| 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 |
| Unit: 15th/19th Hussars | ||
| Month and Year: September 1944 | (Erase heading not required). | Commanding Officer: Lt Col A.D. Taylor, MC. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Regt filled up after its night drive on the road about 1856 and there received orders to take up positions with 1st Herefords blocking the Southern and South Eastern exits from TERMONDE 4576 and ALOST 4066. C.O. went forward to ALOST to plan position with C.O. 1st Herefords. Regt following at best speed under Major M.S. Balmain. Before the Regt arrived up information was received of enemy moving South East towards ALOST from GHENT and 1st and 2nd troops 'A' Sqn, the first part of the Regt to arrive were ordered rapidly to re-inforce Coy 1st Herefords in a position astride the road about 3667 to block this threat. Remainder of Regt was disposed as follows:- 'C' Sqn blocking the road running South East from TERMONDE about LEBBEKE 4772, 'A' Sqn blocking the road running East and South East from ALOST about BOUKHOUT 4463, 'B' Sqn in reserve about 4767, RHQ near MELDERT 4765. Shortly after taking up these positions the 1st Herefords were withdrawn and Sqn dispositions were slightly altered. A Large number of rumours came in from local inhabitants of enemy forces in the area but beyond scattered parties of German Inf no serious opposition was met. In the later afternoon 'B' Sqn were ordered to go the bridge at 700800 to assist the Inns of Court to capture this bridge and clear the village just to the South. The Sqn moved up there rapidly and achieved their objective without difficulty. The area in which the Regt was on this day was exactly the area in which it had had such a disastrous day on 18th May 1940. On that day, whilst acting as rearguard to 4 Inf Div on the left of the B.E.F. in its withdrawl westwards, the Regt occupied a position about ASSCHE 5163 during the morning with 'A' Sqn in area ASSCHE, 'B' Sqn on its left East of CROKEGEM 5063 and 'C' Sqn further to the North. RHQ was in CROKEGEM. Later when ordered to withdraw over the river DENDRE by the bridges ALOST and LEUVENSTRAAT 4264 it was found that the enemy had moved round the left flank of the Regt, where contact with the Belgians had been lost, and was in posession of both bridges and ...... the road leading back to them. It is considered a somewhat remarkable coincidence that the Regt should now be operating with such very different fortunes on exactly the same ground. |
Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Mia Litjens.
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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