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

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
	1		By now, the Commanding Officer had decided to call off this operation for that night. Difficulties, however, still remained. Flooding had made the approaches to BLITTERSWYCK passable only to a Weazel and evacuation of casualties to the RAP on such restricted transport provided just one of the problems. Shelling and Mortaring from the other side of the river was another, and casualties were inflicted upon several of those occupied with the passage of the wounded to the RAP, or of food, greatcoats and ammunition forward to the companies. "D" Company lost their Colour Serjeant and NCO in charge of the Stretcher Bearers, both wounded and evacuated. Everyone now realised that further progress was impossible without the co-operation of tanks; or if possible, it could only be carried out by suffering casualties out of all proportion to the significance of the task in hand. Accordingly the Churchill tanks of the 4th Grenadier Guards were co-opted to assist in reducing this pocket, and operation was provisionally arranged for first light on 3 Dec. 2 Dec was to be spent in reconnaissance by the Squadron and Troop Commanders and in joint conferences with their opposite numbers. Altogether the tanks were to deploy two squadrons, one operating from the Windmill, in support of our Battalion, and the other, on the left, operating Northwards in support of an attack from MEERLO to be launched by 1 KOSB.

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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