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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
Unit: 4/7th Royal Dragoon Guards.
Month and Year: September 1944 (Erase heading not required). Commanding Officer: Lt.Col. R.G. Byron
Place Date Hour Summary Reference
9   Just after it became light a party of Germans consisting of a Lt-Col. and 40 men of a Suicide Squad to reach and destroy the Bridge at BEERINGEN at all costs, attacked the Bde A1 Echelon at close quarters which had the previous evening crossed the Bridge over the Canal. Some thirty lorries in the Bde. 13 of them our own and “A” Sqn's Jeep and a 15 cwt. W/T were destroyed and 2 O.P.s killed, 10 missing including SSM. Knox of “C” Sqn. and SSM. Rattenbury of “B” Sqn. a big blow. However, the Echelon saved the day and the Bosche attack never reached its objective. The Commanding Officer held O Gp. at 1000 hr. Information - situation very confused in this area as we have succeeded in cutting off a lot of Bosche who were holding the canal, their only line of retreat being due N. past OOSTHAM. “B” Sqn. were ordered to remain with the 12 K.R.R.C. and establish themselves at OOSTHAM, and “A” and “C” Sqns. and RHQ were to send patrols to watch the road from BEVERLOO – GENNEBERG – OOSTHAM ready to shoot up any Bosche trying to get out. “B” Squadron had quite a shoot during the day, and 431 Bty. 147 Fd. Regt. landed at least 5 shells right in the middle of a concentration of about 60 enemy. A lot of snipers in OOSTHAM and occasional shelling and mortaring by the enemy.

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.