WO 171/854 - Inns of Court Regiment - October 1944

Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs., Vol. 1. and the Staff Manual respectively Title pages will be prepared in manuscript.	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Army Form C.2118
	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Unit: Inns of Court Regt, RAC
Month and Year: October 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt.Col. R.A.G. Bingley

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
	1		C Sqn patrolling area DEURNE – MEIJEL.
	1		D Sqn patrolling West bank of River MAAS from inclusive railway crossing 759453 to MAASHEES 8231.
	1		C Sqn HQ at VLIERDEN.
	1		D Sqn HQ at WANROIJ.
	1		A & B Sqns in reserve.
	1		RHQ & A Echelon - ST ANTONIS area.
	2		A Sqn relieved C Sqn area DEURNE – MEIJEL.
	2		B Sqn patrolling area BEUGEN – BOXMEER – SAMBEEK on W. bank of R. MAAS.
	2		C & D Sqns in reserve.
	3		A Sqn patrolling DEURNE – MEIJEL area.
	3		B Sqn same area, W. bank of R. MAAS.
	3		C & D Sqns in reserve.
	4		B Sqn in same area, W. bank of R. MAAS.
	4		C Sqn patrolling area DEURNE – MEIJEL – LIESEL. Heavy enemy shelling during day.
	4		D Sqn patrolling W. bank of R. MAAS and rly crossing 795453 to MAASHEES.
	4		A Sqn in reserve.
	5		B Sqn W. bank of R. MAAS – BERGEN – SAMBEEK.
	5		C Sqn DEURNE – LIESEL – MEIJEL.
	5		D Sqn MAASHEES area.
	5		A Sqn in reserve.
	6		A Sqn area DEURNE – MEIJEL. Enemy shelling during day.
	6		B Sqn BERGEN – SAMBEEK, W. bank of R. MAAS.
	6		C & D Sqns in reserve.
	7		A Sqn DEURNE – MEIJEL area.
	7		B Sqn BERGEN – SAMBEEK area W. bank of R. MAAS.
	7		C & D Sqns in reserve.
	8		A Sqn DEURNE – MEIJEL area.
	8		D Sqn patrolling W. bank of R. MAAS from BERGEN to VORTUM.
	8		B & C Sqns in reserve.
	9		C Sqn relieved by 7th U.S. Armd Div and moved to WANROIJ.
	9		D Sqn area BERGEN – VORTUM holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	9		A & B Sqns in reserve.
	10		B Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER.
	10		A Sqn moved to area BOEKEL 6136.
	10		C & D Sqns in reserve.
	11		A Sqn in area BERGEN – VORTUM holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	11		B, C & D Sqns in reserve.
	12		B Sqn area BOXMEER – VORTUM holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	12		C Sqn area BERGEN – CUYK holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	12		A & D Sqns in reserve.
	13		B Sqn area BOXMEER – VORTUM holding W. bank of R.MAAS.
	13		D Sqn area BERGEN – CUYK holding W. bank of R.MAAS.
	13		A Sqn in reserve at VENHORST.
	13		D Sqn in reserve at BRAKKENHOF.
	14		C Sqn area BOXMEER – VORTUM holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	14		A, B & D Sqns in reserve.
	15		C Sqn area BOXMEER – VORTUM holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	15		A, B & D Sqns in reserve.
	16		B Sqn area BOXMEER – VORTUM holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	16		A, C & D Sqns in reserve.
	17		B Sqn area BOXMEER – VORTUM holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	17		A, C & D Sqns in reserve.
	18		C Sqn area BOXMEER – VORTUM holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	18		A, B & D Sqns in reserve.
	19		A Sqn at 30 minutes notice in area DEURNE.
	19		C Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R.MAAS.
	19		D Sqn at 30 minutes notice in area DEURNE.
	19		B Sqn in reserve.
	20		A Sqn patrolling area S. West of DEURNE – VENRAY, keeping contact between 11th Armd Div and 7th U.S. Armd Div.
	20		C Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	20		B Sqn in reserve.
	20		D Sqn in reserve DEURNE.
	20		A Echelon moved to GEMERT.
	21		A Sqn patrolling area DEURNE – VERNAY – LEUNEN 7824.
	21		B Sqn in area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	21		C & D Sqns in reserve.
	22		B Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	22		D Sqn patrolling area DEURNE – VENRAY keeping contact between 11th Armd Div and 7th U.S. Armd Div.
	22		A & C Sqns in reserve.
	23		C Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	23		D Sqn patrolling DEURNE – VENRAY area.
	23		A & B Sqns in reserve.
	24		A Sqn holding line E. of VELLUM 7825.
	24		C Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	24		B & D Sqns in reserve.
	25		A Sqn holding line in area VELLUM.
	25		C Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	25		B & D Sqns in reserve.
	26		B Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	26		D Sqn holding line VELLUM area.
	26		A & B Sqns in reserve.
	27		B Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	27		D Sqn holding line VELLUM area.
	27		A & C Sqns in reserve.
	28		A Sqn holding line VELLUM area. German counter-attack against 7th U.S. Armd Div on right captured LIESEL.
	28		C Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	28		B & D Sqns in reserve.
	29		A Sqn holding line VELLUM area.
	29		C Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	29		B & D Sqns in reserve.
	30		B Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	30		D Sqn holdinq line VELLUM area.
	30		A & C Sqns in reserve.
	31		B Sqn area VORTUM – BOXMEER holding W. bank of R. MAAS.
	31		D Sqn holding line VELLUM area.
	31		A & C Sqns in reserve.
	31		The west bank of the R. MAAS was held by forward patrols, provided by two Squadrons in rotation, the remaining two Squadrons being located a short distance in rear as a tactical reserve. By day Armoured Car patrols were maintained in each village with O.Ps in church towers, windmills and convents. By night these patrols were withdrawn behind the railway line about 1,000 yards back from the river and the villages became “No Man’s Land" in which both sides patrolled, the Germans coming over the river by boat to steal food or renew amorous connections (occasionally the bolder spirits, unable to break off their amorous connections before first light, were caught by the incoming morning Armoured car patrols) (“with their trousers down"). Spasmodic shelling of the villages carried out by the Germans, but our superiority in artillery enabled us to "give back two for every one” at enemy positions, which were early pin-pointed by our O.Ps.; during the first two weeks Regimental officers acted as O.Ps. for the artillery.
	31		On the Deurne front the two Squadrons, who moved there from the MAAS in the middle of the month, had the general task of maintaining touch between the 11th Armd Division (on the left) and the 7th U.S. Armd Division (on the right) by holding a line of observation behind a stretch of wet marshy land, passable to Infantry but not to tanks except down the roads.
	31		Subsequently they also held a post with half a Squadron in a factory outside VENRAY linking the left of the 11th Armd Division and the right of the 3rd British Division.
	31		At times there was heavy shelling along this sector of the front.
	31		A cinema projector was purehased and installed in a hall at ST ANTONIS and afforded considerable enjoyment to personnel both of the Regt and other units.
	31		Casualties.
	31		During the month the following casualties were suffered:—
	31		Killed.
	31		7930069 L/Sgt Crouch, N.
	31		Wounded.
	31		Lt. H.C. Sim
	31		14403747 Tpr Black, I. 7955877 Tpr Bone, C.
	31		14306290 ,, Osborne, H. 14261049 ,, Parker, F.
	31		14213869 ,, Beer, J. 317510 ,, Jones, R.
	31		6352153 Tpr Allen, G.
	31		Reinforcements.
	31		During the month the following officer rfts were received by the Regt:-
	31		W/Lt. I.L. Forsyth 2/Lt. D. Barragwarrath
	31		W/Lt. D.G. Wye 2/Lt. T.A. Birrell
	31		W/Lt. W.S5. McLaughlin 2/Lt. J. Fellingham
	31		2/Lt. W.S. Chantler 2/Lt. K. Hill
	31		W/Lt. L.H.C. Brown 2/Lt. W.P. Neville
	31		W/Lt. A.F. Hunton 2/Lt. J.A.D. Rofe
	31		W/Lt. A.K. Iles 2/Lt. H. Skelton-Smith
	31		The following officers were S.O.S. of the Unit owing to sickness:-
	31		T/Capt. B.C.H. Eves
	31		W/Lt. D.B. Archer
	31		W/Lt. Webster.
	31		Awards.
	31		The following awards were notified during the month:-
	31		Military Cross.
	31		Lt. H.R. Russell
	31		Lt. H.R. Ashby
	31		Lt. D.B. Archer
	31		Lt. H.C. Sim
	31		Military Medal.
	31		7885818 Sgt R. Brickell
	31		7903026 L/Sgt J. Stewart

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Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Hans Houterman.

Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. Locations are calculated, so might not be in the correct place. For historical research, always check the originals.

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