WO 171/837 - 2 Household Cavalry - September 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: 2nd Household Cavalry Regt.
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt.Col. H. Abel Smith

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
	13/16 incl		2 HCR refitting and doing maintenance. For the first two days a composite Sqn stood by for recce and patrols were sent out to the west where the Belgian Armd Cars working under comd 8 Armd Bde were contacted. Before the period ended 2 HCR were up to full strength in vehs and personnel less 1 Armd Car which was a remarkable feat by the "Q" services when the distance travelled and the fact that maintenance was still over the NORMANDY BEACHES was taken into account. 2 HCR came under permanent comd G.A.D. again when Armd C Regts were reallotted on the basis of one Regt per Armd Div. The following are a few notes on the method of working adopted by 2 HCR during these rapid adv with G.A.D. 1 Sqn was usually allotted to each Bde Gp. They worked virtually with one of the Bde HQs or Adv Div HQ. Distances were apt to be stretched especially at night but comns were maintained. When a Sqn were held up frontally it immediately attempted to loop both right and left of the C.Ls. Tanks moved close behind leading Sqns and when trouble was met were at close call. Sqns were not under comd Bdes but were in sp of them under direct comd of CO 2 HCR who thus could co-ordinate recce.

Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Hans Houterman.

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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