WO 171/1325 - 2 King's Shropshire Light Infantry - October 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 K.S.L.I.
Month and Year: October 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt.-Col. C.G. Millett OBE

Place	Date	Hour	Summary
ASTEN	1	0900	Bn left in M.T. for new location near MOOK. The journey was made without incident. The enthusiasm of the local population declined noticeably as the bn neared the German Frontier, but there was not hostility. The route led over the GRAVE Bridge on the R. Meuse.
	1	1300	Bn arrived in the new area, which was slightly undulating sandy country, covered with dense forests of young pine.
	1	1400	Coy Comds went out with the C.O. to recce the next area. The bn dug in rapidly but there was no enemy shelling. Camouflage was strictly in force as the Luftwaffe were unusually active sending over as many as 300 planes a day.
MOOK	2	0200	A single enemy plane dropped a stick of bombs on “Y” Coy, but caused no casualties.
	3	1100	Bn recce party left to recce new area.
	3	1400	Bn moved by march route to relieve a bn of 325 U.S. Airborne Regt, and took up a position in rolling pine-forested hills.
	3		The bn was in reserve and had no direct contact with the enemy who where in considerable strength on a defensive line in front of the Reichswald Forest and the German Frontier about 2 miles away. During the night there was occasional shelling in the bn area, but there were no casualties.
	4		The day was quiet. During the night an NCO from Y and X Coys accompanied a night patrol from 1 Norfolks, which was uneventful.
	6	1400	Bn was relieved by 2 E Yorks and moved to HEUMAN, coming u/c 8 Bde. The bn were in close billets though trenches were dug in coy areas.
HEUMAN	6	1530	Tactical recce party left for new area near GROESBEEK to prepare for the relieve by the bn of one coy each of 1 and 11 bn 505 U.S. Airborne Regt
	7	0900	Recce party left again to recce area in daylight.
	7	2000	Very heavy shelling in bn area by several enemy guns of heavy calibre, possibly 210mm railway guns. There were 8 casualties in Sp Coy. The shelling continued intermittently until 0100 hrs.
	8	0600	Orders to relieve 505 U.S. Airborne Regt were cancelled and the bn moved back to the previous location 2 E Yorks and came back u/c 185 Bde.
MOOK	8	1230	Non Tactical recce party left for GAGEL near GRAVE. During the night they were recalled owing to a change in plan.
	9	0600	Tactical recce party left for OEFELT, a village on the R Meuse near which the enemy had a fortified position on our side of the river.
	9	1200	Bn left for OEFELT and was relieved by 5 D.C.L.I. of 43 Inf Div. The new area was in flat open country and whilst the forward coys were in slit trenches, all had buildings in their areas.
OEFELT	9		During the night Y, Z and W coys sent patrols to the river and all were uneventful.
	9		Three enemy approached W Coy position, but a hasty rifle shot cheated a watchful Bren Gunner of his prey. Sound travelled well and even in Coy HQ's enemy waggon drivers could be heard swearing at their horses on the far side of the river.
	10	1400	At Bn “O” Gp O.C. Y Coy Major Brooke-Smith put forward a useful suggestion which some of his men had adopted. Two Sten mags were firmly bound together with adhesive tape, one was inserted in the gun, and when empty, the man merely turned the double mag round and inserted the other half. This got rid of the dangerous delay of fumbling in pouches. Both mags would bot fit in a basic pouch.
	10	1400	Recce party left for new location at RIJKEVOORT 5 miles S.W. of OEFELT.
	10		During the night W, Y and Z Coys sent out the same patrols towards the river but again they saw nothing.
	11	1200	Sqn 3 Recce Regt completed their relief of the bn in OEFELT. The bn became non-operational but apart from slight changes in the forward companies, positions remained the same.
	12	0745	M.T. started to move to RIJKEVOORT.
	12	1015	Marching personnel started to move.
RIJKEVOORT	12	1230	Bn take temporary quarters at new location. All men in barns and in shelter.
	13	0700	Bn left for assembly area. Some shelling on the route.
	13	1015	Bn arrived at assembly area.
	13	1152	Area in front of Bn HQ (754329) subject to mortaring. C.O. and Coy Comds went forward at first light to recce for attack on woods South of OVERLOON. Made contact with E Yorks on ground made somewhat belated contact wiht Sqn of Coldstream Guards supporting bn in attack.
	13	1200	Advance began Z coy on right W on left with Y to carry out left flank protection behind W, X in res. Advance supported by linear arty concs on call. Thichness of wood and lack of time prevented tks really supporting fwd coys. Wood cleared and three fwd coys established almost fwd edge jsut as darkness fell. Enemy however came to life in wood and X coy had to clear comns to fwd coys. Lt. Bellamy and Sgt Ruff killed and bn suffered about 17 other casualties during the day.
OVERLOON	14		Remained in Woods, improved posns and located enemy disposns. Some shelling and Mortaring caused a few casualties.
	15		11 Armd passed through to sweep Eastwards. 4 K.S.L.I. formed up in and passed through Bn area.
	16		Bn in res with task of going through other two bns and clearing and holding woods to N.E. of BRABANDER joining up with tks on the way.
	16	1300	Bn ordered to move fwd. Route was under heavy mortar fire. Rifle Coys by a detour got past and over Moelen Beek. The bdges however were damged after the tks crossed. Rifle coys were stopped and collected but bn was without either Sp weapons or comns. 'O' Gp severely mortared. Lt. Eaves I.O. wounded. Attack called off until brs cleared. Bn dug in, in open fds in midst of Schu Mine Fields. Rained in torrents. Heavy Mortar stonks and some M.G. fire during evening. Casualties suffered from mines as well.
MOEZEN BEEK	17	0550	Fresh plan made in conjunction with tks.
	17	0830	Bn advanced to attack. The village had not been cleared as was supposed. Bn soon came under heavy mortar and M.G. fire from two and someetimes three sides. X and Y coys made their way through very thick and difficult country and advanced to attack against at first stiff opposition.
	17		Z coy suffered casualties from Mortar & Nebelwerfer doing night flank protection and attempting to clean snipers and strong M.Gs. W coy put in to deal with Mgs on night of attack which were making passage of open ground impossible.
	17	1315	Fwd coys reached their objective. Bn reorganised. About 80 POW were sent to rear and a large number of the enemy killed. Z Coy moved up after dark to complete bn position. Heavy mortaring and shelling throughout evening. Bn lost about 50 casualties in the operation.
	18		Two prisoners collected from an enemy patrol which approached the posns.
	18	1630	Z Coy supported by tks carried out an adv towards some houses on the right from which fire was delaying the Warwicks. Enemy abandoned the house.
	20	0900	Tks and Sp A Tk guns shot up known enemy posns to encourage them.
	20		Bn relieved by R U R, relief being completed by 1400 hrs.
	20		Bn to rest in vicinity ROUW (N.E. of OVERLOON) with one coy fwd in Sandunes to East in Sp of M.G. pls. Men all under cover of sorts.
ROUW	20-25		Bn cleaned up and cleaned and repaired weapons. Fwd coy relieved every other day.
	26		Bn relieved E Yorks in area ST SERVATIUS Hosp and Eastern portions of VENRAY. Relief completed by 2000 hrs without inciddent.
VENRAY	26		Local protection patrols. Some shelling and sniping.
	27		Enemy shelling and Mortar fire intermittent all the time. Patrols sent out at night to try and pin point enemy.
	27		Coy dispositions changed slightly.
	28		Z coy relieved by NOR and moved to strenghten their flank.
VENRAY	28		Some shelling of forward coys by day. 5 casualties in Y Coy. Intermittent shelling and mortaring during night. Provocative patrols active from our lines.
	29		Intermittent shelling and mortaring continued without damage or casualties being inflicted. Our patrols again active.
	30		Enemy using guns and mortars spasmodically. Bright moonlight restricted the activety of our patrols.
	31		Some increase of enemy mortaring and shelling. But no damage or casualties. Continuation of bright moonlight still restricted our patrol activety. Some enemy S.A. fire at close range to Y Coy silenced by Brens and A/Tk gun fire.

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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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