The Highland LI in 1944 -1945

Bit out of my comfort zone here but....found elsewhere on the internet a short history of the HLI:


1st Battalion deployed straight from Scotland to France on the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 and had to be evacuated from Cherbourg the following June. It then remained in Britain until October 1944 when it took part in the capture of the Dutch island of Walcheren. It went on to serve throughout the remainder of the North-West Europe campaign. Earlier, the Territorials of 10th Battalion had landed in Normandy with 15th Division, going on to fight at Caen and Falaise (1944).
2nd Battalion had been in Egypt on the outbreak of the Second World War, fighting in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Syria and the Balkans and serving as peacekeepers in Greece for the last four months of 1944. In 1945 2nd Battalion joined the occupation force in Austria, moving back to Greece later that year.

Does anyone have a nominal roll of those who might have served in Holland in the latter part of 1944?So could be 1st or 10th Battalions.....

 

1st Highland Light Infantry was with 53rd Welsh Div (71st Bde) in NWE campaign 44/45; 10th Highland Light Infanry was with 15 Scottish and 5th & 6th Highland Light Infantry with 52nd Lowland (6th HLI saw its first action on The Island - Oct 44, see post #8 and # 48 and following): http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/49363-nijmegen-bridgehead-iiss-pz-corps-counterattack-in-october-1944/

All served in Holland during the latter part of 1944.

 

For the 10th Bn HLI, i haven't got the nominal rolls, but i have got a list of their casualties for the latter part of 1944 if that is of any use to you.

 

Hi
My uncle served with the 10th Bat. HLI he was killed just outside Hamburg on 2 May 1945, he is buried in Ohlsdorf Cemetery, Hamburg.

Regards
Jean

 

Hello AM,

I did some work with Pieter (handle 'stolpi') on his 'Nijmegen Bridgehead' thread and part of that involved analysis of the 6th Bn Highland Light Infantry's War Diary for October 1944. The adjutant kept fastidious records of the battalion personnel. I don't know if this continued through to VE day, but assuming it did you will find out all you need about that battalion in the applicable War Diary(s).

Best,

Steve.

 

10th Battalion were involved in the fighting to Liberate Best, 21st September 1944 to 24th October 1944.

 

10 HLI also was involved in Op Veritable in Feb 45, see post # 6 and on: http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/50898-veritable-15th-scottish-43rd-wessex-divisions-in-the-reichswald-battle-feb-1945/

Later they fought alongside 46th Bde near Moyland Wood, see post # 3 http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/47307-veritable-the-canadian-finale-moyland-wood-goch-calcar-road/

 

I have a copy of the 1944 war diary. You can have a copy for free if you order the 1945 diary. Just drop me a PM if you are interested.

Cheers
Andy

 

Just reading this yesterday.
10 HLI objectives, Arty support for 27th April 1945 Op"Enterprise"
The Arty Fire-Plan for "Enterprise" was subsequently cancelled & downgraded to DF Tasks.
may be of some interest to Jean regarding her uncle KIA 2nd May.
Best
Rob

 

Hi Rob
Thanks for the above information. I do not know what “downgraded to DF Tasks” means?
My Uncle’s last letter home was dated 27 April 1945, he was killed in a town called Kroppelshagen a few miles from Hamburg.
Both that letter and one sent to my Aunt from his Platoon Commander, Lt H A Gorley, were placed on the site by Scott (Clankeypencil) but they were deleted when the site switched over.
Scott and Rob (Ramcal) have been a great help to me.
Regards
Jean

 

Fire plans had specific numbers of tubes and rounds on specific locations at specific times to support attacks. DF tasks (Direct Fire tasks) means that the batteries are on call for whatever missions are called in during an advance. Sounds like the resistance crumbled in front of the unit and a general advance was called for as compared to a deliberate attack.

 

Thanks for that explanation Sirjahn, I have a better undersstanding now of what it meant.
Regards
Jean

 

DF means Defensive Fire, not Direct Fire. Normally DF tasks are pre-registered so they can be called down with minimum notice, but in this case I suspect that it means that fire was only brought down when enemy positions were identified as making a nuisance of themselves.

Chris

 

Thanks for that Chris, every little bit of information helps give me a better picture of what was happening at that time.
Regards
Jean

 

Hi CP, This is my first request on this forum as I noticed you have mentioned you had a list of casualties for the 10th HLI latter part of 1944. I am updating my family tree and established by father Eric Tildsley who was in the 10th HLI in WW2 and was wounded on the 24th September 1944 whilst fighting under the 15th Scottish. Can you confirm I have the date right and are you able to tell me where (town/village) he was wounded and any other information you may have? Many thanks.

 

Hi Peeler

The list i've got is for 10th HLI casualties that were either KIA or Died of Wounds, and he isn't listed.
Have also looked at the Missing Personnel files for the HLI battalions in NW Europe and he isn't mentioned in those either.

Also, having looked at my list, all the 10 HLI casualties are between 16th-20th September in the Escaut Canal, Gheel & Gheel Bridgehead areas and then 3 more on the 26th & 29th September at Best.
There aren't any for the 24th September and the book i've got seems to indicate that the 10th HLI were in billets at Eindhoven with the rest of the Brigade on that date.

Also the War Diaries linked above show nil casualties for the 24th September, so at first glance your date of him being wounded on 24th September seems to be a bit off, or possibly he was with another unit at the time, or maybe was a non-battle casualty.

Where did you obtain the info that he was wounded on the 24th September?

Only way to be certain this is correct would be to get a copy of his service records, if you already haven't done so