WO 171/846 - 15-19 The King Royal Hussars - 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: 15th/19th Hussars
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt Col A.D. Taylor, MC.

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
	24		Dull and showery most of the day. About 0900hrs Regt moved Eastwards over the bridge with orders to take up posns in area LIESSEL 6614 to protect South East flank of Div. 'A' Sqn were ordered to take up posns on road running South East from LIESSEL with their leading elements if possible as far fwd as rd junc 682119. 'B' Sqn to face East covering out Eastwards from the village and 'C' Sqn in reserve with Tps on the roads running North West and West from the village. 'A' Sqn met considerable opposition on the main road just South East of the village about 671140 and Southwards from there and were engaged in this area for most of the rest of the day. The enemy had a number of 88mm guns and smaller calibre guns sited to cover this road and the flanks of it and the Sqn was hampered in its manoeuvre by a stream running parallel with the road on the West of it and generally by the close wooded nature of country. 3rd Tp under Lt. CC Egerton which was in front once again fought extremely well and skilfully and knocked out at least 3 enemy 88mm guns. In the course of the day Lt.PJ Ireland Comd 4th Tp was killed by a shot which hit him in the head from some fairly large calibre weapon. His tk and the rest of his crew were undamaged. Cpl. Nicholl's tk which was leading 3rd Tp was knocked out and burnt and the following members of his crew wounded - no. 14436418 Tpr Burrows S, no. 14417706 Tpr Angell E and no. 14301681 Tpr Brown H. The Challenger tk of 3rd Tp comd by Sgt Gadd received a direct hit through the turret after it had knocked out 1 of the 88mm guns. Two members of his crew - no. 14421595 Tpr Clarke P and no. 14299649 Tpr Harris G were killed although the tk was able to be driven back and put in for repair. All those killed were buried in a corner of the churchyard at LIESSEL. Late in the evening the Regt reverted to comd 11 Armd Div, and 1st KOSB of the 3rd Brit.Div. came up under comd of the Regt to assist in holding this area. 'A' Sqn were pulled back to the Southern edge of the village at last light and Sqns harboured in their localities of the day. It was a very wet and cold evening and night.

Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Mia Litjens.

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.

Domains

More information

Contact