WO 171/837 - 2 Household Cavalry - 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: 2nd Household Cavalry Regt.
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt.Col. H. Abel Smith

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
	17		Operation MARKET GARDEN. This was a most ambitious project to drive 30 Corps over the Dutch frontier, the MEUSE - the WAAL and the NEDERIJN and establish G.A.D. on the shore of the ZUIDER ZEE. 3 Para and Glider borne Divs we landed in daylight - 101 US Div in area EINDHOVEN – 82 US Div in area GRAVE and JIHMEGEN and 1 Brit Airborne Div in area ARNHEM. The object of the airborne forces was to secure the crossings over the various rivers and canal - the object of 30 Corps was to drive NORTH as fast as possible linking up with the Airborne tps en route. Gds Armd Div was ordered to lead the advance. The initial advance was based on the initial capture of VALKENSWAARDE after which it was anticipated that it would be a fast rush to the MEUSE and RHINE brs. The initial attack was preceded by a very heavy barrage which was followed up by the Irish Guard Gp of 5 Gds Armd Bde - B Sqn 2 HCR followed I.G. Gp, HQ 5 Gds Bde with Tac HQ 2 HCR following B Sqn. Zero was 1400 hrs and progress was not rapid owing to enemy with Bazookas and the difficulty of getting off the main roads. I.G. lost 8 tanks just inside the Dutch frontier and two of B Sqn Daimler Armd Cars were blown up on mines.

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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