WO 171/1384 - 2 Royal Ulster Regiment - 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: 2nd Bn The Royal Ulster Rifles
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. I.C. Harris

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
	18		CO O GP at 1100 hrs and again at 1600hrs. By first light in the morning it was known that 9 Brit Inf Bde would have to do an assault crossing of the ESCAUT CANAL to extend and solidify the bridgehead already made 50 Div some four miles further west. Not until 1300 hrs however did 2 RUR know that the crossing was to be made on the night of 18/19. The tempo of operations had consequently to be stepped and recconaissance and preparation.had to be cut down. Coy Comds had a restricted view of the canal from a church in LILLE ST HUBERT. In the afternoon Pl Coms had the same view and more detailed recconaissance of the village and canal were carried out by patrols. Lt. Firth of C Coy found his way to the bank and discovered a suitable path from possible assembly areas to bank. Capt. Gaffikin and Capt. Baudains of B Coybput on civilian clothes and toured the area of the canal at their leisure. Both these recconaissances revealed that some 10 - 20 yards on the south side of the canal there was a large ditch some 6ft across which would have to be taken into consideration. Both found it difficult to give information aboutthe enemy on account ofthe steep bank which led up to the canal. At 1700hrs the CO held a co-ordination conference and gave final orders. The Bn was operating on the left of PETIT-BROGEL - LILLE ST HUBERT road on a two bn front, and within the Bn assault crossing was to be carried out with B Coy right and C Coy left, with A Coy in reserveon the right and D as reserve Coy on the left. Bn HQ was established in a house adjacent to the crossing was to be carried out with a line to each, so that with wireless netteed to each Coy communication would be sufficient to cope with any emergency. The Coys were to use assault boats for the crossing , jeeps and a tk gun the class V raft and more substantial F transport by the class IX, A & B enchelonnwere to wait for the establishment of a class 40 bridge construction of which was the begin as soon as the opposite banks had been cleared of enemy. 2100 hrs.	for orders refer appendix

Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Theo Vervoort.

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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