Chotie Darling

75 years ago - Home, Married and at Rest

 

Dick was killed at the end of March 1945, less than 6 weeks before the end of the war in Europe.

He met Chotie for the first time since D Day on 1^st March in Pagham, where he was home on leave with his parents.  Five days later they married under under special license at Chichester registry office.  Their one night of honeymoon was spent at the lovely Spreadeagle Hotel in Midhurst, West Sussex.  On 7^th March they returned to be with family and on the 8^th Dick “Left Bognor for Dover via Victoria” to rejoin the war.

 Mr and Mrs Richard Williams with Dick's parents at Pagham

 

Meanwhile his regiment, now the 52^nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance, had at last crossed the anti-tank ditch at Afferden, defended tenaciously by German paratroopers.  They advanced into Germany, south-west towards Geldern and the Rhine.  On 3^rd March Montgomery’s pincers in the Northern Rhineland (British XXX Corps with Canadian 1^st Army for 'Operation Veritable' and the US 9^th Army for 'Operation Grenade') at last met at Geldern, about 10 miles from the Rhine, east of the Ruhr industrial region.  Dick’s ‘C’ Squadron were nearly at Twisteden, five miles to the north-west.  On 7^th March 52^nd Recce took over from 53^rd Recce to lead the Rhineland advance. 

Further south the US 1^st Army’s 9^th Armored Division dashed forward to secure an intact bridge over the Rhine at Remagen (between Bonn and Koblenz).  They secured a bridgehead across the Rhine and successfully defended the bridge from the relentless German attacks, including the use of V2 missiles.

 

Chotie wrote to Dick from Pagham on 9th March: “It was very wonderful to be with you for even this short while, so it is a glorious thought that we have a life-time to spend.  Don’t feel too blue – I am trying not to.”

 

Dick, having travelled overnight via Calais, had reached Bourg Leopold in Belgium, where he managed to spend a couple of days with his brother Bryn.  He wrote to Chotie on 12th March just before rejoining his regiment – his home leave had perhaps not been idyllic:

“You must find me terribly moody.  I try not to be, but since the beginning of the war I find I’m completely di-orientated at home.”  (My mother said Dick ‘knew’ he was going die and they cried all night on their honeymoon.)

 

Meanwhile on 10^th March Dick’s ‘C’ Squadron had been tasked with reconnaissance of the Rhine west bank along a four to five mile frontage near Menzelen (north-east of Geldern, near Xanten and Wesel).  At Menzelen they met no opposition and took a dozen prisoners.  There was more German resistance at Ginderich (nearer the river to the north) but they were soon backed up by infantry.  Pushing on via Gest (en route towards Wesel) they reached the Rhine at dusk and could observe hundreds of Germans on the opposite bank.  Calling down an artillery bombardment on the German defences, they also captured an enemy patrol sent back across the river to recover equipment.

From 12^th March 52^nd Recce rejoined their Division (52^nd Lowland), although squadrons were detached to work with various Scottish regiments – ‘C’ Squadron were with the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment).

 

Dick was at Ginderich on 13^th March ‘resting’.

Photo labelled 'Ginderich, March 1945'. Dick is on the right.

 

Chotie wrote to him from her home in Parkstone where she was enjoying being 'Absent without leave' with her best friend, Mary Dakin.  She wrote again later, after a miserable time at the dentist, having broken a tooth on her mother’s home-made toffee.  She was meant to return to her unit now after 14 days leave.

Dick wrote on 14th March from a “cushy billet (no windows but everything else is OK)” where he’d had a party with three other “Bolshie subalterns” and had made a new friend, Peter Evans.  Lieutenant Evans had led ‘C’ Squadron’s ‘almost copybook advance to the River Rhine at Ginderich’ (Trevor Whitfield) and subsequently received the Military Cross for this and his role in clearing the Scheldt Estuary in autumn 1944.  Dick’s old friend from 61^st Recce, Ronnie Jury, was now a Liaison Officer “in some Corps or other.  A pretty steady job but not much excitement.”  After the war he returned to painting and taught at the Slade School of Art.

Don Aiken recalls that the 52^nd Recce were now pulled back about a mile from the river awaiting the Rhine crossing, which was preceded by an intense build-up of men and equipment.  Like Dick, some of the men passed the time in bare-back riding the horses left by the Germans.  One of Don’s troop was killed by a single shot across the river while riding.

 

Chotie wrote on Friday 16th March with some good news – she’d been granted another 7 days leave so would not be punished on her return.  Relatives were still sending money for their wedding presents and Chotie was enjoying taking her sister Margaret’s baby, Roger, out in his pram.  Her younger sister Beryl was also at home – they went to see ‘Kismet’ at the cinema.

On Saturday night Hull, where Chotie’s anti-aircraft battery were stationed, was attacked by a single Heinkel, which killed 13 people and injured 22.  Chotie wrote again on Sunday 18th while packing to return there and sent another letter when she was back at Fort Godwin (on Spurn Point near Easington, east of Hull) after "an eventful journey".  She’d treated herself to lunch at a Spanish restaurant near King’s Cross and missed her train.  Arriving late in Hull a fellow lady in her carriage had invited her to stay so she enjoyed supper, a comfy bed and bacon and eggs for breakfast.  “Everyone” back at the battery was excited about her marriage and she seemed to have told her “tale about a hundred and one times”.

 

On the west bank of the Rhine 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment had been assigned traffic control duties as part of the preparation for ‘Operation Plunder’ (the Rhine crossing), although their ‘A’ Squadron was now with 1^st Commando Brigade – destined to lead the assault across the river. 

Dick was at Kevelaer, back from the line and north of Geldern, in a 300 year old cottage “having evicted the ‘civvies’ ”.  He wrote to Chotie that he’d spent 48 hours painting signs (presumably for traffic control) after a very close shave when a shell killed the bloke next to him.

 

Chotie wrote on Wednesday 21st: “We had a spot of excitement last night” so Hull may have been under attack again.  She was furious Dick had shaved off his moustache.  He’d written “I reckon I look much better without it.  I now look eighteen instead of thirty-five” (he was 23).  Chotie was enjoying walking on the beach in the sun with friends.  On the 23rd she wrote “It is decidedly better up here, now that Spring is here” and was hoping to stay with her ATS friend Nan’s family in Yorkshire.

 

At 6pm on 23^rd March Operation Plunder began with a massive artillery barrage along the Rhine from Nijmegen to the Ruhr – the largest bombardment undertaken by the Royal Artillery during the war.  A huge smokescreen was amassed to assemble supplies near the front and at nightfall the RAF saturated the town of Wesel, on the east bank with high explosive bombs.  52^nd Lowland Division, with their guns trained on the bank near Wesel was “in the front row of the grandstand at one of the most imposing spectacles ever staged".  General Eisenhower watched the operation from within the Division’s beat for a while.

Sandy Handley in Dick’s No 15 troop remembered “we were on the banks of the Rhine opposite the town of Wesel” in a large bulldozed ditch. Their officer told them the artillery barrage was about to start - canon and rockets were fired with a deafening noise – and later came to their car again to tell them this was only the beginning: “he said at 11 o’clock pm ALL THE LOT was going to open up.  At 11 o’clock we found out what he meant!  The noise was terrible; my nerves were getting a bit jaded.  There we were, in front of all these guns, yards from the actual river. 

I suggested to the other chap we go under the Daimler, which we did, scooping ourselves a little dugout.  We thought the deeper we dug the more safe we were…”  They had a complicated code to send back messages but Sandy was so shaken he just relayed the message in phonetic terms: “At times like these certain things didn’t go text book fashion…I had experienced these artillery barrages since we landed but this was the Daddy of them all.”

The first attack towards Rees (north of Wessel), led by 51st Highland Division, was a diversion from the main attack.  1st Commando Brigade with 52nd Recce’s ‘A’ Squadron, quietly crossed the river at 10 pm.  The Recce were in canvas boats with oars – their job was to provide beach control parties for the commandos and keep up communications across the river while the commandos observed radio silence.  By mid-morning the Commandos had secured most of the town – of the 1,600 men with them 11 were killed and 17 missing. 

The 15^th Scottish Division also crossed during the night, north of Wesel while to the south the US 9^th Army had crossed between Wesel and Rheinberg on an 11 mile front.

“In the early hours of the next morning the guns had ceased firing and we could actually hear birds singing.  One of the Officers in charge of our section came over to our Daimler and said “Well done men!” although I didn’t think we’d done anything except cringe under the Daimler… The officer then said at 10 o’clock this morning the Airborne paratroops and gliders will come over and land on the other side of the river near Wesel … precisely at 10 o’clock we heard a roar which grew louder and louder.  Someone said “Here they come”.  They flew low.  It was one of the greatest memorable sights I have ever seen, unforgettable.  First the paratroopers, then the gliders being towed over this great river.” (Sandy Handley)

 At 10 am on 24^th March 'Operation Varsity' began with more than 3,000 planes and gliders dropping over 16,000 men of the British 6^th Airborne and the US 17^th Airborne Division.  Unfortunately they were landing in ‘Flak Alley’ – the main defences for the Ruhr – and took more than 2,000 casualties.  However, by nightfall they’d met up with the ground forces and captured 3,500 German soldiers.  Montgomery’s  bridgehead over the Rhine was established.

Don Aiken, was also on the bank of the Rhine having volunteered to assist the Royal Engineers with communications.  After the air landings they went in under heavy fire to build pontoons across the river for getting ground troops across.  Don was waiting for a runner to come from the next armoured car with the latest message when, poking his head out of the turret in a lull, he found the runner had been killed by a German shell landing close by. 

The bridges were constructed and in a few hours the infantry had crossed followed by tanks.  Soon the pontoon bridge was a two-way highway: “all the paraphernalia of an attacking army was crossing into Germany” and “long lines of German soldiers were being marched out to Prisoner of War camps somewhere in England”.  8,000 Royal Engineers assisted the crossing of the Rhine.

 

The rest of 52^nd Recce, now based in a tented camp in woods near Sonsbeck (between Kevelaer and the Rhine), were given the administrative job of getting the leading battalions and regiments from their concentration area up to the river bank.

Dick wrote on 24th March: “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 with two other subalterns who share my taste in living so we’re really very happy.  I’m afraid it won’t last for long though – it’s much too cushy for that.” 

 

Chotie was on watch between 10 and 3 am that night when she wrote to Dick:

“The news is good again today, darling, - it can’t be long now.  When you come back and when we can be together always, well, won’t it be wonderful?

One day next week, if we get a spot of ‘off duty’, a whole crowd of us are hoping to get cracking on a ‘binge’ - celebrating my third week of being married or something.” 

 

By midnight on 24^th/25^th March 80,000 Allied troops had crossed the Rhine, including Winston Churchill who went over the river in a landing craft near Wesel.  Over the next couple of days there were more Rhine crossings by the Americans to the south and the US 1^st Army broke out of their Remagen bridgehead and marched south to join up with Patton’s 3^rd Army forces.

 

Chotie wrote to Dick again on the 26th, having received a letter from Brinner: “It’s marvellous that you are so near to each other.  I hope you manage to meet.”

“Just think, darling, tomorrow we have been married 3 weeks...  I spend quite a lot of my time just dreaming of things to come.  Have built us a home and furnished it (all in my imagination) most marvellously.  I think I had better see what I can do with a Missen, probably have to.”

 

By 27th March the Rhine bridgehead north of the Ruhr was 35 miles wide and 20 miles deep and 52^nd Recce’s ‘A’ Squadron reverted to regimental command.

52^nd Reconnaissance Regiment “moved over the Rhine under a full moon in the early hours of Good Friday, 30^th March, 1945; crossing on one of the various pontoons and Bailey bridges built in record time by the Royal Engineers.  Mile after mile of vehicles queued for the limited space on the roads, therefore it was mid-afternoon before the regiment was concentrated near the town of Mehr (north-west of Wesel), just a few miles east of the Rhine, ready to take part in what was a rapid advance into Germany” (Carl Shilleto).

 

Dick wrote his last letter to Chotie:  from “a windowless ‘brewed-up’ house with with half a gale blowing but having so much spiritual warmth I’m not unduly cold.  My cushy post has gone with the wind and I’m now back on the job again…Nothing very thrilling to write about – so I’ll close here.

                                                          Your loving husband

                                                                        Dicker.”

 

Photos from the BBC's VE Day 70: A Party to Remember - Honeysuckle Weeks and Laurence Fox read extracts from Chotie and Dick's letters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Mehr ‘C’ Squadron were placed in reserve, earmarked for Prisoner of War duties.  Dick learnt that Bryn’s unit was in the vicinity and set out to visit him in his small Daimler Dingo.  He was taking Bryn back when the car hit a small crater in the road, made by a shell or bomb.  Dick was killed instantly while Bryn escaped with cuts and bruises.

Sandy Handley remembered:

“Sometime in the afternoon Mr Williams’ brother came towards us and introduced himself and said “Mr Williams, your Troop Officer, is dead”.  Naturally we were stunned…

Later we (the No. 15 Troop) attended a small burial ceremony conducted by the 52nd Division Padre for the burial.  I think we all wanted to pass our condolences on to Mr Williams’ brother, who sat in another staff car with his fellow officers…

We would miss Mr Williams.  He had been with us from Normandy June ’44 to March ’45.  From a trooper’s point of view this Officer had looked after his eleven men and never asked us to do or risk anything that he couldn’t do himself.  We liked Mr Williams and we were going to miss his coolness.  He thought his troop were a good team too… 

It seemed ironic that a man could live through the many hazards and horrors of war, from the beaches of Normandy (where the 61st had become the first Reconnaissance Regiment to come ashore) and through the terrible fighting on the Rhine, only to be killed in a traffic accident.  Perhaps most tragic of all though was that the young officer had just returned from some leave and had been married for only three weeks.”

 

Chotie, at Spurn Point in Yorkshire, was “in the large mess hall, full of people.  The Sergeant-Major handed me the telegram to say Dicker had been killed.  The saddest moment of my life.”

 

Lieutenant Richard Kelner Williams is laid to rest in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery south-west of Kleve in Germany.

We will remember them.

The Last Post

 Alex de Groot's memorial photo of Dick's grave.

 

75 years ago - the end in the Ardennes

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 1^st January XXX Corps were operating offensively south of the River Lesse and contact was made with enemy posts held by 9^th Panzer Division at Wavreille, Bure and St Hubert (all 61^st 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 26^th 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 3^rd January Montgomery launched a major counter-offensive with US 1^st Army attacking from the north and XXX Corps from the west.  6^th Airborne Division moved in first, through Beauraing and Wellin, following the 61^st 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 6^th Airborne re-took the village.  At Bure there was intense fighting over a number of days – 29^th Armoured Brigade with the 5^th Para captured the village, were driven out again and finally held the village on 9^th January in what became one of the toughest battles of the campaign.  Four 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment men were killed on 4^th 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 1^st and 9^th 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 1^st 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 7^th 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 5^th January and south, from the Colmar pocket, on 7^th January.  However, on 8^th January the German High Command at last ordered a withdrawal in the Ardennes.  9^th Panzer Division pulled back to a line east of Rochefort and Marche-en-Famenne on the 6^th 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 9^th January Groupont, Forrières, Jemelle, Hargimont and, at last, Bure, were occupied by 6^th Airborne who continued moving towards la Roche-en-Ardennes and Saint Hubert the next day.  61^st 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 1^st Canadian Battalion, (working with 6^th Airborne) on 11^th January.  

The same day 61^st Recce patrols contacted US VIII Corps from Patton’s 3^rd 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 12^th January British and US 1^st Army forces link up in Roche-en-Ardennes and the next day patrols from 6^th Airborne Division contact the US 3^rd Army’s 87^th 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 19^th January troops from the 1^st Ukrainian front captured Krakow in south Poland.  Nearby, on 27^th January, a reconnaissance patrol from the 107^th Rifle Division discovered “the most terrible symbol in modern history” – the death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

 

Dick’s diary for 13^th January records “Arrived Sintobins”.  61^st 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 16^th.

By 15^th 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 1^st Army met up with US 3^rd Army at Houffalize and US 1^st Army reverted to American control under General Bradley.

 

Dick was with the Sintobins for dinner on Friday 19^th 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 27^th January and wrote to Chotie on Monday 22nd January:

61^st 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 20^th 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 1^st Army captured what remained of St. Vith on 23^rd January and by 29^th 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 61^st Recce were heavy with 48 killed, 144 wounded and 23 missing or captured.  A report by a military observer on 22^nd January records that 61^st 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 61^st 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 61^st 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 1^st Airborne.  61^st Recce stayed on the front line here for two months, with the US 101^st Airborne, until the ‘Island’ between the Lower Rhine and the Waal was flooded.  Their Division (the 50^th Northumberland) was sent back to England and the Regiment was in Belgium ready to disband before their ‘reprieve’ for the Battle of the Ardennes....

Sources include ‘Ardennes 1944’ by Anthony Beevor published by Penguin 2015 and ‘German attack in the Ardennes: Operation by 30 Corps’ published on WW2 Talk Forum.

75 years ago - beginning the Battle of Normandy

Dick was at a camp in the Aldershot area while half his Regiment, including half his troop, were waiting for D-Day on ships in the Solent.

On Monday 5th June he wrote “We’re still having quite a good time here, all things considered, though there’s very little to do and time is apt to hang rather heavily”.  He was reading books, walking in the woods and taking ‘the boys’ to an open-air swimming pool nearby.  Writing again the next day he was “up to my neck in this wretched audit board at the moment adding up masses and masses of figures” and had to “bust a couple of sergeants…for absence”.  This was how he spent D-Day.

Dick and the rest of his troop, including Anthony Rampling, were due to cross to France on D+3 (ie the 9^th June) but the sea was too rough and they were delayed.  On 10th June Dick wrote to Chotie of drunken parties – he’d been “out every night since D Day”.  The Hollywood star, Gertrude Lawrence, had given “quite a good show” at his camp.

Dick’s next letter is from France.  He and Tony went over on Tuesday 13th June (D+7) - although Churchill had made it across on a day trip the previous day.  Dick was very re-assuring “everything is fine – I’m in the pink and very happy here” although he was desperately tired, not having slept since Sunday.  At some time Dick would have heard that one of his troop on sentry duty in France had shot and killed Corporal Robert Black, confusing the passwords and mistaking Black’s Londonderry accent for German.

Tony and Dick rejoined their troop on 14^th June.  The troop members who went over on D-day had “gained a little battle experience (!) and seen some nasty things”.  They “felt like veterans compared with the new arrivals.” (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished.)

Since D-Day (or D + 1 for Sandy) the skeleton crew of 61^st Recce had been engaged with 50^th Division and 8the Armoured in an attempt to advance between Bayeux and Caen and take the critical town of Villers-Bocage.  Despite some success, in particular taking and holding the high ground of Point 103 (la Belle Épine) near Tilly-sur-Seules, they had been held off by the legendary Panzer Lehr Division, the cream of the German Army in Normandy, and also the fanatical 12^th SS Hitler Jugend nearer to Caen.

The 7^th Armoured Division (Monty’s Desert Rats) had then been tasked with taking Villers-Bocage but were badly beaten by 2^nd Division Panzer and the personal triumphs of the Panzer ace Michael Wittman, who destroyed 25 tanks in one day.

They had also discovered the perils of the bocage countryside – small fields with thick high hedges and narrow lanes, which perfectly camouflaged defenders for an ambush.  “Recce in Normandy meant driving down a road until something fired at you” (from WW2 Talk Forum)

The stench of death was everywhere – dead cattle and horses in the fields, casualties of war or shot by the Germans in retreat, and dead men who couldn’t be retrieved by their comrades.

On 15th June 'B' Squadron were somewhere in the Crauville area (between Tilly-sur-Seules and Caumont-L’Éventé) when the carrier in front of Eric Postles exploded killing four of the troop – two had been called up with Eric at Carlisle.   On the same day Don Aiken was involved in saving the life of his wounded corporal, Sammy Benson, giving covering fire while the heroic Sergeant 'Chalky' Wells went in to bring him to safety.

“We continued to live up to our name of reconnaissance, but every day our patrols found progress harder” (from ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lt-Col P.H.A. Brownrigg D.S.O.).  Eric Brewer was back at Point 103 again from 15^th to 18^th June withstanding ‘Gerry’ counter-attacks.

Dick wrote to Chotie :

Sunday June 18th

Chotie Darling,

                                                Well, Sunday’s come around again, though it makes no difference at all as every day is exactly the same here.  I’ve put the 18^th above but it’s only a guess.

            I hope to be able to write you more fully here, as I expect to have the rest of the morning free, though we never know when we’ll be called.

            Had quite a good night – four or five hours solid sleep – the first since I’ve been here.  It takes time to get acclimatised to sleeping in the midst of the terrific artillery racket that goes on nightly.  As Dostoevsky says ‘Man is a pliable animal – he gets used to anything in time’*. 

            Weather isn’t up to much at the moment – cloudy, though quite warm.

            I manage to get quite a bit of conversation with the local peasantry.  They speak a very pure tongue – slowly and with much careful thought.  The equivalent of the West Country in England.  So far I have had no difficulty in understanding them, or they me.

            My friend Jimmy Waddell is just walking over here.  He’s been out all night and looks a little tired.  Appears he’s been sniped at once or twice but got back OK.  It’s an endless source of amazement to us to see the people going about their lawful business with a total disregard to what’s going on around them.  I even saw an old farmer milking his only cow while a local battle was being waged for his farm!

            My relieving people have just arrived so will continue this later.

 

            Just had a go at an ME 109** with the old Bren.  No luck.  First I’ve seen for days.

            Must close here as I have to move.  Give my best wishes to your people won’t you?  And tell them I’m having the time of my little life.

                        All my love, Chotie Darling

                                                                                    Dicker

 

*From the Russian writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky’s novel ‘The House of the Dead’.

** a Messerschmitt Bf 109, a German fighter plane.

© Chotie Darling

Eric Brewer records that 61^st Recce advanced towards Grainville-sur-Odon on 18^th June but losing an Ark (armoured car?) and a carrier to an 88 gun (an anti-aircraft gun used against ground targets by the Germans) they were forced to withdraw.  Eric Postles remembers 18th June as the day they moved back a few miles and got their first mail since Nightingale Wood – he had a letter from Gladys (the girl he’d met on leave before D-Day, his future wife).

On 19^th June Tilly-sur-Seules at last fell to the 50^th Division, although intense fighting continued in the vicinity.  Eric Brewer lost five comrades on another recce in the Grainville area – one taken prisoner.

On 20^th June Don Aiken found himself in the besieged town of Caen when the driver got lost returning from the beaches with a truckload of ammunition.  Don was riding ‘shotgun’ in the rear of the truck.  Finding their way back to the Regiment the driver was killed when a German fighter plane blew up the truck in front.

Forced to withdraw from Grainville to “a rear position to be reinforced” Eric Brewer at last had a bath in a stream.  Anthony Rampling recalls that conditions in Normandy were so bad that, being on constant alert, they didn’t take their boots off for 40 days and “stunk like foxes”.

Letters home painted a different picture – Dick’s letter of 21st June is about the local people “shy but very friendly – and only too willing to converse with you, especially if you speak any French at all” - and the food; he managed to buy Camembert cheese and cider.  Eric Brewer had “at last found a farm to obtain milk” and chatted to a Frenchman of the “underground movement”.

By 21^st June 61^st Recce’s 50^th Division had suffered 4,000 casualties, the highest of any Division in Normandy.  The Battle for Normandy became something akin to the trench warfare of World War 1, with Recce units going into action alongside the heavy armour, fighting bitterly for every advance and 'digging in'.  Eric Brewer complained that he’d be a gravedigger after the war since it was all he seemed to be doing.  He was stuck at some cross roads near Grainville from 22^nd to 26^th June.  Dick was also back in action.  He sent a Field Service Postcard to Chotie on 23^rd June ( a quick correspondence device where you just entered the address and date and crossed out lines that didn’t apply eg ‘admitted into hospital’, ‘wounded’ or ‘sick’) but managed to write a letter on 24th June.  He was rapidly acquiring the local patois and had been talking to the refugees “scores of families with all their remaining belongings in one wheelbarrow”.

This was also the day the ship Derrycunihy was sunk on the way to landing 43^rd Reconnaissance Regiment at ‘Sword’ beach.  180 men died including Dick’s best friend when he was in the 43^rd, the piano player Donald 'Alex' Johnston.

The next day XXX Corps renewed its battle with the Panzer Lehr as a diversionary attack for the launch of Operation Epsom, Monty’s plan to attack west of Caen and then swing round to encircle the city.  Eric Brewer and his comrades were sent out to find the German forward position for assaults by the East Yorks Regiment and, on 26^th June, found the place formerly occupied by a company of the Green Howards – their kit was still there but the 57 men had not been heard of for a week.  Eric Postles records that 10 and 12 Troop lost men that day.  The attack on Grainville-sur-Odon was stalled on 27^th June although the Allies took Rauray, Colleville and Mouen and a bridge over the River Odon.  Grainville was also in their hands the next day and 61^st Recce crossed the River Odon to Mondrainville.  Eric Brewer was relieved at last and went back to base where he found ‘B’ Squadron had lost about a quarter of their men, 25 killed and about 25 injured, since D-Day.

Dick wrote to Chotie on 29th June saying that he was having a quiet time “doing Liaison Officer to a Brigadier – quite cushy in fact”.  He appears to have been in Bayeux for about 9 hours and managed to buy bread rolls with coffee – the first bread he’d tasted since he arrived in France.

After terrible fighting to take Hill 112, the strategic high ground south-west of Caen at Esquay-Notre-Dame, Operation Epsom was closed down on 30^th June.

 

Dick and the history of the war had now collided, with the spotlight on the efforts of 2^nd British Army and 12^th US Army in Normandy.  The beginning of Operation Overlord, D-day and the landings on the beaches have been covered in the previous post.  The attempts by 8^th Armoured Division (with 61^st Recce) and then 7the Armoured to take the D-Day objective of Villers-Bocage had ended in failure before Dick arrived in France.  His men had come up against the legendary Panzer Lehr Division - which was holding the line west of Caen with 12^th SS Division and 2^nd Panzer - and the difficulties of the bocage countryside, which masked defenders, snipers and even tanks.  By the end of the month 2^nd British Army was under attack from seven Panzer Divisions, although Rommel still kept Fifteenth Army in the Pas de Calais in case of Allied invasion further east.

The Allies depended on their huge supplies and reserves, air support (very successful in picking off German tank convoys heading for Normandy) and their effective artillery, including Naval bombardment since much of the fighting was within gunnery distance of the shore.  The brilliant Mulberry Harbours, erected soon after D-Day, had played a key role in landing troops, equipment and ammunition; although they proved vulnerable to the stormy weather later in June.  However, compared with the Germans most of the soldiers lacked experience and Monty relied again and again on his battle-worn troops from North Africa and Sicily, including the 50^th Division. 

The Americans fought bitter battles to take towns such as Carentan (liberated on 12^th June, joining up the ‘Omaha’ and ‘Utah’ bridgeheads), key strategic road junctions or even small villages.  US troops held a line across the Cherbourg Peninsula to Barneville by 18^th June, cutting off 40,000 Germans to the north.  On 27^th June they took their key target, the port of Cherbourg; so damaged that, although it was of some use after 3 weeks, it was not fully functioning until September.

The Canadians having been involved in the disastrous first attacks on Caen (they lost almost 3,000 men in the first six days after D-Day) held their ground against 12^th SS Panzer’s attempts to break through to the sea.

By 30^th June the Allies have landed a total of 630,000 troops but suffered 62,000 dead or wounded.

Germany was also retaliating on home ground: V1 rocket bombs first reached Britain on 13^th June, landing at Swanscombe in Kent and killing six people at Bethnall Green in London.  On 16^th June, Germany’s ‘Day of Vengeance’ 244 V1 bombs landed in England.  A V1 striking the Guards Chapel during the service on 18^th June killed 119 people.

Horror continued in the occupied countries with the Heuaktion in Poland – an order, which authorised the kidnapping of 40,000 children for slave labour in Germany.  The brave Danes were resisted Germany’s imposition of a curfew with a General Strike beginning on 26^th June and the curfew was withdrawn.

In Italy the glory of the US Fifth Army entering Rome on 4^th June was soon upstaged by D-Day but the Allies in Italy pressed steadily northward up the central spine taking Todi, Terni and Orvieto on the 14^th June and Perugia by 20^th June.  To the west the Free French landed on Elba, between Italy and Corsica, on 17^th June and the island was liberated by the 20^th.

Russia had launched offensives against Finland from Leningrad and on the Karelian isthmus earlier in the month, and captured Viipuri/Vyborg, the second largest town in Finland (still part of Russia now).  The Finns eventually succeeded in stopping the Russian advance with the Battle of Tali-Ihantel, begun on the 25^th June.  However, these were deliberate distractions from the huge build-up of Soviet armies along 450 miles the German central front for Operation Bagration, launched on the Anniversary of Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa.  The German 4^th Army was quickly in danger of encirclement and by 30^th June Operation Bagration had caused 200,000 German casualties.

In India the siege of Imphal was at last lifted on 22^nd June and the Japanese were forced to withdraw.  However, Japanese forces were still advancing in China. By 26^th June they were in Hunan (southern China) and had captured the American air-base of Heng-yang.

Japan was under attack from the Allies in the western Pacific with the Battle of Saipan beginning the US Navy’s Marianas Campaign on 15^th June, aimed at liberating the American’s former base at Guam.  On 19^th June the US 5^th Fleet engaged with the Japanese Combined Fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea – ‘the greatest carrier battle in history’ and a decisive victory for the Americans.

With the Allies gaining ground (or sea) on same many fronts it must have been frustrating and fearsome to be inching forward so slowly in the bocage and at such a great cost to friends and comrades.

Letters to a New Recruit

In June 1943 a new recruit had joined up and was training at Fulford Barracks near York.  Private Eric Brewer was to become one of the brave Assault Troopers of 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment, fighting in Normandy, Belgium and the Netherlands before he was injured in December 1944.  He kept these letters from when he first joined up and a diary, which is an important record of 61^st Recce’s war (included in Roy Howard’s account of the regiment ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’, Brewin Books 2004 and on this blog from 17th May 1944).

Extract from the letter sent by Eric Brewer’s mother from the family home at Grays (between Basildon and Dagenham, Essex) to Private E Brewer, No 5 Squad, A Company, No 15 Primary Training Centre, Fulford Barracks, York and postmarked 22^nd June 1943:

“Monday

My Dear Eric

So many thanks for all your three letters that I have received today. I was so pleased to hear from you and to know that you had arrived okay and that you were so cheerful about everything. I do miss you Eric but your letters did cheer me up because they were so cheerful.

I expect the inoculations have made you feel rather bad; still I expect they will be for your good afterwards.

I do hope you still will make the best of everything because it helps to pass the time more quickly for when you come home and you bet, you shall have a lovely piece of steak and chips as soon as you arrive.

So your uniform fits you twice - perhaps that is so that when you have finished this six weeks training you will fill out and fit the uniform….

I’ve enclosed an addressed envelope, write as soon as you get time…I expect I shall get used to you being away but I do miss you Eric.  Take care of yourself because I’m counting the weeks until I see you….”

 

Eric’s brother, Captain B Brewer (‘Bas’), wrote with an offer and experienced advice from his station in No 6019180 REME, attached to 537 Battery RA in Danbury Essex:

“Well Eric you certainly seem to be having a time at York but from what I can gather this lousy army doesn’t seem to appeal to you too much, or should I say very little . …. Anyway Eric I’ll do my best to try and get you into this mob. That do you? There’s no “spit and polish” here.” ……

…..And another thing, don’t get in the front row of a parade, always get in the centre one. You see the front row and the back is much more noticeable. And again if the Sergeant ever asks for volunteers for a job or to go out the front on a lecture or such thing, don’t volunteer.

How did you get on at firing the other day? OK I hope but not too good. You see they sort out the good shots for snipers and that’s a lousy job I can tell you, so if you go firing again don’t be too good at it……”

 

Eric must have got pretty ‘good at it’ to be in a Reconnaissance Assault Troop.

He was transferred to the Recce Corps in July 43 and went on to combined Recce training at Catterick 12^th August 1943.

 

  Photo taken in York, summer 1943.  Eric Brewer is in the centre row 4^th from the left.

Extract and photo copyright of Derek Brewer and reproduced here by kind permission of Derek and his family.

The Other Bloke -Tuesday 20th March 1945

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

20th Fri – Wrote Brinner & Cho.  Letters from mother, Cho & Bryn.

 

52nd (L) Div Recce Rgt

RAC   

BLA.

 

Tuesday March 20^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    Have just received your letter per Bryn along with others from mother, etc.

            I can see my name in ‘News of the World” headlines, ‘writing to his AWOL wife’ – what a shocker you are!  Really I can’t think why I have anything to do with you….  I expect you’re back with the fold again now, which probably isn’t too pleasant. 

            I’ve settled down again, after nearly getting’ ‘done-in’ by a shell which killed the other bloke I was with.  Awful business. However I’m way out of it now with a cushy old job which I hope will last some weeks anyhow.

            I’m living in a cottage – at least 300 years old (having evicted the ‘civvies’), which is really quite pleasant as the weather has been excellent for the past few days.  I’ve spent the past 48 hours painting signs (of all things for an officer (?) to indulge in!).  Imagine me in shirt-sleeve order, smoking the old pipe and humming airs from “Rigoletto*”!

            I’ve just written Bryn, just to prove to him I am still alive, and give him what dope – I can – not much!  He seems much happier with the Berks** than at RAU’s*** which I suppose is understandable.

            The countryside around here is really lovely in the pastoral sense (nothing majestic about it) - very much like Kent.  Some very charming farms, and a very well-fed populace.  Children (girls and boys) wear long black stockings and the little girls have the inevitable plaits – and big blue eyes.

            The ceilings are so low in this place that even I have developed round-shoulders and a permanent stoop.  My bedroom is about 10ft by 6, and the bed completely fills it.

            I’ve had about fifty eggs since I came back – all presented by the locals – and pork galore.  I’ll soon be thinking about my figure….You’d love it here.

            I’ve been on to the Orderly Room ref. the allowance but of course they haven’t any of the pukka forms left so I’ll just have to wait until they turn up.  In any case we’ll get the “back-pay”.

            (Break for Supper….)

            Well, darling, I’ve had some eggs and chips, and it’s pretty late so I’m off to bed.

                                    Goodnight, my Darling

                                                            Dicker

P.S. Have you cashed other cheques yet?  I enclose Rita’s.  Where do you want allowance paid to?!?

 

*Giuseppe Verdi’s Italian opera concerning the licentious Duke of Mantua, his jester Rigoletto and Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda.

**Presumably the Royal Berkshire Regiment.

*** Regional Administrative Unit?

© Chotie Darling

Kevelaer

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

19th Fri – Kelvaer (Kevelaer*?) Staging Camp.

*between the Rhine and Maas rivers, north of Geldern.

 

WAR DIARY of 52^nd (Lowland) Recce Regt RAC March 1945

– Lt Col J.B.A. Hankey OBE

Date 19^th Place MENZELEN:            2 casualties                          Weather – Fine

Strength - 905 men, 188 tanks/armoured cars/guns                 

‘ ‘B’ & ‘C’ Squadrons move to new areas i.e. ‘B’ at 955335. ‘C’ at 023274.’  Still shelling in area.

 

‘From 19-23^rd ‘B’ & ‘C’ Squadron preparing staging area for incoming troops in connection with Operation Plunder.’

‘A’ Squadron meanwhile, were training for a special role with 1^st Commando Brigade under Brigadier Derek Mills-Roberts.

(From the War Diary of the 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset and ‘The Fighting Fifty-Second Recce’ by Carl Shilleto, Eskdale Publishing 2001.)

 

Meanwhile Sandy Handley had had problems with his teeth:

"Shortly, in March ’45 we moved up to the River Rhine.  I had a bad toothache.  I reported sick and went on a small Daimler scout car, known as a Dingo, back to Corps HQ for an Army Field Dentist.  This was a journey of 20 miles.  As usual I wasn’t looking forward to seeing the Dentist (compared with facing Jerry).  However, I needn’t have worried.  I had the tooth extracted (no pain).  I was relieved to get rid of the ache.

We returned to our Unit and we were told we were moving up the Rhine’s banks.  Some of the armoured cars came under the orders of the 15^th Scottish Division."

(From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy etc 1944 – 1945’, unpublished.)

Safe and Sound and Soon

Letter from Chotie written Friday 16^th March 1945

Friday 16^th March 45.

My darling,

                                    Must thank you so much for your letter*, which was really quite quick coming.  I did not expect to hear from you for quite a while.           

Thank Goodness! Bryn approved - I do hope he writes to me.  It is a shame he got posted  just when you could be with him.  I was pleased that your trip over was not too deadly and I do hope, precious, that you continue to get good food.  That’s an important thing.

            Actually darling I think it is you, making the sacrifice so nobly, and if you come back safe and sound and soon I will be the happiest girl in the world.

 

We have had some more money, darling.  2 guineas from Auntie Nellie & Alice & £1 from Auntie Ethel – Mummy’s sister.  We also had lots of promises.  I hope you have managed to write to some of those people, darling, if not send the letters etc. to me & I’ll write them.

           

Well, I have been very fortunate about leave.  I phoned the unit up and spoke to Mrs Wilkie, luckily.  She told me to await instructions.  Yesterday, I received a wire granting me 7 days, so I’ll have to go back next Monday.  No C.B.** or anything – thank goodness!

           

Have just received a letter from your Mum with some photos enclosed – also some negatives.  The photos of me are ‘chronic’ – you don’t look too bad, one is quite good.  Beryl is getting some negatives developed so I’ll send you some on as soon as possible.

           

I have been taking the baby out quite a bit.  In Poole yesterday I bumped into Sas & Johnny; they thought it was “very quick work”, until I explained, of course.  They walked back through the park*** with me, getting quite 'paternal'.  Sas had schemes of weaning him on beer.

            This afternoon Margaret & I walked nearly to Sandbanks with him.  She was in the best of spirits as she had just had a letter from Ted and he should be home April 6^th, 7^th or 8^th – isn’t it thrilling?

            Roger is a bit fretful – we think some teeth are coming, or something.  Ted’s brother Don is coming tomorrow, I have not seen him for ages.  He will be the first of the ‘Lewises’ to nurse Roger.

          

I have opened a banking account at the National Provincial – so that’s all settled.  I think you have to enquire about my allowance, or something.****

 

Later

Beryl came rushing in from work and wanting me to go to the flicks.  We went to the ‘Grand’ to see Ronald Colman & Marlene Dietrich in 'Kismet'.  All Baghdad and thieves and things.  Not bad.  We had to walk home, so I’m pretty well on my knees.

            Must close now and go to bed,

            Take care, my precious,

                        All my love,

                                    Chotie. XXX

 

*Dick’s letter of Monday 12^th March 1954 –  'A Noble Sacrifice'. 

**’Confined to Barracks’?

***Poole Park – not far from Chotie’s home.

****A married man in the services could get a ‘Married Women’s Allowance’ for his wife.

 © Chotie Darling

 

WAR DIARY of 52^nd (Lowland) Recce Regt RAC March 1945

– Lt Col J.B.A. Hankey OBE

Date 16^th Place MENZELEN:                                                Weather – Rain

Strength - 907 men, 188 tanks/armoured cars/guns              

‘No change in situation except that ‘A’ Squadron less Assault Troop ordered to go to VENRAIJ to come under command of Commando Brigade.  ‘B’ Squadron also to supply 9 19 sets to report to HQ, 15(S) Division in area HASSELT.  Regiment also warned that elements may be taken for Traffic Control.  Slight shelling in area.’

 ‘A’ & ‘C’ Squadrons were still detached. ‘B’ Squadron were at Helenhof 1225.

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

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

16th Fri – Supper with Peter Evans. Wrote Poll.

17th Fri – Wrote Averil.

Lieutenant Peter Evans - Wednesday 14th March 1945

‘C’ Sqn 52 (L) Div Recce Regt

BLA.

Wednesday 14^th Mar.

Chotie Darling,

                                    I’m with the unit once again, Darling, and have settled down to the old routine.  Luckily, I’m in very cushy billets (no windows – but everything else is OK!) and managed to have a party last night – just four Bolshie subalterns.

            Weather is holding quite well and I’m not being overworked so life is really pleasant enough.

            There are plenty of horses around so I do a little bare-back stuff pretty regularly.  Anything for a change.

            Made friends with a subaltern in the Squadron by the name of Peter Evans*.  He’s about 6ft 3 and goes about 16 stone, and has an Orson Welles** touch about him.  He wears his hair an atrocious length – long black curls peep out from under his beret.

            He’s married and lives in Suffolk somewhere – doesn’t give a damn for anyone, from the CO downwards.  He also has an endless store of anecdotes and witticisms which endear him to me.

            Incidentally, Darling I’ve shaved my moustache right off!  Honest!  I reckon I look much better without it.  I now look eighteen instead of thirty-five….  I think I’d better grow another before I come home again, or I’ll be dodging the old rolling-pin….

            There’s not very much to write about, I’m afraid.

            I had a letter from Ronnie yesterday.  He’s quite cheerful and is now doing Liaison Officer to some Corps or other.  A pretty steady job but not much excitement.  He’s almost sure to end up in Brussels – they always do.

            Must close here Chotie, and try to write some of the aunts!

                                    All my love, Darling

                                                            Dicker

 

*Lieutenant Peter Evans received the Military Cross as ‘a fearless leader, calm and cunning in battle’.  In September 1944 ‘he led a most daring patrol’ into no-man’s land between the Maas and the Waal, capturing one SS man and two paratroopers and killing several other Germans while sustaining no casualties for his side despite heavy fire and lack of cover.  In November 1944 he led his troop of 12 to engage with 40 Germans landing in North Beveland (on the Scheldt Estuary) and all the enemy were captured or killed. (From citation in ‘The Fighting Fifty-Second Recce’ by Carl Shilleto, Eskdale Publishing 2001.)

Peter Evans was also a leader of the troops that made ‘the almost copybook advance to the River Rhine at Ginderich. (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.)

**Orson Welles was an American actor, director, writer and producer who had made his first film, the signatory ‘Citizen Cane’ in 1941.

© Chotie Darling

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

14th Wed– Supper with Peter Evans.  “Hullo!”

15th Thurs – Supper with Peter Evans.  Wrote Audrey.

 

Don Aiken’s troop had an unhappy experience with the horse riding:

“March 1945
After a few happy days at home, I bade a tearful farewell and returned to my Unit.
The whole force was now intent on pressing on into Germany. After some heavy fighting on all fronts (because the Germans were desperate to prevent us doing so) we, the leading troops at that time, eventually succeeded in reaching the Rhine.
The Infantry were then brought through to hold the line and we were pulled back about a mile from the river. We settled in the cellar of a cottage and awaited our next mission, which we knew wouldn't be long because of the intense and heavy build up of men and equipment in preparation for a crossing.

During a lull in the gunfire one of the lads in my troop spotted a horse in a paddock alongside the cottage, and decided to ride it. He mounted the horse and had a great time trotting around. Then came a single shot (probably from a German 88 mm. anti-tank gun) which blew his head off.”

(Extract  republished from 'From the Rhine to Civvy Street' by kind permission of Don Aiken)

 

Ginderich, Germany

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

13th Tues – Gilderich (Ginderich) resting.  Letter from Ronnie.

Photo labelled Ginderich March 1945

(See The Daimler Fighting Vehicles Project for more information on the car).

 

Second Letter written Tuesday 13^th March 1945

Tuesday 13^th Mar.

My precious,

                                    I do hope you find the enclosed alright.  Margaret sent the Ovaltine tablets*, for you, with lots of love.  That T.C.P.** is awfully good for cuts or spots and anything – I always use it.

Just now, I feel pretty wretched – specially as it’s our Wedding Anniversary.  This afternoon I had a tooth out - it took two dentists about half an hour to do it.  Mr Harris & Mr Dunman – I think you know them.  You see, last night I had some of Mummy’s home-made toffee, unfortunately, and it removed half this wretched tooth & its stopping, so I had to have the rest extracted.  Cost me 6 shillings too!

            When I returned from the dentist, there was a letter from my unit.  My leave is granted providing I can send a certificate of confirmation from your Officer in Command that you will be in England for 14 days and I can be with you.  So I’ve had that.

            What I intend doing now is to make out I received the letter tomorrow afternoon and ring them up, just to see how things are.  Probably get charged or something in any case.  They have enclosed a terrific sheet of ration coupons - I think I’ll use them.

          

Ted’s brother is coming down for the week-end.  He has been moved to a factory near Southampton so it’s quite handy for here.  I was hoping to see him, maybe I will - -

            Poor old Mary & Dil, going back tomorrow.  I should by rights too.

           

I do hope, my darling, you are quite well.  Have a good time with Bryn, if possible.  Take care of yourself, & eat up all these pills & things – then I’ll send you some more.  I could not get any glucose, but those halibut things are pretty smash!

            All my love, precious, for ever & ever,

                                                Your loving wife,

                                                            Chotie

P.S.     I was going to enclose this with the parcel I hope you will soon receive, but Margaret says you must not put letters in with parcels.  She should know!

 

*made from milk, malted barley and wheat flour

**an antiseptic

***probably halibut liver oil, a fish oil product taken for vitamins A and D.

 © Chotie Darling

A Noble Sacrifice - Monday 12th March 1945

Letter written on Monday 12^th March 1945

‘C’ Squadron

52^nd (Lowland) Recce Regt

BLA.

Monday 12^th March

Chotie Darling,

                                    I’m writing you at my first opportunity, which hasn’t presented itself up ‘til the present moment.  I’m still at the half-way stage, and may well stay here another day or two as there’s an acute shortage of transport, it seems.

            I spent a day or so with Brinner, who unfortunately got himself posted yesterday.  Strangely enough he was very profuse with his congratulations on our behalf and gave us both his blessing!  He says he’s going to write to you.  I expect that’s as far as he’ll get, however, as he’s an even poorer correspondent than I am.

            I had a much better trip over than I had at first expected, and managed to sleep most of the night.  Since then of course I’ve been bandied about all over the place.  The food here tho’ is really excellent so I can’t grumble on that score.  You would be in your element.

            Chotie Darling, at risk of sounding very trite I must thank you very much for your noble sacrifice in marrying me.  I must be an awful person to live with.  You must find me terribly moody.  I try not to be, but since the beginning of the war I find I’m completely dis-orientated at home.  I’ll try to make you happy, Darling, which is what you deserve after all this time.

            Am I writing awful rubbish?  I’ll try another tack.  There are some fourteen OR*s here, mostly from my troop also waiting for transport, but who are at least half a mile away which means that I spend most of my time running from here to there, trying to tee-up the transport question.  All very trying.

            To compensate however, they opened an Officers' Shop, the first I’ve had a chance of visiting since I came over here (D-day I mean!) so I bought a few necessary articles of kit, pyjamas etc.

            There’s also an excellent bar here, so I can sink a steady schnapps now and again.  I’ve also got a bottle of whisky to go back to….

            I must close in rather a hurry, Darling as my transport seems to have turned-up.

            I’ll try to write you again when I reach the regiment.

                                                Goodbye, my Darling

                                                            Your favourite husband….

                                                                                    Dicker.

*other ranks i.e. not officers.

 © Chotie Darling

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

12th Mon – Returned to Unit

 

WAR DIARY of 52^nd (Lowland) Recce Regt RAC March 1945

– Lt Col J.B.A. Hankey OBE

Date 12^th Place MENZELEN 1636:                                       Weather – Dull

Strength - 907 men, 188 tanks/armoured cars/guns

2 Prisoners of War taken              

‘ ‘C’ Squadron took Prisoner of War who crossed RHINE.  Commanding officer went to Divisional Commanders’ Conference.  ‘A’ Squadron under command of 155 Brigade (the South Scottish).  ‘C’ Squadron under command of 157 Brigade (the Highland Light Infantry).  Rest of Regiment in Divisional reserve.’  General Officer Commanding’s notes attached.  Operations Instrument No: 3 attached.

From the 12^th March 52^nd Recce were again in formation with 52^nd Division. ‘A’ & ‘C’ Squadrons were detached.

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

‘C’ Squadron reaches the Rhine

52^nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance Regiment:

On 10^th March ‘C’ Squadron were ordered to advance to Menzelen (south-east of Xanten) and secure Gest and Ginderich in the Wesel pocket, the bulge of the Rhine opposite Wesel.  The enemy were now retreating across the Rhine and no opposition was met at Menzelen, although a number of prisoners were taken.  There was more resistance around Ginderich but, with infantry arriving to back them up, a force from the Squadron reached the bank of the Rhine and established an outpost.  Here they were able to observe hundreds of Germans on the east bank, working furiously to construct minefields and trenches. The enemy were rapidly bombarded by Allied artillery ensuring these defences were never completed.

(From the War Diary of the 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset and the Reconnaissance Journal Vol.1. No 4 April-June 1945.)

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

9^th Fri –  Travelled overnight Calais – Bourg Leopold.

10^th Sat – Met Brinner – spent day with him at B.L.

11th Sun – Day at Bourg Leopold with Brinner

Separation

Letter written Friday 9^th March 1945

Pagham

9 Mar. 45

My darling,

                        We are all sitting in the porch, idly taking the sun.  It’s such a beautiful day & yet, I feel perfectly “B… - it is so empty with-out you here, my precious.

            Still, it does really seem as though you will be back again soon – the news being so excellent.

           

Have decided to write this to Brinner, as he should know, more or less, where you are.

You know my bracelet, - well after all that, I lost it.  This morning I popped into Bognor, but no luck.  Enquired all over the place, but I guess I have “had it”.  Still, who cares?

            Not having you to shove me out of bed in the early hours of the morning, I had a jolly long lie in this morning.  Did not rise until about 10.30 – shocking.

           

Hoping to catch a train home, about 5.  Dilys & Mum are coming into Chichester with me.

            I do hope, darling, that you got back quite alright & comfortably.  You must have felt pretty hellish.  One thing, Dicky, we shall have loads & loads of time, to be together for always.

            It was very wonderful to be with you for even this short while, so it is a glorious thought that we have a life-time to spend.

            Don’t feel too blue – I am trying not to.

           

I will write tomorrow from home & give you the latest dope on any presents & things.

            Take care, my darling, & come back soon,

            All my love, my husband,

                                                                        Chotie

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

9^th Fri –  Travelled overnight Calais – Bourg Leopold.

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)

 

Married

Richard Kelner Williams, a bachelor of 23 years,

marries Barbara Elizabeth Chalkley, a spinster of 21 years,

in Chichester Register Office on 6^th March 1945.

Richard (‘Dicker’) is resident at ‘St Margarets’, 9 Sea Lane, Pagham, near Bognor Regis and his occupation is Lieutenant Reconnaissance Corps (previously Public School Student).  His father is Dudley Kelner Beresford Williams, a retired Master Mechanical Engineer.

Barbara (‘Chotie’) is resident at “The Hollies”, Commercial Road, Parkstone and her occupation is W/242328 Private A.T.S. (previously Drapery Store Window Dresser).  Her father is William James Chalkley, the Managing Director of a Dairy Firm (Creekmoor Dairies).

The marriage is witnessed by Elizabeth Chalkley (Chotie’s mother), Alice Maude Williams (Dick’s mother), J. Dilys Williams (Dick’s sister) and B.H. Hall (Betty Hall, Chotie’s eldest sister).

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

6^th Tues –  Married at Chichester.  Left for Spreadeagle* Midhurst.

*The Spread Eagle is a lovely historical hotel in Midhurst, West Sussex where Dick and Chotie spent the one night of their honeymoon.

 

Telegrams were received saying:

 “Wishing you both all the luck in the world and every happiness” from Margaret, Ted and baby Roger in Parkstone (Chotie’s other elder sister and her family),

“Congratulations all best wishes” from Jack in Parkstone (Chotie’s brother),

“Congratulations and best wishes” from Mary in Poole (Chotie’s best friend at home) and Ethel & Cyril from Christchurch, Pat & Douglas from Parkstone

 “Heartiest congratulations and best wishes love Nan” (Chotie’s best friend in the ATS) from Hull,

“Congratulations and very best wishes” from Nellie and Alice in Parkstone (sisters of Chotie’s father)

“Best wishes for the future” from Mr & Mrs Johnson, Margaret and Leslie in Parkstone

 “Congratulations best wishes for the future” from Mr & Mrs Gladdis of Wimborne (the parents of Margaret’s fiancée Tom LINK who was killed early in the war)

“Congratulations and all good wishes” from Auntie Mary & Robert of South London

“Just heard great news heartiest congratulations” from Cyril & Dora,

“Best wishes for complete happiness” from Fred, Hilda, Audrey and Alison of Hertford,

 “All the best for future happiness” from Dutton and Gillespie of Pagham

“Congratulations best of luck” from Joan and Tony of Pagham

“Congratulations and good wishes for future happiness from all at Cheltenham”.

Letters of congratulations were sent by Aunt Hilda (of ‘Cairo Cottage’ 14 Broad Oak End, Bramfield Road, Hertford) and ‘Rita’ and a card from Donald and Mary Hoare (of 15, Grasmere Road, Purley, Surrey). 

 

On 8^th March another telegram was sent from Parkstone:

“Good Luck and God Bless You love Mum Dad and all”.

Leave!

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5th – Leave!

 

52^nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance Regiment:

The Regiment at last left Afferden.  ‘A’ Squadron, after difficulties on the road due to craters and mines, reached high ground early on 3^rd March. ‘B’ Squadron pushed on through in front of them achieving their own objective and then ‘C’ Squadron; who arrived at Twisteden (now in Germany, between Afferden and Geldern) without opposition. Six prisoners of war were taken.  The Regiment then remained at Langstraat unable to move because of unpassable roads.

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

 

 

On March 3rd 53rd Reconnaissance Regiment, on the central axis of the Rhineland offensive, made contact with the Americans reaching Geldern from the south. Canadians Divisions advanced through the Hochwald Forest and took Xanten, a town close to the Rhine.  Allied troops closed in on west bank of the Rhine opposite Wesel but were met with fierce enemy resistance.

 

 

Reunion at Bognor Station

On 1^st March 1945 Dick and Chotie were together again

 for the first time since 20th May 1944. 

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for March:

1 Thurs – Met Cho Bognor Station for leave.

 

52^nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance Regiment:

52^nd Recce went into attack on enemy positions pinpointed east of Afferden on 1^st March. A dawn attack was rebutted by the enemy and resulted in the death of Corporal Duncan Simpson but the second attack led by ‘C’ Squadron Sergeants (the officers being on leave!) was successful in taking a bridge over the anti-tank ditch, revealed by the receding flood waters, and 49 prisoners of war. The Commanding Officer of ‘B’ Squadron, Major James Stormonth-Darling received the Regiment's first Military Cross for the planning and execution of the attack. (He was later knighted for his work as a Director of the National Trust for Scotland).  The advance could now continue.

(From the War Diary of the 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset and ‘The Fighting Fifty-Second Recce’ by Carl Shilleto, Eskdale Publishing 2001)

 

52^nd Recce Roll of Honour includes the following who died on 1^st March 1945:

Corporal Duncan Brown Simpson (age 24)

who is laid to rest in the Milsbeek war cemetery near Gennep.       

(See Roll of Honour for Milsbeek and Ottersun and photo.) 

We will remember them.

Home at last

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for February:

28 Wed – Arrived home on leave.

 

52^nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance Regiment:

On 28^th February ‘C’ Squadron disposed of a small enemy recce patrol from the south of Afferden, emerging from the water of the anti-tank ditch to be met by a Bren gun.  Recce parties of 45 Commando arrived to take over the Regimental responsibilities but these orders were suspended until 2^nd March.

Days with Brinner

26^th February 1945 – in Operation Blockbuster Canadian forces advance along the Hochwald Forest ridge to attack Xanten, a town on the west bank of the Rhine.  Xanten was captured on 8^th March and occupied by British troops in preparation for the Rhine crossing near Wesel.

 

Dick, however, was out of the fighting for a while…..

 

Dick begins his first home leave since June 1944.

 

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for February:

26 Mon  - Arrived Bourg Leopold for leave.  Day with Brinner.

27 Tues -  Day with Brinner.  Left for Calais for leave.  Overnight.

Bryn Williams

 

 

Around this time Don Aiken also had his first home leave since ‘D’ Day:
“The Army pressed forward towards the Rhine with one or two spells of heavy fighting. Then, around this time, I was given some home leave.”

(Extract republished from 'From the Breakour to the Rhine' by kind permission of Don Aiken)

 

Stuck on the Siegfried line

WAR DIARY of 52^nd (Lowland) Recce Regt RAC February 1945

– Lt Col J.B.A. Hankey OBE

Date 17^th Place HEYEN (Heijen, between Gennep and Afferden)7640:

Strength - 934 men, 188 tanks/armoured cars/guns                 Weather – Fine        

‘After crater filled ‘C’ Squadron moved into AFFERDEN having cleared the GENNEP – AFFERDEN road 8038.  ‘C’ Squadron secured road running EAST out of AFFERDEN but held up at 808384 by bridges blown.  Royal Engineers unable to get up to repair as under heavy fire.  ‘A’ Squadron passed through ‘C’ Squadron on the AFFERDEN-REMPELD ROAD but held up by craters.’  52 Recce O.O. No: 12 attached.  155 Brigade O.O. No:17 attached.

“Finally we reached Afferden and were confronted by a great anti-tank ditch…at right angles to the Maas and our line of advance.  The flooding of the river had turned this into a formidable water obstacle.  The main Nijmegen-Venlo road which hugged the right bank of the Maas stood out like a great causeway through the water …it was very badly cratered and under constant observation from enemy positions about two hundred yards south of the town.”

The flooded Anti-tank ditch was a western arm of the Siegfried line, Germany’s famous ‘Westwall’ defences.  It was guarded at the east end by Kasteel Blijenbeek, a Dutch castle manned by determined German paratroops.  The village of Afferden afforded little cover from their relentless shelling since most of the cellars were flooded.  Front-line troops of the Regiment lived in enemy built bunkers near Rempeld or Afferden Wood (Broedersbosch Plantation).  The wood provided concealment and its sandy soil quickly absorbed rain but also lent silence to enemy patrols and ‘made the task of digging and maintaining dug-outs exasperatingly difficult’.  The trees, exploded by shells or mortars, added flying shards of wood to the missile projectiles.

Casualties accumulated under the relentless bombardment of the German defences while assaults on the Kasteel cost more lives and many tanks. Eventually, towards the end of February the strongpoint was eliminated by heavy bombing, courtesy of the RAF.

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for February:

17 Sat - Wrote Ronnie

 

 

WAR DIARY of 52^nd (Lowland) Recce Regt RAC February 1945

 

– Lt Col J.B.A. Hankey OBE

 

Date 18^th Place HEYEN:      Weather – Wet        

‘’C’ Squadron still held up and unable to get round because of flooding.  Whole Regimental area under water.  Attack laid on for ‘B’ Squadron plus 1 Company 1G.H. (Green Howards?) to pass through ‘A’ Squadron, hook left and clear area 834383 and 810384 but cancelled by Division.  New Orders for Regiment make Regiment responsible for AFFERDEN and eastwards to 824388 and to pin point as many enemy troop, mortar and gun positions as far as possible. ‘C’ Squadron responsible for AFFERDEN to road and track junction 812388.  A lot of mortaring, shelling and sniping in whole Regimental area.  ‘B’ Squadron responsible for 812388 to 824388.’

(From the War Diary of the 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset; ‘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 and ‘Mountain and Flood : The History of 52nd (Lowland) Division’ by George Blake; Jackson, Son & Company 1950.)

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for February :

18 Sun – Time spent in Boxmeer

Into the fray again

52^nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance Regiment joins the advance of Operation Veritable.  General Eisenhower later commented that this "was some of the fiercest fighting of the whole war" and "a bitter slugging match in which the enemy had to be forced back yard by yard".

On 14^th February the 52nd (Lowland) Division had moved slightly north and were put in the right of the British line. Its Reconnaissance Regiment crossed the Maas using a new bridge at Cuijk, now occupying the east bank of the flooded river and advancing south on the extreme right of Veritable.

 

WAR DIARY of 52^nd (Lowland) Recce Regt RAC February 1945

– Lt Col J.B.A. Hankey OBE

Date 15^th Place BOXMEER 7640:

‘Advance parties left to recce regimental area near GENNEP (on the other side of the Maas, north-east of Boxmeer) 8045. Recce elements 95 US Division arrive to take over from Regiment.’  157 Brigade O.O. No 9 attached.

 

Date 16^th Place BOXMEER:         1 casualty              Weather – Fine

‘Regiment arrives in GENNEP area.  ‘C’ Squadron moved GENNEP – AFFERDEN (south of Gennep) road but held up by road block and large crater on road with flooding on either side.  Enemy position just SOUTH of road block opened up and registered 1 killed. ‘C’ Squadron patrolled all night but enemy withdrew.’

Gennep was a 'shockingly ruined townlet' recently taken by the Black Watch (51st Highland Division).  Dick was presumably here before 'C' Squadron 'struck out on the difficult road to Afferden' on 16th March.

(From the War Diary of the 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library at the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset; 'Mountain and Flood: the History of the 52nd (Lowland) Division by George Blake; Jackson, Son and Company 1950 and ‘The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War II’ by Richard Doherty, Osprey Publishing 2007.)

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for February:

16 Wed  - Wrote Brinner.

 

52^nd Recce Roll of Honour includes the following who died on 16^th February 1945:

 Sergeant Walter Everson

who is laid to rest in the Milsbeek war cemetery near Gennep.       

(See Roll of Honour for Milsbeek and Ottersum.) 

We will remember them.

Dog-fights and Biscuits - Wednesday 14th February 1945

‘C’ Squadron.

52^nd (L) Div Recce Regt.

BLA.

Wednesday Feb 14^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    Sorry I have to write on this stuff, but it’s all I have at the moment.  I hope to get some more writing-paper tomorrow.  I received two letters from you yesterday, dated the 2^nd and 8^th respectively – both very welcome.  Reference the photos, I think you must be losing your sense of proportion – the moustachio effect, probably being a chiaroscuro* trick, I expect.

            I’ve just rushed out to see a dog-fight that’s going on overhead.  You should bring your gun* out here – there’s plenty to shoot at.  109’s*** have been milling around here all day. 

            This regiment isn’t too bad on the whole – most of the Other Ranks being Scots, but happily most of the officers are English.  I can’t discuss how I happened to come here in writing but will give you the griff on my leave (always provided you can make it yourself.)  The date still stands at March 1^st or a little later.

            I’ve had two letters from the Sintobins since I left.  They’re a wonderful family.  Change pens!  They also sent a tin of marvellous biscuits, a speciality of theirs.  I hope to get another photo of the whole family from them shortly.

            I’ve also got a photo of all the officers of my old crowd which I’ll let you have – but it’s not worth sending from here seeing that I’ll be home in a fortnight or so.

            After some four months trying I managed to contact Bryn on my way to join this regiment.  We managed a night together at an Officers Club.  Very pleasant as you can well imagine.  He’s altered a lot and seems much quieter – though perhaps it was just my idea.

            Well, my darling there’s no news to tell you.  Please write soon to let me know whether you can make it for the 1^st or 2^nd.

                                    Auf wiedersehen, Liebling,

                                                (which means ‘So long, baby’)

                                                            All my love

                                                                        Dicker

 

*the use of strong light and dark in two-dimensional art to achieve a sense of volume and depth.

**a reference to the anti-aircraft gun Chotie was responsible for siting on targets.

***German fighting aircraft – the Messerschmidt Bf 109.

© Chotie Darling

61st Recce officers - Dick is in the back row on the end.

"Once again I find myself holding the Right-flank!"

Front row from right (left of photo):

"Captain (Quartermaster)    Joe Meredith, Technical Adjutant    Gordon Chapman, 2nd in Command A Squadron    HQ Squadron Commander    B Squadron Commander, 2nd in Command    Lt/Colonel Brownrigg D.S.O. Commanding Officer    Adjutant.."

61st Recce officers - left flank

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for February:

14 Wed  - Wrote home and Cho.

 

‘Easy time with new vehicles’

On 8^th February 1945 British and Canadian troops launched a new offensive from south-west of Nijmegen towards the Reichswald Forest in Germany – Operation Veritable.

 

WAR DIARY of 52^nd (Lowland) Recce Regt RAC February 1945

– Lt Col J.B.A. Hankey OBE

Date 8^th Place BOXMEER   7640               Weather - Fine

‘Take over from 3 Recce Regiment completed by 1700 hrs, with under command 8 Canadian Recce Regiment, 1 Platoon Medium Machine Gun 7 Mans, and 1 Platoon 4.2 mortars, 7 Mens, also 2 & 3 Companies of Dutch Forces.  In support 1^st Mountain Regiment, Royal Artillery.’

 

“We were taking over a stretch of the Maas line from 3^rd Recce but we were unable to take over their exact location because there were now no roads …Such buildings as they had occupied were now islands in a sea of mud. The morning the advance party arrived they heard at dawn the opening barrage of ‘Operation Veritable’ “.

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

 

Dick’s 1945 diary for February:

8 Thurs & 9 Fri – Easy time with new vehicles.  Nothing much doing.

11 Sun – as previously

 

 

Field Service Address card written 8^th Feb 1945

 

 

Don Aiken was pleased with the new vehicles:

"I was at last able to fully take up my role as a 'Driver/Operator' rather than a 'Gunner/Operator' because the Scout-cars in this Regt. were Daimlers, not Humbers, and the light armoured cars were manned only by two men, the Commander and the Driver/Radio Operator. These were wonderful vehicles, highly maneuverable, and fitted with pre-select gears and the ability to change gear whilst in reverse selection; theoretically allowing the car to go as fast in reverse as forwards."

(Extract republished from 'From the breakout to the Rhine' by kind permission of Don Aiken)

52nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance

Chotie Darling

 

Dedicated to the memory of my mother

and all those who hold the forever young of war in their hearts.

 

Part 4        Only the Enemy in Front  

 

Chapter 15      52^nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance Regiment

 

On 7^th February 1945 Dick joined the 52^nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance Regiment.

Dick’s 1945 diary for February:

7 Wed  - Joined lowland.

 

Comrades from 61st Recce were with him; at least three complete troops of reinforcements. Don Aiken records:

“I had been posted to the 52nd.Reconnaissance Regt. which was the Recce for 52nd. Lowland Scottish Division. We were given the 'MOUNTAIN' shoulder flash to sew on our tunics, along with the St. Andrew's Shield.

They were a Division which had been stationed in Scotland for a long time, training for mountain combat in preparation for a possible invasion of Norway. However their first slice of action came when they left England about 2 months after 'D' Day to capture some islands off the Dutch coast. There probably wasn't a mountain for a hundred miles.”

(Extract republished from 'From the breakout to the Rhine' by kind permission of Don Aiken)

The Scottish lowlanders had trained in mountain warfare ready to fight in Norway.  The Divisonal symbol was a shield of St Andrew with the word MOUNTAIN written below.

When the Allies abandoned plans for a Norwegian campaign, the 52^nd Division were trained for an airborne role and were to have participated in Market Garden landing at Arnhem while the Recce regiment, which had disembarked in Normandy earlier in September 1944, formed part of the ground troops for ‘Garden’.  From 21^st September 52^nd Recce worked with the 101^st US Airborne to hold the narrow corridor from Eindhoven to Nijmegen ('Hell's Highway') and were on ‘The Island’ when 61^st Recce arrived there on the 24th of September .

The 52^nd Recce then moved to confront the Germans on the Leopold Canal in northern Belgium before rejoining their Division for the assault on the River Schelde with the First Canadian Army.  As the Allies gradually advanced in South Beveland and Walcheren to clear the Scheldt estuary and gain free access to the vital port of Antwerp, the Recce Regiment were tasked with cutting the German escape route across North Beveland and Schouwen and spent most of November on North Beveland.

After a short break at Schinnen, north-east of Maastricht, German advances into the Ardennes in December brought 52^nd Recce close to the German border at Schinveld, north of Brunnsum and near Geilenkirchen.  The Regiment remained here defending the British 2^nd Army right flank until 11^th January when they moved back close to Maastricht at Valkenburg.

Operation Blackcock, to clear the ‘Roer Triangle’ (between Roermond and Sittard in the Netherlands and Heinsberg in Germany) was a heavy engagement in freezing conditions for the 52^nd (Lowland) Division. 52^nd Recce advanced through Höngen and then Havert, north-east of Sittard. The Division eventually took the German town of Heinsberg on January 24th.  After an uncomfortable time guarding the Wurm river line against counter-attack the regiment moved back to Schinveld on 5^th February as the thaw set in.

 

The Regiment then moved rapidly north to Boxmeer (“a tedious and exhausting journey”) where three complete scout troops (156 officers and men) from 61 Reconnaissance joined the 52^nd as re-inforcements.  52^nd (Lowland) was now holding the line along the west bank of the Maas at Groeningen, Samboek and Boxmeer.

 

(From ‘This band of brothers – a history of the Reconnaissance Corps of the British Army’ by Jeremy Taylor, White Swan 1947, ‘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 and ‘Only the Enemy in Front Every other beggar behind…’ The Recce Corps at War 1940-1946’ by Richard Doherty, Tom Donovan Publishing Ltd 1994)

 

 

WAR DIARY of 52^nd (Lowland) Recce Regt RAC February 1945

– Lt Col J.B.A. Hankey OBE

Date 7^th  Place SCHINVELD (north of Brunssum in the southernmost part of the Netherlands, near the German border east of Maastricht.) 7364.        

Strength - 935 men, 167 tanks/armoured cars/guns                 Weather – Wet

‘Advance parties left for Boxmeer (south of Nijmegen on the River Maas – about 100 kilometres north of Schinveld) 7640 and Regiment moved night 7/8 to take over from 3rd Division Recce Regiment.  150 other ranks and 6 Officers joined from 61^st Recce Regiment as reinforcements as per new organization.’

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

 

On 7^th February 1945 the Germans blew the floodgates in the Ruhr preventing the imminent advance of the Allies west of Cologne and forcing most of the British Second Army into a ‘holding phase’.  However, Canadian forces advanced from the north and the US Ninth Army from the south to clear the area west of the Rhine.  

Bryn at Bourg Leopold - 6th February 1945

 

61^st Recce Regt

RAC, BLA.

6^th Feb 45

Chotie Darling,

                                    I’m afraid this will be rather a short letter as I’m rather pushed for time.  What I must say however, is that I’ve drawn a leave ticket for the 28^th February.  As things are going it’s more likely to be the 1^st to the 3^rd of March.

            I don’t know what your chances of getting leave are.

            I’ve tried to put it back a bit but they won’t wear it.  In any case it’s very risky putting it off as I should hate to get killed off before it.

            Will you write instant and let me know the form?

                                    All my love Darling

                                                Dicker.

           

This letter was forwarded to Fort Godwin, Kilnsea, Easington, near Hull

 Anti-aircraft ATS, possibly Fort Godwin, Hull

 

then forwarded again to St Margarets, Sea Lane, Pagham, Bognor.

 

 

Dick’s 1945 diary reads:

6 Tues – Left Sintobins’ and met Brinner at Bourg Leopold.  Brian Coote, Phil Truman, Bryn and I.

*Bourg Leopold or Leopoldsburg is in Belgium, north of Hasselt, but also near Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

Sandy’s leave and last days in Izegem

Dick’s 1945 diary reads:

29 Mon January  - Received tobacco.

3 Sat February – Dined with Sintobins, Ronnie and Brian Coote.

 

 

Sandy Handley’s story continues:

“February ’45 I had 9 days leave.  We went over the Hook of Holland to Harwich then by train to Dover.  I can’t recall so much of that leave. 

Of course, the war was still on and we couldn’t really relax.  It was still bad in Dover and I think the children who had been evacuated were beginning to come back and I think there was no more shelling from the other side (Calais).  The streets where our home had been, both Limekiln Street and Bulwark Street, were mostly in ruins. 

My nine days were soon gone and I recall both my mother and me were quite tearful when it came to saying goodbye – as I said, the war was still on and we didn’t know how much longer.  My father and me shook hands saying “Look after yourself”.  I remember him saying once: “If you can’t wash your feet at least change your socks when you can”. Good old Dad.”

 

On 4th February 1945 Belgium was reported to be completely free of German troops. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

The Sintobin-Anne family - Monday 22nd January 1945

 

61^st 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:

 

Ronnie, Madame Sintobin-Anne, Jan, Edmond, Dick and Suzanne

Ronnie, Jan Sintobin-Anne and Dick

Ronnie and Dick with la famille Sintobin-Anne, 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.

Fort Godwin and the other Spurn Point Batteries, are now derelict and threatened by the moving sands and the sea.  They were pretty awful when Mum (Chotie) was there:

‘We moved to Spurn Point, indescribably stark…’ (from ‘Chotie’s Story’).

(See Godwin Battery and Spurn Point.) 

After the Ardennes

On 13^th January Montgomery’s forces, US Armies 1^st Army and XXX Corps met Bradley and Patton’s counter-attack from the south at Houffalize in Belgium.

(From Battle of the Bulge.) 

 

Colonel Brownrigg finishes his account of Lieutenant 61^st recce in the Ardennes:

“A day later the blow fell on us again, and we returned on our last convoy along the ice-bound roads to Iseghem to start disbanding again.” (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

 

Dick’s diary shows that he ‘Arrived Sintobins’ back at Iseghem on the 13^th January 1945.  However, he did not receive the dairy until 22^nd January so some of the dates for early January may be inaccurate eg Geoff Winzer was wounded on 30^th December according to Dick's letter of 31st, not in January.

 

Dick's 1945 diary

 

Don Aiken describes the end of the Ardennes campaign:

‘It was now clear that the bold gamble had failed. The German losses had been very heavy and probably ended any possibility of Germany continuing to defy defeat. His last defensive barrier was the River Rhine, and that was going to be the next target.
Meanwhile we were returned to Iseghem, in Belgium, to continue our little rest and to be notified of our new postings.’

(Extract  republished from 'From the Breakout to the Rhine' by kind permission of Don Aiken)

 

Eric Postles remembers the return to Iseghem:

"We got a couple of letters from our Belgian family, the last one telling us we would be returning home to Iseghem.  This proved true because in the middle of January British troops were withdrawn from the Ardennes and we were told that despite everything we would still disband.  The roads were atrocious as we drove independently through Mons and Ath and it was dark by the time we reached Kortrijk where we had a close encounter with a tram when we got stuck in the tramlines. 

We had a very happy reunion with the family who told us they had postponed their New Year celebrations until our return.  Marty and I went to church with the family and visited all the relatives for celebrations of our safe return, saving Belgium and to welcome the New Year.  In the meantime we finally handed in all our vehicles and equipment.  It was sad to see our carrier go.  It had never let us down thanks to Jimmy Page, our driver, who was an excellent mechanic.  We had a stand down parade and a regimental dance to which, after getting permission from Mum and Dad, we took the girls and Charles (Jeanne’s boyfriend, later her husband) which made their day."  (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Not everyone went straight back to Iseghem. Tony Rampling recalls a short spell in Brussels:

“At the end of the Ardennes the General sent a message that anybody who had been fighting in the Ardennes could go to Brussels for a short period.  I think it was about 72 hours or possibly a bit more.  We stayed in a bare boarded hotel…”

However, Tony remembers they were in a very lively area! 

(From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61^st Recce - pers comm).

 

Others were less fortunate.  Captain Compton Bishop of ‘A’ Squadron, who had adopted the foxcub, was not seen after “we got chased down the Ardennes in January/February the following year to help the Yanks out of the Battle of the Bulge” according to Ernie Brobbin.  Roy Howard mentions that the Lieutenant he went on patrol with at Briquessard was later killed in the Ardennes.

Roy reckoned that 45 men were lost from his unit during the Ardennes, including his friend Corporal Dennis Dolby who severely damaged his eyesight in a motorcycle accident.

 (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

New Year's Eve dinners - Sunday 31st December 1944

As Usual

Sunday 31^st Dec.

Chotie Darling,

                                    Surprisingly enough I have another day free, so thought I’d write you a few more lines.

            As we were ‘working’ over Xmas, we had to postphone our Xmas dinner, and we are now looking forward to it tonight.  I’ve managed to get two bottles of whisky for about 22 shillings so we won’t go short of a wee nip, as all the other officers have the same ration.

            I’m sorry to say my mate Geoff Winzer (The Dooke) was rather badly wounded yesterday when doing a patrol that I had previously done some few days ago – Xmas Day I believe.  I haven’t seen him since – he’s miles back now of course – so I can’t say exactly how bad he is, but it’s reckoned he’ll be in dock for at least six to eight weeks.       

            Eric (Schoolmaster) Macey* and I share a room in a café in this little village**.  The people are very good to us here – we had lunch with them today, a glorious meal comprising soup with toast, a dish consisting of every conceivable vegetable mayonnaised with eggs and salmon, followed by boiled chicken, white sauce and mashed potatoes à la crème. The meal went on for hours and hours ending with coffee and cigars.  Having then assisted each other to rise from the table we had our photos taken in the snow outside.  I'm now resting preparatory to another bout at six-thirty tonight.

                I received a parcel from the Church yesterday which was very kind of them.  I’ll try to write them just as soon as I can, but I’m pretty pushed for time.

                I hope you received my cheque for Xmas – if it doesn’t arrive, let me know & I’ll send another.  As soon as I get a chance I’ll send you some ‘parfum’ or something – but there just aren’t any shops here.

                Have just re-read Huxley’s ‘Crome Yellow’*** - an excellent way of spending the odd minutes spare on patrol.

Well, Darling I’ve really nothing to write about – nothing I can tell you.  

Don’t swear on my getting leave will you?  I certainly can’t get home in under six weeks.

                                              All my love, Darling

                                                             Dicker

 

*see post for 29th December 1944.

**probably Honnay, between Beauraing and Wellin, south-west of Rochefort.

***the first novel by British author Aldous Huxley.

 

These photos are labelled ‘Honnay le 1.1.1945’ but fit the scene described in Dick’s letter for 31st December 1944.  Only the girls’ names are added to the label Esther, Lucienne and Victorine. The soldier next to Dick is presumably Lieutenant Eric Macey and Dick describes the other man as an ‘old boy like Joe Stalin’ in his 1945 diary where he also mentions he stayed with them at Honnay ‘some five days’.

End of the Battle of Normandy

23rd August 1944 – elements of the US 3rd Army link up with Free French Forces from the south near Bordeaux.  On 24^th August 1944 – German forces evacuate Bordeaux.  The Allies in southern France have liberated Cannes, Grasse and Grenoble while the US 1st Army in the north liberates Evreux, west of the Seine at Vernon.

23^rd August 1944 – ‘The Royal Coup’ staged by  King Michael of Romania and others removes the fascist leader Ion Antonescu from power and establishes a new government who make peace with the Allies and declare war on Nazi Germany on 25^th August 1944.

 

Eric Brewer of 61^st Recce was having a quieter time:

23^rd August 1944 - “Moved back to base.  Plenty of refugees round here.  Have found out that we are going to make a bridgehead over the Seine.  The people round here are very pleased with us; also they gave us wine, eggs and fruit.  Spoke to a woman who could speak English – she said that the Germans had thrown them out of their house and took it.”

24^th August – “Still at same place.  The French woman I spoke to yesterday was sleeping on straw with her children and husband.  Gave them some fags and soap.  Told us that the Germans allowed them three cigs a day if they work.  Also they say soap is impossible to get - have not had any for two years.”  (From Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

‘The race to the Seine was achieved in a little over 20 hrs with only light opposition as the retreating Germans were not given any time to regroup.  One of the main causes for delays was the local population wanting to greet the advancing Allies and celebrate their liberation.  The 61^st Recce came to a halt just short of the Seine near Vernon where 43^rd Division passed through them to force a crossing over the river.’  Extract from ‘From One Learn All: the 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment’ by Dave Dennis 2017.

61^st Recce’s RHQ had moved from Chambois, near Argentan and the Falaise Gap, to Verneuil-sur-Avre and then advanced to Bonnières-sur-Seine, an industrial town by the river and near Vernon (Regimental HQ location list on re-union dinner menu 1946).

50th Division initially spearheaded the breakout to the Seine from the Falaise Gap while 43rd Division moved up on their right flank to lead the river crossing at Vernon.  The 50th cleared a pocket of German resistance with 11th Armoured Division before reaching the plateau above the river. Their role in the Battle of Normandy was over. 

Since the D Day landings Monty’s 21 Army Group had suffered 83,000 casualties including 16,000 dead.  (From ‘Only the Enemy in Front Every other beggar behind…’ The Recce Corps at War 1940-1946’ by Richard Doherty, Tom Donovan Publishing Ltd 1994)

Falaise

Falaise was unforgettable for all of 61st Recce.

Don Aiken takes up the tale:  “22nd August - Falaise.

The American Army had now fully broken out of their less defended sector of the front, almost all the German tank forces having been thrown against the pivot point of Caen. This allowed them to partly encircle the German army from the South and a simultaneous pincer movement by our troops from the North entrapped thousands of enemy troops who were trying to flee through the only gap left at a village called Falaise.
This now became a killing field, with all the Allied gun-fire and the concentrated attacks by our rocket-firing dive-bombers (Typhoons) being rained down on the fleeing Germans. Thousands of the enemy were killed and, as we passed through the devastated area in pursuit of those who had managed to escape, I remember seeing bodies piled on top of bodies to a height of several feet.”  (Extract republished from ‘Establishing a Foothold in Normandy’  by kind permission of Don Aiken)

 

Eric Postles writes “… after the capture of Falaise on 23 August the gap was finally sealed but some German tanks and troops escaped to the river Seine.  All the time the Germans were being attacked from all sides by RAF rocket firing Typhoons…

The scenes of destruction were unbelievable.  Tanks were blown off the roads turretless, hundreds of vehicles were wrecked, dead bloated horses were everywhere, often still in the shafts and dead soldiers littered the area.  It was the first time that we realised how much the Germans used horse-drawn equipment.  Prisoners wandered aimlessly waiting to be rounded up.  This ended the Normandy campaign which had been costly to the Allies but more so for the Germans whose forces were shattered including Field Marshall Rommel, who was badly wounded by RAF planes.” (Extracts from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Sandy Handley said “After the Falaise Gap episode….. We wondered if the Germans had got any army left.”

 

Anthony Rampling remembers:

Falaise

“When we got to Falaise this area was surrounded by the British, Americans and Polish and they encircled a German Army and they were bombed from overhead, shelled from all round and there were a massive amount killed and over 100,000 prisoners taken...The roads were full of dead bodies, dead horses (dead horses in their harness).  Very difficult to get through the roads for the chaos.”  From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61^st Recce (pers comm).

Anthony told me that even the planes going overhead at 10,000 feet above the Falaise Gap could smell the dead.

 

Eric Brewer wrote for 22^nd August - “FALAISE.  In different harbour.  Slept with two Gerry prisoners*: one Pole, the other German, age 20.  He says his father is fighting.  Also that he has had nothing to eat.  The Pole says he was forced by Gerry prisoner to fight - would have nothing to do with him.  Name is Joseph.  Gerry's name is Karl.  We fed them in the morning and you would think they had nothing to eat for weeks."  (From Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

*Lt-General Dempsey later told 61^st Recce that they’d taken 2,000 prisoners in the Falaise Gap (See Eric Brewer’s diary for 19^th September)  

 

50th Division had now moved up to the Gap and was centred between Argentan and Trun.

Dumbarton Oaks

21^st August 1944 – representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States meet at Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, Washington for the ‘Washington Conversations on International Peace and Security Organization’, which result in proposals for the United Nations Charter.

 

The Falaise Gap is closed when the Canadians link with the Poles at Coudehard, east of Trun, and secure St. Lambert and the northern passage to Chambois (61st Reconnaissance Regiment were in action just east of here).

 

On August 21^st Eric Brewer wrote in his diary:  "Pushed on again today, plenty of prisoners. We have passed through the town of Ruco les* (sic). First English they have seen - got mobbed and could not move for about 10 minutes. Came across blown up bridge - had to send R.E.** to lay down bridge. Waited until it was done then moved on again advanced 30 miles today in harbour near large village."  Amazingly he wrote home on the same day that he was "getting quite used to lying in bed in the morning.  All the chaps do now in the day time is play cards, write or rest.  Some of the boys are getting tired of doing nothing and it would not surprise me if they began knitting comforts for fighting lads or even start their own garden near the half-tracks as the position we are in is as good as static." (From Eric Brewer’s Diary and letters by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

* Rugles, north-east of l'Aigle, 40 miles east of Argentan and 61^st Recce’s Regimental HQ (Regimental HQ location list on re-union dinner menu 1946).  Rugles was officially liberated by the Royal Dragoon Guards on 23rd August 1944.

**Royal Engineers

 

The Battle for Normandy had cost the German Army a total of 1,500 tanks, 3,500 guns and 20,000 vehicles.  They had lost 450,000 men, 240,000 of these killed or wounded.  The Allies had achieved this with 209,672 casualties, 39,976 of these killed.  British and Canadian losses amounted to two-thirds of those suffered by the Americans.  Some 28,000 Allied aircrew were also lost over Normandy or during the preparatory bombing and the Point Blank programme (designed to pave the way for Overlord). Liddell Hart, in a 'History of the Second World War' described Normandy as "an Operation that eventually went according to plan but not according to timetable." (See ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition.)

 

Into the Falaise Gap

20^th August 1944 – Allied planes at last begin to bomb IG Farben’s methanol plant at Auschwitz III (see ‘Hell’s Cartel’ by Diarmuid Jeffreys, Metropolitan books 2008) because it could be used in synthetic fuel production.  The Poles had asked Bomber Command to target the railway lines to Auschwitz in January 1941 and reports confirming the gas chambers in June 1944 renewed the request.  Auschwitz-Birkenau was now the last major Nazi death camp in operation and thousands of Jews continued to be killed there.  (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

US 3^rd Army secure the first crossing over the Seine at Mantes-la-Jolie (north-west of Paris) to Gassicourt.  In Paris , while the communist resistance encourages uprising on the streets with the cry "Tous aux Barricades!", a Gaullist group seize the Hôtel de Ville.

Argentan, south-east of Falaise, is now fully in Allied hands after eight days of violent combat.

61^st Recce appear to have left the Argentan area on 20^th August - Eric Brewer wrote“Pushed on today through the gap.  Took 200 prisoners, also plenty of vehicles have been knocked out round this area and bags of dead Gerry.  We are the first English boys the civvy have seen...Made advance of 20-30 miles today.  Took field hospital with wounded harbouring in woods for night”. (From Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

The Big Push begins

On 18^th August 1944 Eric Brewer records that they “moved to Argentan for push with 11^th Armoured Brigade (who were now moving towards Putanges from Flers)…Gerry’s route is through the Paris Road.  According to the higher ups we should not meet much opposition as he is supposed to be just about demoralised to give in.  Also they cannot have much arms left because of supplies being unable to reach them…I counted 56 lorry and half-tracks knocked out and 6 tigers* on the road.”  The next day they "Moved forward to Argentan.  In harbour waiting for orders and out on recce.  Think we shall be moving tomorrow by the way the 11th Brigade are moving forward.  Yanks have crossed the Seine and bypassed Paris in the north-west.  They're also 50 mile inland on the South France invasion."(From Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

*German heavy tanks

61st Recce advance to Argentan via some action just east of Putanges on the River Orne and afterwards east of Chambois (north-east of Argentan) where Lt. Griffiths "led his troop with the greatest of boldness against forces far superior in numbers"  (see the citation for Lt. Griffiths in 61st Recce Battle Honours).

 

18^th August 1944 – after four days of fighting the city of Chartres, between Le Mans and Paris, is liberated by the American army.

 

On 19th August 11th Armoured Division was involved in pushing the Germans back north of Argentan and captured more than 900 prisoners.

19^th August 1944 - The Falaise pocket is closed when Canadian 1^st Army and the US 3^rd Army link up at Chambois.  However, the Allied blocking position - apart from the unsupported 1^st Polish Armoured Division at Coudehard (isolated in the middle of the gap on Hill 262 and attacked from both sides by escaping and escaped German tanks) - is unable to hold back the tide of escaping German forces.  The gap is held open by II SS Panzer Corps fighting a furious battle with the Poles and Canadians of the 4th Armoured Division.  Approximately 40,000 German troops manage to escape from the encirclement but leave behind more than 3,000 vehicles.  The concentration of German columns moving in broad daylight is subjected to relentless attack from the air by the Allies.  The dead were piled high and the area between Trun and Chambois, south-east of Falaise, became known as ‘The Shambles’.  More than 10,000 Germans die in the Falaise pocket and about 50,000 are taken prisoner. The remains of German Army Group B withdraw to the northern bank of the River Seine.

19th August 1944 - The Battle for Paris begins with an uprising by the French resistance against the German occupiers.  Parisian police, already on strike in protest against the German occupation, take over the Préfecture de la Police and hoist the tricolore - France's national flag.

The Soviet offensive in the Balkans begins with an attack on Romania.  The German Army Group South Ukraine, thinly stretched from the Black Sea along the Rivier Dnestr and east of the Carpathian mountains, lose more than 350,000 men killed or captured and many Romanian formations disintegrate or desert.  (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

 

Condé-sur-Noireau

On 16^th August the 50^th Division were at Condé-sur-Noireau, north of Flers.

“Our Division was involved in actions at Anctoville (north of Villers-Bocage), Aunay, Pontécoulant, Condé-sur-Noireau and St Pierre (du Regard, south of Condé), where the Germans fought desperate rear guard action attempts to delay the advance.  In the meantime British troops advancing from the Caen area and Americans from the west, began to encircle the Germans …We led the Division from Conde to and beyond Falaise on the way to Vernon on the Seine.” (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

"The 61st Recce Regiment over-ran a German column including its Regimental Pay Office.  The Paymaster and his staff promptly started tearing up their bank notes, scattering them to the wind.  A couple of enterprising 61st Recce HQ lads managed to 'rescue' some French 1,000 franc pieces, then spent all night piecing them back together, using rubber solution and cellophane strips off biscuit tins."  (Extract from ‘From One Learn All’ by Dave Dennis, published September 2017)

Eric Brewer records that on the 15th August he was still in the "Same place - mortar time" on 15th August (ie "a forward position on the encirclement") and on 16th "Same place, mortar fix bombs.  56 Eggs (sic) moved out."  On 17th August he was“in base waiting for big push”  (From Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

17^th August 1944 – Americans take the citadel of Saint-Malo (a port on the north coast of Brittany) after heavy fighting and the Canadians capture Falaise in Operation Tractable.  Condé-sur-Noireau and Flers (west Of Falaise and Argentan respectively) are liberated by the 11th Armoured Division, now attached to XXX Corps.

Field Marshal von Kluge, Commander-in-Chief of the German Army West declines an order from OKW (Hiter's Army High Command) for a counter-attack and issues orders for a full-scale retreat from Normandy.  He is instantly replaced by Field-Marshall Walter Model and kills himself on his way back to Germany to face Hitler.  Model orders the Seventh Army and Panzer Group West to escape through the gap in the Falaise pocket held by II SS Panzer Corps on the north side (against the British and Canadians) and XLVII Panzer Corps to the south (against the Americans).  (From ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition.)

The leaders of the Vichy regime flee east and set up a government–in-exile in Sigmaringen, south-west Germany.  Marshall Petain, the French World War 1 hero who became Chief of State in the Vichy government, refuses to leave Vichy and is arrested by the Germans on 20^th August.

Turf kicking

14^th August 1944 – Operation Tractable begins to close the pincers around the German 7^th Army, Fifth Panzer Army and Panzer Group Eberbach.  The 1^st Canadian Army, hampered by 'friendly fire' bombing and the Germans' possession of their plans for the advance, moves forward east of the Caen to Falaise Road (avoiding the strongly held German position at Quesnay, on the road north of Falaise).  The US 3^rd Army swings north from Le Mans and Alençon to Argentan, where it is held awaiting the closure of the 'short hook' by the Canadians.  XXX Corps (including 50^th Northumbrian Division and 61^st Recce) with Second British Army advance towards Condé-sur-Noreau, north of Flers, pushing at the base of the ‘Falaise pocket’.  By 15^th August the ‘pocket’ was well formed although German forces could still escape through a 10 mile ‘neck’ around Trun.

(See 'Progress of the Front' for the Allies’ front line in Normandy and ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition.)

 

Having been 'Still at base in reserve' on the 13th August Eric Brewer “Moved to forward position on encirclement” on the 14th (from Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family).

 

After the account of Le Plessis-Grimault Colonel Brownrigg continues:

“Just further on Lieutenant Williams (later killed) overtook some armoured cars of a rival regiment halted short of some suspicious-looking grass turves in the middle of the road.  ‘We can’t get on,’ they said, ‘Mines.’  Without a word Williams threw the turves in the ditch and drove on.” (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.).

Turf Kicking

“We were moving along this country road and we stopped because there were some quite large turves in the road and people suspected they were covering up mines and Lieutenant Williams got out of his armoured car and kicked the turves away and we carried on.”  From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61^st Recce (pers comm).

Aunay-sur-Odon

11^th August 1944 - Florence, in Italy, is liberated by the British 8^th Army

 

Major Frank Harding’s citation for the Military Cross includes this account from Normandy:

“On 11^th August he was ordered to capture a hill, pt 266, north of Condé-sur-Noreau, thereby protecting the left flank of the main attack by 231 Brigade.  He carried out this attack with great skill, and in spite of heavy MG and 88mm* fire he destroyed, or captured all the enemy on the hill and held it until relieved.” (See 61st Recce battle honours.)

Major Harding was commander of 61st Reconnaissance Regiment's 'B' Squadron, which included Don Aiken, Eric Brewer in the Assault Troop, Eric Postles in 10 Troop and Tony Rampling and Sandy Handley in No 5 Troop with Dick Williams as their lieutenant.

*The 88 mm was a German anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun.

 

Eric Brewer was "On Recce near same place, plenty of mortars, shells and spandoes" but still found time to write home re-assuringly that there was "nothing to do except sleep and write or listen to the radio; we seem to be getting some good programmes lately...heard some Sinatra and Bing last night...PSS The Yanks seem to be doing fine don't they?"  The next day he was "Back at base - shell killed one chap, injured two." (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

According to Don Aiken they were somewhere near Aunay-sur-Odon,which occupies a vital crossroads position between Caen, Vire, Bayeux and Falaise.  The town had been completely destroyed by Allied bombing in the middle of June.

Don describes how 61^st Recce lost another of the 1060 boys that day:

“On the 11th August we moved into an apple orchard close to a cross-roads, at Aunay-sur-Odon, which was under shell-fire.  The Troop H.Q. armoured car had positioned itself in the corner of the orchard and they had dug a trench underneath it, filling in the gap below the car with a sheet of corrugated iron that they had found.  The driver, down in the slit trench, had then begun to brew up tea for the troop. 

          We were given the signal that it was ready and I climbed out and crossed over towards the H.Q. car, along with a lad from another car, when suddenly a German shell fell short of its target and made a direct hit on the corrugated iron sheet.  The blast blew us both underneath another car and we lay there with hearts in our mouths.  

          Then I said “I'm going to dash for it”, and as I stood up and took a couple of steps I heard another shell whistling its way towards us.  The next thing that I remember is being reseated in the turret of my car.  A member of another crew, who had been watching through his periscope, swore that I had leapt from the ground, straight into the top of the turret (a height of almost 6 ft.) without touching the sides!
          The tragedy was that Henry Ansell, a popular young man, had caught the full blast of the explosion which had blown the corrugated iron into large pieces and torn him apart. Corporal Mulchay lost an arm and Trooper Alan Penn was wounded in the head.”

(Extract republished from ‘Establishing a Foothold in Normandy’  by kind permission of Don Aiken)

 

61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes the following who died on 11^th August 1944:

          Trooper Henry Edward George Ansell (age 22) of Totton, Hampshire,

who is laid to rest in the St. Manvieu War Cemetery, west of Caen, near Cheux.  Trooper Ansell was one of the 1060 Boys mentioned in Major Frank Harding’s poem of that name.

(See 61st Recce Roll of Honour, courtesy of Recce Mitch.)

We will remember them.

The Short Hook

8^th August 1944 – Eisenhower, Bradley and Montgomery agree on a plan to surround the German front in Normandy with American forces swinging east, south of the Germans to meet the British and Canadian armies at Argentan (south of Caen and Falaise) and close the circle.  The move would be a ‘short hook’ (as opposed to a longe envelopment, blocking the Paris-Orleans gap between the Loire and the Seine).  (See also Closing the Falaise Gap.)

Patton’s 3^rd Army, now advancing rapidly south and east take Le Mans - a major city between Rennes and Paris, south of Argentan.

Vire is finally liberated by US XIX Corps following the failure of Operation Bluecoat.

 

In China the Japanese Ichi-Go offensive captures Heng-Yang in the in the south of Hunan province from Nationalist troops who had defended the city for more than six weeks.  American air-bases at Kweilin and Liuchow (on the south coast of Kwangsi province) are now threatened.

 

 10^th August 1944 – with the liberation of Guam all of the Marianas Islands are now in Allied hands.  Almost 2,000 Americans were killed in the Battle of Guam but also over 18,000 Japanese.

Angers, south-west of Le Mans, on the River Loire is liberated by the US 3^rd Army on 10^th August.

 

Meanwhile 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment were preparing for their role in ‘the Short Hook’.  Although Eric Brewer was in “Reserve again, taking it easy” on 9^th August  the next day he “Moved to the River Orne* in Villers Bocage area. Brought in  six prisoners.” (from Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

*east of Evrecy and Aunay-sur-Odon.  On 10^th August the Allies' front-line across the Orne in Normandy was just north of Thury-Harcourt (liberated 14^th August).

Just a Postcard

 

 

On 8th August 1944 Eric Brewer wrote home that he was "still taking it easy in a kind of reserve.  Reveille for us is 7:30 instead of about 5 o'clock...These last few days I have been doing cooking as we are a bit short of cooks, lucky me again. There’s the other lads playing cards, writing or listening to the wireless and poor me doing cooking, or trying to, but so far we haven’t had any serious complaints - only stomach aches, diarrhoea and two cases of fever*. Not too bad. I reckon they will live but if they will pick on the builders merchant for cook, what more can that expect? Lucky they have lasted so long eating some of the Brewer's special fish cakes."

*Maybe this was why Dick didn't cross out 'sick' on his Field Postcard?

Eric's diary reveals he was actually on "Recce near V Bocage – now standing to for orders."  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

 

 

 

 

Lüttich and Totalize

On 6^th August 1944 German Panzer Divisions in Normandy launched an initially successful counter-attack at Mortain, south of Vire.  This was the beginning of launch of Operation Lüttich, a German counter-offensive to re-take Avranches and cut off the Americans advancing into Brittany from the rest of the Allies.  Fighting continued in the Mortain area (east of Avranches) for several days but the initiative was unsuccessful and led to the outflanking of western German forces in the Falaise pocket.  The American commander, Bradley, was warned of the attack by Ultra (British Intelligence) and saw it as an opportunity to destroy the German armoured forces.

British and Canadian forces push towards Falaise in Operation Totalize. On the night of 7^th August the Canadian 1^st Army began to advance south of Caen towards Falaise.  After initial success, assisted by a heavy bombardment by RAF and USAAF planes, they were blocked on 11^th August by the strong German defensive positions around Quesnay on the Caen to Falaise road.

 

The advance of British VIII and XXX Corps had slowed at the end of Operation Bluecoat although 59^th (Staffordshire) Division in XII Corps succeeded in securing a bridgehead over the River Orne at Grimbosq, north of Thury-Harcourt. (From 'The Final Battle for Normandy'.) 

Eric Brewer (and possibly the rest of 61st Reconnaissance Regiment) was "Still in reserve, taking it easy waiting for orders" (from Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

43rd Recce joins the advance

On 6^th August 1944 elements of the 43^rd (Wessex) Division overcame fierce German resistance to secure the high ground of Mont Pinçon, the highest point in the Calvados Area of Normandy and an important strategic objective for Operation Bluecoat. (From "The Final Battle for NormandyNorthern France 9th July – 30th August 1944, a 60th Anniversary booklet .) ‘

Dick’s former regiment, 43^rd Recce, had been supplemented by a squadron of the Green Howards following the sinking of the Derrycunihy and were back in action from the beginning of August.  Having been relieved by 61^st Recce on 3^rd August (who took over holding the line near Caumont) they were deployed north-west of Mont Pinçon and heavily engaged by the enemy. (From ‘Only the Enemy in Front Every other beggar behind…’ The Recce Corps at War 1940-1946’ by Richard Doherty, Tom Donovan Publishing Ltd 1994)

Eric Postles recalled that, after capturing Villers Bocage 43 Division “pushed on to take the highest point, Mount Pinçon, which commanded the area for miles around.”  (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

Eric Brewer was “in reserve, taking it easy” “in an orchard, round the radio.  This morning reveille was at 7.30; it was more like one of those Sunday mornings you used to have in civvy street.”  In his letter home he recounted how “about two weeks ago we came across a Gerry knocked out tank, a Tiger…one of the chaps found two sets of silver cutlery, also a complete carving set – about 50 different articles altogether.  I reckon they had looted them on their way out of France” (extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family).

7Able

4^th August 1944 – Anne Frank, whose diary came to symbolise the plight of the Jews under German occupation, and her family are arrested by the Gestapo in Amsterdam, Holland, after two years hiding with other Jews in a secret Annex.  Anne died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen in March 1945.  (Ted Lewis, Chotie’s brother-in-law, was among the British forces that liberated Belsen a few weeks later.)

Stalin meets a delegation of the Polish government in exile ('the London Poles') led by Stanisław Mikołajczyk but installs a 'Polish Committee of National Liberation' (the 'Lublin Poles') - a Soviet puppet government in waiting.  Churchill sends weapons and supplies to the Warsaw insurgents in bomber planes from Italy with the BBC Polish service playing 'Let's dance a mazurka again' to announce the drops.

 

Rennes, the capital of Brittany in north-west France, is liberated by the US 3^rd Army's 4th Armoured Division. 

Villers-Bocage “which we last saw during the ill-fated attack in June” (Eric Postles) was finally liberated by a patrol of the 1st Battalion Dorset Regiment (Dick’s original Regiment), 50th Northumbrian Infantry Division, on 4 August 1944.  The town was in ruins: Eric Brewer wrote home a few days later "if you could only have seen Villers-Bocage you would think that there had been an earth quake; why London is not touched compared to Villers-Bocage.  You are lucky if you see a side of a house standing... There must be about 5,000 craters and there isn’t one more than 5 yards away from the other...think of a thickly planted orchard and a bomb crate for every apple tree.  The town looks as though it's been standing for a thousand years and age has made it decay away... nothing could get anywhere in the town until they got the bulldozers busy, now only a single line of traffic can get through."  Villers-Bocage has now been almost completely rebuilt.

Évrecy, east of Villers-Bocage, was liberated on the same day as well as Aunay-sur-Odon, to the south, where only the the church steeple remains standing.

On 4th August Eric Brewer was "In harbour waiting for orders" with time to write another letter home: "Well here I am in an orchard cleaning my equipment".  Then his diary records: "On Recce 2 miles from V Bocage."  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

In ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ (Brewin Books, 2004) Roy Howard of 61st Recce's ‘A’ Squadron describes how his troop (7Able) were divided into two patrols.  The other patrol, led by Sergeant Joe Dunnington investigated a building with radar masts which appears to have been wired with explosives. Sgt. Dunnington bled to death from a severed artery, dying the next day. Corporal Ronnie Washburn was severely injured losing the right side of his skull and Trooper Bill Mathews lost his right arm.  Ernie Brobbin (who found the foxcub) was there to give First Aid and saved Corporal Washburn's life. 

          Roy Howard was subsequently promoted to Troop Sergeant following in the shoes of Bill Abbey (killed 1944 on 23^rd June) and Joe Dunnington.  Ronnie Washburn was left physically and mentally handicapped, ending his days in a Royal British Legion home.  Only three of the original 7Able had survived in the troop by February 1945.

We will remember them

 

Villers Bocage (again)

"Second Army continued to push forward south-east of Caumont, gaining a few miles a day by hard labour and hard fighting...For the men among the corn and hedges, each morning seemed to bring only another start-line, another tramp through incessant mortar and shellfire, coated in dust, to another ruined village from which the Germans had to be forced by nerve-racking house clearing...The fields at evening were landmarked with upturned rifles jammed in the earth to mark the dead."  (From ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition.)

 

Don Aiken of ‘B’ Squadron takes up the story of 61^st Recce - on 3^rd August 1944 61^st Recce was again approaching the town of Villers-Bocage (south of Bayeux), which had been a key objective on D Day:

 “1944 August
There then began a gradual crumbling in the German defences as more and more pressure was exerted.

3rd August
          We began probing again and one day as we approached the small town of Villers Bocage, on a broad front, we drew to a halt as we approached an obvious ambush point between the hedge-rows. This was a sharp bend in the road which was dominated by a farmhouse facing straight up the road. At this moment the Assault Troop*, which had been making its way through the fields and hedgerows on our right, came under fire from German infantry and sustained some casualties.
          My car was leading the patrol on the road, and every nerve was tensed for any eventuality. I was astounded when a small wicket gate, in a garden wall at the side of the house, suddenly opened and six big German S.S. troops emerged and ran across the front of the house. It was exactly like a shooting gallery at the Fairground with the ducks bobbing along from one side to the other. However, I didn't get a prize off the top shelf because I couldn't turn my turret fast enough, probably due to the turret ring having been invaded by sea water, sand and dust, and my bullets merely splattered the brickwork behind them before they disappeared round the corner.
          We sat there on the road, about 50 yards in front of the house, for about an hour. My light-armoured car was in the lead, and the Troop officer’s armoured car was sat about 20 yards further back. I don’t know to this day what we hoped to gain by standing there, but I felt terribly exposed in my open fronted, open topped turret, with the enemy lying in wait ahead. The feeling was later justified as a phosphorus grenade landed on the road a few feet to the left of my car, spitting and fizzling spitefully as it lay there.

          As it happened the unit of S.S. troops up ahead must have been merely an outpost, without any heavy weapons, or we would otherwise have paid dearly for such senseless tactics.”

(Extract republished from ‘Establishing a Foothold in Normandy’  by kind permission of Don Aiken)

*Eric Brewer, of 'B' Squadron's Assault Troop, was “Still Recceing – found mortar sites. Corporal Bater killed.”  (From Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes the following who died on 3rd August 1944:

          Corporal Horace Edmund Bater (age 24) from Lee, London

          Lance Sergeant Robert Grant Ell (age 27) from Harrow Weald, Middlesex

          Trooper William Henry Heaton (age 33) from Malvern, Worcestershire

          Trooper Robert George Stevens (age 21)       

All are laid to rest in the Bayeux War Cemetery.  (See 61st Recce Roll of Honour, courtesy of Recce Mitch.)

We will remember them.

 

Amayé-sur-Seulles

On 2^nd August Eric Brewer says in his diary “Yanks made attack with infantry – bags of prisoners”. Eric's letter home of 3rd August is more elucidating:

"We saw about 120 prisoners coming in, giving themselves up yesterday;  one of our troops of 15 men and an officer brought in 11 of them.  One of the chaps could speak English and he said “I have been walking for five years but never thought that I would get a ride when I was taken prisoner” - he was speaking about the transport which was taking him back to the POW camp.  Most of these prisoners were smiling because they had been taken prisoner.  The third lot that came in had about five officers with them; they were walking at the back and one of the officers had about five medals and was of very high rank.  He'd come from the Russian front (one of the medals was the Russian front medal).  They were nearly all out of the Africa Corps and had seen service in Africa judging by the medals on them.

One chap here had rag round his foot in place of socks.  They looked like they had consumption, thin and dirty...it made you think how ever they managed to live under such conditions... anyway, they were as pleased as a man who had won a fortune (but instead of money it's being a prisoner to a German soldier)...  Most of these chaps are about 16-22 but some of them I bet my last penny weren’t 14...

Practically all the chaps have German revolvers as souvenirs even some of the cooks...

I suppose you have heard on the wireless about the advances our troops are making...we were doing a Recce yesterday, about 2-3 miles in front of our front line, when we were about 200 yards from a village (I can't tell you the name but I bet you have heard it on the wireless); well all of a sudden we came up against some stiff opposition and were held up for about 1 hour.  Our CO came down and told us to stay in position as the tanks and infantry were going to come up... about ½ an hour later all you could see were tanks and infantry...loads of them... We let them take over and went back about 400 yds to make our dinner but not before we had taken the prisoners back on the half track….."  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

The report recommending Major Frank Harding, CO of ‘B’ Squadron, for the Military Cross details Dick’s squadron’s involvement at Amayé-sur-Seulles:

    On 2^nd August ‘B’ squadron were ordered to recce forward into Amayé-sur-Seulles.  When the leading troop were held up two miles short of the town the CO, Major Frank Harding , left them to contain the enemy and manoeuvred the rest of the squadron round the left flank, and “so pressed forward that the leading troops engaged enemy in the middle of the town, despite the enemy’s superiority in numbers.”

Lieutenant Philip Benson Truman appears to have been involved in the same action to liberate Amayé-sur-Seulles (although his citation for the Military Cross is dated 3^rd August - see 61st Recce battle honours) with his troop taking out an enemy observation post and containing the enemy until the town was taken later in the day by 50th Division's 69th Infantry Brigade.

Colonel Brownrigg gives this account:

“From Briquessard, ‘B’ Squadron, led by Lieutenant Truman’s carrier troop, carried out a textbook reconnaissance into Amay-sur-Seulles, by-passing strong opposition about a mile this side, and then moving in from a flank to take a number of Boches very much by surprise.  This was followed by a series of reconnaissance actions, usually on a troop scale, as the area of operations was still restricted." (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

 

However, despite the efforts of 61^st Recce Operation Bluecoat was not successful in breaking out of the Normandy bridgehead.  As British forces approached Vire on 2^nd August there was some confusion and the German Army was were able to re-inforce the town and close the gap between their 7^th Army and Panzergrüppe West.  11th Armoured Division approached the town on 2nd August when it was virtually undefended but were ordered to turn south-east.  By the time the US XIX Corps moved against it the Germans had rushed in to plug the gap and Vire was not liberated until 8th August.

The Commander of British Second Army, Lt-General Miles Dempsey, later told 61^st Recce* that they’d been 3 days ahead of the 7^th Armoured Division in Operation Bluecoat and had to wait for them outside Vire - 7^th Armoured Division was meant to be in reserve behind 50^th (Northumbrian) Division on the eastern flank of the XXX Corps attack.  Monty had ordered Dempsey to 'throw all caution to the winds and step on the gas for Vire' but XXX Corps and 7^th Armoured Division 'performed feebly' (from ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition).

The XXX Corps Commander Lt-General Gerard Bucknall was dismissed and replaced by General Brian Horrocks - ‘a man who really led, a general who talked to everyone, down to the simplest private soldier’ and Eisenhower called him ‘the outstanding British general under Montgomery’. 

The Polish Home Army

1^st August 1944 – the Polish Home Army (the main resistance organization in Poland) stages an uprising in Warsaw to liberate the Polish capital from the occupying Germans before the arrival of the Red Army, now within 10 miles of Warsaw.  Collaboration between the AK (Army Krajowa or Home Army) and Soviet partisans in Poland had been difficult after the discovery of the Katyn Massacre.  On 30^th November 1943 the AK had launched Operation Tempest, aimed at securing control of Polish cities and had some success, although the AK were taken prisoner by the Red Army as they advanced. 

The Warsaw Rising was initially successful in taking control of large areas of the city and liberating 350 Jews from the Gęsiόwka concentration camp, which was in process of ‘liquidation’.  However Himmler still managed to send most of the 67,000 Jews still remaining in the ghetto at Łódź, south-west of Warsaw (the second largest ghetto in German-occupied Europe), to their deaths in Auschwitz.  Isolated from and unsupported by the Soviet Army and suffering a fierce response from the Germans including many atrocities (some 30,000 non-combatants were slaughtered in the Old Town alone), the AK finally capitulated at the beginning of October.  Although on 30th July Radio Moscow had called on the citizens of Warsaw to rise up and 'join the struggle against the Germans'  Warsaw was not liberated by the Soviets until 17th January 1945 – by then the Germans had destroyed 85% of the city’s buildings. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

On 1^st August Soviet troops captured Kaunas, now the second largest city in Lithuania but then the capital.

End of the Battle of Tinian in the Northern Marianas Islands.  US troops landed on 24^th July and defeated a 9,000 strong garrison of Japanese.

 

The US 3^rd Army under Lt-General Patton becomes operational on the Allies western flank, tasked with liberating Brittany and seizing the ports on the Brittany coast.  Lt-General Courtney Hodges now commands the US First Army Group while General Omar Bradley is Commander-in-Chief of the US forces in France - 12th Army Group.

Montgomery's VII and XXX Corps are attacking on an axis south-east from Caumont.  In Operation Bluecoat Le Bény-Bocage, south of Caumont, is liberated virtually undamaged by the British 11th Armoured Division.  "Most of Second Army were very tired by now, above all the infantrymen of 15th Scottish, 43rd Wessex and 50th Northumbrian Divisions" (from ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition).

61^st Recce continued its role supporting the 50^th (Northumbrian) Division in Operation Bluecoat - according to Eric Brewer, of ‘B’ Squadron’s Assault Troop, on 1^st August they had“Recced for the Divisional attack, met stiff opposition 2 miles forward of there” although he started a letter home including "At the present moment I am listening to the radio.  I heard Victor Silvester* this morning on music while you work so you can guess I am taking it easy..."  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 *A popular English bandleader.

A Whole Day - Monday 31st July 1944

61^st Recce Regt RAC

B.L.A.

Monday 31^st July

My dearest Chotie,

                                                Well, my Darling.  I have a whole day to myself so here goes.

            We’ve had a pretty thin time for the last fortnight and everyone’s relieved to have a little time of their own to get organised once again.  I’ve just finished doing my laundry (?) – took me about two hours, as I have no batman here, and as it’s very sunny, I entertain high hopes of it drying quickly.

            The best part of this game is getting to a ‘safe’ area once again and being able to relax a little and have a general sort out.  I’ve also had my second bath and of greater importance still, my second beer!  Felt quite merry after it.  The first night I have in England will be sheer murder.  I won’t be able to stand more than ten pints….

            We’re in a very pleasant spot at the moment* – in the grounds of a Château, or more accurately, the home farm of a Château.

            I’ve been over the farm, which is empty, but boasts some excellent furniture, hand-carved oak, almost black.  I’d give anything to get hold of some of it.  The kitchen of course is massive, with a stone floor and two great pumps, their only source of water.  The staircase is also built of stone and leads eventually right up into the roof – a mass of oak rafters. 

            I worm my way into most of these old farmhouses as most of the Châteaux are sealed and the farms remain the most interesting buildings.

            (My boys have just ‘brewed-up’ some tea, so I’ll pause here for a few minutes….)

            Have you had anything to do with these buzz-bombs** yet?  Or don’t they penetrate that far?

            Mother & Dad hear them going overhead, but that’s about all.

            You may have heard that Diller got home for a few hours last weekend to see Brinner – I think I told you in my last letter.

            How are your people?  All very well I hope.  Don’t forget to give them my best wishes, and queries as to whether the war will be over by Xmas…(which Xmas?)  That was always a sore point between your mother and I.

            Have you heard any news of Margaret’s Ted*** lately?  I’ve seen several of his people.

            Apart from him I know of no-one else over here, except Quayle, of course, and he’s miles behind the lines, needless to say.  I’m afraid I must close here for want of material – as usual.

                                    All my love, Chotie Darling

                                                Dicker

 

*According to Eric Brewer’s diary (‘B’ squadron Assault Troop) they were still somewhere in the Caumont area.

**V1 flying bombs

*** Ted Lewis, Chotie’s brother-in-law was in the Coldstream Guards before the beginning of the war when the Guards Regiments formed the Guards Armoured Division.  He was a tank gunner and had landed in Normandy a couple of weeks after ‘D’ Day. The Guards Armoured Division, like Dick’s 50^th (Northumbrian) Division, was part of XXX Corps.

© Chotie Darling

 

Eric Brewer's diary for 31st July 1944 notes: "Got near the Caumont area, Recce patrol near Villars-Bocage."  The high ground near Villers-Bocage was 61st Recce's original target for D Day+1, the 7th June.

"We were to break out of the bridgehead on the evening of D-Day, spend the night in Tessel Bretteville wood, some ten miles on, and the next morning capture the high ground near Villers-Bocage, which commanded a view of the country for miles around.  We were to hold on there for four or five days, when it was expected that we would be relieved by the main body of the Second Army."  They would have had a long wait!

(From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lt-Col P.H.A. Brownrigg D.S.O and Eric's Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

31st July 1944 - US VII Corps liberate Avranches at the western foot of the Cotentin peninsula - the 'gateway to Brittany'.

Operation Bluecoat

30^th July 1944 – Operation Bluecoat begins.  This offensive was conceived at short notice when it was realised that only a single German infantry division defended the sector of the front near Caumont (61^st Recce were in this area at Briquessard).  The 50^th (Northumbrian) Division, with 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment, were part of this attack but were held up at Amayé-sur-Seulles (south-east of Briquessard).  However, by 31^st July the advance of British VIII and XXX Corps had secured a vital crossing over the River Soulevre about 10 miles south of Caumont, near Le Bény-Bocage and 11^th Armoured Division were advancing towards Vire, 15 miles south of Caumont.  61st Reconnaissance Regiment protected the left (eastern) flank of XXX Corps during the advance.

On 30^th July Eric Brewer’s diary says: “Sniper and rifle fire followed by mortar, but got – lucky.” In the margin Eric wrote “HARDING” (the Commander of 61^st Recce’s B Squadron) and also “INFANTRY ATTACK” – presumably a reference to Operation Bluecoat. (From Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

Colonel Brownrigg’s account of 61st Recce welcomes a return to reconnaissance after the trenches of Briquessard:

          “Soon after (Briquessard) we were back to reconnaissance again, as the great surge forward began.  We went through Briquessard, and were glad to see that there were quite a number of fairly ‘high’ German corpses about, which we attributed to our mortars, and the quick £300 ‘stonks’ the Essex Yeomanry used to put on for us at night.  Their Liaison Officer at our Regimental Headquarters regularly worked out for us the cash value of their bombardments." (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

*World War II British slang for a massed artillery bombardment on an enemy position.

 

Eric Postles remembers resuming patrols: “The desertions from the German Army started.  First of all came East Europeans who had been willing to fight for it and then German soldiers. We often got useful information from them about their positions by giving them food, as they were always hungry. 

We were now involved in constant patrolling and once, when we were checking on a farm area in a valley, we ran into heavy fire from a German position and the first couple of our men were wounded.  We were penned in by buildings and walls.  We could not recover our men and only got out by jumping through a hole in the wall accompanied by German bullets.  One of our infantry units captured the German position later in the day and rescued our two injured lads who had been taken prisoner.  One of them, Corporal Davey, had a broken leg and both were no doubt happy that it ended as it did. 

One of the most stressful jobs was checking road surfaces where we suspected mines had been laid.  The headphones of the mine detectors cut outside sounds.  Nobody volunteered for this task. 

We passed through a heavily damaged Briquessard, deserted apart from a number of dead Germans.”   (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

 

Don Aiken also has a tale to tell from around this time:

          “We were then used on small Reconnaissance foot patrols; and during one of these night patrols we were sent to try to make contact with the Germans who were thought to have infiltrated into the grounds of the nearby churchyard. The night turned out to be extremely misty and crawling through the gravestones was, in itself, a creepy business. The thought that, at any moment, a German machine gun could rattle away into your face was even more disturbing. However, we completed our search of the area without contacting any Germans, although we found a dugout which they had recently vacated. You could always tell where Germans had been by the smell; it wasn't a repulsive smell, just strongly different - probably due to the food that they ate; German sausage perhaps.
          Then we pulled back to take up defensive positions. Along with another young Trooper, I was positioned in an old German slit-trench in a hedgerow alongside a path, armed with a Bren machine-gun. We alternately manned the gun and rested.
          During my rest period I was suddenly 'brought up sharp' by a burst of fire from my companion's gun. When I asked him what was wrong, he said that he had seen something move across the path. I looked for a long time (trying to suppress my fear) and then realised that the 'something' was a twig on the hedge, a few inches away, which had been disturbed by a sudden breeze in this otherwise still, dark and misty night.

30th July — Caumont.”  (Republished from the BBC People's War website by kind permission of Don Aiken)

The end of Briquessard

Don Aiken recalls the end of Briquessard: “After a week or two in this position we were relieved by an Infantry Regiment.  Apparently Lieutenant General Horrocks*, the Commander of XXX Corps, had noticed that we had been placed in this defensive position and ordered that we be withdrawn. He was a very experienced General, who knew how important it was to prevent his future spear-head troops from developing a defensive attitude to the war.” (Republished from the BBC People's War website by kind permission of Don Aiken)

* At the end of July XXX Corps was still led by Lieutenant-General Bucknall.  He was replaced by Lt. General Brian Horrocks in August 1944.

 

Colonel Brownrigg noted that “Whenever our General* visited us he was most upset about our casualties.  ‘This isn’t really your job,’ he said.  ‘I want you for recce-ing the crossings over the Seine.’” (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

*Brownrigg may have been referring to Lieutenant-General Bucknall of XXX Corps or Major-General Graham, the popular Commander of 50^th (Northumbrian) Division.

 

Eric Postles says “We were even more pleased than the Americans to be relieved as it was so restrictive.  We watched a large force of RAF heavy bombers raiding Caen, which was quite awesome.  With some movement at Caen and by the Americans on our right, the German positions at Tilly became less secure for them.  Panzer Lehr, the armoured division, had to withdraw to check the Americans.” (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Sandy Handley remembers coming out of his trench:

“As this ten days came to an end and this area got quieter we risked a little stroll along to the next slit trench.  Lt. Williams was seen calmly smoking his pipe.  He asked if we were OK. 

      Well after ten days in that cramped slit trench I found it difficult to climb out, with the stiffness of the joints.  I was twenty four years old* but felt much older.  I thought about those boys in the 14-18 war in the trenches, not 10 days and nights but months and months in the mud and hell.  What a wicked war they had, terrible.  Our ten days in this situation was nothing compared with what they had to endure.  We should never forget them.  At least in that ten days at Briquessard it hardly rained so goodness knows what it would have been like knee deep in mud.” (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

*Dick was 23 on 28th July 1944.

 

However, the 61st Recce were still not safe from attack according to Anthony Rampling:

A visit from Tony's brother

“When we came out of these trenches after 10 days my brother, who was a Liaison Officer in the 4^th Armoured Brigade, saw my regimental signs and he came up to see if he could see me.  And he came to the back of Briquessard Wood in his Dingo Armoured car and I actually waved to him but he couldn’t stop because the Germans saw the dust that the armoured car had raised and they started mortaring the area …. so we were pleased to see the back of him.”  From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61^st Recce (pers comm).

Tony remembers the only time he disobeyed one of Dick’s orders, at the end of Briquessard:

Disobeying an order

“Dick Williams, or Lieutenant Williams, was my Officer and I found him quite quiet.  He never chased us around.  He gave us the orders, one of which I had to disobey.  When we came out of Briquessard we hadn’t slept for 10 days and he said “You’re on guard”.  I said “Sorry Sir, I couldn’t keep awake” and I couldn’t have done.  I never heard any more about it.

Tony liked Dick as an Officer: “He never interfered with us much.”

 

On 28^th and 29^th July, Assault Trooper Eric Brewer was out on patrol again:

“Went on patrol. Three of us met two Gerry patrols – they threw grenades at us but luckily we are in a dip with spandaus*.” 

His letter home on the 29^th is, however, characteristically good-humoured and re-assuring: “they haven’t got anything for the Recce to do out here as Gerry is right in front of you…it’s impossible to Recce because you know where he is so the 50^th kindly put us out of the way or on the shelf until we are needed.” “…roll on the next two or three months; then I will be enjoying steak and chips with onion instead of tinned something – I’ve eaten so much in tins since I’ve been over here that I seem to rumble when I walk.” (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)-

*The British name for the German machine-guns, which were manufactured in the Spandau district of Berlin so had plates of that name on the guns.

 

 

29^th July 1944 – a series of bombing raids on Stuttgart by the RAF come to an end.  73,000 bombs have been dropped and 900 people killed in the city in south-west Germany.

 

 

A Close Shave

Sandy Handley continues his account of army life in the trenches of Briquessard Wood:

“There was no question of shaving, although some tried a little cold water shave in the mess tins, which didn’t taste very nice after. 

Each evening late a cauldron of tea was brought around by the troopers from the field kitchen behind the woods.  It wasn’t bad, lukewarm but better than nothing.  We kept busy opening tins of corned beef and tins of rice pudding (not heated of course) and biscuits; we never starved.

It was always better when morning came. We were equipped with a small Boyscout’s burner which was fuelled with a tablet.  I’d got a cold mug of tea so I lit this small stove and placed my cold tea on it.  This was a precarious job, however. I must have got a bit impatient and blew the flames up but I blew too strong and I got the flame in my face, burning and singeing my week old beard.  Our Officer* came along and detailed me to walk back up the wood to our squadron medical post and get some attention. Typical of me and tired with no sleep, I forgot my Army drill and instead of going along the line of the bushes and trees, which would have given me some cover, I clambered up the bank, which exposed me to any sniper.  I wasn’t thinking until all of a sudden I heard the whine of a bullet then another.  I soon went back to the line of trees and bushes edging this wood.  Of all the shells, bullets and mortar bombs which had passed, that one small bullet from a German sniper might have put me out of the war.

By the time I got to the medical aid post one of the orderlies dabbed some ointment on my face and said “We will be moving out soon so go back to your lines and don’t worry about shaving for the time being.”  (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

*Lt. Dick Williams

 

Eric Brewer wrote home on 27th July that "At the present moment we are on field rations and it's a vast difference from those 14 day pack rations...it seemed strange to see some potatoes on a plate for once and cooked meat and peas instead of tinned stuff.  We are also receiving bread each day, the pre-war stuff and real tea instead of comp tea (which is the tea, milk and sugar combined - more like dishwater than the usual tea but we even got used to that in the past 8 weeks)."  His diary for 27^th July reports that “Still same place. Gerry shot one our chaps through the hand.”  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

Wilf Dawson of ‘A’ Squadron, who became the pillar of 61^st Recce’s Old Comrades Association, was also severely wounded at Briquessard, ending his active service with the regiment (from ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

 

27^th July 1944 – the Allies first jet engine, the Gloster Meteor, goes into operation. The RAF and US Air Force jointly announced the development of jet aircraft in January 1944, based on the discoveries of Englishman Frank Whittle in the 1920s. Germany independently invented and developed jet aircraft and the Messerschmidt Me 262 also became operational in the middle of 1944.

The German front line in the Cotentin begins to retreat faced with the rapid advance of Operation Cobra, now including VIII Corps on the right flank heading for Coutances.

Listening

In 61st Reconnaissance, on the edge of Briquessard Wood, Sandy Handley tells of his time in the listening post:

      “Whilst we were at that place me and my friend had to have twenty four hours duty in the listening post, which was twenty yards away to our front - just a crudely scraped out trench, just room enough for five of us (four troopers and one corporal).  We had a field telephone, not a radio, to link us up with the men at the back.  We couldn’t do nothing, just lounge and listen (!) for any movement in the front.  We had to be like that for twenty four hours. In the night it was endless. In the day it wasn’t too bad as we could see the surrounding trees. Quite a few times we were mortared and of course this hastily dug trench wasn’t deep enough for protection.  I heard a mortar shell coming down and I really thought it was going to land on top of us five frightened men, but it landed with a terrific thud (it didn’t explode).  Was we relieved. 

      Of course now and again one man would leave the confines of this trench for the call of nature.  You couldn’t stand up, especially in the day time , because you would be spotted by a sniper, so there was all sorts of antics - undoing your braces and so on, balancing on your elbow in a crouched position and doing the best you could, perhaps doing your business laying down etc.  I don’t remember army training telling you had to go about that problem.  One had to be quite a contortionist to perform this exercise.  Forget about the rules of hygiene in this situation, days went by when we couldn’t wash our hands let alone anything else!!  But I was surprised how fit we were.  Our Officer* told us a little dirt won’t hurt if you swallow some."

*Lieutenant Dick Williams

 

Anthony Rampling described how even in the main trenches you could hear the Germans at night moving vehicles and equipment. "It was very nervewracking." In front of the wood there were small fields (dense ‘bocage’) with thick hedgerows where the Germans could hide. The wood was coppiced (regularly cut over to provide small timber) so didn’t provide very good cover.

He also spent time lying flat in an outpost:

Listening

          “We had to do 24 hour stints on an outpost, which was out on a hedgerow ahead of the trenches and, during that time, we hadn’t had any food and we had a phone so we rang and said we hadn’t had any food and Lieutenant Williams, our troop officer, crawled out with some food and to get the food out to us it was tied up in string and he carried it in his mouth to crawl out to this outpost.

          I think he was very brave to do this because he could have been sniped by the Germans at any time.”

Eric Brewer was "At harbour going out to STAND to position" on 25th July and the next day "Still at harbour, moved off in afternoon to the old position" so presumably the outpost again.  He'd written home that "we are not really needed out here as they don't want you for Recce...Gerry is so close to the front line you cannot get any nearer him". Gerry certainly was at Briquessard! 

Like Dick he'd obtained some supplies from the NAAFI van "we have also been issued with ... a bottle of beer, chocolate, spearmint, razor blades, envelopes and writing paper for 50 Franks or 5 shillings...the fags are 4 pennies for 10." Also "We are having some fine weather here, except for a couple of short showers its been perfect...At the present moment the sun is out and I have made my bed down in a slit trench."  The censor for Eric's letters was A.R.Stone who later received the Military Cross for action at the bridge over the Escaut Canal in Belgium on 4th September 1944. (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

26^th July 1944- After five months fighting the Battle of Narva (now the third largest city in Estonia, right next to the Russian border) Soviet forces finally capture the city from the German occupants.

 

The Battle of Guam

21^st July 1944 – American forces land on Guam, the largest and southernmost of the Marianas Islands, in the western Pacific.  Eventually almost 55,000 US troops are landed here while the Japanese have a defensive force of nearly 20,000.  The Battle of Guam lasts until 10^th August, with fierce fighting and 7,500 Japanese are still at large on the island after it had been secured for the Allies.

 

Eric Brewer was actually having a bit of a holiday - his diary for the 21st July says "At rest camp - taking it easy" and on 22nd: "Still there. Visit beach, went to Paclam" (sic).  In letters home (dated the 20th) he writes: "Well at last I am at the rest camp for three days and enjoying it.  You can do what you want to do and there is also a cinema, a theatre, games and writing room...I have even sent my washing to the local laundry here, which is run by French girls" "Doing nothing as usual and enjoying my rest at this new camp.  Went for a bath this morning and the pictures last night and expect to try horse riding tomorrow."   Later he wrote "slowly getting quite used to this French language but about the only thing I can't get used to is the lack of pubs, and cafes with nothing to eat in the place."  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)