WO 171/997 - 151 Ayrshire Yeomanry - December 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: 151st (A.Y.) Field Regiment, R.A.
Month and Year: December 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt.Col. A.P. Trevor, R.A.

Date	Hour	Summary
1	0550	Capt Caffyn reported 3 Mon had intercepted enemy party attempting to get back across the MAAS and six prisoners taken. 125 Bty went out to forward posn at 0830 as sniping bty. Three shoots conducted during the day on areas of enemy movement and suspected OPs in the LOMM 9117 and HASSELT 9015 areas. Captain Canvin at reported that the German orderly officer went the round of the defences on a white horse. Bombard carried out on SP gun worrying the 8 RB in the evening. At 1215 small number of officers and ORs attended farewell address at METERICK by 8 Corps Commander (Lt.Gen. Sir Richard O’Connor, KCB, DSO, MC). O’Connor, Richard Nugent
1		Infm received of the award of four Military Crosses to the Regiment, to –
1		Captain P.S.Y. Garrett (killed in action at AUBUSSONS) for directing fire against tiger tanks which attacked 4 KSLI at LA GRANDE BONFAIT.
1		Major W.N. Mitchell for his gallantry at BAS PERIER in the pivot held by 3 Mon when, being the only OP officer left in the pivot, he directed the DF fire which helped to repel a heavy enemy counter attack.
1		Captain R.G. Vere-Nicoll for his work at BAS PERIER when, having been attacked by enemy infantry and wounded in the shoulder he continued to direct the arty sp for 2 FF Yeo.
1		Lt R.E. Hampton for his coolness in dealing with exploding ammunition and burning vehs when 123 Bty were shelled on LA VALLEE ridge near BURCY.
2		Captain Lucas engaged enemy coy HQ and Captain Spence enemy OP South of LOMM in the morning. 123 Bty ‘sniping’ Bty.
2	1330	The Adjutant (Capt. N.W.Higgin, RA) contacted BC from 3 British Div at MEERLO in order to see check rounds from Regt on area E of WANSSUM where enemy thought to be still holding out.
2		100 rpg dumped on gun posn for fire plan in sp 3 Br attack 3 Dec on these enemy posns.
2		In the afternoon, enemy appeared to have withdrawn and fire plan cancelled.
2	2155	Captain Miller with coy 4 KSLI who had relieved 3 Mon in BROEKHUISEN reported spandau and mortar fire and enemy gun which shelled the village with single rounds every five minutes for approx 1½ hrs.
3		Capt. MiIIer reported that three bogged enemy vehs had gone from the river bank opposite BROEKHUISEN. Activity night 2/3 presumed to be the enemy recovering these vehs.
3	1600	camouflaged veh engaged 917222.
4	0923	Enemy locality 917227 engaged with troop.
4	0945	Capt Lucas engaged enemy OP at 910180.
4	1315	Enemy digging in at 927213 engaged by Captain Miller.
4	1800	Two enemy locaIities engaged, one by this regt and one by 79 Med (Scottish Horse) on request Major Kreiser with 1 Hereford. This was retaliation for shelling of Captain Spence’s OP West of GRUBBENVORST. Enemy had put five shells through the roof of Convent School.
5	0823	Captain Miller reported capture of a PW who had been in the BR0EKHUIZEN area for four days. Enemy OP engaged at 915221. 13 RHA took over OP responsibilities for 159 Bde sector and reliefs carried out night 5/6 Dec.
5		24 men from the Regt posted to the infantry.
5		Commanding Officer (Lt.Col. A.P. Trevor, RA) took IOs of 11 Armd Div round the German def posn NW of METERICK.
6		5 tgts engaged Scale 1 during the night as retaliatory fire on request of Captain Miller. All wireless closed down on return of OPs. Guns remained in action in permanent locations. Bombard fired on Nebs in afternoon on order HQRA. One troop at a time to be taken out of action for maintenance during the OP rest period of seven days.
7		No activity.
8		No activity. Regt Christmas Cards received.
9		No activity.
10	1600	Tgts at 922152 engaged five times by regt as retaliatory fire for enemy shelling of HORST and 159 Bde area on night 9 Dec.
11		Nothing to report.
12	0800	Regt fired on area of enemy working party reported by Dutchman who had swum across the river to give the information.
12		151 (A.Y) OPs took over from 13 RHA during the afternoon.
12		New OP occupied at WESSERHOF in sp Bingforce (ICR and Dutch coys) as substitute for OP at BROEKHUIZERVORST. State of tracks of gun posns very bad. Use of tpt reduced to minimum and road maintenance carried out with assistance from 75 A Tk Regt.
13	0006	Bombard carried out on mortar firing against 1 Hereford.
13		Corps Commander Lt.Gen E.H. Barker, CB, CBE, DSO, MC visited OP occupied by Captain Lucas during the morning. Visibility poor throughout the day. Mortar bombards carried out at 1700 and 1720 hrs. Barker, Evelyn Hugh "Bubbles"
14	0030	Mortar bombard shot.
14		REs carried out work of sandbagging OPs. Slight enemy shelling of 1 Hereford area.
15		Infm received that regt would move to ROERMOND front 17 Dec. 13 RHA OPs took over responsibilities during afternoon and night.
15	2042	Soon after the evacuation of OP at WESSERHOF by Lt Norman the house was attacked by enemy raiding party and set alight. Regt fired DF for RHA OP who had taken over, and the enemy driven off.
16	0830	Recce parties proceeded to new gun area (6992) W of BAEXEM on ROERMOND front and remained there for night 16/17 Dec. OPs joined Bns in the afternoon.
17	1145	Regt moved to new area in Div column.
17		Enemy air activity during move and regt’s LAA guns fired approx 30 rds.
17		124 and 125 btys ready in action in new area approx 1630 hrs.
17		123 Bty proceeded to rest area near WEERT. New posn taken over complete from 133 Fd Regt (53 Div). Major Kreiser and 124 Bty OPs established in area HURN with 1 Hereford. OPs from 6 Fd Regt continued to be responsible for sp of 3 Mon in area HEEL - BEEGDEN and LO only ex 125 Bty joined 3 Mon. Regt responsible for general line of river ROERMOND - WESSEY.
17		700 rds of smoke taken over from 133 Fd Regt - this to be fired (Fire Plan Duck) to produce smoke screen for 30 mins to enable fwd inf posts opposite ROERMOND to be evacuated in the event of flooding of River ROER and MAAS by breach of dams on the ROER.
18	0910	Two ME 262s passed over gun area. Two bombs dropped near 124 Bty. No cas. Det 58 LAA Regt claimed one hit. C.O. arranged new set of DF tasks for 3 Mon. Warning received that enemy might drop parachutists in the area.
19	0915	Bombard on mortar shot. Tgt at 741884 shot five times Scale 1. between 2230 and 2100 hrs - area thought to be occupied by enemy for shooting small arms across the river at night.
19	2345	6 Fd Regt reported they were moving at dawn. Major Mitchell and 125 Bty OPs ordered to take over sp of 3 Mon morning 20 Dec.
20		Spandau fire on 1 Hereford front reported during the night.
20	0700	Tgt fired four times on request 3 Mon to catch enemy raiding party going back across the river in boats. 123 Bty put at 6 hrs notice to move up to gun area.
21		100 rpg dumped at gun posns. Gun posn recced for 123 Bty to be occupied 22 Dec. Bombards on mortars carried out between 2230 – 2300 hrs.
21		Captain L.C. Heptinstall attached to regt ex 124 Fd Regt.
22		123 Bty rejoined regt from rest area in action by 1200 hrs. Regt laid on three tgts (suspected spandau posns) from 1730 hrs onwards to cover mining party of 1 Hereford on river bank opposite ROERMOND.
22	2050	1 Hereford party met fire from other side of river and enemy thought to be sending patrols across. DF and counter mortar fire kept up until 2230 (approx 30 rpg fired). Remainder of night quiet.
23		In view of report that enemy were celebrating Christmas on 23 and 24 Dec, Commanding Officer arranged Div Arty Fire Plan ‘Santa’ to be fired at 1300 hrs and to be calculated to interrupt the Christmas dinner in the enemy forward areas. Fire Plan included two airburst tgts Scale 5.
24	0825	Major Krieser reported that during the night there were sounds of ‘singing vomiting and firing spandaus into the air’.
24		Quiet day – heavy frost. Mortars engaged 2100 hrs.
25	0620	Enemy patrol active in area of bridge W of ROERMOND. 124 Bty fired SOS.
25		Christmas dinner eaten successfully - mostly in the barns adjoining the Dutch farms. Owing to possibility of enemy attack Christmas, in accordance with Div Comd’s orders, was celebrated ‘in moderation’.
25	2000	enemy patrol engaged by 124 Bty in 1 Hereford area.
26		Visibility very poor and no activity. Fire Plan arranged to sp patrol of 1 Hereford at 1800 hrs – patrol going to clear area where enemy suspected to be lying up. Patrol returned 1950 hrs without finding enemy and no calls for Fire Plan.
27		Fire Plan arranged to sp raiding party of 3 Mon at 0600 hrs which was going across R MAAS to collect a PW. Patrol returned without making contact and Fire Plan not fired. 123 Bty OPs with 4 KSLI took over from 124 Bty OPs who went into reserve with 1 Hereford. lnfm received that regt would be relieved on Jan 1 and go to DEURNE as Corps reserve regt.
28	0530	Four tgts fired on enemy localities as retaliation for mortar fire previous evening.
28	2100	Barges on river engaged.
29		Very quiet day. Visibility poor. Approx 17° of frost during the Christmas period. CRA 11 Armd Div, Brigadier B.J. Fowler, DSO, MC, visited gun posn.
29		Recce parties 25 Fd Regt arrived 1230 hrs preparatory to their occupation of posn on Jan 1.
30		Slight thaw making roads and tracks very treacherous. 2IC and Bty Capts proceeded to DEURNE barracks to recce accommodation at present occupied by 25 Fd Regt. Little activity on front.
31		Commanding Officer attended conference at Corps HQ to arrange details of op role whilst regt in Corps reserve. Air OP registered 123 Bty on barges in bend of river SW of ROERMOND.
31	1850	Movement order received for move to DEURNE 1 Jan.
31	2125	Captain Canvin with 4 KSLI reported enemy patrol of 12 men across river W of ROERMOND. Regt fired scale 2 on DF tasks covering ROERMOND bridge – also 190 Fd Regt of 15 (S) Div.
31	2220	Captain Canvin reported situation. Another enemy patrol of 9 men at 764927 having been dispersed by mortar fire.
31	2225	124 Bty fired 1 gun rate very slow for five minutes to cover evacuation of one wounded soldier of 4 KSLI.

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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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