WO 171/870 - 11 Royal Tank Regiment - December 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: 11th Bn Royal Tank Regt.
Month and Year: December 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. S.I. Howard Jones

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
WAALRE	1	0800	CO and 2IC carried out further recce and as a result the following areas were allotted A Sqn at DONCK K1684. B Sqn SLUIS K1893. C Sqn at ACHTERBOSCH K1692. HQ Sqn at MILLEGHEM K1391.
	1	1800	C Sqn reported move complete to location above.
	2	1100	Arrival of tptr for B Sqn and loading begun.
	2	1400	Submission of AF W3008 & W3009 for whole unit as at 021200A.	Appendix 1
	2	1700	B Sqn report they are concentrated at SLUIS K1893.
	3	1600	HQ Sqn report concentrated at MILLEGHEM K1391.
MOLL	4	1000	RHG moved to K1478986.
	4	1230	G.O.C. arrived and went round billets.
	4	1800	Major W.G. Nicjolson left for Div where he will be attached for about ten days for staff training.
	4	1800	During absence of Major W.G. Nicholson at Div Major R.F. Slator assumed comd B Sqn and Capt A. Mulligan HQ Sqn.
	5	1730	COs conference with Sqn comds ref to training. A 14 days individual, Troop training to start w.e.f. 7th.
	6	1200	Bde Comd visited unit and discussed training with CO.
	7	1000	C.O. visited ‘C’ Sqn to watch training.
	7	1300	Bde 2IC visited CO.
	8	1000	Major S.G. March lectured to 4 Armd Bde on the use of ‘Buffaloes’.
	9	1000	CO and BTA to 53 (W) Div for loading trial of 17 pr.
	9	1200	Submission of AF W3008 & W3009 upto 091200A.	Appendix 2
	9	1400	Orders received from 79 Armd Div to despatch B Sqn less two Troops less part of ‘B’ echelon to move to WATERCHEYDE K4369. Tptrs arrived and Sqn loading. CO and Capt A.S.C. Francis proceeded to 30 Armd Bde GELEEN K6665. This detachment allotted to 30 Corps.
	10	1600	C.O. returned from 30 Armd Bde.
	10	1800	A Sqn now concentrated at DONCK K168947.
	11	1200	B Sqn reports Tac HQ K656644, Buffaloes at K767666 (SE from MINDERGANGEN).
	13	1100	Col Buckley, Australian Imperial Forces, visited the unit and inspected Buffaloes.
	13	1500	Maj SG March attended demonstration arranged by No 20 WTSFF at WATERLOO to illustrate a) Signal One Star and Illuminating b) Flares Trip Mk I c) Nos 77, 80 & 81 Smoke Grens d) No 26 Generator and No 83 Coloured Smoke Gren.
	13	1600	Detachment from 101 Rft Gp consisting of one inf pl, one 6 pr with carrier and crew, and one mortar with carrier and crew, completed training loading trials with A, B and C Sqns, having spent one day with each.
	14	1100	Bde Comd visited the unit during the morning and afternoon.
	15	1400	GOC visited the unit. Reason – general interest.
	16	1200	Submission of AF W3008 and W3009 for whole unit at 161200A.	Appendix 3
	16	1200	Loading trials 17 pr completed. Report to be issued later.
	17	2300	Lt. W.J. Robson killed in tram accident in BRUSSELS at 2050 hrs.
	18	1300	B Sqn reverted to Regt. commd. from 30 Armd Bde.
	18	2030	B Sqn Comd reported move to unit location from K656644 and K767666 complete.
	19	2000	Chap. Class 4 (Rev) A. Speed c.t.b.a. to this unit wef this date and att. 557 Aslt Sqn and ‘F’ Wing RE wef this date.
	21	1000	C.O. attended conf. at Div. where changes in the use of eqpt. in the Div. were discussed.
	22	0830	A Sqn moving loc. from DONCK K168947 to DESSCHEL K1696.
	22	1800	C.O.s Conf. with Sqn. Commanders & reps. of A & Q Depts. ref. composition of A & B Echelons.	Appendix 4
	22	1830	Trng Prog. for week ending 22 Dec 44 completed.	Appendix 5
	22	1900	LVT Directive, written by Lt.Col. S.I. Howard-Jones received.	Appendix 6
	23	1030	Notification recd. that the unit passed under comd. 30 Armd Bde as parent fmn, but remains under op. comd. 31 Tk Bde wef 220700A.
	23	1100	4 ‘Buffaloes’ recd. by unit for trg. purposes & allotted to Sqns as follow – 1 each A, B & C for trg. & 1 to A for experimental purposes.
	23	1200	Submission of A.F. W3008 & W3009 for whole unit at 231200A.	Appendix 7
	24	1000	Instr. received for posting of 96 tradesmen (40 Dvr Ops, 56 Gnr Ops) to 2 ARG in exchange for 96 non-tradesmen. Postings wef 1 Jan 45. Authority: 21 A.Gp. TPM’s A1925 of 171750A and A1884 of 141750A.
	24	1500	Anti-Parachutist force formed, consisting of a Recce element of 5 Scout cars & 1 Jeep & a Striking Force of 2 Officers & 4 Sections of 10 men (incl. 1 Sgt or Cpl) each from A, B & C Sqns.	Appendix 8
	27	1000	C.O. visited 30 Armd Bde HQ ref. change in parent fmn from 31 Tk Bde to 30 Armd Bde.
	27	1400	C.Os. Conf. of Sqn. Comds to discuss domestic affairs within the unit.
	27	1700	4 ‘Buffaloes’ recd by unit on 23 Dec 44 re-allotted to Sqns as follows:- 2 to ‘A’, 1 to ‘B’, 1 to ‘C’.
	28	1100	Unit I.O. attended conf. at Bde. dealing with distribution of Int. material for ops.	Appendix 9
	28	1500	Major Nicholson returned to unit from Div. on completion of staff training.
	28	1800	C.O. issued outline plan of Ex. ‘Improbable’ to Sqn Comds. Ex. to take place at 301130A in area 2094 (Ref. Map 1:50,000, Sheets 25 & 35).	Appendix 10
	29	1000	Bde Comd visited unit during the morning and talked with the C.O. about Ex. ‘Improbable’.
	29	1100	Recce of Sqn Comds for Ex. ‘Improbable’.
	29	1100	A Trade Testing Board assembled at unit HQ for the purpose of trade-testing ORs of the unit. Dvr Ops and Gnr Ops were tested for upgrading, and other personnel tested as Dvr Ops, Gnr Ops, Gnr Mechs & Dvr Mechs.
	30	1100	Bde Comdr 30 Armd Bde (Brig. N.W. Duncan) and Bde Comd 31 Tk Bde (Brig. G.S. Knight) visited unit during morning and afternoon to watch Ex. ‘Improbable’.
	30	1130	H Hr Ex. ‘Improbable’. Appendix to follow.
	30	1200	Submission of A.F. W3008 and W3009 for whole unit at 301200A.	Appendix 11
	31	0900	2 ‘Buffaloes’ recd by unit for trg. purposes and allotted as follows:- 1 to ‘B’ Sqn for Trg, and 1 to LAD for experimental purposes.
	31	1800	The following changes in comd and appointments took place during Dec ’44:- 1. Capt. C.P. Burnett. ‘HQ’. Posted to ‘B’ Sqn wef 30 Dec 44 and relinquished the appintment of L.O. wef that date. 2. Capt. A.S.C. Francis. ‘HQ’. Appointed L.O. wef 30 Dec 44. 3. Major F.G. Foley. “C”. Posted to ‘HQ’ Sqn wef 20 Dec 44 on assuming the appointment of O.C. ‘HQ’ Sqn wef that date.

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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.

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