WO 171/638 - 32 Guards Brigade - 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: HQ 32 Gde Bde
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer:

Place	Date	Hour	Summary
FROISSY	1	0500	Left at first light to cross R SOMME.
	1	2100	Harboured just short of ARRAS, which was occupied by 1 WG.
ARRAS	2	1400	Moved round ARRAS to harbour area in orchard just West of DOUAI.
DOUAI	2	1730	Bde Comd attended Orders Gp at Div HQ.
	2	2000	Orders Gp at Bde HQ, where details for forthcoming advance on BRUSSELS were given out. Coldm Gds Gp was transferred to 5 Bde while I.G. Gp came under comd 32 Bde.
	3	0630	Left for BRUSSELS, with WG Gp leading. 32 Bde on right CL while 5 Bde was on left CL.
BRUSSELS	3	2030	After three small-scale battles on the way, WG Gp entered BRUSSELS, winning race with 5 Bde by 40 mins.
	3	2230	Bde HQ harboured with WG Gp on BOULEVARD DE WATERLOO, I.G. Gp having been directed round South of City to block approaches from FORET DE SOIGNES.
	4	1300	Bde Order Gp in sumptuous apartment in BOULEVARD DE WATERLOO.
	4	1430	Bde HQ to PARC DE WOLUWE.
	4	2000	-2130 Shelled by 88 mm guns using AP shot from WOLUWE airfield, but no damage or casualties.
	5	2100	Bde Comd, BM and IO attended Conference at Div HQ when ACV 1 and ACV 3 were burnt through talc accidentally catching fire.
	5	2300	Bde Orders Gp.
	6	1000	Left for CANAL ALBERT, passing through LOUVAIN and DIEST.
BEERINGEN	7	0400	Bridge over CANAL successfully built, but first vehs across were severely counter-attacked and rd approaching it heavily shelled. Bde HQ which was preparing to cross , moved to 201737.
	7	1000	Joined by HQ 2 HCR.
	7	1700	HRH Prince Jean of Luxembourg left to make official entry into LUXEMBOURG with the Prince Consort.
HEUSDEN	8	1900	Bde HQ moved across canal and harboured at 304746.
	9	2100	Bde Orders Gp.
HECHTEL Area	10	0930	Bde HQ moved to 324800. HQ 2 HCR returned to Div HQ.
	10	2130	Br over ESCAUT-MEUSE canal captured by I.G. Gp.
	11	0930	Bde HQ moved to 314833.
	12	1330	HECHTEL captured by WG Gp with 575 P/W and 150 dead counted.
OVERPELT	12	1400	Bde HQ moved to 350942.
	12	2100	Bde Orders Gp. Own armour drawn South of CANAL and 15/19 came under comd in local counter-attack role.
	14		Unsuccessful counter-attack on bridgehead. Much shelling of br and main rd near Bde HQ but none within 200 yds.
	14	1700	Bde Comd attends Conference at Div HQ.
	15	0900	-1200 Bridgehead taken over by 231 Bde. 15/19 H leave us.
HOEVEN	15	1200	Bde HQ moves to 3893.
	15	1800	Conference at Bde HQ. Operation “Garden” explained.
BOURG LEOPOLD	16	1030	Bde Comd and Bde Major attend lecture by Corps Comd.
HOEVEN	16	1500	Bde Comd attends Orders Gp at Div HQ.
	16	1800	Bde Orders Gp. Coldm Gds Gp come to 32 Bde, I.G. Gp go to 5 Bde.
	17		I.G. Gp in lead of 5 Bde have hard battle to break out.
	18	0700	Bde HQ leaves.
VALKENSWAARD	18	2100	Bde HQ harbours on Sports Ground. WG Gp have been badly held up on L CL so decided to follow 5 Bde on main axis.
	19	0930	Left VALKENSWAARD.
NEDERASSELT	19	2200	Harboured at 660572 after uneventful journey except for some shelling of ST OEDENRODE as we passed through. Coldm Gp under comd 82 U.S. Div. WG Gp to defend GRAVE br.
	20		Dets of 1 Armd Coldm Gds and 21 A Tk Regt are first tps to enter GERMANY in WYLER area. Bde HQ attacked by six FW 190. Camp Comdt’s servant wounded and his truck riddled. Capture of NIJMEGEN br by Gren Gds Gp.
NIJMEGEN	21		Bde HQ moved to 692592. Lieut B.S.M. Kent arrived as LO. WG Gp transferred to 5 Bde in place of Gren Gp who come to us. Decided to send 43 Div across R WAAL.
GRAVE	22	1600	News comes of cutting of CL between UDEN and VEGHEL. Gren Gp ordered forthwith to UDEN. Remainder of Bde conc South of GRAVE with HQ at 581495.
UDEN	23	0800	Coldm Gp move SE of UDEN.
	23	1400	Bde HQ moves to 539439. Ordered to co-operate closely with 101 U.S. Div and 44 R.T.R. Gren Gp to clear DL and Coldm Gp to clear VEGHEL. These ops complete by dark.
	24		231 Bde takes over VEGHEL, BOEKEL, and ERP, but meanwhile CL is again cut, this time between VEGHEL and ST OEDENRODE and from the West.
	25		Gdsm Wade accidentally wounded by Bren gun discharged by L.A.D. man.
GRAVE	26	1430	Bde HQ moves to 583507.
	26		Coldm Gp take over OSS, Gren Gp move to NISTELRODE and attack HEESCH, which they capture with 170 P/W.
	27		Whole Gren Gp move into HEESCH area after beating off night counter-attack.
	29		Lieut P.D. Bowen-Davies rejoins as IO.
NIJMEGEN	30	1600	Placed under comd 82 U.S. Div in counter-attack role, with Coldm Gp South of NIJMEGEN and Gren Gp area GRAVE. Bde HQ moved back to 692592.

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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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