WO 171/460 - 11 Armoured Division Signals - November 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: 11 Armd Div Signals
Month and Year: November 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. J.L. Harrison

Place	Date	Summary	Reference
WASBERG	1	29 Armd Bde moved to area WEVERSLO - lines re-routed. Cdn No. 9 sets issued to Bdes for use on Comd nets. All wireless closed with the exception of Div Comd net.
	2	Brig C. Knowles visited the CO to say goodbye and to introduce the new CSO, Brig WR Smijth-Windham, DSO. All leads into the Sig office put up on fir poles and regulated. Anti-freeze issued to all vehs.
	3	Arrangements made for the relief of one Inf Bn and a Motor Bn by Bns of Gds Armd Div. OC Gds Armd Div Signals visited us and DRLS and other details of handover were arranged. Capt. Curry, Cipher Offr, arrived from 21 Army Gp to replace Lt R Ridings. Five rfts arrived.
	4	Maint of all vehs continued. Line comn good - very little maint required. Enemy sta causing strong break through on Inns of Court Regt outsta located at HQ 29 Armd Bde led to suspicion of enemy agent in the vicinity of Bde HQ. Corps and Div monitor sets worked on intercept but were unable to obtain any conclusive results.
	5	Intercept of enemy sta continued and finally identified as news broadcast of powerful sta. Capt. Curry returned to 21 Armd Gp Sigs on cancellation of posting order.
	6	Posting Order received for Capt JE Dovey in exchange for Lt HJ Green. Report on comns of divisional RASC produced.	Appx 'A'
	7	Lt Green arrived and took over from Capt Dovey. C Tp engaged in tidying up and building lines in fwd areas. Secrecy eqpt installed in GSO 1's caravan for use on Corps lines. Arrangements made with 12 Air Fmn Sigs, situated in BRUSSELS, for the accn of leave parties for periods of 3 days at a time.
	8	It was decided that the use of code signs on line ccts in the Div area would not be adopted for the time being, as this will tend to slow up the speed of swbd operating. First leave party left for BRUSSELS under arrangements made with 12 Air Fmn Sigs.
	9	Visit from Col Adams,Sigs rep in WASHINGTON, when the provision of supply and various types of English and American Sig eqpt was discussed. It was decided that, in general, present eqpt is adequate, with proviso that a better high power set is required at Fmn HQ in place of the 19 Set which has become a general purpose set.
	10	Comd RT closed, all sub units now being online. Oil heating stoves received for ACVs and Sig Offices. Visit from CSO.
	11	All lines to Armd Bde cut by shell-fire necessitating opening of RT an CW nets. CO visited Bdes and 13 RHA Sigs.
	12	Recce party sent in search of suitable harbour for future ops along DEURNE - AMERIKA rly line. No suitable site being found it was decided to remain in present location, in view of existing comns being satisfactory,and anticipated distances not being too great for wireless.
	13	C Tp commenced line laying in anticipation of future ops. C Tp jeep blown up on mine - one lineman killed, two linemen wounded. Co visited Sqns.
	14	Line laying contd. Arrangements made for Sec Offr to visit bdes in order to monitor fwd lines.
	15	Still undecided whether or not Div HQ will move to area GRIENDTSVEEN. Line laying suspended, but complete recce carried out. UG cable carrying 12 prs found running from DEURNE to ZIJLBuRG, which will be of considerable value if Div HQ should move. Armd Recce Regt asked for twenty-four 38 Sets for use when operating in conjunction with Inf.
	16	Visit from CSO re future ops. Two new Lister 4.5 Kw charging engines received to replace Petter engines which have not been satisfactory and are very noisy.
	17	S&T net to Corps opened. This is being used at the moment for trg purposes. One Quad laid fwd along DEURNE - AMERIKA rly, which is intended Div CL. Notified that we have to nominate one Maj and one Capt for exchange under Python scheme.
	18	Line laying contd. One Lineman killed and two injured by enemy mine. News of the posting of Lt JH Seel received. Maj Hardy, KSLI, att to the unit for two days for instr prior to Staff College trg.
	19	159 Bde moved to area ZIJLBURG. Lines awaited their arrival, use being made of the local UG system for the provision of Div and Bn ccts. Lt Seel posted to 21 Armd Gp Sigs.
	20	29 Bde moved to old location of 159 Bde at YSSELSTEYN taking up and using their lines. 9 Inf Bde (3 Br Div) took uplocation of 29 Bde. Existing lines contd to their swbd. Visit from Maj Arkell, School of Sigs, re Inf comns. Line diagram of new layout provided. It was decided that 'check calls' on nets should not be contd for security reasons. Lt CS Nuttall arrived on posting from 49 Div.	Appx 'B'
	21	All Tps completed with cable for future Ops. All lines laid ready for Op 'Nutcracker'.
	22	Op 'Nutcracker' started. Wireless and lines OK. Quad cable extended down CL. Bad weather made going very difficult. Maj Gratwicke and Capt Cobden nominated for Python exchange.
	23	Div artery extended down rly to AMERIKA, use being made of a jeep fitted with wheels to run on the rly track. When 159 Bde and 151 Fd Regt moved to AMERIKA, lines awaited their arrival. Omnibus cct for TCPs extended to AMERIKA.
	24	Quad extended to METERIK. Trouble experienced on TCP line due to length in conjunction with number of subscribers making it impossible to ring along the full length of the line. Infm received of withdrawal of Inf Bde to HELMOND area. UG ccts arranged with co-operation of CSOs Branch.
	25	Inf Bde withdrawn to HELMOND, one Bn ASTEN, one Bn DEURNE, all being provided with line comn.
	26	Quad along DEURNE - AMERIKA rly given to Corps Sigs. D8 extended from AMERIKA to METERIK for 151 Fd Regt who are still u/c. 13 RHA withdrawn to rest and provided with line.
	27	Orders received to move to KASTENRAAI on 28th. Line recce carried out. Corps Sigs extended two quads along CL, one for ccts to Corps and one for ccts to RearDiv.	Appx 'C'
WASBERG - KASTENRAAI	28	Main HQ moved at 1215 hrs to KASTENRAAI E.819227. Corps line through on arrival. Shortly afterwards ccts to Rear Div were working. Lines laid to 159 Bde, 151 Fd Regt and flanking Bdes. Wireless silence observed throughout the move and in new location. Rear Div moved to WASBERG and took over existing exchange which had been left by Main Div, and DOG Sig Centre. Rear Div exchange left in situ at BAKEL thereby maintaining all existing comns.
	29	29 Bde moved to BAKEL and took over existing lines. UG ccts provided tot Regts in HELMOND and DEURNE. Line laying contd in new area. Wireless silence maintained. Sigs Comd Gp moved into a house for the first time in the campaign.
	30	C Tp spent day in making safe and building lines laid during last few days. One line det (4 men) lent to Inf Bde to assist in extensive programme of lines. DOG Sig Centre closed down. All subs transferred to Rear Div and SWAN exchanges. Eight rfts arrived, all of them being returned casualties from this unit.

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Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Mia Litjens.

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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