WO 171/1397 - 2 East Yorkshire Regiment - November 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 Bn. East Yorkshire Regt.
Month and Year: November 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. J.D.W. Renison

Place	Date	Hour	Summary
669163 Map sheet 27 NW/W 1/25,000	1		A quiet day. No incidents. Standing patrols during night to cover tracks 6816.
	2		A quiet day. Standing patrols during night to 697168, 695161, 695156 to give warning of any enemy approach over KANAAL VAN DEURNE.
	3		Morning uneventful.
	3	1200	Bn warned that it would be relieving 1 Herefords at GRIENDTSVEEN 7117 during afternoon and evening.
	3	1400	Advance parties left for GRIENDTSVEEN and relief completed. Bn HQ 714175, A Coy 714179, B Coy 709179, C Coy 726175, D Coy 71175.
	3		Standing patrols throughout night at 705186, 712186, 719185, 727183, 737173, 732166, 716161, 701167. These were maintained throughout the period the Bn was in occupation of GRIENDTSVEEN.
GRIENDTSVEEN Map Sheet 27 NW/E 1/25,000	4-9		Bn remained at GRIENDTSVEEN. Enemy inactive. No shelling or mortaring of our posns. Patrols by night investigated South to area of woods 7315 and East to woods 7418, without contacting enemy.
	4-9		Bad weather and the marshy nature of the ground made patrolling conditions very difficult. Bridge at 734173 blown up by Boche. Intermittent shelling mainly directed at Bailey bridge sites. Advance parties left on morning 9th for OVERLOON where Bn was to go into reserve, and rejoin 3 Br Inf Div.
	4-9		4 KSLI of 11 Armd Div relieved Bn on the 9th. 2 E Yorks proceeded by march route to DEURNE rest camp for the night. Bn HQ left GRIENDTSVEEN at 1730 hrs. Shelling took place during the morning and also during the relief.
DEURNE	10	1000	Bn left DEURNE in TCVs, and proceeded to OVERLOON. Bn HQ est 762317.
OVERLOON Map Sheet 19 NW/E 1/25,000	11		Bn in reserve. OVERLOON. Weather wet & cold. Seven salvos of 4 rds landed in Bn area OVERLOON approx 0920 hrs.
	11		Day spent on Admin and checking of kit.
	12-14		Quiet days. Admin cont.
	15		Recce parties during afternoon to area 1 KOSB at 7831 – 7833 – 8031 – 8033, in preparation for proposed relief of 1 KOSB by 2 E Yorks, at a later date.
	15		Lt. G.H. Kingcome joined the Bn and took over duties of I.O. Kingcome, G.H.
	16		Quiet day. Admin cont.
	17		Brigadier with C.O. 1 Suffolks and 1 S Lancs visit the C.O. 2 E Yorks in the evening. Cass, Edward Earnshaw Eden "Copper"
	18		Orders received to take over 1 KOSB posn in area 7932.
	18		17 reinforcements received.
	19		Shell landed on ‘A’ Coy cook-house, cooking equipment destroyed – 3 casualties.
	19	0900	Bn moved by march route to take over 1 KOSB posns. Bn HQ moving at 1230 hrs.
784323 Map Sheet 19 NW/E 1/25,000	19		Bn HQ est at 784323 with coy posns at – A Coy 794315 – B Coy 794317 – C Coy 794327 – D Coy 791323.
	19		‘A’ Coy outpost, while moving in, lose one man killed, and one wounded, by sniper. Slight shelling & mortaring during day.
	19	1900	approx. Two German prisoners brought in by rear ATk sec (deserter).
	20		Brigadier visited the Bn and looked over the Coy posns accompanied by the C.O. Enemy seen entering trench at 1640 hrs near building 799326. Mortaring and slight shelling during day. Cass, Edward Earnshaw Eden "Copper"
	21		A salvo from a Nebelwerfer landed in Bn area at 1855 hrs. 1 casualty. Enemy patrol during night shot up by ‘C’ Coy probably covering withdrawal.
	22	1100	Civilian escorted to Bn HQ from SMAKT 8031, Map Sheet 4402 1/25,000, reported that enemy had moved from that area.
	22	1400	approx. Orders were issued for Coys to move into SMAKT 8031, progress slow owing to mines.
	22		Railway crossing found heavily mined at 798319, also Bridge at 798316 found charged but intact (charge being 500 kilo bomb).
	22	1800	76 Fd Regt RA carrier blown up by mine on railway crossing. 1 killed, 2 wounded. Tac HQ est at 799315 with Coys at: A Coy 801315 – B Coy 804318 – C Coy 805327 – D Coy 795318 with Rear HQ at 784323.
	22	1355	2 bodies found near railway crossing believed to be 4 KSLI Regt. Own casualties 1 wounded. Rain throughout the day.
SMAKT Map Sheet 4402 1/25,000	23		500 kilo bomb removed from bridge 799316. The bridge was also shelled during the morning without success.
	24	1100	Rear HQ moved up to Tac HQ 799315. Rearrangement of Coy posns as follows: A Coy in Bn HQ area – B Coy 804318 – C Coy 812319 – D Coy MAASHEES 8231.
	24		No report of enemy seen.
	24		Area MAASHEES to KASTEEL 8329 flooded.
	25	0700	-0800. A few shells landed in Bn HQ area.
	25		A small group of enemy reported to have broken out of KASTEEL 8231 and moving North towards D Coy posn.
	25		Enemy believed to be sixty in strength.
	25		1 Suffolks attacked KASTEEL during the afternoon without success.
	26	1100	Padre held service nearby.
	26		Enemy movement observed West of the MAAS from D Coy OP.
	26		Typhoons attack KASTEEL at approx 1215 hrs.
	27		Considerable enemy movement in areas 7329 and 835319 suggested construction of defence works, and was engaged by 3” mortars and arty fire. Enemy counter mortared area 818328 and 814326 between 1450 hrs and 1500 hrs. 15 bombs fell, 5 were dud. 127 Schu mines removed from field 798319 by use of R.E. dogs.
	28		Typhoons attack KASTEEL with good results. 1 Suffolks to attack KASTEEL at 2100 hrs.
	28		Message received to say that 1 Suffolks attack did not take place.
	28		During the morning Recce party of Lincolns took over Bn posn with view of taking over from 2 E Yorks.
	29		Bn to move to OVERLOON area for approx 1 day and thence to new area GEMERT 5730 Map Sheet 18 NE.
	29	1230	Message received that move postponed for 24 hrs.
	29		Shelling in MAASHEES area.
	29		Typhoons attack KASTEEL much damage observed. No enemy movement observed from KASTEEL.
	29		1 Suffolks to attack KASTEEL.
	30		Shelling in area 7931.
	30		Recce party move off to GEMERT 5730 to recce billets and return same day.
	30		1 Suffolks enter KASTEEL (1 Pl).

previous month | next month

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.

Domains

More information

Contact