WO 171/7822 - 110 Provost Company - March 1945

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: 110 Provost Company
Month and Year: March 1945	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Capt. J.D. Brown

Place	Date	Hour	Summary
LEENDE	1		No’s 3 and 8 Sections move to BLERICK M.R. 8908 Q1 to control bridging traffic for the building of bridges class 9 and 40 over river MAAS to VENLO. Also upon completion to prevent civilians from crossing East to West & vice versa.
	2		Traffic in all coy sectors were light. Nothing else to report pending arrangements for general move forward of 8 Corps.
	3		Disposition of coy unchanged, but reconnaissance carried out for new locations HORST, SEVENUM MAASBREE area. Traffic in all sectors heavy.
	4		Disposition of coy unchanged. Preparation made for handing over HELMOND to Army. American R.E. maintenance units are moving into coy area – WEERT, LOOYEN BOSCH, LEENDE. All roads in ZOMEREN now clear of repairs.
	5		Company HQ moved to between HORST – SEVENUM rd and rail junction 820157 Sheet Q1. O.C. 109 Pr. Coy. visited HELMOND 1 & 4 Sections.
HORST – SEVENUM	5		Road LOOYEN BOSCH to WEERT handed over to U.S. Army Engineers for maintenance. No 8 Section moved to LOTTUM 906194 Sheet Q1. Duty re bridge being built over River MAAS and traffic duties thereafter.
	6		No 1 Section moved to PANNINGEN 7704 Sheet 4. No 4 Section moved to MAASBREE 8207 Sheet Q1. Duties, traffic control. Traffic was light in BLERICK – VENLO. U.S. Army mil. police have arrived in VENLO to assist in checking of civilian identities. A traffic circuit was laid on at LOTTUM site of intended new bridge.
	7		No 7 Section moved to WANSUUM 8527. Duty re new bridge over R MAAS. Three sections of the coy will now be engaged on bridge control duties over this river. Traffic over existing bridges at BLERICK – VENLO was not heavy.
	8		No change in disposition of coy. A special check for a stolen U.S. Army lorry containing safe with secret documents was instituted. Traffic on all MAAS bridges was much heavier.
	9		No change in the disposition of the company. WELL bridge at WANSUUM was very busy with traffic. Other bridges & sectors, traffic was light, Preparations were made for handing over ZOMEREN to 12 Corps Pro.
	10		No change in disposition of company. The Section of 67 T.C. attached reverted to command Army T.C. Reconnaissances were carried out in the forward areas, KAPELLEN, ISUM, SONNE re new disposition of company.
	11		No 1 Section moved to GELDERN 0125 “Q1”, No 4 to ISSUM 0927 “Q1” No’s 6 and 9 to KEVELAER 9632 “Q1” all carrying out traffic control in their various areas. Bridges at BLERICK, LOTTUM and WELL over R MAAS still remaining under control of the company. Traffic over BLERICK – VENLO bridges being exceptionally heavy.
KAPELLEN 048317 “Q1”	12		No 2 Section moved with 8 Corps HQ to ISSUM 0927 “Q1”. Traffic on all MAAS bridges was heavy. All sections in new location busy with arranging circuits and dealing with heavy flow of traffic.
	13		No change in disposition of compy. Traffic in all sectors heavy. Movements of large numbers of refugees noted, these concentrating in area KAPELLEN. Investigations of coins commenced. Suspected case of rape reported but found to be untrue. Policy regarding curfew not yet laid down by Mil. Govnt.
	14		No change in disposition of coy. Arrangements made by No 1 Section (GELDERN) for their traffic points to be handed over to U.S. Mil. Police. No 1 Section now pointing KAPELLEN and doing mobile patrols KAPELLEN – GELDERN. Refugee problem in KAPELLE still acute.
	15		No change in disposition of compy. Refugees have ceased to arrive in KAPELLEN. Preparations made & reconnaissances carried out for 12 Corps main routes.
	16		No change in disposition of compy. Three routes were signed for 12 Corps. Traffic in all compy area was heavy. Civil population appears indifferent to presence of British troops.
	17		No change in disposition of compy. Traffic points on all MAAS bridges were duplicated by Army T.C. Personnel prior to their taking over all bridges were worked to their fullest capacity, traffic never ceasing throughout the day. GELDERN is now sealed off for U.S. Army use. One case of looting was investigated at BUDEL.
	17	1200	Control of KEVALEAR was handed over to 12 Corps Provost.
	18		No change in disposition of the company. Traffic in all sectors was heavy. Signing of various areas of concentration for forthcoming operations was carried out.
	19		No’s 3 & 7 Sections moved to ISSUM 0927 for rest and maintenance. No’s 1, 6 and 9 Sections are performing nominal duties of one traffic point each, and are mainly resting, with maintenance being done. No’s 2 and 4 Sections are fully engaged at ISSUM. No 5 Section awaits the closing down of the F.M.C. at BUDEL Holland. Investigations re the billeting of troops in premises also occupied by German civilians are being carried out in ISSUM.
	20		No 8 Section moved to M.R. 137374 for future operations. The company is not in actual control of any area now, being engaged mainly on rest and maintenance. But the two traffic points established at GELDERN & WINNEKENDONK report heavy flow if continuous traffic.
	21		No 5 Section moved to KEVELAER 9632 are now concentrated with 9 & 6 Sections. No 8 Section loaned to No 1 Commando Brigade, in whose area they are sitting, for special duties. Checks were carried out on vehicles in a search for civilian property. None found. Two German soldiers in hiding in KEVELAER were taken to P.O.W. cage.
	22		No change in disposition of compy. All road movement extremely heavy. A bridge on the main KAPELLEN – GELDERN road was damaged, but traffic was only slightly impeded for 30 mins. A German soldier living at his home at WEMB near KEVELAER was discovered & taken to Corps P.O.W. cage.
	23		No change in disposition of coy.
	23	1700	No 8 Section operated routes for assault across RHINE by No 1 Commando Brigade. Section Sgt. sustained gunshot wound. At KEVELAER enqrs were made regarding reported rape offence. A civilian prisoner was taken over from Mil. Gov’t for disposal.
	24		No change in disposition of coy. No 5 Section Sgt. with 2 L/Cpls. formed part of recce party with O.C. 22 F.M.C. concentrated at ISSUM. Prior to crossing RHINE and signing ammn dump in area 2440 provost composition jeep, m cycle, skeleton signing equipment. A corps route “Triangle Down” was completed by 1900 hrs. Route – 209385, GINDERICH 171387, […] 141370, rd junc 142368, HAMB. – junc 061305 – rd junc 068300 – ending at junc 043260.
	24		Units of 17th U.S. Airborne and 6th Brit Airborne Divs moved in and concentrated prior to joining air landed formations.
	25		No change in disposition of coy. Heavy airborne traffic towards RHINE continues. No 8 Section carried out duties in connection with the ferry at 213395, marshalling & P.O.W. escort duties under No. 1 Commando Brigade.
	26		No 7 Section moved GRUNTHAL 159376, No 3 to FORT BLUCHER 2139. No 9 to WESEL 2240. All sections working to control traffic to the RHINE, over the bridge and onto WESEL. Traffic was very slow crossing the river, due mainly to the steep rise from the bridge on the east side and a winch was necessary to pull many two wheeled driver vehicles up. Most of the vehicles were grossly overloaded.
	27	0715	No 5 Section crossed early over the RHINE to complete their FMA signing.
	27	0750	No 6 also crossed early to assist in traffic control in WESEL. Two bridges were now operating, one up and one down, but traffic was held up greatly by the circumstances mentioned on 26th above. The two bridges were made into “up” crossings, and this eased the situation.
WESEL	27	1900	Coy H.Q. moved over the river into WESEL getting established there by 1900 hrs. The traffic situation across the bridges had eased slightly by this time.
	28		No’s 1 and 4 Sections moved to WESEL into coy reserve. 11th Armd Div began crossing and harbouring on the BRUNEN road, north east of WESEL. No 4 Section took over two 24 hrs points in WESEL. No 3 Section handed over bridges on West side of RHINE to traffic control at 1700 hrs and moved into WESEL. No 6 Section operated mobile patrol during movement of 11 Armd Div. through WESEL.
	29		No 2 Section moved with Main H.Q. 8 Corps to ERLE 399503. No 1 Section moved East, destination unknown, to come under operational command 6 Gds Tank Brigade. No 3 Sec in reserve. No’s 4, 5, 6, 9 Sections duty in WESEL. No’s 7 & 8 Sections in reserve at WESEL.
ERLE	30		No 6 Sec began the signing of “Square route”, 8 Corps main maintenance route from WESEL into Germany. Coy H.Q. with main body of coy moved to ERLE 3950. A section of “Square route” from BORKEM 3960 to road junction 4370 was signed by Coy H.Q. to facilitate the rapid dumping of advanced petrol supplies during darkness. This at very short notice and under adverse conditions of crowded roads and darkness. Object successfully attained.
LAER 7384	31		Coy moved forward behind Main H.Q. 8 Corps, “Square” route being signed by sections. It is now complete up to LAER in WESTPHALIA, where Coy H.Q. with No’s 4 and 8 Sections now is, and also No 2 Section with Main H.Q. 8 Corps. Adjustments require to be made in the route when various blown bridges, found when the route was being laid, have been repaired.

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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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