Looking for War Diaries April 1945

Discussion in 'Canadian' started by LiberationoftheVeluwe, Dec 28, 2015.

  1. Dear WW2 Talk,

    My name is Nick Groenewold, 25 years old and live in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands.
    Since i was very young i always had a fascination of the Second World War.
    In April last year, i've founded a website called Bevrijding van de Veluwe, which means Liberation of the Veluwe.

    Currently we're looking for the War Diaries of a few regiments during April 1945.
    Since we can't find them anywhere we decided to join WW2Talk for help. So if you have the War Diaries of any of these regiments, please contact me.

    The regiments we are looking for:

    - Hastings & Prince Edwards
    - The Loyal Edmontons
    - 48th Highlanders of Canada
    - The Three Rivers Regiment
    - Lord Strathcona's Horse
    - 5th Canadian Armoured/Tank DIvision
    - Carlton & York Regiment
    - British Columbia Dragoons
     
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Hello Nick
    Welcome
    I am sure forum members will be along shortly to advise further.
    However if they are not currently available free from a forum member there are a couple of members who visit the UK national archives at Kew ,London who could copy for a very small fee



    Regards
    Clive
     
  3. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  4. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

  5. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Hi Nick,

    Saw your impressive website, while preparing a BFT to the Cannonshot area last September.
     
  6. @ DBF Thanks for the helpful link DBF, i'll be sure to check that out.

    @CL1, I'm more than happy to pay a few euro's to get these documents. Nothing is for free. :)

    @Stolpi, Thanks for the compliment, we do our best to keep the information accurate and interactive.
     
  7. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    I can help you out immediately with two of the unit war diaries. Those for the 2nd Armoured Regiment (Lord Strathcona's Horse (RC)) and the 9th Armoured Regiment (British Columbia Dragoons) are located at the Heritage Canadiana site. Here are the links to find those two war diaries:

    Lord Strathcona's Horse
    http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_t12570/846?r=0&s=4
    British Columbia Dragoons
    http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_t12693/1402?r=0&s=1

    If you send me a PM with your email, I will send you a link to download the diaries for the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, the 5th Canadian Armoured Division, and the Carleton and York Regiment for April 1945.

    I do not have diaries for the 48th Highlanders of Canada or the 12th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment).
     
    CL1, Heimbrent, stolpi and 2 others like this.
  8. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    David,
    Great stuff....as usual.

    Cheers
     
  9. Special thanks to Dryan67 for helping in such a amazing way.
    Most of the regiments ticked off thanks to him! Cheers!
     
    dbf likes this.
  10. Hi Guys,

    We've come a long way with the war diaries at hand but we're still looking for the following war diaries of April 1945:

    - 48th Highlanders of Canada
    - The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
    - 1st Canadian Infantry Division
    - The Three Rivers Regiment
    - West Nova Scotia Regiment

    Any help would be very much appreciated.
     
  11. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    I have two, possibly three of the units listed. I'll double check and reply again tomorrow.
     
  12. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Sorry to disappoint, but I only have the diaries of three of the units for May 1945.
     
  13. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    I can help you out with the following for April 1945

    West Nova Scotia Regiment
    1st Canadian Division - GS

    PM me with your email and I will give a link to download these.
     
  14. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

  15. Thanks a million guys! You're all the best. Thanks again for helping me.
     
  16. Daibhidh

    Daibhidh New Member

    I just discovered this website and want to thank those who have posted here. My father was in A Squadron of the British Columbia Dragoons and participated in the liberation of the Netherlands. I am very much enjoying reading the war diary. Thank you Dryan67 for the link.
    Such a great website!!
     
  17. Peter Doornekamp

    Peter Doornekamp New Member

    Dear dryan67,

    I am very interested in the link for the Prince Edward Regiment war diary and would be very grateful if you could send it to me.

    Kind regards,

    Peter
     
  18. zwaric

    zwaric New Member

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hello , is it possible that anyone send me the war diary from the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, april 1945. i have been searching a while know.
    i hope that you guys can help me out .
     
  19. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I don't know where you can get a downloadable version, but you can read it in a sidebar at Project '44
     
    17thDYRCH likes this.
  20. mhil

    mhil Member

    War Diary 48th Highlander of Canada (1944/05-1945/08)
    48th Highlanders of Canada, Canadian Active Service Force.

    Crossing river "De IJssel" Gorssel - Wilp as part of Operation Cannonshot liberation North East Netherlands.

    12th of april 1945, Weather Fair and Warm

    "H -Hour for the bn move across the IJSSEL River was set at 0500 hours. At 0400 hours the coys left the concentration area and marched to MR 945022 where they were at once loaded on Buffaloes and taken across the river and unloaded in area MR 94002 from where they marched to an assembly area at MR 929031. The tanks ("B"sq.uadron First 1-Hussars) were slow in crossing the river and marrying up was NUT completed until 1045 hours. "A" & "B" Coys were the leading coys in the advance out of the bridgehead, "A" Coy moving WEST on an axis SOUTh of WILP MR 9103 then swing NORTH following an axis 300 yards 1ST of the main road HOVEN-WILP to their objective Xroads MR 900064; "B" Coy moving NW on an axis to the NORTH of WILP, then swinging NORTh the road HOVEN-WILP to the objective in area of woods MR 910062. "C" & "D" Coys remained in the FU1 until called forward by the commanding officer. Both "A" & "B" Coys reached these objectives by 1400 hours against MMG and SP gun fire. TAC HQ was at this stage in the process of moving to MR 913044 when -Lt-col D.A.MACKENZIE, the Commanding Officer, was killed by a shell and the I.O. wounded.
    Major J.R.O.C0UNSELL,(DSO) immediately took over command and ordered "D" Coy to move to clear the NORTh-West part of HOVEN to the line of the ny from rd and rail crossing 911074 to rd and rail crossing 905067, and "C" Coy to clear SENKAR (Sd 9106). By 1630 hours both "C" & "D" Coys had reached these objectives from thich they pushed on, "O" Coy to vicinity of road and rail crossing MR 912074, and "D" Coy to area of rd and rail crossing MR 905068,

    At 1730 hours Major J.R.O. COUNSELL received orders for the bn to proceed at once to capture the town of TWELLO (Sq. 8805). In this operation "A" & "B" Goys again led and were supported each by 1 troop of tanks. The attack commenced at 1900 hours and despite heavy enemy EMG fire in area of houses at MR 898067, despite diffimulties of ground hampering the tanks and lat:r the darkness, all coys successfully reached their objectives by 2300 hours when the bn was disposed as follows: "A" Coy in area rd juncs 885002, "B" Coy in area rd junc 885057, "C" Coy at Xrads 900064, "D" Ccy at rd june 898069, and TAC HQ at 903063."


    "The liberation of the Dutch town of Deventer april 1945" Screenshot 7.33

    19450411 Lt. Col. Donald Alexander Mackenzie DSO 48th Highlanders of Canada Gorssel Netherlands.jpg

    Lt-col Donald Alexander MACKENZIE 48th Highlanders of Canada on 11 April 1945 in Gorssel. Meeting point near the Molenweg/Veerweg ready to cross the IJssel. The next day during an attack on the village of Hoven, the commander unfortenately dies.

    More information:
    Donald MacKenzie - They Served For Us
    Lieutenant Colonel Donald Alexander MacKenzie | War Casualty Details 2227603 | CWGC
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2022
    stolpi, 17thDYRCH and Pronto91 like this.

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