WO 171/920 - 63 Anti-Tank 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: 63 (Oxf Yeo) A tk Regt RA
Month and Year: October 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. J. Thomson, TD, RA

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
EASTHAMPSTEAD Park Camp, Nr WOKINGHAM	2		Regiment at 6 hours notice to move as from 2359 hours tonight.
	3		Movement order fetched from ALDERSHOT District by Adjutant.
	4		Regiment moved by two special trains from BRACKNELL Station to NEWHAVEN. First train RHQ, 250 and 252 Btys (left about 0700 hours). Second train remainder (left about 1000 hours). Arrived NEWHAVEN approximately 1200 and 1500 hours respectively. Stayed at Transit camp, NEWHAVEN.
NEWHAVEN	5	1500	RHQ (less Major C.H. Priestley and Lieut A.H.I. Swift) and 250 and 252 Batteries embarked on 4 L.C.I's.
	6	0700	Above party sailed. Very rough crossing.
	6	1400	Arrived DIEPPE.
	6	1500	249 and 251 Batteries embarked NEWHAVEN plus Major C.H. Proestley and Lieut A.H.I. Swift. This party was due to sail following morning but sailing postponed owing to bad weather. Eventually sailed early 8 October.
	6	1700	RHQ, 250 and 252 Batteries conveyed by transport to 51 Rft H.U. at INTRAVILLE.
INTRAVILLE	7	0700	Commanding Officer (Lt-Col J. Thomson) and Quartermaster (Capt F.M. Lewis) left by car for BRUSSELS. Commanding Officer to see B.R.A., Second Army. Quartermaster to see Q Second Army.	Appx 'I', Folios 1, 2 and 3.
INTRAVILLE	7	1500	Adjutant (Capt A.T.M. Beaven) attended conference at 6 L of C Sub-Area. Was told Regiment would be moved to LOUVAIN on 9 October, transport and movement would be arranged by Q (Mov) 2 Army and 11 L of C Area. Regiment would have to be self-supporting from time it left 51 Rft H.U. which meant cooking equipment would be needed.
	8	1000	No instructions yet received for move forward. Adjutant went to 11 L of C Area at AMIENS to try and get some orders. Great difficulty in getting information from 11 L of C Area, eventually DAQMG rang up HQ L of C in BELGIUM who said they would get some definite instructions from Second Army and phone back. No information received by 1700 hours so Adjutant returned to INTRAVILLE having been told by DAQMG that he would pass information to 6 L of C Sub-Area. During day RQMS drew a certain amount of primitive cooking equipment from DADOS 6 L of C Sub-Area.
	8	1600	Remainder of Regiment arrived DIEPPE and were conveyed to INTRAVILLE. They had good crossing. Whole Regiment now complete at INTRAVILLE.
	9	1100	Orders received from 6 L of C Sub-Area that Regiment would take over 12 3-tonners from 51 Rft H.U. and would despatch Advance party with Capt J. Greenwood in charge leaving at 1530 hours. Orders also said that Second Army would supply transport to move rest of Regiment, this would arrive tonight and Regiment was to move next morning.
INTRAVILLE	9	1900	Two RASC platoons arrived from BRUSSELS to convey Regiment to LOUVAIN tomorrow.
	10	0930	Regiment left LOUVAIN. Route EU – ABBEVILLE – DOULLENS – ARRAS – DOUAI – TOURNAI – BRUSSELS – LOUVAIN (approximately 230 miles). Staged night at FLINES (near DOUAI).
FLINES	11	0730	Continued journey to LOUVAIN.
	11	1230	Arrive College Philosophique, LOUVAIN (very large Jesuit establishment which had been completely gutted by fire in 1940. Very cold and draughty – no doors or windows). Commanding Officer met Regiment on Arrival. At conference later in day Commanding Officer informed Battery Commanders that Regiment was to take over in due course from Corps Anti-tank Regiment which was at present in the line. In the meantime a large number of officers and Nos 1 would be attached to Corps Anti-tank Regiments to gain experience. Also a certain number of SP M.10s and 17-prs would be supplied for training.
LOUVAIN	12		Approximately half officers and Numbers 1 of Regiment attached to Anti-tank Regiments of 1, 8, 12 and 30 Corps. Commanding Officer to 8 Corps. Four 17-prs and Four FATs and 8 No. 19 Wireless sets collected for training purposes.
	13		In view of the bad accomodation at the College Philosophique new billets were recced in LOUVAIN. Eventually decided to move 249 and 250 Batteries to College of Anatomy and RHQ and LAD to School of Physical Culture, both these billets provided good accomodation.
LOUVAIN	14		HQ 63 (Oxf Yeo) Anti-tank Regt RA and LAD moved to School of Physical Culture. Second-in-Command (Major C.H. Priestley) visited Colonel Beddington at BOURG LEOPOLD to arrange for use of Artillery ranges for practice. Range will not be available for about a week.	Appx 'I', Folios 4, 5 and 6.
	15		Second-in-Command visited G1RA 21 Army Group and arranged to send 1 Officer 10 O.Rs and Two 3-tonners back to England to collect Officers' Mess equipment and sports equipment and other private property for whole Regiment. Party to leave 17 October and travel via OSTEND and TILBURY.
	15		P.M.: Visited by DAQMG Second Army Troops who said we must either vacate College Philosophique completely or move whole Regiment back there as we were spreading ourselves too much and he had to find accomodation for other troops in LOUVAIN. This to be done within 48 hours. Decided it was essential to move all troops from College Philosophique so hunted for further accomodation for 251 and 252 Batteries. Accomodation found in a factory in the north part of LOUVAIN, not too good but will probably do. Two M.10s and 4 more No. 19 sets arrived.
	16		249 and 250 Batteries moved to School of Anatomy. 1 more M.10 arrived. Requisitioned Moulin de la Dyle (factory mentioned above) for 251 and 252 Batteries.
	17	0630	Party to collect equipment from England with Major C.E. Brackenbury in charge left for OSTEND. Four more 17-prs collected.
LOUVAIN	18		Training being carried out by all Batteries with limited equipment available. Use of the University Gymnasium obtained and much Physical Training can be done. Also good football pitch available.
	19		Nil
	20		251 and 252 Batteries moved from College Philosophique to Moulin de la Dyle. Second-in-Command visited BOURG LEOPOLD to arrange firing practice on the Artillery range there. Provisionally fixed for 26 and 27 October and 2 and 3 November.
	20	0630	249 and 250 Batteries had fire in their cookhouse at the School of Anatomy. Damage confined to 4 doors and 1 window detroyed and a certain amount of personal equipment lost. Court of Inquiry held – Capt C.H. Grist president.
	21	1430	Visited by BRA and G1RA Second Army who discussed tradesmen situation in Regiment and said 21 Army Group were trying to arrange some special courses for our tradesmen. Also said he would try and fix a definite date by which take over from 91 Anti-tank Regiment must be completed. This would bot be a very early date as our tradesmen must have more training.	Appx 'I', Folios 7, 8 and 9.
	21	1500	ENSA at Theatre de la Ville. First ENSA seen by Regiment since leaving England.
	21	2030	Message received from G1RA 21 Army Group asking Second-in-Command to visit him tomorrow morning to discuss Couses for our tradesmen.
	22		Flying Bombs passed over this area at intervals during the day flying in the general direction of BRUSSELS. Officers and NCOs returned from attachment to 1, 8, 12 and 30 Corps.
LOUVAIN	23		Officers and NCOs of second party went on attachment to 8, 12 and 30 Corps – Including Second-in-Command, Adjutant, Signal Officer (Lt W.P. Carpenter) and O.C. 251 Battery (Major R.A.P. Butler).
	23-24		Field firing on Artillery Range NW of WATERSCHEIDE by M.10 and towed 17-pr. Each Battery fired 17 layers. Stationary and hull-down targets only. Each layer fired 5 rounds.
	24-25		ENSA at Theatre de la Ville – Emlyn Williams, Lueen McGrath and Ambrosine Philpotts in “Blithe Spirit”. Caste entertained to lunch on 24 October and at the Theatre on 25 October.
	25		Four Crusader gun tractors received and taken on charge. Arrangements made for move from LOUVAIN to WATERSCHEIDE. RHQ, 250 and 252 Batteries to go into Zwartberg School; LAD, 249 and 251 Batteries to move into St Jean Frere Schoo, WATERSCHEIDE. Major C.E. Brackenbury and party returned form England.
	26		Major C.E. Brackenbury proceeded to 12 Corps on attachment.
	27		Nil
	28		92 Officers and O.Rs (tradesmen – vehicle mechanics and driver mechanics) went by road to OSTEND for embarkation to FOLKESTONE en route to RAMT School, RHYL, on M.10 and Crusader courses lasting from 2 November to 4 December. Officers included Technical Adjutant (Capt J. Sutcliffe), Capt N.R. Walls, Lt H.V Gibson and all Troop Commanders.	Appx 'I', Folios 10, 11 and 12.
LOUVAIN and WATERSCHEIDE	29		Regiment moved in T.C.Vs to new location and settled in. Accomodation adequate and comfortable. Officers billetted on local population. WATERSCHEIDE is a modern coal-mining area, and all inhabitants are employed directly or indirectly by the pits. This is the first British unit to be stationed here, and the inhabitants were most kind and helpful and gave a great welcome.
WATERSCHEIDE	30		Nil
	31		Adjutant returned from 8 Corps attachment.	Appx 'A', sheet No. 1.

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Source: Guido Siebers, transcribing: Jeroen Koppes.

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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