WO 171/1387 - 2 Royal Warwickshire 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 The Royal Warwickshire Regt
Month and Year: November 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt-Col D.L.A. Gibbs DSO

Place	Date	Summary
HOLLAND	1-15	During this period the Battallion remained completely static in the area of VENRAY, holding the line between exclusive St.Servatius monastery on the left and the exclusive the factory at 782255 on the right. 2 KSLI were holding the area around the St Servatius monastery with 1 Norfolk to the North on their left and the rest of the division beyond them to the North and North East. on the right of the battallion was a squadron of the Inns Of Court regiment in the area of the factory and behind them to the south, 11 Armoured Division. The enemy were sitting in close proximity to 2KSLI In BRUKSKE an LULL, with strong position at OOSTRUM. On the battallions front practically no contact was made with them. For this reason it was found possible to leave one company 'out'in the area KLEINDORP for training , holding the front with three companys. Accomodation was good and nearly all ranks were able to live in cellars with communication trenches running there battle positions. The company back in KLEINDORP was changed over every five days so that all companies , with exception of "D"company , were able to go "out"for a period of training. Visits to cinemas and Theatres went on regulary and allotments for Div Clubs, 8 Corps rest Centre and Brussels leave also went on regularly. However, this seemingly quiet and and safe existence was somewhat spoiled by German mortar and shell fire which increased every day and by the end of the period , was very heavy in some places. The following casualties were caused these days: Killed - 2 Wounded - 10 Missing - Nil. The battallion Snipers were loaned to 2KSLI and did very good work with them claiming a good number of casualties to the Germans. A large number of recce patrols were sent out to get to know the country and the crossing over the OOSTRUM beek, in preparation for a possible attack by the battallion in this direction. All these patrols carried out recces without incident. On 14 November 44 the Commander in Chief visited the Division and presented awards to the following mebers of teh Battallion: Lt-Col DLA Gibbs DSO Bar to DSO, Maj HC Illing MC, Cpl Garrett MM. To this period the following Officers and other ranks joined th Battallion: 2 Nov 1944 - CAP DAL Pile, Lt DW Critchfield. 3 Nov 1944 - 2/Lt TK Hood, 2/Lt WG Harrison, 3 Nov 44- 31 ORs, 7 Nov - 3 Ors, 12 Nov 44 - 25 ORs, 15 Nov 44 41 ORs. Maj HC Illing MC relinquished the appointment of Adjudant in 1 Nov 44 and was succeeded by Capt JR Allen.
	16	During the day orders were received for "A'company , who had been "out"training at KLEINDORP, to take over a position from one of the 2KSLI'scompany to enable them to get rest. Recces were carried out during the day and the relief took place without incident.
	17	During the past few days an operation had been in progress to clear up the German bridge-head west of the river Maas. This had been started by 12 Corps attacking from the south in a North Easterly direction towards VENLO, and was to be followed up by 15e Scottish Div - immediately to the south of VENRAY. To enable 11 Arm Div to concentrate for their part of the attack, units of 3 BR Inf Div. had to take over parts of the line held by them. During the day it was decided that this battallion should take over from 8 rifle Brigade immediatly south of battallions present positions. Nothing to report during the day except increased shelling. Maj. PV Albery and six other ranks joined the battallion. One other rank wounded that day.
	18	During the day recces were carried out by the Commanding Officer and the Company Commanders in preparation for the take over fro 8 Rifle BDE the following day.
	19	The battallion took over from the 8 Rifle BDE between the hours 0200 and 1200 without incidents, the take over being complicated by the necessity of fitting in the take over by part of 2KSLI of the battallions positions in Venray at the same time. The battallion is now disposed as follows :- 'A'coy in SCHEI 7723,'Coy'in area Orchard, 771243, 'D'coy along the road about 777247, 'B'Coy in Leunen, Bn HQ at HEIDE 7624. There were German position the OOSRUMBEEK , about a Company opposite 'A'Company and a platoon in LAAGRIEBROEK opposite 'B'Company. Tis gave the battallion a front of over two-thousand yards to hold and the position was further complicated by the very thick mud everywhere, which made some of the roads and tracks completely impossible to vehicles, 'A'Company being the worst off having to transport stores by hand the last four-hundred yards. Four weasels were received to assist in the difficulties caused by these conditions. Two other ranks wounded during the day.
	20	A certain amount of shelling and mortaring on "A"Coy during the day and'A' Company were also harssed by small arms fire from enemy positions in front of them, but by aggressive action on their part they were able to give this positions a very unpleassent time. During the night patrols from 'B' and "D' Companies went out to LAAGRIEBROEK and OVERBROEK and established that these were still held. One other rank wounded.
	21	11 Armd Div attack towards AMERICA went on with little opposition and it was thought that the Germans were pulling out. However, there was still a small amount of MG fire against 'A' Company during the day. Patrols were again sent ougt during the early part of the night an. Two other ranks d reported enemy still in position. Two other ranks joined the battallion.
	22	9 BR Inf BDE started their attack in the very early our of the morning, attack from VEULEN nort east across battalion's front on the south side of the OOSTRUM BEEK . However, they found out the Germans had pulled out during the night and the were a ble to advance to HOOGRIEBROEK 8024 without opposition during the day. This meant that the battallion came into reserve and preparations were made during the afternoon for a move to a concentration area back in VENRAY the next day. As 9 Br Inf BDE had met no opposition, 1 Norfolk and 2 KSLI were ordered to advance due to east and had reached the line of the railway OOSTRUM by the evening. Three other ranks killed and one wounded during the day.
	23	The battallion moved to a concentration area in the south of VENRAY during the morning. 'B' company remained at LEUNEN howerver. The concentration was completed by 1200 hours. During the day 1 Norfolk and 2KSLI continued their advances eastwards and reported MEERLO 8525 and WANSSUM 8427 clear of enemy. Two other ranks wounded durig the day
	24-27	The battallion remained concentrated in VENRAY for this period, cleaning up and reorganising. Following reinforcements arrived:- 25 nov 44 - 5 Ors, 27 nov 44 - 4 Ors.
	28	It was decided that 3 BR Inf Div should hold the the line of the Maas from WANSSUM to CUYK with 185 Inf BDE on the left holding from VIERLINGSBEEK to CUYK and recce were carried out to enable the battallion to take over from 3BR Inf Div Recce between VIERLINGSBEEK and VORTUM the next day.
	29	The take over from 3 BR Inf Div was postponed one day and so the battallion remained another day in VENRAY. Thirty other ranks joined the battallion during the day
	30	The battallion moved by march route to take over from 3 BR Inf Div Recce during the morning and the take over was completed by 1200 hours. The battallion is disposed as follow:- 'D'Coy in VIERLINGSBEEK with one platoon in GROENINGEN, 'B'Coy in VORTUM with one platoon in GROENINGEN. 'A' Coy in BRAKKENHOF 7636 and 'C' in LACTARIA 7335 both being left out for training. Bn HQ in HOF 7835. This gave the battalion a front nearly six-thousand yards to hold with two Coys but the most of the area on its front was extensively flooded and it was not thought likely that anything more than very small patrols could cross the MAAS and the floods.

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Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Theo Vervoort.

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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