WO 171/1257 - 3 Irish Guards - August 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: 3rd Bn Irish Guards
Month and Year: August 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. J.O.E. Vandeleur

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
	11	0900	The BN. supported by a Sqn. of tanks, of 1st. (Armd.) Coldstream Gds.and one Fld. Bty, carried out an attack to gain the line of the main VIRE - VASSY road SOUTH of SOURDEVALLE, being phased in with the remainder of the 32nd. GDS. BDE. directed on the village of CHENEDOLLE,and in concert with 1st. (MOT) GREN. GDS. and 2nd. (Armd. GREN GDS. directed on the village of VIESSOIX. We were in the centre of a DIV. effort directed SOUTHWARDS. The leading coys., right 2 coy.,and left 4 coy., were were supported by two troops of tanks,medium mortars,and a field BTY. R.A. came under intense fire on a convex slope running SOUTHWARDS, as soon as they crossed the start line. The leading tanks immediately suffered casualties from enemy Anti Tank guns or dug in tanks SOUTH of their objective. The forward coys. pushed on through root and cornfields,suffering very heavy casualties,before they reached their objective at approximately 1000 hours and consolidated on the line of the stream,approximately 400 yards NORTH of their objectives. The enemy then crumped heavily with ARTY.and Mortar fire on the forward slope of the hill,down which the attack had been directed, and at 1600 hours a contact patrol was sent forward to (A) Locate the centres of enemy resistance ,and (B) inform all possible survivors that they were to withdraw to the line of the F.D.Ls. as soon as a smoke screen was laid to cover them. This contact patrol was led by LT.A. Drewe of Xcoy. who was himself wounded,one man of the patrol killed and another man wounded.

Source: Antoine Leprince, 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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