| 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 |
| Unit: HQRA 3 Br Inf Div | ||
| Month and Year: December 1944 | (Erase heading not required). | Commanding Officer: Brig. G.G. Mears, DSO MC |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Note 1: About the middle of Dec flooding generally subsided and the level of the R Maas between its banks returned to the normal for the time of the year. | |||
| 1 | Note 2: During the month enemy patrols across the river Maas were frequent and together with HF these increased at the time of the offensive in the Ardennes on 16bdec. | |||
| 1 | Note 3: Artificial moonlight was provided continuously throughouth the month by 'B"Tp 474 (Ind) SL Bty except at full moon periods. The troop was divided into two sections each being under comd of fd Regt affiliatd to Inf Bde in the area | |||
| OPLOO | 1 | Further attempt by 2 RUR to clear the enemy pocket West of BLITTERSWIJK 8727and orchard 853274 during darkness met determined opposition and was unsuccesful. Move RHQ and two Btys 33 Fd Regt. RHQ 789267: gun areas 7829, 7928 and 8025. | ||
| 2 | All enemy on Div front West of R Maas finally cleared. Relief of 8 Br Inf Bde by ( Br Inf Bde started. Posns of 7 Fd Regt adjusted by RHQ moving to 698411 and 16 Bty to 714443. 317 LAA Bty in res at GEMERT. HQ 20 A Tk Regt and two Btys out of action at ST HUBERT. | |||
| 3 | 76 Fd Regt concentrated out of action at DE TWIST 702332 | |||
| 4 | Windmill at 862302 shelled by 53 Med Regt and collapsed after 26 hits | |||
| 5 | HQRA moved to OPLOO village 712364. Office stillin Cvwhich was sited adjacent to church. | |||
| 6-10 | Nothing to report | |||
| 11 | Increased shelling during 24 hrs; approx 600 rouds fell in Div Area. | |||
| 12 | Relief of 185 Inf Bde by 8 Br Inf Bde | |||
| 13 | 7 Fd Regt relieved by 76 Fd Regt and two Btys concentrated area De TWIST 702332. 76 Fd Regt RHQ at 721418: guns 7144, 7044, 7238, 7239, 7138. | see appx D 1 | ||
| 14 | CRA's Order Group - agenda: extension of Div front to incl 159 Bde area South of VENRAY | |||
| 16 | Relief of 159 Inf Bde by 185 Inf Bde extended Div front Southwards to GRUBBENVORST 8914. 13 RHA (HAC) of 11 Arm Div came under comd 3 Br Inf Div in sp 185 Inf Bde: location 853191. HQRA moved to KASTENRAAI 813224. 17 Fd Bty of 7 Fd Regt moved to 855213 bur remained silent. Increased air activity marked start of enemy offensive in Ardennes. | |||
| KASTENRAAI | 17 | Bomb dropped in Div HQ area wounded ine offr and destroyed an office lorry. | ||
| 18 | 76 Fd Regt moved to OVERLOON area 763320 with guns 7832, 7831, 7731 in sp Royals Group. Relief of 8 Br inf Bde in Northern sector by 8 Cdn Recce Regt Gp (2 Cdn Inf Div) brings Div Northern Bdy to excl BOXMEER 7641. | |||
| 21 | 8 Br Inf Bde releived 9 Br Inf Bde. 13 HRA (HAC) reverted to comd 11 Armd Div. 7 Fd Regt in action 853191. 33 Fd Regt in sp 8 Br Inf Bde. | |||
| 23 | R Maas floods return to almost normal level between its banks. Lt Col MW Hope DSO RA appointed to comd 33 Fd Regt vice Lt Col ES Linsday OBE RA posted. | |||
| KASTENRAAI | 24 | Brig cc Mears MC, CRA awarded DSO | ||
| 24-25 | Christmas, Whole Div front fairly quiet | |||
| 28 | Fire by 7 Fd Regt on LOMM area 9117 failed to provoke enemy reaction | |||
| 29 | 3 Br Inf Div come under comd 2 Cdn Corps 1200 hrs. Relief 185 Inf Bde by 9 Br Inf Bde in Southern sector . 7 Fd Regt in sp 9 Br inf Bde. | |||
| 31 | Lt Col HC Bazeley DSO RA, 92 LAA Regt appointed to to comd 7 Fd Regt vice Lt Col HPH Tapp posted. Lt Col PR Henderson appointed to comd 92 LAA Regt vice Lt Col HC Bazeley DSO RA posted. |
Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Theo Vervoort.
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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