Sherwood Rangers, Geel Belgium september 1944

Discussion in 'NW Europe' started by Jonesy123, Dec 28, 2014.

  1. vestingjager

    vestingjager Well-Known Member

  2. fathers son

    fathers son New Member

    Hope this message gets to you quickly, greetings from UK, my father was driving a Sherman in Gheel / Geel, and I know it was hit by a bazooka / rocket. I believe it is in your pics and would like to know as much as I can. His name was Gilbert C Wilde, he was the driver of the tank commanded by Mc William, which was hit by a bazooka from the café by the church. the wireless operator was sadly killed and all other members of this crew were badly burned and took shelter in one of the buildings nearby.
     
  3. fathers son

    fathers son New Member

    Greetings from UK, not sure where you are, my father drove one of the shermans that was hit by a bazooka near the church in Geel. Sadly I only found out about this battle in recent weeks. I do not know the names of the crew other than Mc Williams who was the man in charge. I do know that the rocket killed the radio operator when it hit the left side. Anymore info would be great.
     
  4. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    "Fathers son"

    There is a lot of detail here: https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=145157

    Including numerous pictures and well worth a browse through etc.

    Indeed there is quite a lot of other info. variously scattered about. There are a lot of books that you might already be aware of? including "Hard Fighting", "By Tank into Normandy" and "An Englishman at War" etc. all of which write in a great deal of detail about the SRY, excerpts of which can also be viewed online by googling with the specific book title and with Jimmy McWilliam.

    Captain McWilliam is mentioned a few times in the wardiary of the SRY and there is this, for instance, for the 11th September 1944 in there:

    "German Infantry and tanks who had infiltrated attacked reserve Coy posns at a X-rds about 300 y from RHQ. Captain Harris ‘ tank which was covering these X-rds was brewed up, and Capt Mann was killed by a sniper. One tp of A Sqn was sent up to RHQ. Major Gold CO B Sqn was wounded in the head. Capt ? 2 I/C B Sqn was also wounded when his tank was brewed up.

    Capt McWilliam, 2 I/C C Sqn had his tank brewed up, and was rather badly burned. At the end of the day C Sqn had only 5 tanks left. It was decided to ????? GHEEL and shorten the bridgehead."


    Further for Captain McWilliam specifically there is this 2009 obituary: Major Jimmy McWilliam

    Though it does seem to say in there that their "research" - albeit from a few years back - has Captain McWilliam being wounded in Geel on the 10th September 1944 and that it was his driver that was KIA. I don't know what their references were. Fog of war, mixed memories etc. And if you look for example in the link above: https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=145157

    There's this too: "the knocking-out of Capt. Jimmy McWilliam's Sherman by Heinz Köhne on the corner of the Nieuwstraat and the Stationsstraat in the afternoon of 11 September 1944, and not on 12 September as I have mentioned earlier for which I want to apologyze" - which again points to the 11th September - as in the SRY Wardiary, but just goes to show again how dates and details etc. can become mixed-up over the years etc.
     
    Tony56 likes this.
  5. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Adding nothing to the story except to say that I knew the chap who was tasked with setting up the CWGC cemetery inGeel, and recovering the bodies from the surrounding area. So, if there are any old residents in Geel who remember Len Burroughs, he was a very nice chap who got on very well for the length of time he was there, and arranged several visits by the Southend Scottish Pipe Band.
     
  6. Jonesy123

    Jonesy123 Junior Member

    Dear Kevin. Great to hear! Sadly untill today I never met anyone who knew him but I did received some notes written by Sergeant Burrows . I believe I also have some pictures of him taken in Geel....
     
    karlmcd likes this.
  7. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    We used to cheek him by suggesting how many of the inhabitants looked a bit like him!

    The first time I went over with the Band, we were given a welcome meal with many dignitaries and friends who remembered Len. A large tureen of mussels in beer was brought to the head of the table and I remember thinking if it would be enough for all of us - suddenly similar tureens arrived at every place - delicious!
    He was very fondly remembered by all he met in Geel, lovely place and you all made us so welcome.
    The Southend Pipe Band then merged into the Royal British Legion Pipe Band in Hockley, Essex.
    Our tenor drummer was the third British serviceman allowed to marry a German girl, so we also had great times at the Burgdorf shutzenfests.

    Please pass on to any who remember Len, how much we enjoyed our visits.
     
    Ramiles likes this.
  8. karlmcd

    karlmcd Junior Member

    Are they period photos taken during the creation.of the cemetery?
     
  9. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Yes, but nothing in them to identify any bodies, just personal to Len.
     
  10. karlmcd

    karlmcd Junior Member

    ? I would be interested in seeing them if at possible?!.
     
  11. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Sorry, no.
     
  12. karlmcd

    karlmcd Junior Member

    Ah ok, no worries, that's a pity as there are 10plus of the Regiment there, and would be nice for the archives. K
     
  13. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    I said there was no identification of the bodies, so you'd be none the wiser whether they were "yours" or not.
     
  14. karlmcd

    karlmcd Junior Member

    I hear you
    , still would be nice to see
     
  15. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    No, it would serve no purpose for you.
    No point in being in the public domain, they are personal to Len and his friends only.
    End of.
     
  16. karlmcd

    karlmcd Junior Member

    Cool sir man...if you say so...k
     
  17. Tom OBrien

    Tom OBrien Senior Member

    Hi all,

    Just to add the details from the field return for 16 September 1944 in their war diary for the officer casualties suffered by the Sherwood Rangers during the battle at Gheel (WO171/861):

    Sherwood Rangers - Gheel casualties.JPG

    Regards

    Tom
     
    Ramiles likes this.
  18. Tom OBrien

    Tom OBrien Senior Member

    And I thought the account in the war diary for 11 Sep 44 might be of interest as well:

    Sherwood Rangers - 11 Sep 44 - 1.JPG
    Sherwood Rangers - 11 Sep 44 - 2.JPG

    In the second image, it is difficult to make out whether the number of tanks left to 'C' Sqn is '2' or '7', but either way it doesn't look like the '5' quoted in post #24 to me. Going by the '2' in '2 I/c' at the top of the second image, I would suggest that it's a '7' but going to keep looking to see if I can find another number '7' in this handwriting to confirm.

    Regards

    Tom
     
  19. karlmcd

    karlmcd Junior Member

    Def 7 ,
    Between the 2 Squadrons, 13 tanks were lost I think.
    Mostly C
    Squadron

     
  20. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    1944. Germans Fighting to the Last Man

    With...

    "Bill Downs
    CBS Brussels
    September 13, 1944
    British troops today have their second bridgehead across the Escaut Canal in their march across the difficult water barriers which the Germans are using to protect the northern border of Germany. This latest crossing of the Escaut Canal was made just north of the town of Geel and about fifteen miles west of the first crossing that carried British patrols into Holland three days ago." Etc.
     

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