Hi all, I am looking at my anti-tank war diaries for February 1945 and also went in to the library today to take a look at the 53rd Division's history. Here is how the official history describes 25 February 1945. This was part of "Operation Leek" (no kidding!) which was a drive south to capture Weeze. Sorry my photo from the history is of a curved page: For their anti-tank regiment the description is a little more sharp. 336 Battery had all of their Archers (not the normal WE!): I've looked over the anti-tank regiment history for the few days preceding and it looks like their troops were distributed as follows: 160 brigade: J troop with 6 Royal Welsh Fusiliers L Troop - 4 Royal Welch Fusiliers 158 brigade: M Troop - 1 Ox & Bucks K troop - 7 Royal Welch Fusiliers I was wondering if anyone has any material that would shed more light on what happened this day. 2nd Monmouths were the third regiment in 160 Brigade. Was the only ground attack really in this area? It could definitely be that all these losses were due to the shelling - the Archer did not exactly have a lot of armour. Swiper I was wondering if you might be able to help? Or anyone else? edit: I note that the library has a copy of The Red Dragon (RWF history) so that's definitely where I will look next... And books about the Ox & Bucks as well.
Hi Chris - War Diaries of Bde & battalions are on their way per We Transfer re info on the 1st Ox & Bucks I would recommend reading: Enshrined in Stone: 1st Battalion The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in the Second World War (John H. Roberts)
Hi Stolpi, Thank you very much!! The library doesn't seem to have that book. One thing they do have is The Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry chronicle; the record of he 43rd, 52nd, 4th, 5th and 1st Buckinghamshire Battalions in the Second German War (1951). I'm not sure if that is a series of books (4 volumes) or if it's the regimental journal.
Blimey! Which library is that? Not your local library? Ours has a pitifully unimaginative stock of military/WWII history!
It's the central reference library of the Toronto Public Library - Toronto is the biggest city in Canada. They have a pretty large stock of WW2 histories in the "reserve stacks" (which I imagine are in a climate controlled space) which all seem to date to the original publication of divisional histories and so on in the 1940s and 50s,. You can only read them by submitting a computer request and then someone brings the book and leaves it on a shelf 30-60 minutes later. I'm aware of the fact that I'm extremely blessed!
Ah, that explains it! I guess I have to pay the price for living in rural England! Can’t really complain, though. But your system (and access) sounds great.
It looks as though enemy counter-attacks never went in and the losses I was wondering about must have been caused by German artillery. One of the docs identified the enemy as 7 Para Division. 2 Mons noted at the end of the day on the 24th, "Enemy shelling + mortar activity during day was heaviest ever experienced by battalion" and at 1100 the next day "Enemy shelling continued". At 1430 they noted "Enemy observed massing vehicles and infantry area 913402 believed preparatory to making counter-attack. Several DFs put down on enemy positions, and the threatening situation somewhat eased." At 1500 "Further intense arty effort definitely broke up this mainly directed on our right flank, and the weight of DF was shifted toward the 90 Easting(?)" DF in this case would mean defensive fire, I believe. For both armies it seems to have been a day on which artillery ruled.
