WO 171/1371 - 7 Seaforth 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: 7th Bn The Seaforth Highlanders
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. P.M. Hunt

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
LES ANDELYS	1		Routine normal.
LES ANDELYS	2		Routine normal.
	3	0715	Bn leaves LES ANDELYS. - Start of 12 Corps drive through France.
	3	0945	Bn arrives at LE PAVILLON.
LE PAVILLON	3	2030	C.O. held conference.
	4	0730	Bn leaves LE PAVILLON - Move by M.T.
	4	1045	Bn arrives at FOUILLOY.
FOUILLOY.	4	1430	Bde Comd visits Bn H.Q.
	4	1500	C.O. held 'O' Gp.
	5	0915	Bn leaves FOUILLOY.
	5	1815	Bn arrives at HAUTECLOQUE.
	5	1930	Bn leaves HAUTECLOQUE.
	5	2115	Bn arrives at VILLERS CHATEL.
	5	2145	C.O. leaves for 'O' Gp at Bde H.Q.
VILLERS CHATEL	6	0830	Bn left Villers Chatel for COURTRAI (BELGIUM). Route was through ARRAS, CARVIN, SELLIN, LESQUIN, HEM, TOUFFLES and PECQ.
	6	1310	Bn crossed BELGIUM Frontier.
	6		Bn entered COURTRAI. Took up posns at Canal Brs. Coys detached on mopping up ops with 15 (S) Div Recce and ROYALS. Casualties – 3 Killed, 5 Wounded.	See App 'A'
COURTRAI	7	0900	Bn left COURTRAI.
	7	1145	Bn arrives at BERCHEM 0251.
BERCHEM	7	1230	C.O. held 'O' Group.
	7	1345	Bn left BERCHEM. Weather conditions bad - heavy rain.
	7	1410	Bn at KERKHOVE F.U.P.
	7	1445	3 Coys attack CASTER and TIEGHEM X Rds. 'A' Coy centre, 'B' Coy left & 'D' Coy right. 'C' Coy reserve Coy. Carrier Pl on recce to ELSEBEM contacted no enemy.
	7		'D' Coy completed task, passed through objective to high ground N of CASTER. 'B' Coy pinned to ground by heavy M.G. fire from area X rds TIEGHEM. Opposition overcome and Coy gained objective.
	7		Coys positions right to left on consolidating - 'D' Coy high gd 0154: 'A' Coy BASSEGHEM 0054 - 'B' Coy area X rds TIEGHEM. Bn takes up firm base guarding canal and crossings. 'A' Coy VIERCHAAR 0152; 'B' Coy KERKHOVE 0152; 'C' Coy VOSSENHOER 0153; 'D' Coy VARENT 0253.Bn HQ. at VOSSENHOEK 0153.
	7		P.O.W. taken - 31.
	7		Bn casualties - 8 killed and 15 wounded.
VOSSENHOEK.	8		Bn in defensive posns.
	8	0200	'D' Coy patrol to CASTER.
	8	0300	" " " returns.
	8	0330	'C' Coy Patrol to CASTER X rds.
	8	0430	" " " returns.
	8	0130	'A' Coy patrolling area from VIERSCHAAR 0152 to TIEGHEM. Patrols during the day from all Coys brought in 82 P.W. incl 2 Offrs.
	8	0930	C.O. left for recce.
	8	1030	Carrier Pl moves off.
	8	1930	Bn left VOSSENHOEK by M.T.
	9	0200	Bn arrives at QUENENBOSCH posns along ESCAULT Canal. 'A' Coy Rly Br 2076; 'B' Coy along rd 1974; 'C' Coy Canal Br and Rd June 1771; 'D' Coy TIERLINCK 1569.
QUENENBOSCH	10	1400	C.O. leaves for 'O' Gp at Bde H.Q.
	10	1615	Bn leaves QUENENBOSCH.
	10	2215	Bn arrives at MALDEREN conc area.
MALDEREN	11	0900	C.O. held 'O' Group.
	11	1230	C.O. leaves for Brig. recce party of ALBERT CANAL Br Head are GHEEL.
	11	1400	Coy Comds leave for recce as above.
	12	1130	Bn leaves MALDEREN.
	12	1600	Bn arrives at PADDENHOEK F.A.A.
	12	1645	C.O. held 'O' Gp.
	12	1715	Bn leaves PADDENHOEK.
	12	1755	Bn crosses ALBERT CANAL.
	12	1805	Bn arrives at HEEZE and takes over posns from 5 E.YORKS, 50 Div.
	12		'A' Coy along track and astride rd and track junc 0386. 'B' Coy along main rd running N.E. 0486. 'C' Coy rd and track junc 0486. 'D' Coy along track 0487.
HEEZE	13		Bn at HEEZE. Defensive posns on ALBERT CANAL Br head.
	13	1315	Bn moves fwd to broaden br head, meets no opposition - 1 P.W.
	13		Defensive posns taken up as follows:- 'A' Coy NEDREBUUL 0088; 'B' Coy N.W. of WOOD and astride Rly line 0087; 'C' Coy astride main rd and along edge of WOOD 0287; 'D' Coy BOEKEL 0187.
	13	1830	Bde Comd visits Bn HQ.
	13	2220	Bn HQ at X rds 0189 NEDERBUUL Area.
NEDERBUUL	14		Bn in defensive posns on ALBERT CANAL Br head.
	14	1430	Mortars shelled enemy posns N of Canal Wood 904913.
	14		Recce Patrol by 'A' Coy.	See Appdx 'B'
	14		Enemy shelled Lock area 092884 - Major Currant, 'B' Coy Comd killed and 2 other ranks wounded. Currant, Percy Norman
NEDERBUUL	15		Bn in defensive posns on ALBERT CANAL Br head.
	15	0100	Contact Patrol B,D Coys to GERHUDE. Contact Carrier Sec and return by BOCKEL. Contact made.
NEDERBUUL	16		Bn in defensive posns on ALBERT CANAL Br head.
	16	1800	C.O. held 'O' Group.
	16	1815	Coy of Queens Regt take over 'B' Coys posn area Canal Lock.
	16	0200	Contact Patrol from 'B' Coy to Queens at Lock. Return by Canal Bank. Contact made.
	16		Snipers Report see Appendix.	See Appdx 'C'
	16	1530	Bn Mortar sheet on enemy posn NORTH of Canal.
NEDERBUUL	17		Bn in defensive posns on ALBERT CANAL Br head.
	17	1445	C.O. leaves for 'O' Gp at Bde H.Q.
	17	1700	C.O. goes on recce of new area.
	18	1345	Bn leaves NEDERBUUL area - posns taken over by 1/7 Queens, 7 Armd Div.
	18	1415	Bn arrives at KRAAIE BOSSCHEN to take over posns from 10 HLI, 227 Bde. 'A' Coy edge of Wood and along track 105917. 'B' Coy N.E. of track 108913. 'C' Coy area of WOOD and track 088923. 'D' Coy WOOD 094914.
	18	1830	Bde Comd visits Bn HQ.
	18		Quiet day.
KRAAIE	19		Bn in defensive posns.
	19		Quiet day.
KRAAIE	20		Bn in defensive posns.
BOSSCHEN	20	1010	Bde Comd visits Bn HQ.
	20	1815	C.O. leaves for 'O' Gp at Bde HQ.
	20	1830	1 Coy and Carrier Pl of KOSB, 44 Bde, take over fwd posns.
	21	0650	Bn leaves KRAAIE BOSSCHEN. - M.T. move.
	21	1045	Bn crossed DUTCH Frontier at LOMMELSCHE.
	21	1230	C.O. leaves for 'O' Group at Bde H.Q.
	21	1240	Bn arrives at VELDHOVEN.
	21	1300	C.O. held 'O' Group.
	21	1410	C.O. and Coy Comds leave for recce of WILHELMINA CANAL.
	21	1430	Bn leaves VELDHOVEN.
	21	1830	Bn arrives at 394244 FAA.
	21	2115	Bn crosses WILHELMINA CANAL. Bn Pioneer Pl built raft for carrying A Tk Guns. R.E. built class 9 raft for transport. 'A' Coy encountered stiff opposition from MMG area Canal and Rly crossing 380245 before enemy were pushed back over Rly. 2 ORs wounded. MG fire from well sited posns on Rly.
	21	2230	Br head over WILHELMINA CANAL est. Right 'D' Coy area LOCK and across tracks 393253; Centre 'B' Coy area houses and Wood 385255. Left 'A' Coy area Rly Br to track 380246. 'C' Coy between A & D 384249. Bn HQ at 388252.
	21		During night Patrols to BEST, one along Rly, one along rd. Object to find out if BEST was held by the enemy and in what str. Patrols reported BEST held, str unknown. Lt Millar wounded on this patrol.
	22	0800	D' Coy went fwd to occupy BEST as it was then believed village was practically unoccupied. However, Coy came under hy MG and mortar fire while clearing houses and streets. The enemy were strongly entrenched, and 'D' Coy had to withdraw to its original posn, having suffered fairly hy cas. 4 P.W. were captured. Lt Pyrah and 17 Pl missing during street fighting phase. 2 G.H. later failed to capture same village. Pyrah, Arthur Eric Mitchell
	22		Casualties: 9 wounded, 21 missing.
	22	0730	Bde Comd visits Bn HQ.
	23		Bn holding posns on WILHELMINA Br head.
	23	1000	Bde Comd visits Bn HQ.
	23	1400	C.O. held 'O' Group.
	23		Two Bns attack. 2 G.H. RIGHT - 7 SEAFORTH LEFT. Boundary lines rd crossing Rly 373257. Sup arms, 2 Fd Regt, 1 Med Regt; 1 Pl 4.2 Mortars; 2 Pl MMG. 7 Seaforth to attack and capture Rly from crossing 373257 to 377251. 'B' Coy right Factory 374257; 'C' Coy line of Rly from hedge to track 375256 to excl track and Rly Junc 376253. 'A' Coy incl Rly and track junc 376253 to shrubbery and Rly 377251. 'D' Coy in reserve. Attack went in. Heavy MG fire from Rly waggons and factory. Enemy posns along Rly dug well into embankment. Progress slow under heavy M.G. fire. At 1845 hrs, posns of Bn were - 'B' Coy area 376257; 'C' Coy area tracks 378256; 'A' Coy area 378254; 'D' Coy 382256; Bn HQ at 384257. Objectives were not taken and Coys consolidated where they were.
	23		Casualties: 6 ORs Killed; 1 Offr and 32 ORs wounded.
	24		Bn holding posns on WILHELMINA CANAL Br head.
	24	2100	Recce Patrol from 'C' Coy to Rly. Enemy posts occupied. Contact patrols between Coys.
	25		Bn holding dug in posns covering Rly. Contact Patrols during night.
	25	1445	Typhoons attacked enemy posns around factory area.
	25		Intermittent mortaring of factory area. 2 ORs wounded.
	25		227 Bde attempted attack left flank on to rd NAASTEBEST and failed. 2 Gordons came under very heavy MG fire on W side of Rly. They were unable to adv and suffered cas. The attack failed.
	26	0715	C.O. held 'O' Group.
	26	0945	Bde Comd visits Bn HQ.
	26		Two Bns attack. 1st phase 9 Cams to clear rly level crossing 371263 to crossing incl small house 373257. 2nd phase, 7 Seaforth to capture factory area 374257 to incl track and rly crossing 375253. 'B' Coy to capture and hold factory E of rly and gain firm base for 'C' Coy to pass through and capture building W of rly. 'D' Coy to clear rly to crossing 375253. 'A' Coy to remain and give flank protection. In support all Div arty and 1 troop of S.P. A/Tk Guns.
	26	1600	Attack goes in under heavy enemy MG and mortar fire. 'B' Coy reached factory. 'C' Coy reached rly and one Pl crossed, then coming under enemy cross fire from houses on right suffering cas. 'D' Coy moving through towards rly were shelled and mortared, and were held up also by MG fire from area waggons S of factory. All enemy were cleared from factory and embankment E of Rly. Position of Coys 'B' and 'C' combined to form one Coy in factory commanding good observation and fire from rly. 'D' Coy in area 377256. 'A' Coy in area 377253. Bn HQ. at 379259.
	26		Casualties: 4 ORs Killed, 3 Offrs & 27 ORs wounded; 1 Offr & 7 ORs missing.
	26	1815	C.O. leaves for 'O' Group at Bde H.Q.
	26		Contact patrols with 9 Cams.
	27	0715	C.O. held 'O' Group.
	27	1430	Bde Comd visits Bn HQ.
	27	2000	'A' Coy relieved 'C' Coy in factory - 'C' Coy taking over 'A' Coys posn.
	27	2100	Fighting patrol went out to rly waggons 374255. No enemy contacted.
	27	0300	" " returns.
	28		Bn still holding same posns containing enemy W of Rly - 1 P.W.
	28	1430	Carrier Pl recce patrol.
	29		Bn still holding same posns containing enemy W of Rly.
	29	1155	Bde Comd visits Bn HQ. 2 P.W.
	29	2100	- 2300 Carrier Pl - Recce Patrol.
	29		Intermittent shelling throughout day.
	30		Bn still holding same posns containing enemy W of Rly. - 2 P.W.
	30		Recce Patrol - 1 Sgt & 3 ORs from Pnr Assault Sec.	See Appdx 'D'

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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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