WO 171/1306 - 7 Hampshire Regiment - 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: 7th Bn The Hampshire Regiment
Month and Year: December 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. D.E.B. Talbot MC

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
	1		Trg continued. Recces were carried out preparatory to Bn taking over the line.
	2		Bn relieved 4 Som L.I. in Northern part of GEILENKIRCHEN 8664 as res bn to rt fwd bde on div front. Relief was carried out in daylight without incident. Some shelling occurred during the night.
	3		No enemy activity apart from spasmodic shelling on fwd coys. Day was quiet with nothing to report but shelling increased in area of Bn HQ during the night. Recces were made of localities in left fwd bn in area TRIPSRATH 8767.
	4		Bn moved into the line area TRIPSRATH with Bn Hq and res coy at RICHSDEN 8666 relieving 4 Dorset who moved back to res posn. Relief was completed without incident.
	5		Quiet day with only slight spasmodic shelling. Two standing patrols were put out during the night and reported no enemy activity.
	6		Heavy shelling and mortaring (Nebelwerfer) during the morning. Bn was relieved by 4/5 RSF (156 Bde 52 Div) and moved toc rest area in village of AKERSTRAAT 7260 Bn HQ being established at 713607. Bn was accomodated in billets.
	7		Recreational amenities were provided and coys carried out training.
	8		Training continued.
	9		CO attended conference at Corps HQ. Training continued.
	10		Trg contd. Bn church parade was held during the morning. CO. attended conference at Div HQ. Officers and percentage of ORs attended demonstration by troops (5 Dorset) [working?] with crocodiles.
	11		Trg contd. CO and IO attended an O Gp at Bde HQ during the afternoon Orders were given for an operation in which Bn would take part.
	12		Trg contd. this included firing of all small arms, throwing of grenades, house clearing and mine clearing, use of bangalore torpedoes […]ing and first aid. A three day refresher course was run for Unit […].
	13		Trg contd. CO held full O Gp during the morning and full details of plan of attack were given. During the afternoon Coys held discussion on a sand model together with tk tp comds.
	14		Trg contd. CO and a percentage of Officers and ORs attended an investiture at BRUNSUM when Maj Gen Thomas (Comd 43 Div) presented medal ribbons to members of the Division including two out of four MMs to members of the bn. Thomas, Gwilym Ivor
	15		Trg contd.
	16		Trg contd.
	17		Bn Church Parade during the morning. Bn recce party under Capt Birch left to recce billetting area at BEST D 3827 near EINDHOVEN.
	18		Trg contd. O Gp was held for move to area BEST
	19		Further recce party left to recce lying up area. Bn moved off at 0800hrs in TCVs but were diverted on route and ordered to proceed HASSELT where it arrived at 1500hrs and was accomodated in a Brewery and a school. Change of plan was due to German thrust through the Ardennes.
	20		Location same. Bn was ordered to be at one hours notice and tpt was mustered in preparation for a quick move. Coys sontd with weapon trg etc. CO attended O Gp at Bde HQ. C Coy with one sec 3” Mor, one sec a tk, one tp 17 pr a tk and one sec MMGs were despatched to guard the rd and rly bridges at HUY 229162 against possible attacks by para tps, sabateurs, and marauding tks.
	21		CO accompanied by Bde Comd visited C Coy at HUY. Recce party returned from BEST. D Coy with one sec a tk, one det 3” mor, and one sec MMG were despatched to guard ry bridge at SERAING 403244 against same type of threat as at HUY
	22		CO attended conference at Bde HQ. Coys contd trg. CO visited C and D Coys. Recce parties left for WAREMME 2436
	23		Bn less C and D Coys movved to area of CELLES 2431 travelling in TCVs and arriving at 1600hrs. All tps were accomodated in billets. CO visited C Coy and made a recce of high ground north of HUY with a view to holding it against enemy infiltration.
	24		2 IC visited C and D Coys and made a recce of ground around HUY. Coy comds of A and B Coys made recces in preparation for relieving C and D Coy
	25		CO visited C and D Coys during the morning. Carrier pl went out during the early hours to investigate a report of para tps but returned with out making contact (except with one partridge!). Christmas Day. After a short service held in an orchard in briljant sunshine the CO went round coy Christmas dinners.
	26		B Coy relieved D Coy and A relieved C Coy at SERAING and HUY respectively.
	27		Orders received during early hours for Bn to move to area MEE 065[…] Recce parties left at 0630hrs and bn moved in TCVs arriving at MEE at 1700hrs. Tps were accomodated in billiets. A and B Coys rejoined Bn later the same night.
	28		CO attended conference at Div HQ. Coys contd with trg.
	29		CO attended O Gp at Bde HQ and later carried out recce of area HILLENSBERG 7266 with a view to holding the area as part of Bde p[…] against enemy attack from the North. C and D Coys held belated Christmas dinners.
	30		CO made recce of BAESWEILER 9157 area with a view to holdin it as part of a Bde posn against enemy attack from North East and East. Coy comds made recce during the morning of HILLENSBERG area. Coys moved in TCVs to HILLENSBERG where defensive posns were commenced.
	31		CO allotted Coy areas at BAESWEILER and coy comds made recces. Preperations of defences at HILLENSBERG continued. Some air activity over Bn area during the night. A stick of anti personnel bombs were dropped but no cas were suffered by the bn altough three TCVs and one 3-tonner were damaged.

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Source: Joris Nieuwint, The Battlefield Explorer, transcribing: Jeroen Koppes.

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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