace had seriously weakened their defence in the east while the Red Army had deployed 6.7 million men along their front. They surged forward and on 19th January troops from the 1st Ukrainian front captured Krakow in south Poland. Nearby, on 27th January, a reconnaissance patrol from the 107th Rifle Division discovered “the most terrible symbol in modern history” – the death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Dick’s diary for 13th January records “Arrived Sintobins”. 61st Reconnaissance Regiment had returned to Iseghem, driving along ice-bound roads through Mons and Ath and reaching Kortijk / Courtrai after dark. Eric Postles’ carrier got stuck in the tram-lines here and had a “close encounter with a tram”. There were happy re-unions with their hosts from early December but, despite their merited performance in the Ardennes, the Regiment was still due to disband. Their equipment and vehicles were once more handed in.
Their General sent a message that all those who had fought in the Ardennes could take a few days leave in Brussels. Some headed straight for the brothels. Tony Rampling remembers staying in a very lively area but Dick’s diary only records a night out with Ronnie Jury and Johnnie Heitman at "Herboz von Brabant” on Tuesday 16th.
By 15th January, having cleared the whole salient up to the River Ourthe in the north-east and the Ourthe Occidentale to the south, XXX Corps returned to Boxtel near Eindhoven to prepare for Operation Veritable, Monty’s crossing of the Rhine into Germany. The next day the US 1st Army met up with US 3rd Army at Houffalize and US 1st Army reverted to American control under General Bradley.
Dick was with the Sintobins for dinner on Friday 19th January “with Ronnie (Jury), Brian (Coote – the new ‘B’ Squadron Commander) and Ted Oliver”. He stayed with the Sintobin-Anne family until at least the 27th January and wrote to Chotie on Monday 22nd January:
61st Recce Regt RAC
BLA.
Chotie Darling,
Many thanks for your last letters – I’m afraid I’ve been rather pushed for time, or I would have replied before.
Once again I’m with the Sintobins and living in complete luxury, which is quite a welcome break for us.
You’ll find two photographs* enclosed that they took, just as I was leaving the last time, to slow up von Runstedt a little. You’ll see a look of calm purposefulness (?) written all over my face ….
They really are a fine family here – I must certainly make the effort to see them again after the war. They gave a dinner for us – my Squadron leader Brian Coote** (Sandhurst mate), Ronnie and myself – last night which was a great success. Madame Sintobin went out to dine with the Colonel*** a few nights ago. She thought it a terrific honour….
I had a very unfortunate stroke of luck the day before yesterday. I had a letter from Bryn telling me he was in a town just seven kilometres from here. Accordingly I gripped some transport and after several false starts arrived at the town to find he had left that morning. Deadly, wasn’t it? He’s now hundreds of miles away, so we’ve had it for some time. His letter took four days to do four miles. If only it had arrived in reasonable time I could have met him and brought him in for a meal with my family here.
Is there anything further concerning your continental tour? I see they still want them****. It would certainly be more interesting than being in England but rather a gamble as you might well stay there for years.
Well, Darling, must close here to write the family.
All my love precious
Dicker
P.S. Have just received a lovely little diary from your mother. Will write her this afternoon.
*Photographs of Dick and the Sintobin-Anne family in Iseghem
**presumably Major Frank Harding's replacement
***Colonel Philip Brownrigg
****Towards the end of the war service women in the UK were asked to volunteer to relieve men who had been serving abroad for some time.
© Chotie Darling
This letter was sent to Fort Godwin, c/o Easington near Hull so Chotie had moved station yet again: “We moved to Spurn Point, indescribably stark…”
In the Alsace the French First Army attacked to defend Strasbourg on 20th January and a few days later Hitler’s Operation Nordwind began to peter out as they crushed the German bridgehead around Colmar. The Battle of Ardennes was now also ended – the US 1st Army captured what remained of St. Vith on 23rd January and by 29th January the front-line in the Ardennes was restored to roughly its position before the German offensive began 6 weeks earlier.
The Battle had involved more than 1 million soldiers including 55,000 British. The Americans lost almost 90,000 men with over 8,000 killed and 67,000 injured, the rest captured or missing. British losses were proportionately lower with about 200 killed, 1,000 injured and c. 240 captured or missing although those of 61st Recce were heavy with 48 killed, 144 wounded and 23 missing or captured. A report by a military observer on 22nd January records that 61st Reconnaissance Regiment “although working in completely unknown country, miles ahead of our main forces, sent back such valuable information of the disposition of enemy troops that our advance went ahead smoothly.”
The Germans lost around 80,000 men in the Ardennes with 15-19,000 killed. Although German capability in the west was destroyed the western Allies’ invasion of Germany had been significantly delayed.
The end of 61st Reconnaissance regiment had also been delayed but it was now inevitable. Photographs were taken of the Troops and Officers, there was a stand down parade and a regimental dance.
The officers of 61st Reconnaissance Regiment in January 1945 - Dick is at the end of the back row.
The men of 61st Reconnaissance Regiment earned one Distinguished Service Order, eleven Military Crosses (including their Belgium Liaison Officer), one Distinguished Conduct Medal, five Military Medals, three Croix de Guerre and three M.B.E.s (Member of the order of the British Empire). Subsequently, since 2014, all D Day veterans including Tony Rampling, Don Aiken and Eric Postles were awarded the Legion’d’Honneur Chevalier by France.
After landing on D Day, or soon after, they had fought for two months in Normandy, led the Allied forces across France and were the first into Belgium. There they held the line along the Escaut Canal and fought in the Battle of the Albert Canal near Gheel. In Operation Market garden they were part of the ground forces trying to reach Arnhem. Their forces were split but many made it to the bank of the Lower Rhine and helped rescue some of the 1st Airborne. 61st Recce stayed on the front line here for two months, with the US 101st Airborne, until the ‘Island’ between the Lower Rhine and the Waal was flooded. Their Division (the 50th Northumberland) was sent back to England and the Regiment was in Belgium ready to disband before their ‘reprieve’ for the Battle of the Ardennes....
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