WO 171/466 - 15 (Scottish) Infantry Division - 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: HQ 15 (S) INF DIV.
Month and Year: December 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Maj Gen CM Barber, DSO

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
PANNINGEN	1		Planning for Op "GUILDFORD". Rain and muddy conditions. Line of fwd tps as follows : 46 Bde - 2 GLAS H coys at 881104 887109 884116. 9 CAMERONIANS coys at HAUT BLERICK 882080 875087 BOEKEND 874100. 7 SEAFORTH were relieved by 9 CAMERONIANS.
	2		Planning for Op "GUILDFORD". Rain and muddy conditions. 46 Bde patrols report wire obstacles NORTH of house 888123 with A tk mines.
	3	0745	44 Bde op "GUILDFORD" for the taking of BLERICK began. The attack was made from the WEST with two bns, preceded by flails who cleared six lanes through a protecting minefd and AVsRE which bridged the A tk ditch. The flails and AVsRE were covered by tks. Inf were conveyed in armd personnel carriers, who then conveyed the remaining bn, and 7 SEAFORTH (under comd 44 Bde). By 1700 hrs the op was complete with the exception of two pockets of enemy (one near the ferry). 'Mopping up' was NOT completed by last light. 15 (S) Div Op Instr No. 41 for future ops issued.
	4		Posns of fwd tps at first light as follows : 44 Bde - 6 KOSB coys at 892078 893081 894084. 8 RS coys at 898065 908088 897089. 6 RSF coys at 902092 902096 898024. 7 SEAFORTH (under comd 44 Bde) 896104 891106. Third coy moving to MAASBREE 8207. 6 KOSB mopped-up isolated pockets at 894081. 7 SEAFORTH cleared enemy from 897104. Approx 230 PW taken in Op "GUILDFORD".
	5		Nothing to report. Weather - wind WSW; showers heavy; visibility 4-8 miles, later 2-4 miles. Div Comd's conference held at this HQ. All Bde Comds attended.
	6		Nothing to report. Weather - showery, overcast. Message O 212 giving particulars of visit of Comd 8 Corps.
	7		2 GORDONS and 10 HLI of 227 (H) Inf Bde took over area KESSELEIK 8099 – KESSEL 8200 - HAUT 8402 - BAARLO 8605 from 160 Bde of 53 Div. Relief carried out smoothly without interruption. Weather - some rain, followed by fairly heavy rain. Conditions still very muddy.
	8		46 (H) Inf Bde moved into conc area ASTEN. Remainder of 227 (H) Inf Bde and HQ moved to area HELDEN 7403. Lt Gen EH BARKER, CB, CBE, DSO, MC, 8 Corps Comd, visited 46 and 227 Bdes. Div Op Instr No. 42 issued. Barker, Evelyn Hugh "Bubbles"
	9		Nothing to report. Slight rain during evening. Conditions muddy.
	9	0600	Div reverted to comd 8 Corps.
	9		Letter 365/G(O) regarding the presentation of medal ribbons with list of offrs and ORs to be decorated issued.
	10		Nothing to report. Conditions still muddy. Maj DH BURNET left this HQ on ceasing to be employed as GSOII.
	11		44 (L) Bde report considerable mov of the enemy EAST of R MAAS, which indicates that the enemy is carrying out reliefs in area VENLO 9109 and to the NORTH. They fired on suspected enemy OPs and other opportunity targets. 227 (H) Bde nothing to report. 46 (H) Bde nothing to report.
	12		Enemy mov active at night. Div Op Instr No. 43 issued.
	13		Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. MONTGOMERY, KCB, DSO, presented medal ribbons to 36 offrs (incl 2 Canloan offrs) and 40 ORs of the Div. Afterwards he spoke to senior offrs of the Div. Montgomery, Bernard Law "Monty"
	14		All quiet.
	15		Nothing to report. Capt ND DAVENPORT, KOSB, arrived to take up appointment of GSOIII(O).
	16		Nothing to report.
	17		46 (H) Bde relieved 158 Bde in area NEER 7897 - WANSSUM 7996 – NUNHEM 7795 - BUGGENUM 7794 - ROGGEL 7397. 158 Bde remained under comd until relief was complete. Relief completed without incident by 1730 hrs. Some air activity during the day.
	18		8 RS relieved 6 RSF in area NORTH of BLERICK. Capt JF MARNAN IG appointed GSOII. Capt S McCALL-SMITH CAMERONIANS appointed GSOIII(O). Capt AL TAMBLYN appointed GSOIII(L).
	19		Shelling not so hy. Enemy SP guns active in VENLO and noises of hammering metal stakes etc in area 908103, which was fired on by our arty.
	20		10 HLI relieved 2 A & SH during afternoon. General adjustment of def posns within bdes carried out.
	21		N T R. Div Op Instr No. 45 issued.
	22		Adjustment of Div Northern flank carried out during the afternoon and evening.
	22		Posns taken up as shown in sitrep for 232359 hrs.	Appx "A" 12.
	23		Slight enemy patrol activity, otherwise N T R. Adjustments of bns of 44 Bde completed.
	24		Slight enemy patrol activity incl a party of enemy discovered in house at 791971. Otherwise a quiet day.
	25		Xmas Day. All ranks enjoyed Xmas celebrations. Enemy activity was negligible during the day. Some civilians crossed the river and reported that the Germans in VENLO were drunk. O 364, giving list of code names for present area, issued.
	26		A quiet day. N T R.
	27		6 RSF relieved 8 RS in the line. A certain amount of shelling of div area.
	28		A quiet day. An enemy patrol came over the river at 790950 during the early part of the morning but were driven back. 9 CAMERONIANS relieved 2 GLAS H. Slight increase in enemy shelling.
	29		Weather conditions misty. About 10 enemy attempted to cross the river at 804977 and were engaged by MG and arty fire. Approx 100 shells were dropped on Div area. 6 Dutch Patriot Coy came under comd and placed under comd 44 Bde situated at BOEKEND 8709.
	30	1300	Three shells landed in HQ area. One cas at HQ RA. Otherwise a quiet day.
	30		2 GORDONS relieved 2 A & SH. 6 Dutch Patriot Coy moved to 877086.
	31		Three shells landed in HQ area at 1013 hrs. No cas or damage. Some increase in shelling on our right sector. Some rly shunting was heard in area 8296 and Tac R was requested. Aeroplanes, however, unable to fly due to iced runways. Message O 417, ordering one bn 46 Bde and one MG pl to be placed under comd 11 Armd Div from 0800 hrs 8 Jan for the purpose of relieving units of 159 Bde, issued.

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Source: The War Diaries of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division June 1944 - May 1945.

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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