War Diary & Appendices link: War Diary: 1st Battalion IRISH GUARDS, September 1939 - July 1944 1944 January 30 By dawn the Battalion had secured and consolidated its objectives on all sectors. In the forward area No. 2 Company, depleted in numbers, had joined forces with No. 1 Company this composite force, consisting of four platoons, strong enough to repel on attack by infantry but lacking the support of Anti-Tank guns or “Tank Busters” was in nos [sic] position to oppose any serious threat by enemy armour. This threat of a counter-attack with tanks soon became a certainty and although temporarily frightened off by the bold use of Anti-Tank grenades it was only a matter of time before they again began to close in on the positions. The gravity of the situation was further increased by the fact that the dominating ground on our right flank was held by the enemy who had succeeded in preventing the advance of the SCOTS GUARDS during the night. In view of these and other considerations it was decided to withdraw No. 1 and No. 3 Companies to temporary positions in the rear. During this withdrawal the companies were caught by heavy machine gun fire and several casualties were sustained including Lieutenant DA COSTA and Lieutenant PRESTON killed and Lieutenant GILLOW fatally wounded. Throughout the remainder of the day no attempt was made by the enemy to recover the ground he had lost during the night, but rather the reverse. Under Captain D.M. KENNEDY a mobile patrol from No. 3 Company with three American Tank Busters under his command made several most successful sweeps over our left flank bringing in a total of 55 prisoners and much valuable information. During one of these local engagements Lieutenant C.M. MUSGRAVE was killed - due no doubt, in a considerable measure to his enterprising action. The left flank was made safe and the subsequent advance of the 3rd INFANTRY BRIGADE along the axis of the main road materially assisted. When night came the Battalion found itself, in common with the remainder of the Brigade, in semi-reserve and in part responsible for the right flank; the defence of this sector now being centred around the farm which had formerly been the SCOTS GUARDS H.Q. No. 3 Company occupied a harbour area, previously held by No. 1 Company in CARROCETO village, while No. 4 Company continued to hold its position near a cottage on the railway line.
