Sherwood Rangers, Geel Belgium september 1944

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

  1. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Tony56 and vestingjager like this.
  2. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    SRY - War Diary - 10th September 1944 Orders came via C O from 50 Div that we had to send one Sqn to sp 151 Bde who had a bridgehead over the Albert Canal South of GHEEL. At first we had instructions to support 231 Bde who were going through the bridgehead held by 151 Bde to capture a place called MAARL. However these instructions were cancelled as the bridgehead was not yet secure. On arriving on the far side of the bridgehead C Sqn pushed NORTH with D.L.I. and captured the town of GHEEL. Late in the evening orders were received for C.O. to proceed immediately to 151 Bde H.Q. where he received instructions to take the rest of the Regiment over the Albert Canal into the bridgehead and to send one Sqn to sp 9 Bn D.L.I. on the East of the bridgehead who were being violently counter attacked. C.O. and A C B Sqn proceeded ahead to Bn Cmdrs. On arrival they learned that German Infantry with 3 tanks had infiltrated within the bridgehead. 151 Bde HQ crossed the canal and established themselves in a field - but enemy tanks were reported within 300 of the HQ and they withdrew. All the tanks of B + C Sqns had to remain in the forward Infantry positions. The Germans in this sector consist mainly of fanatical Youths from the Parachute Regts, who appear either drugged or drunk as during the night we could hear them shouting “I want to die for the Fürhrer.” About midnight the German Infantry surrounding the tanks worked forward and lit up our posn by means of flares. The tanks then engaged and knocked out two of ours. C Sqn in GHEEL at the North end of the bridgehead were extremely cut off, together with a very depleted Coy of 6 D.L.I., from the rest of the bridgehead owing to enemy infiltration. As a result, no replenishment vehicles could be sent up to them. It was a very uncomfortable night for everyone in the bridgehead. We had one officer (Lt Cooke) killed, and Lt ????? wounded.

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    Film - 10d9m1944...

    30TH CORPS ADVANCES BEYOND THE ALBERT CANAL TOWARDS THE DUTCH FRONTIER (PART 2) [Allocated Title]

    A70 156-1 - Object description
    30th Corps formations encounter stubborn resistance from units of the German 1st Parachute Army delaying 2nd Army's northward advance from the Albert Canal towards southern Holland.
    Full description
    Detachments from the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment and infantry belonging to the 3rd Battalion Monmouth Regiment, riding a section apiece on each Sherman and Firefly tank, patrol heath and woodland during 159th Infantry Brigade's advance from the Albert Canal to Helchteren via Achten den Kraanberg and Laak. A group of over a hundred prisoners of war taken from ad hoc battlegroups composed of Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger troops is assembled before being sent to the rear; thirty are packed aboard a 29th Armoured Brigade (?) lorry while the rest are sent back on foot to the nearest POW cage. Amused Belgian villagers watch a straggler from the procession (?), a young Luftwaffe 'Gefreiter', being hustled along the road by an incongruously diminutive member of the Belgian resistance armed with a Mauser Kar 98K rifle.


    30TH CORPS ADVANCES BEYOND THE ALBERT CANAL TOWARDS THE DUTCH FRONTIER (PART 3) [Allocated Title]

    Object description
    The heterogeneous composition of the German 1st Parachute Army as indicated by the prisoners taken by 30th Corps reflects the ad hoc and strenuous efforts made by the Germans to stave off 2nd Army's advance towards southern Holland.
    Full description
    Curious and excited Belgian civilians watch a column of Luftwaffe (Fallschirmjäger) troops from the 'Grassmehl Kampfgruppe' (?) taken prisoner near Helchteren march into Heusden with 11th Armoured division and L'Armee Blanche escorts. Prisoners awaiting transportation to the nearest POW cage sit down by the roadside, disconsolate at their capture, and are put aboard a lorry. A young Luftwaffe private suffering from shock and pain has a bullet or shrapnel wound in his left shoulder bandaged by an 11th Armoured Division RAMC captain and orderly shortly after his capture.

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    THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH-WEST EUROPE 1944-45
    BU837 - Object description
    Sherman tanks near the Dutch border, 10 September 1944.

    20220911_134258.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2022
  3. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    SRY - War Diary - 11th September 1944
    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 Colin Thompson ?????? 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.

    20220911_104957.jpg

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    2ND ARMY CONSOLIDATES ITS FRONT BEYOND THE ALBERT CANAL [Allocated Title]

    A70 156-5 - Full description
    Infantry detachments from the 15th (Scottish) Division's 46th (Highland) Brigade file through the village of Oosterloo on their way up to the Albert Canal to relieve the 50th (Northumbrian) Division in its Gheel bridgehead. Belgian villages watch one of their young lads place a discarded German helmet on the head of an effigy of Hitler hanging from a gallows in Heusden. Two Bedford and Fordson trucks carrying men of the 1st Battalion Hereford Regiment drive along a tree-lined road between Heusden and Peer (?) littered with torn-off branches and wood- splinters and the wreckage of several German lorries (?). An 8.8cm PAK 43 anti-tank gun, one of the Germans' most deadly anti- tank weapons, lies abandoned by the roadside, allowing a Sherman tank from the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry unimpeded passage through the village of Heusden (?).


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    THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH-WEST EUROPE 1944-45
    BU850 - Object description
    Liberated Belgian villagers hang an effigy of Hitler, 12 September 1944.

     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2022
  4. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

  5. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    SRY - War Diary -
    13th September 1944
    The Regt was relieved by C.L.Y. The enemy has now retreated and GHEEL is completely cleared. During the past three days the Regt has experienced some of the bitterest fighting since D Day. Before we arrived in the GHEEL lines the enemy had surrounded and captured from us 5 A’Tk Guns, which they turned against us and knocked out two of our tanks. The causalities have been the heaviest since we landed – 46, 50% of which were fatal and wounded 6 Officers. We lost 13 tanks, - 11 brewed up and 2 damaged. These are our heaviest tank causalities since the battle of WADI ZEM-ZEM in North Africa, when we lost 17 Tanks. On relief by C.L.Y. we rejoined the rest of the Bde around BOURG LEOPOLD.

    20220913_102745.jpg

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    ALBERT CANAL BRIDGEHEAD
    Object description : 13d9m1944...
    Scenes showing tanks and transport crossing the Albert Canal, South of Gheel.
    Content description : Long shot of lorry crossing Bailey bridge over canal. Vehicles leaving the bridge. Close up of L/T gun leaving bridge. Close up of vehicles crossing bridge. Lorries waiting to move off. Sherman tanks passing in foreground. Sherman tank moves along road. Rounding bend. Lorry moving onto pontoon bridge. Crossing bridge, lorry moving onto pontoon bridge.

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    THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH-WEST EUROPE 1944-45
    BU868 : Object description
    Knocked-out German Jagdpanther tank destroyer near Gheel, 13 September 1944.


     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2022
  6. Racheldf

    Racheldf New Member

  7. paula moss

    paula moss Member

    Hi there, I am trying to find out information about my lost uncle who died at Geel on 13th September 1944. The story passed on by my mum was that he died in action on a tank that was 'blown up' near a bridge. She was only 10 at the time and has now passed. His name was Thomas (Tucker) Morgan. He was 6th Battalion, Royal Scotts Fusiliers, part of the Scottish 15th Division, I believe. He was 22 when he died and is buried at Geel War cemetery. Anything that can help me piece together his story would be much appreciated. If his name rings a bell with anyone, I would be so grateful for anything you can share about him and his unit. Thank you
     
  8. Jonesy123

    Jonesy123 Junior Member

    Dear Paula, I think I can help you. His name does ring a bell...
    14550850 Fus. Thomas Anthony Morgan was part of D Coy., 6 RSF. For some unknown reason I have him listed as killed on September 12th and not 13th. He was burried near the St-Dympna church in the centre of Geel with some men from Durham Light Infantry and Green Howards. In 1945 he was reburried.
    Will look for more information and pictures. Will send you a PM.
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2023
  9. paula moss

    paula moss Member

    Oh my goodness! Thank you so much. Yes, Uncle Tommy's service number is 14550850. I did wonder about the date but couldn't quite follow the records. I think he was moved to the war cemetery at Geel and they recorded the date officially as 13th. Thank you.
     
  10. paula moss

    paula moss Member

    I found this record in the war diary, yesterday. If he did die on 13th, as the official record stated, this could be him.
     

    Attached Files:

  11. paula moss

    paula moss Member

    Hi Kevin, Is there anything in the notes that would link my uncle Thomas Morgan, to the others buried from the Green Howards / DLI on 12th/13th September, 1944. I have some reports that he died somewhere between the crossroads outside the town and the town centre and possibly overnight of the 12th / 13th September. He was D Company 6RSF - the only member of 6RSF buried in the graveyard at Dimpna (and subsequently reburied in the war cemetery at Geel) My mum, who was young at the time recalls mention of a tank blowing up and action involving a bridge. He seems to have crossed the Albert Canal but died before the Escaut Canal action.
     

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