WO 171/1348 - 2 Monmouthshire Regiment - October 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 Monmouthshire Reg.
Month and Year: October 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. F.H. Brooke

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
188048 (VOORHEIDE)	1		Quiet, Cinema shows arranged. Casualties: 2 ORs sick, 3 rejoined.
	2	0300	Enemy patrol attempted to penetrate D Coy lines, bumped standing patrol, enemy withdrew firing indiscriminately, setting fire to small S.A.A. dump (German) Bn stood down 0345 hrs.
	2	1230	1 pl, A Coy (fighting patrol) raided village to ascertain enemy strength and positions withdrew 1505 hrs taking 5 pws.
	2	1530	MGs & RA fire, D.F. tasks. Casualties: 1 OR sick.
	3	1100	B Coy repeated raid carried out yesterday and found no signs of enemy.
	3	1600	Bn moved up to reoccupy positions in village Bn HQ area factory. Casualties: 9 ORs returned.
	4	0630	Harbouring party to area North of EINDHOVEN.
	4	0840	Bn under command 158 Bde in 51 Div, moves to concentration area HEIJEHEIND 5129.
	4	1500	Recce party to position held by U.S. Para Bn returned 2100 hrs. Casualties: 2 ORs missing, 1 returned.
	5	0950	Bn moved to new area and took over from U.S. Bn. HQ 453371.	Appx I
	5	1730	Patrol reports enemy posts 443364 and 443376.
	5	2300	Mortars and R.A. firing H.F. during night. Casualties: 2 ORs wounded, 1 sick.
	6	1130	Patrol reports suggest enemy withdrawn.
	6	1300	2 PWs brought in, gave themselves up to A Coy.
	6	1750	Reps from 7 R.W.F. who take positions over. Casualties: nil.
	7	0840	Bn handed over to 7 R.W.F. and moved to 459369 until change over complete.
	7	1345	Bn moves off tps in T.C.Vs now u/c 160 Bde.
	7	1650	Bn est. in reserve position, Bn HQ 708678, between ARNHEM and NIJMEGEN. Casualties: nil.	Appx II
	8-10		Bn in reserve position. No activity – enemy shelling at intervals, mainly at night. Counter attack role on 4 Welch position. Casualties: 13 ORs rejoined, 6 sick.
	11	1100	Party left to recce area held by U.S. Bn. to be taken over at a later date. Casualties: 1 OR sick.
	12-14		Enemy shelling at long intervals. Concert Party, Cinema Show and Mobile Baths arranged daily. Casualties: 2 ORs sick, 1 course, 4 rejoined.
	15	1030	Bn moved to rest area OOSTERHOUT 6366. Casualties: 2 ORs sick, 4 rejoined.
	16		Cinema shows during day.
	16	1400	Bn to move to new rest area during night. Bn HQ to cross start line (NIJMEGEN Br) 0115 hrs, tps in T.C.Vs. Casualties: 1 OR acc injury.
	17	0040	Bn moved off, arrived HAREN 5158 at 0510 hrs. Casualties: 1 OR sick.
	18-20		Bn in rest area. Cinema shows and Baths daily at OSS. Casualties: 9 ORs sick, 4 rejoined.
	21		O Gp for attack on s'HERTOGENBOSCH by 53 (W) Div. Our part in which was to be R. forward Bn of 160 Bde. 4 Welch being on our L.
	21	1900	Bn moves to concentration area S.W. of OSS. Casualties: 1 OR sick.
	22	0630	A Coy crossed startline supported by a squadron of R. Inniskilling Dragoon Guards and first objective 438526 and line of dyke road north to south was captured by 0840 hrs. C and D Coys were passed through at 0900 hrs and progress was made towards second objective. Tac HQ est 438526. By 1000 hrs 74 PWs had been captured.
	22	1430	Bn objective GEFFEN 4252 was secured and PWs totalled 196. At this line a decision was made to pass 158 Bde through our positions in Kangaroos, but they were held up 700 yrds east of BRUGGEN 3650 by 88 mm guns and snipers.
	22	2130	Main Bn HQ moved to 438526.
	22	2200	O Gp at Bde HQ to plan following days operation.
	22	2359	Total PW count for day 255 (incl. 1 Battalion commander). Casualties: 1 OR killed, 6 wounded, 2 rejoined.
	23	0715	It had been decided to continue attack, passing through 158 Bde (E Lancs forward) with first objective village of BRUGGEN, forward elements of 1st E Lancs being 700 yds short of this place. Accordingly A Coy supported by 4 Crocodiles and B Sqn of R.I. Dragoon Guards went in to the attack and were successful in clearing village by 0845 hrs. 42 PWs were captured and 24 enemy killed, in addition several severly burnt or otherwise seriously injured died in the medical posts bringing the total German death roll to 43. Tac HQ est 380508, slight shelling and mortaring being experienced during the morning.
	23	0900	C Coy on the left and hand-in-hand with 4 Welch cleared small strips of wood south of BRUGGEN and north of the rly, reaching 370503. B Coy passed through BRUGGEN and made for FORT ALEXANDER 3248 whilst D Coy was directed on ROSMALEN and made excellent progress along main street with rly on their left.
	23	1100	65 PWs captured up to this time.
	23	1730	All objectives reached, D Coy in ROSMALEN, A and B Coys area of FORT ALEXANDER, C Coy area 368502.
	23	1900	Bn HQ est BRUGGEN 369503. Total PWs taken during day – 117. Estimated enemy killed – 48. Casaulties – 1 Offr (Lt. Ellis) wounded, 28 ORs wounded, 1 sick.
	24	0200	158 Bde passed through 4 Welch to attack s'HERTOGENBOSCH.
	24	1100	Pl of B Coy patrolled from FORT ALEXANDER towards ORTON later followed by remainder of coy. No enemy encountered.
	24	1630	Bn moved to ORTON to hold position on R. Flank of 158 Bde attack and cutting escape route to N.E.
	24	1800	Bn HQ est in FORT ORTON 322482 with coys on escape road to R. Maas. 2 PWs taken in Fort. Casualties 5 ORs joined.	Appx III
	25	1030	2 deserters captured from village of ORTON 3248.
	25	1100	Enemy shelling, no casualties, but C.B. fire employed.
	25	1200	A patrol which examined the condition of a road bridge 450 yds N.W. of D Coy commanded by Capt Gallatzyne under spandau fire. Casualties: Capt. Gallatzyne wounded, 1 OR acc injury.
	26	1100	Visit of Bde Commander to congratulate Bn on recent operation.
	26	1200	Slight enemy shelling.
	26	1400	R.A. efforts to set on fire church at EMPEL suspected of being used as O.P. Casualties: 1 OR sick, 20 joined.
	27	1100	R.A. fire directed on signal boxes used as O.Ps by enemy, 2 being destroyed. 2 PWs captured before dawn attempting to infiltrate back to their own lines after being cut off. Casualties: nil.
	28		C Coy and carriers moved to assist 4 Welch and hold area Railway Stn 302464 in west of town. Casualties: 1 OR sick, 1 OR rejoined.	Appx III
	29-30		Fairly quiet – Mobile baths arranged daily. Casualties: 1 OR sick.
	31		Div positions to be taken over by 51 Div.
	31	1730	Bn moves to concentration area 345475 and hands over to Bn Gordon Highlanders. Casualties: 4 ORs sick.
	31		Total cas. for month: Offrs: 2 wounded, ORs: 6 killed, 67 sick & wounded.

Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com.

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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