WO 171/1395 - 5 Wiltshire Regiment - September 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: 5 Wilts
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt.Col. W.Q. Roberts

Date	Hour	Summary
1/13		Bn stationed GASNY 530726
14		Bn moved from GASNY to LONGREUEE, NE of MONS – distance of 190 miles.
15		Bn move continued to LUMMEN, 4 miles West of Albert Canal – a distance of 90 miles.
15		Bn stationed at SCHALBROOK 203675
16/17		Bn stationed at SCHALBROOK 203675
18		Move into Div Transit area 3679, North of HELCHTREEN.
19/20		Bn in Div Transit area.
21		Moved from transit area to GRAVE – distance of 58 miles.
22		Bn moved on and reached NIJMEGEN, and transport harboured in the streets. Distance 8 m
22	1655	Carrier exploded, setting one 15cwt and 2 DUKWs on fire. Damage to buildings by explosives from 25 pr amn Bn suffered cas, 4 killed, 14 wounded.
22	2000	Bn crossed R.Waal and BnHQ est LENT 7264. Coys moved fwd to posns. 'A' 712660, 'B' 707669, 'C' 712664 'D' 705664. 'A' Coy having to fight to gain their posn, being engaged by enemy fire from their objective, took up all round def posn 712660.
23	0825	'A' Coy counter attacked, this was unsuccessful and repulsed.
23	0940	'C' Coy counter-attacked from East and from North East. Counter attack successfully repulsed.
23	1700	'A' Coy attacked East from their posn to clear ground to Coy of 1 Welsh Guards. During night prisoner of 594 Flak Bty captured. Found to be an Offr of Labour Corps.
24	0600	Patrol of 'A' Coy contacted Coy of Welsh Guards at rd junc 719659. Contact gained by wireless with 'A' Coy. In posn South of objective. Crossed on to objective.
24	1700	Bn from 69 Bde attacked BEMMEL NE of LENT. This relieved the Bn and Coys moved back into concentration areas around BnHQ.
24	2120	'C' Coy moved back to conc area.
25	1500	Carrier Pl, Mor Pl and 8 Mc Pl attacked, went to ZETTEN to act as decoy while 4 Dorset ferried back men of 1 Airborne Div from North side of R.Neder, West of ARNHEM.
26	1430	Bn moved from LENT to 685666 for night, in preparation to relieve 5 DCLI.
27	1500	Bn moved from 685666 to take over DCLI posns.
27	1930	Bn in posns. BnHQ est 691730 'A' Coy 699748, 'B' Coy 701737, 'C' Coy 696754, 'D' Coy 705735.
28		Few enemy patrols observed during day.
28	1600	OP est at railway crossing in 'D' Coy area. Occasional shells fell in Bn area. 'D' Coy patrols covered area in front of enemy posn, Recced Wood at 716738. Enemy set fire to haystack and occupied X Rds 712734. SOS was brought on it and lifted to Wood at 0200 hrs. Fighting patrol reported going to within 60x of enemy posn, were fired on at this range by MGs. They returned fire and then withdrew safely. No prisoners.
29		Bn area received occasional shells. Enemy observed at 714752. 4. 2in Mor dealt with them effectively. OP reports one Coy dug in on Eastern bank of Rly 707762 to 706756 and along rd 706756 to 714752.
30		Contact patrols sent out during early morning. Enemey observed during day in known locations. Occasional shelling in Bn area.
30	1355	3” Mors engaged targets at 706750.
30	1450	Mortar fire on MR 706750 seen to have been very effective. Enemy seen removing wounded.
30	1700	Observed 4.2” Mor shoot 7155737. Direct hit on target. No movement seen.
30	1715	Enemy still in posn 706750. 25 prs moved up and sent 50 rds into posn. Great damage caused to posns all along to bend at 706760.
30	2045	'D' Coy reports tpt incl tracks moving NW along rd from KRONENBURG 7272.
30	2150	4 SomLI report hearing enemy tanks moving East 7272.
30	2246	Suspected movement of tks in fairly large numbers reported by 'C' Coy, coming down from ELDEN area.
30	2338	'A' Coy patrol Comd observed 2 enemy tanks and number of horse drawn vehs pulled in on verge of main rd 712733, about 200 yards North of 'D' Coy listening post. Patrol Comd ordered to withdraw, while Arty were putting down SOS task. Arty listening post withdrawn for duration of shelling.

Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com.

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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