WO 171/847 - 23 Hussars - 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: 23rd Hussars
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt.Col. R.P. HARDING, DSO

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
AMIENS to ARRAS	1		Advance continued 23 H leading on route RAINVILLE - PURCHEVILLIERS - THIEVRES - MONDICOURT - AUBIGNY - LES QUATRE VENTS 3611 which was reached at 1600 hrs. Advance was entirely unopposed, but much transport was shot up on the way and several hundred prisoners were taken. Harboured at LES QUATRE VENTS.	GSGS 4040 Sheet 73
LENS - CARVIN	2		Break harbour 0730 and adv via SERVINS 3713 - LIEVEN 4714 - LENS to CARVIN. Harboured at 1200 hrs in defensive posns. Except for prosoners collected by FFI no enemy encountered. Awards announced.	Sheet 63
CARVIN - TOURNAI - WOLVERTHEM	3		23 H leading advance from CARVIN at 0730. Pass through WAHAGNIES 6720 - AVELIN 7025 - BOUVINES 7829 - CYSOING 8029. Cross BELGIAN frontier at BAISIEUX 8232 at 1030 hrs. Reach TOURNAI at 1100 hrs. Held up until 1300 hrs owing to traffic congestion, a U.S. Inf Div and Guards Armd Div both having simultaneously and unexpectedly arrived outside the town. Take up posns in area 9436 at 1400 hrs. Continue adv at 1500 hrs. Pass through RENAIX 0847 at 1530 hrs, NEDERBRAUEL 1951 at 1630 hrs, NINOVE at 1730 hrs. Shot up some transport, take 30 PWs and move on. Reach X rds 4754 at 1900 hrs and move on via ASSHE 5162 to harbour area WOLVERTHEM 5966 at 2100 hrs. 'B' Sqn in WOLVERTHEM shoot up transport incl 3 speed boats. Total advance in day 85 miles.	Sheet 64, Sheet 53, Sheet 54, Sheet 55, Sheet 44.
VILVORDE - MALINES - ANTWERP	4		23 H on right, 3 RTR on left advance to ANTWERP. Route via VILVORDE 6764 - MALINES 7174 (1000 hrs) - CONTICH 6986 to rly line 6891 - 6991. Hold up by 88 mortar fire but 3 RTR entered, almost unopposed, across the main bridge into the city which had been saved by the Resistance and pushed right through to the dock area. Withdrew at 1800 hrs to harbour at CONTICH whilst 159 Inf Bde cleared enemy posns. 2/Lt. R.H. Evans and 3 ORs K.I.A.	Sheet 45, Sheet 23 and 33.
	5	1800	Move to harbour at PULHOF 6992 for rest and refit. At 1400 hrs 'A' Sqn sent to capture bridges and cross ANTWERP CANAL, North of ANTWERP but all adv beyond rly bridge 6898 impossible owing to hy A. Tk and Inf opposition.
	6-7		Other small enemy activity and infiltrations in Div area make it impossible for the Regt as a whole to take advantage of incredible generosity and enthusiasm of the people. 2/Lt. Cotterall & 4 ORs KIA.
	8		Move via MALINES – AERSHOT 9669 – DIEST 1166 to protect Guards Armd Div right flank and bridgehead over ALBERT CANAL. In posn EAST of X rds 1671 at 1600 hrs.	Sheet 45, Sheet 46.
	9	0800	Move over BEERINGEN Br 2375 to take up right flank protection at HEUSDEN 2873. In posn all day. Some enemy activity and infiltrations broken up. Form Regt – Bn Group with 8 RB, 1 OR wounded.
	10	0730	P.M. Move to HELCHTEREN 3575 with orders to move EAST and NORTH. 'C' Sqn – 'H' Coy 8 RB leading bump I Bn HUBNER PARA REGT 500 yds EAST of X rds in posn as far as KUNSEL 3673. After hy fighting 'B' Sqn – 'F' Coy group outflanked to left and reached main rd in area 3777 by last light. 200 PsW taken, 150 killed. Considered as destroyed incl 3 A. Tk guns. Harbour on ground 360760 in close leager. 2 ORs KIA, 2/Lt. Bowers & 6 ORs wounded.	Sheet 47
	11	0800	Adv via T rds 3977 – PEER 4084 to PETIT BROGEL 4088. Some enemy and one A. Tk gun encountered in PEER and just EAST of it. Harbour at 1500 hrs with A echs. 'B' Sqn to investigate canal crossing EAST of VAUILLE 4490. Hy A. Tk fire and Arty fire makes all approach impossible. Br blown. 1 OR KIA, Lt. J.H. EVANS & 4 ORs wounded.	Sheet 26 – 36. GSGS 4336,
	12-17		Rest at PETIT BROGEL, first time since LAIGLE. Received 8 Shermans, 5 Stuarts, 2 M/cs and 1 3-ton lorry.	Sheet 4
	18-19		Move to and rest at GRAND BROGEL 4386.
	20	0530	Move in reserve via bridgehead LILLE ST HUBERT 4294 – RODENRYDT 4299 – COUVENT DE LA TRAPPE 4302 to VALKENHORST 4408. 2 FF from SOUTH, 23 H from WEST take HEEZE 4910. Some inf shot up. Harbour in town. 'C' Sqn destroy Coy of enemy NORTH of MARHEEZE 5004.
	21		23 H lead adv NORTH via GELDROP to area NUENEN – GERWEN 4924 EAST of EINDHOVEN. 'B' Sqn group leading meet by A. Tk and tank fire from GERWEN and held up. 'A' Sqn group lead round via NEDERWETTEN 4624 and again held up short of GERWEN X rds. 'C' Sqn group patrol EAST towards STIPHOUT and bump up to 5 Panthers of which they destroy 2 without loss. Established there are up to 13 Panthers in area of which 8 at GERWEN, belonging to 107 Pz Bde, which had orders to recapture EINDHOVEN. This counterattack beaten off. Enemy withdrew during night to HELMOND. 1 OR KIA. Lt. Garai & 9 ORs wounded.
	22	0800	Patrolled NORTH and EAST as far as WILHELMINA and ALWAATERINGS canals meeting only a few enemy and finding all bridges blown. 3 RTR clear HELMOND WEST of canal.
	22	1700	Move South via GELDROP – HEEZE to come behind 2 FF bridgehead at SOMEREN 5911.
	23	0800	Move through 2 FF at ASTEN 6113, 'A' Sqn group leading held up in and North of OMMEL 6216 all day. 'B' Sqn group lead round right and reach main rd South of VLIERDEN 6318. Hy cas inflicted and much eqpt destroyed. Enemy of 65 Trg & Convalescent Bn. 5 ORs wounded.
	24		C' Sqn group leading encounters stubbern inf resistance at VLIERDEN. 'H' Coy, tanks and arty attacked and with aid of propaganda loudspeaker netted 60 PsW from 30 Eng Bn. By 1430 hrs DEURNE 6521 reached where we halted while 2 FF push through. 6 Shermans received.	GSGS 4336 Sheet 5.
	25-30	1330	Pass through 22 FF as far as area DE RIPS 6630. Area of responsibility from canal 6833 to excl MILHEEZE X rds. 'A' Sqn group 6833, 'B' Sqn group 6630, 'C' Sqn group and RHQ at DE RIPS X rds 6629. Patrols maintain contact with enemy along line of canal to EAST of rd. 9 Shermans received.
	30		Vehicles destroyed by enemy action during month.
	30		Tanks: 15, Sc Cars: 1, Lorries: 1, M/cs: 1.

previous month | next month

Source: 11th Armoured Division.

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.

Domains

More information

Contact