WO 171/920 - 63 Anti-Tank Regiment - December 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 Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A.
Month and Year: December 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. J. Thomson, TD, RA

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
STIPHOUT	1		Day spent in settling into our new accommodation and making ourselves more comfortable.
	1	1000	Commanding Officer to Corps Commander again (still Lt-Gen. O'Conner. He does not leave till tomorrow). Subject discussed was reoorganisation of the Regt. The policy laid down by the Army Commander looks pretty bad for the Oxfordshire Hussars. The attached extract of letter of 8 Corps outlines this policy.	Appx 'J', Folio 1.
	1	2015	Battery Commanders' Conference to discuss reorganisation as detailed in above letter. The two Batteries of the Oxfordshire Hussars to be disbanded are 250 Battery (Major E.M. Cornforth) and 252 Battery (Major C.E. Brackenbury). 249 and 251 Batteries remain. It was agreed that certain cross-postings of officers and Other Ranks should be carried out in order to preserve the Yeomen in 250 and 252 Batteries. Battery Commanders were given till 1130 hours tomorrow to think about this, when another conference would be held to lay down how this should be done.	Appx 'J', Folio 2.
	2	1130	At Battery Commanders conference the following was decided:- – Lt D. Ginger of 250 Battery should replace Lt R. Stephens in 249 Battery. – Capt AHR Butcher of 250 Bty should replace Capt EB Walmsley in 251 Bty. – Capt J Greenwood of 252 Bty should replace Capt CH Grist in 251 Bty. – Lts CF Martin, MA Robinson and RJ Butter should replace Lts F Powell, JPS Pim and TW Smith in 251 Bty. There would be no cross-posting of Troop Sergeants as it was felt that some firm base must be maintained in the troops of 249 and 251 Batteries. As far as W/Sergeants were concerned it was agreed that all W/Sergeants in 250 and 252 Batteries who had been members of the Regiment prior to 3 September 1939 should be transferred to 249 and 251 Batteries as far as the War Establishment would permit. Paid Acting Sergeants would be given the change to revert to Lance Sergeants, the same principle would then be applied to all Lance-Sergeants. Bombardiers and Lance-Bombardiers were to be dealt with in the same way. As far as Gunners were concerned, as we were able to absorb more Gunners than NCOs the yard stick was taken as 3 or more years service with the Regiment. All the above would have to be agreed with the C.C.R.A. as it was by no means certain that this amount of cross-posting would be allowed.	Appx 'I', Folios 1, 2 and 3.
STIPHOUT	3	1030	Commanding Officer, Second-in-Command, Adjutant and Quartermaster went to Conference at RA 8 Corps presided over by C.C.R.A. At this conference the method of carrying out the reorganisation was discussed and the following programme was decided upon:- Wednesday 6 December. Taking over parties from 249 and 251 Batteries go to 145 and 344 Batteries of 91 A Tk Regt. Taking over commences at 1400 hours 6 December, and continues 7 and 8 December. On 9 December personnel of 250 and 252 Batteries who are going into suspended animation leave the Corps area in TCVs and R.V. in the Army Area. On 10 December personnel of RHQ, 145 and 344 Batteries of 91 A Tk Regt leave the Corps Area and join 250 and 252 Batteries in the Army Area. Main bodies of RHQ, 249 and 251 Batteries join up with their Taking Over Parties and occupy the accommodation vacated by RHQ, 145 and 344 Batteries. 144 and 146 (SP) Batteries of 91 A Tk Regt who are at present under command 3 British Div and 11 Armoured Div will return and join the new 63 A Tk Regt going into the accommodation vacated by 251 and 250 Batteries.
	3		The composition of the RHQ of the new 63 A Tk Regt was also discussed at the Conference and the following was decided upon. – C.O. – – 2IC – Major C.H. Priestely, 63 A Tk Regt. – Adjutant – Capt A.T.M. Beaven, 63 A Tk Regt. – I.O. – Lt A.H.I. Swift, 63 A Tk Regt. – Tech Adjutant – Capt P. Maxwell, 91 A Tk Regt. – Sigs Officer – Lt W.P. Carpenter, 63 A Tk Regt. – Q.M. – Capt F.M. Lewis, 63 A Tk Regt. The question of the Medical Officer was to be left for the DDMS to decide.
	3	2000	Battery Commanders Conference which lasted till 0200 hours 4 December. The programme for the reorganisation was discussed. The rest of the time was spent in forming on paper the two new 249 and 251 Batteries which consisted in the cross-posting of some 25 per-cent of the personnel of 250 and 252 Batteries in accordance with the principles already described.
STIPHOUT	4		The news was released that Lt-Col. J. Thomson, TD, RA, would not command the new Regt. He has been with the Regt for 17 years and has commanded it since May, 1942. This was a very great shock to the Regt.
	5		Commanding Officer went to see Army Commander and had tea with him. He was told by Army Commander that he was going to 21 A Tk Regt as Second-in-Command.
	5		The cross-postings we had arranged between 249 and 250 Batteries and 251 and 252 Batteries were agreed to.	Appx 'G', Folio 1.
	5	1330	Second-in-Command and Adjutant went to RA 8 Corps to see representative of Reforsec Second Army to see what could be done to find jobs quickly for displaced NCOs. Nothing very concrete was obtained.
STIPHOUT	6	0900	249 and 251 Batteries started to take over from 145 and 344 Batteries of 91 A Tk Regt.
	6		Commanding Officer had dinner with Corps Commander (Lt-Gen Barker) and CCRA. Barker, Evelyn Hugh "Bubbles"
	7	1030	Commanding Officer left Regt for 21 A Tk Regt.
	7		Hand-over between 249 and 145, and 251 and 344 Batteries continues.
	8		Hand-over between Batteries continues, and Advance Parties from RHQ started to take over RHQ stores and equipment.
	9	0800	Personnel of 250 and 252 Batteries and LAD left in TCVs for Army Area (RENAIX J0846).	Appx 'I', Folios 4, 5 and 6.
	9	1500	Lt CF Martin and LT TW Smith reported to RHQ ex Course at RHYL and said there were 10 officers and 51 Other Ranks at 31 RHU at BOURG LEOPOLD waiting to come back. These were the personnel we sent on M.10 and Crusader Courses at the end of October. Many of these officers and men are now displaced from the Regt on account of reorganisation and this news had to be broken to them.
	10	1100	RHQ moved to GELDROP 4816, 249 Battery moved to GELDROP 4816, 251 Battery moved to HEEZE 4911. RHQ and these two Batteries moved into the above accommodation which was vacated by RHQ, 145 and 344 Batteries of 91 A Tk Regt who moved back to RENAIX J0846 this morning.
	10		P.M.: 144 Battery ex 91 A Tk Regt moved from under command 3 Br Inf Div to STIPHOUT 5323, and 146 Battery ex 91 A Tk Regt moved from under command 11 Armd Div to EENEIND 4719. Both these Btys came under command on arrival.
	10	1730	Lt-Col. R.I.G. Taylor, DSO, MC, RA, arrived to take command of the new Regt.
GELDROP	11	0930	Command Officer held Battery Commanders Conference to discuss future policy of the Regt, and training. It was agreed that the two Oxfordshire Yeomanry Batteries should continue to call themselves Oxfordshire Yeomanry and the two Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Batteries should call themselves Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The Regt should call itself 63 A Tk Regt without Oxfordshire Yeomanry inserted in brackets. All members of the Regt should continue to wear the dress and cap badges they had worn prior to the reorganisation.
	11		P.M.: Commanding Officer visited all Batteries.
	12	1000	C.C.R.A. visited Regt and spoke to all ranks.
	13		N.T.R.
	14		N.T.R.
	15	1000	Regt put at 4 hours notice to move w.e.f. 1000 hrs 16 December.
	16	1200	Regt came under command 11 Armd Div at 1200 hrs today. We are to take over responsibility of a sector of the R Maas in the OPHOVEN K6482 area. After Commanding Officer had seen Commander 4 Armd Brigade it was decided that this task would be done with one Battery (251 Battery). Remainder of Regt would concentrate in WEERT K5897 area.	Appx 'I', Folios 7, 8 and 9.
GELDROP	17	0600	Regt came under command 4 Ind Armd Bde.	Appx 'D', Folio 1.
	17	0900	251 Battery left HEEZE for OPHOVEN K6482. Remainder of Regt will probably move to WEERT tomorrow. Second-in-Command with Recce parties from Btys went to WEERT. Certain amount of enemy air activity in this area throughout the day. Second-in-Command reported on return from WEERT that the barracks we are to move into are still occupied by rear party of 12 Corps, they are however moving out on 19 December. Permission was obtained from RA 8 Corps to postpone move till 19 December.
	18		Regt (less 251 Bty) reverted to command 8 Corps. Regt now at 2 hours notice in view of German offensive to the South on the American sector.
	19		Regt (less 251 Bty) moved from GELDROP to WEERT.
WEERT	20		Reports received that on the American Sector the Germans are dropping parachute troops to disrupt communications. We have been warned to expect the same. For this reason the Regt has been made responsible for the protection of 3 bridges in the WEERT area. In the event of an emergency it is intended to deploy one SP Battery for this task. Battery Commanders recced these bridges today.
	21		N.T.R.
WEERT	22		Commanding Officer attended conference at 100 AA Bde HQ in WEERT. Comd of 100 AA Bde had been made responsible for co-ordination of defence of WEERT. Commanding Officer was appointed defence commander of WEERT. This involved dividing the perimeter of the town into Sectors and making the troops in that Sector under command the senior officer responsible for the sector. Certain posts were selected in each sector which would be manned by standing patrols every night. These patrols would stop all incoming personnel and traffic and check their bona fides.
	23	2300	Warning received by telephone from 100 AA Bde that German parachutists had been dropped about 10 miles West of WEERT. The SP Battery on duty was to be turned out immediately and proceed to take up their positions in defence of the WEERT bridges. Within 20 minutes the SP Battery was on its way to WEERT. The Battery remained at duty till 0800 hours next morning when it returned to barracks. It was later discovered that parachutists had NOT in fact been dropped, but that some escaped POW who were thought to be parachutists had been found.	Appx 'I', Folios 10, 11 and 12.
	24		Most of the day spent in preparing for Christmas.
	25		A very successful Christmas was had by all Batteries less 251 Battery who are in the line under command 4 Armd Bde, They are, however, being relieved on 27 December when they will return to barracks and celebrate their Christmas. During the course of Christmas morning we received a message saying the Corps Commander wished to carry out an inspection tomorrow. This caused considerable consternation, as unless we worked everybody the whole of Christmas day we couldn't hope to have the place ready for inspection. The matter was taken up with the CCRA who said the men were on no account to be made to spend Christmas Day cleaning up. He would take full responsibility for the inspection.
WEERT	26		Wonderful work was done by everybody between 0800 and 1000 hours in cleaning up for the inspection and by 1000 hours the whole barracks were reasonably clean and tidy.
	26	1000	The Corps Commander and CCRA arrived. He carried out a thorough inspection of the Batteries which lasted till nearly 1300 hours. He and the CCRA then lunched in the RHQ Officers' Mess.
	26	1400	Corps Commander and CCRA left to visit 251 Battery. The whole inspection went off very well and both the Corps Comd and the CCRA expressed themselves well satisfied with what they had seen.
	27		Letter received from CCRA congratulating the Regt on the show put up, at such short notice, for the Corps Commander. 251 Battery relieved by Battery of 75 A Tk Regt. 251 Battery returned to barracks at WEERT and celebrated their Christmas.
	28		N.T.R.
	29		Information received from RA 8 Corps that the Regt would relieve a Battalion of 11 Armd Div on the R Maas, probably on 8 Jan. This will be an infantry role once again and we may have to do some patrolling.
	30		Got in touch with 4 Armd Bde who arranged for an officer from 2 KRRC to report to us tonight for two days to give the two towed Batteries some instruction in patrolling.	Appx 'I', Folios 13, 14 and 15.
WEERT	31		N.T.R. except that we had a very successful New Year's eve party.

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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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