WO 171/906 - 3 Army Group RA - 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: HQ 3 Army Group RA
Month and Year: October 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Brig F.C.F. Cleeve DSO, MC

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
NOKERE	2		Orders received for reversion of HQ 3 AGRA, 67 & 72 Med Regts to under comd 12 Corp	Appx "D"
NOKERE	3		HQ 3 AGRA leaves NOKERE. Stages area LOUVAIN.
NIJMEGEN	4		HQ arrives NIJMEGEN, and is est at 742602, as RA 1 Airborn Corps, to take over in that capacity from about 7 Oct, with (it is expected) under comd 59 AGRA (incl 67 & 72 Med Regts) RA 101 US Airborne Dov (three bns( RA 83 US Airborne Div (one bn) 79 Fd Regt (from 52 Div), 4 RHA (4 Armd Bde). Above to take over from RA 30 Corps. also to be under comd:- A Tk: 304 A/B Bty (52 Div): 86 A Tk Regt: One bty of 17 prs (towed)354 bty (52 Div) :502 LAA Bty: 2 A/L AA Bty. HQ 3 AGRA to act as Corps RA until RA 12 Corps able to come fwd.
NIJMEGEN	6		Orders received for relinquishment ofrole as RA 1 Airborne Corps and resumption as HQ 3 AGRA. 72 Med moves of R WAAL.
NW of NIJMEGEN	7	0930	HQ 3 AGRA crossed R. WAAL and is est at 647676 near LOENERSEN. 67 Med crosses rover in early morning.
NW of NIJMEGEN	7	0915	CB programme fired 67 & 72 Med on arrival. 6 Fd crosses river. Locations as per statement.	Appx 'J'
NW of NIJMEGEN	7		Several targets engaged by 67 & 72 Med, incl a factory occupied by the enemy at 673759 on the S bank of the NEDER RHINE WEST of ARNHEM, and which had been giving considerable trouble. Also Arrival of medium and heavy arty, greatly welcomed by Americans, having the means of counteracting it.
NW of NIJMEGEN	8		3 AGRA Adm Order 22.	Appx 'G'
NW of NIJMEGEN	8		59 Med and 23/59 Hy Bty arrive in area. One section of A Flt 653 AOP Sqn put on call to 3 AGRA. Further targets incl the tks and SP gun engaged on call of 59 AGRA and in sp of 101 US A/B Div holding WESTERN half of spear-head. Enemy continually probing from WAST and occasionally infiltrating into our fwd localitie. Some impending attacks brocken up by Arty fire on forming up places."
NW of NIJMEGEN	9		Revised location statement. 3 AGRA Op Instr No 7 issued, setting out tasks and grouping of fmns and arty. One bty 107 HAA Regt placed at disposal 3 AGRA whenever available. Victor Targets engaged at call of 50 and 53 Div. 59 AGRA. "	"Appx 'J' Appx 'D'"
NW of NIJMEGEN	10	2300	-530. HF tasks engaged during night in ARNHEM area. Main activity during the day bombards, Y and V Targets on enemy forming up, general enemy locations and Ops. AOP succesfully used for several shoots. Enemy counter-attacks frustrated by arty fire.
NW of NIJMEGEN	11		Very quiet through day. Bombards and concs fired but less activity than previous day. Very wet,visibility poor.
NW of NIJMEGEN	12		Some CB and HF activity.Comparative calibration of 155 mm guns of 23/59 Hy Bty. Enemy activity confined to shelling, mortaring and small scale attacks at isolated points.
NW of NIJMEGEN	13		Increased arty activity. Several shoots observed by AOP, regimental Ops and Svy Ops, on enemy mortar area, tks and tk harbours, enemy HQs (direct hits reported), and column of enemy MT (rds reported on target). Limitation of amn prevents full advantage being taken of latter shoot.
NW of NIJMEGEN	14		Guns calibrated by 155mm bty and 67 Med.
NW of NIJMEGEN	15		Daily Victor targets on enemy localities, HQs, mortar areas. Victor targets being used in nature of HF each morning and afternoon."
NW of NIJMEGEN	15		Nothing unusual. Arty activity similar to previous days. Little change in position of our fwd troops, and, apart from withdrawal of some enemy formations from this front to assist in AACHEN area, there is at present no apparent prospect of any change."
NW of NIJMEGEN	16		Activity mainly bombards and HF. Several observed shoors, showing that good concs are regularly achieved, though synchronisation is nog good.
NW of NIJMEGEN	17		Similar to previous day. Orders now received for change of role. HQ 12 Corps move SW to-day. 3 AGRA comes temporarily under comd 30 Corps and will move to new area to-morriw tp sp ops on present front of 7 Armd Div to capture s'HERTOGENBOSCH and TILBURG. 3 AGRA Op Instr no.8.	Appx 'D'
ZEELAND UDEN	18	1500	HQ 3 AGRA moves to hide area ZEELAND 5746.
ZEELAND UDEN	19	1300	HQ 3 AGRA moves from hide area and deploys area SW UDEN 500404. Op Instrs No 9 issued, amplifying instrs given in Op Instr No 8"	Appx 'D'
ZEELAND UDEN	20		3 AGRA Adm Order No 23 Location Statement.	Appx 'G' and 'J'
ZEELAND UDEN	21		Preparations for Op "PHEASANT". 3 AGRA Op Instr No 10.	Appx 'D'
ZEELAND UDEN	22		3 AGRA supports op "ALAN I", carried out by 7 Armd Div and 53 (W) Div to prepare way for capture of s'HERTOGENBOSCH. Time programme, concs at call and CB fired.
ZEELAND UDEN	23		3 AGRA supports op "COLIN I" by 51 (H) Dov to clear area SOUTH of op "ALAN I", and SOUTH of ZUID WILLEMS VAART Canal. Op notes issued for future ops.
ZEELAND UDEN	24		3 AGRA supports op "ALAN II" by 53 (W) Div to adv to and Control NORTHERN outskirts of s'HERTOGENBOSCH. 3 AGRA Op Instr No. 11.	Appx 'D'
ZEELAND UDEN	25		3 AGRA supports op "COLIN II" by 51 (H) Div to adv WEST and NORTH towards s'HERTOGENBOSCH and est CL 40 route through ST MICHIELS GESTEL 3540. Also gives sp to 53 Div on right flank. 13 Med come under comd 7 Armd Div."
UDEN	25		HQ 3 AGRA moves to BROEKSTRAAT 365389. Regts move up into area GEMONDE 3538.
BROEKSTRAAT	26		3 AGRA supports attack by 154 Bde (51 (H) Div) to adv from rd s'HERTOGENBOSCH - BOXTEL to rd VUGHT - TILBURG.
BROEKSTRAAT	26	1430	HQ 3 AGRA moves into BOXTEL. Office est on station platform.	Location Statement: Appx 'J'
BROEKSTRAAT	26	2315	Owing to speed of adv orders received from GCRA tp move regts forward as soon as possible on 27 Oct.
BOXTEL	27		Bombards fired on HB harrassing our bridging parties. HF for 53 Div on area to SW of s'HERTOGENBOSCH. HQ 3 AGRA moves to RAAM 252380. Two med regts moved fwd. One Med and the Hy regt remain behind.
RAAM	27		Victor Targets fired in sp of 7 Armd Div attack towards LOON OP ZAND 1540,
RAAM	28		3 AGRA supports attack by 51 (H) Div on area LOON OP ZAND 1540.
RAAM	28	2200	13 Med reverts to comd.
RAAM	29		3 AGRA supports ops by 51 (H) Div and 7 Armd Div to clear area LOON OP ZAND 1540 and to NORTH and WEST, and ops by 53 (W) Div to clear area WEST of s'HERTOGENBOSCH.
LOON OP ZAND	30	0830	HQ 3 AGRA move up to position at 156380 SOUTH of LOON OP ZAND. Ops going well, and all regts (less 53 Hy) brought up into area WEST and NW of LOON OP ZAND.
LOON OP ZAND	31	1200	63 Med reverts to comd 8 Corps. 13 and 59 Med stepped up to provide concs on brs over R. MAAS. One 7.2(?) bty moves to area 3 Brit Div. Hy opposition WEST of RAAMSDONK 0547 overcome by stonks fired at request of 51 (H) Div. HF fired on brs and ferries over R. MAAS, and on enemy transport jammed on approaches to river.

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Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Rob Vogels.

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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