OPERATION BLACKCOCK : 1st Commando Bde (Jan 45)

Kelsey Emuss · Feb 21, 2022

stolpi said: ↑

No. 45 Royal Marines at 'Riley's Gully' (afternoon 23 Jan 45)

When all efforts to extricate 'A' Troop had failed, OC no. 45 RM Commando, Lt-Col Nicol Gray, issued the order to Captain Coventry to hold his present position and then withdraw after dark - still some hours away. 'C' Troop with Cdo HQ during that time had been heavily shelled and 'C' Troop commander, Captain P.D. Barnard, was wounded while speaking to the CO. Marine F. Burton, who carried Lt.Col. Gray's personal wireless set, was also injured while accompanying Gray on visits to the forward troops. He was badly hit in his right arm. Although obviously in great pain and with a useless arm, Burton continued to follow his commanding officer, thus maintaining vital communications and passing order for supporting fire to aid the forward troops. This he continued to do, refusing to return to the First Aid post until another signaller was obtained to take over the set. Burton received a Military Medal for his conduct.

Realizing that the approach to Linne over St.Joostbrug was blocked (point 'a' on the map below), Colonel Gray decided to find another way to Linne (1). Looking at the map he saw that there were two alternative points that allowed passage of the Montforterbeek, which though a shallow stream formed a formidable obstacle because of its deep streambed. The first passage was at the Linnermolen (point 'b') where a bridge carried the minor road to Linne, but this crossing and the nearby windmill now was known to be strongly held by the enemy. Instead Colonel Gray, probably in the hope that it was not so heavily occupied by the enemy, opted for a smaller, less significant crossing point just to the east of Brachterbeek (point 'c'). Here a small unpaved road - the Broekstraat - led along the rim of a natural embankment to the Montforterbeek. About 60 yards short of the stream the road petered out into a dirt path (nowadays called Beekstraat) that led through a depression in the ground to the deep-lying bed of the stream, where a small footbridge carried it across. On the far bank the path, more a hollow road, climbed out of the gulley and debouched on the open fields that gave access to Linne.

Colonel Gray sent 'B' and 'E' Troops towards this crossing, which would go down in commando history as 'Riley's Gully'. They were to follow the embankment, cross the Montforterbeek and dislodge the enemy from there in order to open the way to Linne.

View attachment 307324
Map of the area of the Montforterbeek: a) bridge in main road (Rijksweg) at St.Joostbrug, b) bridge at the Linnermolen and c) Riley's Gulley.

(1) The War Diary of 1 Commando Bde suggests that the 'A' Troop's action at the station was merely a flanking patrol and that the main effort of No. 45 RM Commando, right from the start, was aimed at the Montforterbeek. The Brigade's Diary states for 23 Jan 45: "11:00 hrs. 45 RM Commando moved forward to the MONTFORTERBEEK with a patrol thrust towards the station. The latter became heavily engaged and were unable to extricate themselves until nightfall after suffering and inflicting casualties. 45 RM Commando (...) succeeded in getting a bridgehead established over the MONTFORTERBEEK (...)". Unfortunately the War Diary of 45 RM Commando gives no details of the unit's plan of attack for the 23rd, which therefore can only be deduced from the events.
Click to expand...

Hello!
I have stumbled across this very comprehensive overview while doing some research and while I have not yet read it entirely (I will) I am wondering if you could give me your opinion on something. I have recently begun to research my husband's Grandfather's time in the war (he was a 45 Royal Marine Commando Troop E) and while I have at this point figured everything out about D Day I was left puzzled by a newspaper clipping that mentioned his involvement in an operation at a Windmill in Linne and I am wondering if you think the newspaper clipping is related to this operation.

davidbfpo · Feb 21, 2022

If you search using LInne there are a few threads elsewhere than here, so it might be worth looking at those.

Kelsey Emuss · Feb 21, 2022

davidbfpo said: ↑

If you search using LInne there are a few threads elsewhere than here, so it might be worth looking at those.
Click to expand...

awesome. Thank you!

stolpi · Feb 22, 2022

Kelsey Emuss said: ↑

I was left puzzled by a newspaper clipping that mentioned his involvement in an operation at a Windmill in Linne and I am wondering if you think the newspaper clipping is related to this operation
Click to expand...

Yes, the news paper clipping refers to the action at Riley's Gully: OPERATION BLACKCOCK : 1st Commando Bde (Jan 45)

Kelsey Emuss · Feb 22, 2022

stolpi said: ↑

Yes, the news paper clipping refers to the action at Riley's Gully: OPERATION BLACKCOCK : 1st Commando Bde (Jan 45)
Click to expand...

Yeah I just read through it all last night and pieced it together which would have never been possible if you had not taken the time to write this all out. I may never have figured out the exact details of what happened in that clipping - so thank you!.

Jonathan Ball · Mar 29, 2023

Pieter

I was in Brachterbeek recently and had the pleasure of looking through the Vossen Family scrapbook. It was the most remarkable collection of articles and photos collected over 70 years since the end of the war. I was most taken by this photo in it so did a 'then and now' of the House by the Bridge and Riley's Gulley.

AFPU44 · Feb 18, 2025

This is an excellent thread as I have ben reading the Bryan Samian book 'Comando Men'; and really fleshes out the engagement at Brachterbeek. With regard to 'A' troops advance towards the road junction and Brachterbeek Station would this have been in the A.A. Formation (i.e. single file) as set out in the 'Infantry Training, Part VIII. – Fieldcraft, Battle Drill, Section and Platoon Tactics' or the arrowhead type formation used for cross country advances?

stolpi · Feb 19, 2025

AFPU44 said: ↑

With regard to 'A' troops advance towards the road junction and Brachterbeek Station would this have been in the A.A. Formation (i.e. single file) as set out in the 'Infantry Training, Part VIII. – Fieldcraft, Battle Drill, Section and Platoon Tactics' or the arrowhead type formation used for cross country advances?
Click to expand...

AFPU44 - I do not know, but I suggest you ask WW2talk member Richard1976. He is the resident expert.

Chris Hampson · Feb 19, 2025

stolpi said: ↑

Probing forward to Linne (afternoon 24 Jan 45)

After having consolidated along the Montforterbeek both forward commando units of 1st Commando Brigade started to probe in the direction of Linne. Several patrols were sent forward to the small town, which lay not far away at a distance of only approximately 0,6 miles across open fields. The only covered approach ran along the Vlootbeek with a high natural embankment on one side and the small stream and low lying fields on the other. This was where the more serious attempts were made to enter Linne. These were conducted by No. 3 Commando which took over the left wing, relieving 4 Troop, No. 6 Commando at De Villa.

Actually the first attempt to enter Linne preceded the take over. 4 Troop, No. 3 Commando, under Captain Pollard, was dispatched at 09:10 hrs to Linne. Captain Pollard's Troop took the small road of the Beekenweg (today Weerderweg) that led along the foot of the embankment to Linne. Hugging the embankement the commandos reached the St.Martinus church at about 10 o'clock. They established a base at th echurch yard and entered the village searching the houses. One enemy soldier, described by the War Diary as a sniper, was caught in a barn by Pollard's men. The POW was identified as a member of Fallschirmjäger Regt Huebner, but otherwise refused to give any information, repeating over and over again that he was willing to die for his Fuehrer. However the civilians at Linne provided more details. There were a surprising number of civilians in the village, living for the most part in the cellars often huddled under ragged blankets in squalor and confusion. They stated that 300 enemy soldiers with 5 guns had left Linne during the night and that about 50 enemy soldiers, equipped with MGs and bazookas, were left behind to defend the locality.

View attachment 307739
The narrow Beekenweg (nowadays Weerderweg which later turns into the Oeverenweg) was followed by 4 Troop towards Linne. View in the direction of Linne. To the right the approximately 20 feet high natural embankment, to the left the low lying fields of the Weerd polder, also known as Linner Weerd (photo courtesy Google Street View).

Moving cautiously from the church deeper inside the village along the Weerdweg, the leading subsection of 4 Troop ran into trouble at the crossroads with the main village street, known as Grote Straat. When the commandos started to move down the Grote Straat an enemy MG suddenly opened up and wounded L/Cpl Woods who fell in the middle of the road. Since the situation quickly became 'sticky', Captain Pollard told the men to pull back towards a crossroads just outside Linne, so as to allow for an artillery and mortar shoot on the small town. It was now about 11 o'clock. The wounded L/Cpl Wood had to be left behind. Several attempts to rescue him failed as all were met by MG fire. The artillery shoot proved ineffective.

At the same time, a patrol from 6 Troop, No. 6 Commando, approached the village from the south on the far side of Linne. They too ran into enemy opposition and after fighting for some houses just outside Linne had to withdraw. They were heavily mortared and suffered several casualties. The Troop returned to the No. 6 Commando area near St.Joostbrug at 11:45 hours. Another patrol of No. 6 Commando, consisting of a subsection of 3 Troop, which advanced on the opposite side of the main road, fared little better and returned to the area at 12:15 hours. This patrol also suffered casualties.

View attachment 307877
Linne, Weerdstraat looking back to the west towards the St. Martinus church which stands on the edge of the embankment. The men of No. 3 Commando moved along this road toward the village center, but ran into stiff enemy opposition as soon as they reached the junction with the Grote Straat (= Main Street).

View attachment 307880
The junction of the Grote Straat and the Weerdstraat, the road coming in from the left. View towards the village center. L/Cpl Wood was hit when he moved down the Grote Straat towards the center. Later that afternoon two other men also were wounded in this same street and could not be evacuated. Al three of them were taken POW by the Germans and evacuated to Merum (photo courtesy Google Street View).

Around 14:15 hours, 1st Commando Brigade ordered No. 3 Commando again to make an effort against Linne (1). A new plan was made up by Lt.Col. Komrower, CO of No. 3 Commando. The remainder of his command by now had crossed the Montforterbeek and arrived in the area of the De Villa. Komrower now decided to use half his force in a renewed effort to take Linne and committed 5 and 6 Troop together with 4 Troop. The rest of No. 3 Commando - 1 and 3 Troop and Cdo HQ - remained in the area of the De Villa, where they took up defensive positions in old abandoned enemy trenches.

5 Troop went forward along the foot of the embankment to the junction with the Mergelweg just outside Linne, where Captain Pollard's men had taken up position after their abortive attempt to enter Linne. The Troop was followed by Col. Komrower and his Tac HQ, while 6 Troop made up the tail of the column. In early afternoon, at 13:00 hrs, 4 Troop went up against Linne for a second time. The Troop reached the church of Linne but, when it tried to penetrate towards the center of the village, again ran into enemy opposition. 5 Troop took up a 'firm base' in the church area, while the other Troops sought a way forward towards the village center. A heavy firefight broke out; at first only with small arms, but that soon changed as an enemy tank made an appearance from north of the village which started to shell the forward section of 4 Troop. Five commandos were wounded, two by MG fire and three others by mortar fire. At about 13:45 hours the situation continued to deteriorate. A second enemy tank appeared, accompanied by about a platoon of infantry, who moved down the main street (1). Though one of the 6 Troop Bren gunners claimed to have accounted for 8 of the enemy infantry, the commandos were unable to do anything against the tank. Deciding that the situation was becoming untenable, Lt.Col. Komrower told his men to pull out. For the second time in a row that day, the commandos withdrew from Linne. Two of the wounded men, who had been hit in the same street as L/Cpl Wood, could not be evacuated and also had to be left behind. They were taken POW by the enemy. The rest of the wounded were evacuated by the Medical Officer.

No. 3 Commando now took up a defensive position in the De Villa area. HQ, 1, 3 and 5 Troops at the northern end, with a 3 Troop section in a forward position at a house on the junction with the Mergelweg. 2, 4 and 6 Troops occupied the southern half of the Commando area, with 4 Troop at the Linnermolen. While No. 3 Commando regrouped, Lt.Col Komrower went over to the windmill of the Linnermolen, where Brigadier Mills-Roberts had established his Tac HQ. Both commanders discussed further plans. It was decided that before daylight faded, one last attempt would be made to capture Linne. This time an attack would be launched by two troops: 5 Troop of No. 3 Commando from the De Villa area and another one by a Troop of No. 6 Commando along the main road from St.Joostbrug. The difference was that the commando units now each would be supported by a Troop of tanks of the 8th Hussars. This support was made possible by the fact that around 17:00 hrs a bridge laying tank had put in a scissors bridge over the Montforterbeek at the windmill.

View attachment 307769
Map with the situation around 15:00 hours on Jan 24th. An hour or so before a last attempt to take Linne would be launched. It was hoped that the presence of tanks would break the deadlock. a) advanced post of 3 Troop, No. 3 Cdo; b) postion taken up by 2 Troop, No. 6 Cdo, around 17:00 hours during the last attack on Linne, to protect the tanks firing at the village; Yellow circle: appr. enemy positions.

(1) The War Diary 1st Commando Bde labels all the actions against Linne on the 25th as 'patrols'. I disagree, since at least the second action of No. 3 Commando, involving half of the commando force, seems to me a serious effort to get into and seize the place.
(2) The War diaries claim there was a Pz IV in the village but this is not very likely. Based on the Intell Summ 7 Armoured Div and 12th Corps, the two tanks encountered at Maasbracht Station and later in Linne, probably were STUGs III belonging to the 2./1176 Panzerjäger Abteilung. This organic anti-tank battalion of the 176. Infanterie Division, on Jan 18th, had absorbed all of the remaining STUGs of the 243. Sturmgeschütz Brigade, which had 14 STUGs at the start of Op Blackcock. On 25 Jan 45, the frontline at Linne came under control of the II. Fallschirm Korps. FJ Regt Huebner, thusfar attached to the 176. Inf.Division, reverted to command of the 8. FJ Division (Gen.Kdo. II. FS Korps, Ia Nr 279/45 of 24.01.1945). According to the KTB Korpsartz II. FS Korps losses of the FJ Regt Huebner, from 16 - 25 Jan 45, had been 30 (1) KIA; 107 (1) WIA, 99 MIA and 67 (1) sick; a total of 303 men and 3 officers.
Click to expand...

Fantastic piece of work. Thank you for piecing this together. My Grandfather was the CSM of 4 troop in this action and there have been family stories about the nature of this action with the tank. The story was that it was a Tiger (but weren't all tanks a Tiger?!) and I also found the war diary relating to the Panzer 4. Your thoughts on them being STUGs are very interesting. I guess if you are being shot at you are not standing there trying to recognise the serial number to say the least! My father seems to remember a newspaper article of this incident mentioning my Grandfather but unfortunately the Wigan Observer does not have the WW2 period digitised at this point. If you have any additional information or anything else you can shed light on I would be very interested and appreciative. Thanks again and a great article.

stolpi · Feb 22, 2025

Chris Hampson said: ↑

The story was that it was a Tiger (but weren't all tanks a Tiger?!) and I also found the war diary relating to the Panzer 4. Your thoughts on them being STUGs are very interesting. I guess if you are being shot at you are not standing there trying to recognise the serial number to say the least! (...) If you have any additional information or anything else you can shed light on I would be very interested and appreciative. Thanks again and a great article.
Click to expand...

Quite right, another case of Tiger 'mania;', AFAIK no Tigers were involved in this action.

For additional info I suggest you to contact WW2talk member Richard1976, who is the resident expert.

Jill Tate · Mar 29, 2025

I've just started work on this Scissors bridge.
Jan 24th 1200hrs "Scissors bridge laid 733851" (War Diary 4 field Squadron.) for the support tanks to Commando brigade. I've marked it on my map with an orange dot. Is this the Linnermolen bridge near the windmill which is now marked with the Eric Harden Plaque. You can see the tramway on my map but all the roads seem to have changed on the google map of today.
Thanks for your help
Jill

Jill Tate · Apr 7, 2025

Thank you for all this information again.

Just to add a little bit of detail on the bridge.

The War Diary of 4 Field squadron reports that the Scissors bridge (laid by 7 Bridging troop 143 Field Park Squadron u/comm 4 Field Squadron) was laid at 1200hrs, but reading the reports here, I think this has been mixed up with the one laid at 746821 and is an error in the War Diary. As I believe 1700 is the correct time for it being laid.

It then appears the tanks of 8 Hussars damaged the bridge when passing over at 1800 hrs and at 2200 the Scissors bridge was replaced by a Churchill Assault bridge called "Jumbo". This was laid by 222 Assault Squadron, part of 79th Armoured Division (listed as extra troops in the report on Operation Blackcock) again under the command of 4 Field Squadron.

I'm not sure how the bridge-layer itself was damaged beyond light repair in the operation unless it was hit with a shell?

Chris C · Apr 7, 2025

Hi Jill,

I asked about Jumbos here and there are some pictures.

"Jumbo" bridge (layer)

I suppose damage means actually damaged by enemy fire. I can't remember what BLR means exactly but I think it had to be transported further back from the front.

Jill Tate · Apr 7, 2025

Yes thanks for that. There is a picture of one of those in North Brabant, in Operation Pheasant (I forget the town but we visited the site), attached.

I believe BLR means "beyond light repair" so needs to be taken back to the workshop
Yes I am guessing the tank itself must have been hit by something?

stolpi · Jan 30, 2026

Bump ... a bit belated , but the 1st Commando Bde action during Operation Blackcock took place 81 years ago, it was completed by the end of January 1945.

Log in or Sign up

OPERATION BLACKCOCK : 1st Commando Bde (Jan 45)

Kelsey Emuss New Member

davidbfpo Patron Patron

Kelsey Emuss New Member

stolpi Well-Known Member

Kelsey Emuss New Member

Jonathan Ball It's a way of life.

AFPU44 Member

stolpi Well-Known Member

Chris Hampson New Member

stolpi Well-Known Member

Jill Tate Active Member

Attached Files:

Scissors bridge Linne.png

Linne Map 24th 1500 ww2 talk.jpg

Screenshot (308).png

Jill Tate Active Member

Attached Files:

IMG_2360.JPG

IMG_1024.JPG

Chris C Canadian

Jill Tate Active Member

Attached Files:

bridge laid by 222 Assault Squadron.png

stolpi Well-Known Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

OPERATION BLACKCOCK : 1st Commando Bde (Jan 45)

Kelsey Emuss New Member

davidbfpo Patron Patron

Kelsey Emuss New Member

stolpi Well-Known Member

Kelsey Emuss New Member

Jonathan Ball It's a way of life.

AFPU44 Member

stolpi Well-Known Member

Chris Hampson New Member

stolpi Well-Known Member

Jill Tate Active Member

Attached Files:

Scissors bridge Linne.png

Linne Map 24th 1500 ww2 talk.jpg

Screenshot (308).png

Jill Tate Active Member

Attached Files:

IMG_2360.JPG

IMG_1024.JPG

Chris C Canadian

Jill Tate Active Member

Attached Files:

bridge laid by 222 Assault Squadron.png

stolpi Well-Known Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches