WO 171/1297 - 2 Glasgow Highlanders - 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 Bn The Glasgow Highlanders
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt.Col. P.U. Campbell

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
3795 CUVERVILLE	1	0001	- 2359 BN in position of defence. R.C. church service at local church. Service for C of S etc taken by S.C.F. 15(S) Div at 1145.	App A Sheet I
	1		Visited by Divisional Commander Maj General CM Barber DSO. Barber, Colin Muir "Tiny"
	2	0001	- 2359 Bn in position of defence. Div Commander again visited BN. He inspected a recent draft of reinforcements.
	3	0840	Bn left Cuverville in TCVs.
5015	3	1300	Arrived La Feuille 502151. Church service held at 1800 hrs.
La FEUILLE	3		Pipe band played after the service.
7342 ESCLES	4	1330	Bn left La Feuille at 0330 hrs and arrived in T.C.Vs area Woods 7342 at 1330 hrs. Visited by Bde Commander, Brigadier RM Villiers DSO at 1400 hrs.
1808 SE of St Pol	5		Bn left area 7342 at 0840 hrs and arrived at area of 1808 SE of St Pol 1630 hrs.
	6	1100	Bn left area 1808 in Advance to Contact groups at 1100 hrs.
	6	1800	Crossed Belgian frontier about 1800 hrs.
Area SWEVEGHEM	6		Passed through Belleghem - first British troops to do so - and the BN was presented with a hand made tapestry of King George VI. Windsor, George VI	App A Sheet I
904557 SWEVEGHEM	6	2100	Arrived 904557 and took up a defensive position.
0957 Audenarde	7	1500	Bn left area 9055 in advance to contact Gps being relieved by 8 BN Royal Scots. BN took over from 7th BN Queens Regt at Audenarde 0957 at 1500 hrs.
	8		Bn in defence of Audenarde. 150 prisoners taken. Visited by Brigadier R.M. Villiers DSO.
GHENT	9		Bn moved in combat gps to position SE of GHENT (2277). Under command 131 Bde. BN attacked over Canal in Northern sector of GHENT at 1930 hrs. Canal crossed at 175616. BN took up defensive positions in built up area after fierce street fighting. Casualties 4 killed 20 wounded.
GHENT	10		COYs of the BN continued their advance, meeting strong enemy opposition. Consolidated in area 1782. Enemy counter attack repelled - in this we were assisted by tanks. P.O.W. taken 219, Casualties:- Lieut J. Galloway - a broken leg. 42 O Ranks.	App A Sheet I
GHENT	Night 10/1		Hy shelling of enemy positions.
	11		Enemy positions Typhooned. Civilians evacuated from the area. Enemy seemed to have withdrawn. 21 P.O.W. Bn relieved by Polish troops, and moved to conc area 225772.
559768	12		Returned to 46(H) Bde command and moved in TCV's to Lippeloo.
SW Gheel	13		Bn left Lippeloo for area 044865 - SW of Gheel - just N of Albert Canal. Took up def position.
	14		Bn in defence at 044865.
Area Gheel	15		BN under Command 44 Bde for Bridgehead operation across Canal de Junction. Bn move to Gheel area 079904. 44 Bde in Bridgehead, unable to complete their own operation, therefore Bn ordered to remain in defence position area 079904. C Coy & Sec of Carriers moved up to defence postn just S of Canal bank 066918.
	16		Bn in position at 079904. Several recce's carried out but not required to be put into effect. Mortaring of our postns throughout the day. 20 Casualties.
	17		Bn moved to area 0690. A Coy relieved C Coy at 066918.
	18		Bn in area 0789. Defensive postn. Bn visited by Bde Comdr.
	19-20		Bn in defence postn area 0789. D Coy relieved A Coy in area 066918.
Area EINDHOVEN	21	1430	BN crossed the Holland frontier at about 1430. Bivvied the night at 407213. BN visited by Bde Comdr.	App A Sheet II
Area BEST	22		BN moved across WILHELMINA Canal and attacked BEST 3726. A Coy under hy mortar fire all along advance. Other Coys encountering very fierce MMG fire. 46 Casualties. Bn consolidated area 376258.
Area BEST	23		BHQ moved to 383259. Bde attack - 2 Glas H. right 7 Seaforths left, moving from Rd (running N.S) to Rly. Coys reached objectives against severe opposition.
	Night 23/2		7 Seaforths right coy unable to get to its objective. Enemy infiltrated & counter attacked over B Coy. Casualties 57. O.C. B Coy wounded, lay doggo in a shelter for 10 hours then evacuated by 9th CAMS who attacked over same ground.
	24		Bn concentrate in area 383259.
Area BEST	25-26		Bn in defence position. Total P.O.Ws since 23rd 52	Appx A II
	27		Bn move to defence position at X Rds 379267.
	27		Bn in defensive position 3726. Intermittent shelling and mortaring from enemy. Patrols carried out by Capt Stanton, nights 28/29, 29/30, 30/1 OCT.

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Source: The War Diaries of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division June 1944 - May 1945.

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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