WO 171/929 - 102 Anti-Tank Regiment - 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: 102 (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regt RA
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. A.K. Matthews DSO RA

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
	1		Remained in same location.
	1		289 Bty under comd Rear Div Gp for movement and in sp for defensive coln.
	1		288 Bty move to area 0241 LE BOSQUEL arriving 1300 hrs. Later move through AMIENS to area 157612. One Tp of 288 Bty move at 2300 hrs with 2 Devons and relieve Gds Armd Div in ARRAS.
	2		107 Bty - Pte Shaw J 2195138 (ACC) crushed by a three-tonner against the trailer and killed.
	2		107 Bty take 200 prisoners near PAS EN ARTOISE.
	2		289 Bty at CEMEUSE.
	2		288 Bty less one Tp move off at 0600 to ARRAS. Arrive ARRAS 0930 hrs.
	2		231 Bde with 288 Bty in sp push on from ARRAS behind Gds Armd Div with all possible speed.
	3		The Crusader had a lot of trouble during the move. It skidded into a ditch and Gnr Armstrong was thrown off and broke a leg.
	3		2230 hrs. Approaching ANNOEULIN 599251. At cross roads 599252 the M.14, Office 3-tonner and Officers Mess 15-cwt go straight on instead of turning right. They run into enemy position which they are holding covering the bridge at DON 590277. The M.14 is hit by 88 mm and the two following vehicles riddled by small arms fire. A good deal of the Div HQ Column is halted on the road ANNOEULIN - ALLENES while the recce parties who had been called forward from the head of the coln at very short notice, try to get their vehicles dispersed. At 0030 hrs we are all in less the three trucks mentioned above. While we were wondering what could have happened Lieut Marriott met Gnr Giddings his batman who had been on the M.14. and who had escaped and found his way back.
	3		At 0145 hrs a party of six carriers from Cheshires was laid on to go back to cross roads at 599252 and to endeavour to get down DON road to our vehicles. A Tp of 6-prs from 107 Bty went in sp. This party was unable to get to our vehicles and took up positions in village in order to prevent the enemy coming up from DON.
	3		289 Bty leave CENEUSE and arrive at SANCHY having passed through ARRAS.
	3		Bty Ech take 20 prisoners in neighbourhood CENEUSE.
	3		231 Bde with 288 Bty in sp leave ARRAS area at 1100 hrs, pocket of enemy encountered near SECLIN. 2 Devons and one Tp 288 Bty detailed to deal with enemy. One Tp had some shooting and one 6-pr knocked out two large Troop Carriers with two shots (30 Boche killed).
	3		1600 hrs. BHQ of 288 Bty cross BELGIUM frontier.
	3		2100 hrs. 288 Bty reached 415387 approximately 15 miles from BRUSSELS.
	4		107 Bty. Lt VG White (304281) killed in action while recceing positions in area DON 5927 in an endeavour to find gun positions to sp Cheshire carriers trying to get forward to our three burnt-out vehicles.
	4		RHQ in area 213255. 107 Bty deployed round area with a Tp supporting Cheshire carriers in village of ANNOEULIN 2425.
	4		HQRA and Div HQ shelled at about mid-day. About 40 shells dropped in their area which was just North of cross roads 260258.
	4		From our area we had a good view of the shelling, from a position about 200 yards plus.
	4		At about 0600 hrs Lt Marriott went to cross-roads at 599252 to contact Tp of 107 Bty and Cheshire carriers. He went on a recce down the road towards DON and nearly reached our vehicles at 590269. He was unable get right to them unobserved, however, and was forced to return.
	4		Main Div move to area LAMAIN just across Belgian frontier.
	4		289 Bty move from SANCHY and arrive CYSOING.
	4		288 Bty despatch one section of M.10 Tp to lead Corps HQ into BRUSSELS as road was not thought to be cleared of enemy.
	4		Lieut M. Davies led the M.10 Section & was the first officer of the regt into BRUSSELS.
	4		1430. hrs. Main body of 288 Bty entered BRUSSELS and spent remainder of day organizing anti-tank defence of BRUSSELS. One OR of 288 Bty wounded.
	5		It is now definitely established that the following casualties occurred at DON on the night 3/4 Sep when three of our trucks took the wrong road:-
	5		Killed: 327099 W/Sgt Humble F, 557475 W/Bdr Coldwell J, 1077045 W/Bde McCarter J.L., 4868774 Gnr Booth, D, 1154052 Gnr Lock, H, 324619 Pte Johnston D (ACC). All buried in cemetery of village of DON. France & Belgium 1/50,000 Sheet 63 M.R. 590274.
	5		Wounded: 912067 W/Sgt (AC) Firth G.S., 327171 L/Bdr Cox, J., 1528098 Gnr Dunn A.H., 1135971 Dvr/Op Wainwright J.K.
	5		An attack was put in on the position by 6 D.L.I. and by 1130 hrs they had cleared the village of DON.
	5		Sgt Firth who had been wounded on night 3/4 Sep had been hidden in a French house until the arrival of DLI this morning when he was produced and evacuated.
	5		The three vehicles and trailer were completely burnt out.
	5		289 Bty remain deployed in area CYSOING.
	5		One tp 288 leave BRUSSELS with 2 Devons en route for ANTWERP in sp 11 Armd Div.
	6		Main Div move to
	6		107 Bty revert to 151 Bde and move to area of BRUSSELS where they receive a terrific welcome. Bty deployed covering roads to South and S.E. of city.
	6		289 Bty move with Rear Div Gp from area CYSOING to area DENDERWINDEKE.
	6		289 Bty lose Crusader Blr with a piston through cylinder head.
	6		0930 hrs. 288 Bty in sp 231 Bde leave BRUSSELS and advance on ANTWERP.
	6		ANTWERP reached and positions occupied by 1800 hrs. Enemy shelling South part of ANTWERP from North bank of SCHELDE.
	7		At 0900 hrs HQRA ask for recce parties forthwith and say we shall be moving at 1030. At 1045 RHQ moves to area 6481 which was changed en route to area MALINES 7075. Area altered again on move to 8678. Arrive new location at 1630 hrs MR 862785 (50 miles).
	7		Route ALOST – BUDE – WOLVERTHEM – MALINES.
	7		Two towed Btys of 73 A Tk come uder our comd at 1000 hrs but on arrival at new location we found they had reverted back to their regtl control so Lt Marriott goes off to find 289 Bty and to bring them up (1700 hrs). At 1730 hrs it is found out that 289 Bty are on move with Rear Div Gp to a new area so Maj Barnett goes off to contact them while C.O. has a look round our present area with a view to deploying 289 Bty when they arrive. Recce party from 289 Bty arrived at 1845 hrs - Bty arrives at 1945 hrs and deploys. Starting at about 1700 hrs 69 Bde Gp with 99 Bty under comd pass through our area en route for HERENTHALS to establish bridgehead over MEUSE-ESCAUT CANAL.

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Source: 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.

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