Hi all, I will work on this by myself but if anyone has pertinent knowledge I would certainly appreciate any help anyone can offer. I would be interested in trying to identify the unit to which certain Archer SPs belonged in photos. I think that should be indicated by which infantry divisions were in the area at the time. So for instance there is this photo which I think is a more recent addition to the IWM online archive: "Archer 17-pdr self-proplled guns drive through the ruins of Bocholt, 30 March 1945." THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH-WEST EUROPE 1944-45 Is there anything to be gleaned from the road signs on the right side of the image? They both have an icon which looks like an underlined W. One has a 46 which I believe is the number for an AT regiment within an infantry division and is also painted on the chassis. There is a 94 on the other. Bocholt is due east of Nijmegen, on the German side of the Rhine, via Emmerich and Isselburg. Does anyone know which British division(s) were involved in its capture? I'm going to look through the 3 Canadian AT Regiments to try to ID Archers in a Dutch photo, near Leiden, I *think* on April 6.
The underlined W, relates to 53rd Welsh Division. Do not know who liberated Bocholt, but 51st HD were in Isselburg area, and 5th Cameron Highlanders secured the centre of the village on 28th March. You might like to look at this site: Engagements fought by the 4th Armoured Brigade in 1945
Thank you very much!! I identified my Canadian Archer picture - after the surrender of German forces in the Netherlands, the 1st Canadian AT Regiment moved into the Leiden area.
At first light on 30th March the Brigade passed through Bocholt and order to advance towards Rhede and Oding. The Scots Greys and 2nd KRRC formed the leading group followed by TAC Brigade HQ and 4th RHA, with 44th RTR in reserve with 2nd Monmouths. The Brigade found that Rhede was clear, but a demolition beyond it could not be crossed by a Scissors bridge so it had to be repaired by Sappers. While the was being done the Scots Greys and 2nd KRRC found a way round to the west and 44th RTR went round through the woods to the east. The Scots Greys met only a few odd Panzerfaust teams before meeting the 8th Hussars, from 7th Armoured Division at Grosse Burlo. The Hussars and 1st Bn. Rifle Brigade were up against a determined party of enemy astride the road south of Oding, which was their objective as well as the Brigades. The Brigade tried to find away round to the left, but found nothing but impenetrable bog, so it spent that night behind the 8th Hussars, watching the left flank. The following morning 8th Hussars and 2nd Bn. The Devonshire Regiment cleared Oding, and the Scots Greys and 2nd KRRC the passed through heading north. After clearing some enemy from the woods north of the village, the road petered out and no more enemy were found.
Incidentally, looking at the WD for 61st AT Regiment, I note that L troop of 193 Battery supported the 5 Camerons in their attack on Isselburg, and one Archer hit a mine. But from Stolpi's thread (RHINE CROSSING 1945: The Rees bridgehead (30 Corps in operation 'Turnscrew')) it does not seem the Archer here would be from 61 AT Reg't of 51 HD. Is that correct?
