WO 171/474 - 15 Reconnaissance 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: 15 Scottish Reconnaissance Regt
Month and Year: December 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt.Col. K.C.C. Smith

Place	Date	Summary
B.L.A.	1	'B' Sqn in the line holding from excl GRUBBENVORST to 8112, with Sqn HQ at 869134. RHQ located at VOORSTE STEEG 805129. A quiet day apart from some NBW and Arty fire.
B.L.A.	2	Situation unchanged. 'C' Sqn preparing to take part as Gap and Traffic Control for Operation "GUILDFORD" (44 (L) Inf Bde attack on BLERICK). The Regiment is running the Control layout which was worked out on Exercise "BLACKCOCK" in ENGLAND last year. There are to be 6 lanes, one for wheels, one for tracks, and one spare on each of the two main routes fwd, and we are having three control points on each lane, an entrance party, a mid-way party and an exit party. Officers are to be in charge of the entrance and exit parties on each lane and Sqn HQ are to be Regulating HQ. It was represented that to enable this task to be carried out satisfactorily, better protection than an Armd Car or Carrier would be required. Four Churchill Tanks were therefore lent to us, much against the wishes of the Tk Bn Comd concerned. 'B' Sqn in the fwd area were in the centre of a dummy FUP, but despite the carrying out of deception on a fairly large scale, incl the noise of tanks, and activity to simulate the forming up of inf and arty, they did not suffer any real enemy "stonking" during the day.
	3	Situation unchanged. 'C' Sqn Gap Control party worked very smoothly and to the satisfaction of all concerned, the G.O.C. sending a congratulatory message thanking Major MILLS, his Officers and ORs for a good job of work. 'C' Sqn party suffered no casualties in spite of exceptionally heavy shelling, which proved the value of the Churchills. 'B' Sqn had a very quiet day with nothing to report.
	4	Situation unchanged.
	5	A' Sqn relieved 'B' Sqn. 'A' Sqn made their HQ at 869134. 'B' Sqn returned to rest, establishing their HQ at 834182.
	6	Situation unchanged.
B.L.A.	7	Regt Harbour rep sent to LIEROP 573156 to recce a suitable harbour area for RHQ, 'A' Echelon and for the two Sqns not committed to the role on the banks of the R. MAAS.
	8	Harbour area at LIEROP confirmed.
	9	A' Sqn relieved by 'C' Sqn, to come under comd 44 (L) Inf Bde. RHQ and 'A' Echelon moved to new location, passing S.P. at 1000 hrs; locations as under:- 'A' Sqn - 834182. 'B' Sqn – 824153. 'C' Sqn - 869133 RHQ - 673156.
	10	'A' Sqn moved to LIEROP. The accn is very poor, billets being in barns and the attics of the farms, but the advantage of being near a centre of entertainment at HELMOND, and well out of range of enemy shell-fire out-weigh this.
	11-12	Situation unchanged.
B.L.A.	13	Situation unchanged. Field Marshall Sir Bernard L. Montgomery visited the Div to present medal ribbons to recipients of awards granted to date. He presented medal ribbons to 5 Officers and 7 ORs of the Regiment and afterwards spoke to the assembled recipients of the Div on the War in general, and later to the Comds and 2 i/c's of the Bns and Regts in the Div on the War in more detail. Montgomery, Bernard Law "Monty"
	14	'B' Sqn relieved 'C' Sqn. 'C' Sqn moved to LIEROP.
	15-19	Situation unchanged.
	20	A' Sqn relieved 'B' Sqn and came under comd 44 (L) Inf Bde. 'B' Sqn returned to LIEROP. Over the last 7 days there has been a certain amount of enemy patrol activity on our front. The Sqn is, in fact, holding the line opposite two of the seven most likely crossing places on the Div front.
	21	Situation unchanged. During the night one of their posts was ambushed by a fairly strong enemy patrol and 9 ORs reported missing. The post ambushed were in houses and would appear to have been taken more or less by surprise.
B.L.A.	22	Regt commitment is changed. The area of GRUBBENVORST is now to be held by an Inf Bn and the Regt commitment is to be the village of HOUT BLERICK, which is to be taken over today. 'A' Sqn was relieved from the commitment at GRUBBENVORST by 6 RSF and 'C' Sqn took over the new posns in the village of HOUT BELRICK from 6 KOSB. RHQ & 'B' Sqn remain at LIEROP.
	23-27	C' Sqn in the area of HOUT BLERICK under comd 44 (L) Inf Bde. During this period they had nothing to report except for the cold and damp. Remainder of the Regt at rest and maintenance in LIEROP. A', 'B' & 'HQ' Sqns each in turn were able to organise a Christmas Dinner, 'A' & 'B' Sqns holding theirs in HELMOND.
	28	'B' Sqn relieved 'C' Sqn. 'C' Sqn to LIEROP.
	29-30	Situation unchanged. 'C' Sqn Christmas Dinner in HELMOND on 30 Dec.
B.L.A.	31	Regt has one Sqn committed in the line. i.e. 'B' Sqn under comd 44 (L) Inf Bde at HOUT BLERICK. Two Sabre Sqns are resting; 'A' & 'C' Sqns in the village of LIEROP; RHQ & 'A' Echelon static and located at LIEROP 573156. 'B' Echelon has remained the whole month in the Div RASC area at ZOMEREN 598107.
	31	The following courses were run during the month:-
	31	Wireless Cadre.: – Commenced 11 Dec. Finishes 7 Jan 45.
	31	Gunnery Cadre.: – No. 1. 11 - 24 Dec. – No. 2. Commenced 27 Dec. Finishes 4 Jan 45.
	31	NCOs Cadre. – No. 1. 11 - 13 Dec. – No. 2. 16 - 18 Dec. – No. 3. 19 - 21 Dec. – No. 4. 27 - 30 Dec. – No. 5. Commenced 30 Dec. Finishes 2 Jan 45.

previous month

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.

Domains

More information

Contact