|
Date
|
Hour
|
Summary of Events
and Information
|
|
15
|
0700
|
An AP [Armour Piercing]
shot pierced the roof of Tactical
HQ building but no casualties were
suffered.
|
|
|
0830
|
Tac HQ received some
shelling but no casualties resulted.
|
|
|
0930
|
Lt-Col WD Whitaker,
Major JB HALLADAY and Major EL FROGGETT
left to make an air recce of the WOENSDRECHT
area.
|
|
|
1030
|
The Information
Officer, Lt. LH DOERING and B59589 Cpl
LOWE, JJ recced the area from Observation
Posts to decide on FUP [Form-up Place],
SL [Start Line] and routes for the attack. |
|
|
1230
|
CO and party
returned, from air recce. Coy [Company]
commanders brought in their platoon
commanders and NCOs [Non Commissioned
Officers] to BnHQ [Battalion HQ] to
study tentative plans for attacking,
using a sand table model constructed
by the Intelligence section. |
|
|
1600
|
The CO held
an Orders Group giving his plan in detail
for the operation, to capture the WOENSDRECHT
FEATURE. Attending the Orders Group
were reps from 4 Brigade, 5 Brigade
and all sp arms. The Orders Group lasted
for two hrs and all phases of the attack
were discussed. The artillery fire plan,
using over 100 guns, is also shown in
detail in the appendix. |
|
|
1900
|
The "I"
sec left to tape routes to the FUP with
white trace tapes. |
|
|
2000
|
The Intelligence
Officer and taping party plus two dismounted
sections of carriers under Capt WH WHITESIDE
left to seize and hold the buildings
on the WEST end of the SL. |
|
|
2315
|
Taping parties
returned and reported SL clear and everything
in order. |
|
|
2359
|
Hot supper
was served in all coys. |
|
16
|
0245
|
Coys commenced
move to FUP from assembly area. |
|
|
0300
|
Tac HQ, moved,
to 625193. |
|
|
0315
|
Coys formed
up FUP. |
|
|
0330
|
"H"
hr. Terrific barrage opened up 200 yds
forward of the SL. Over 104 guns were
used in the barrage. |
|
|
0500
|
"D"
coy reported BALMY BEACH. |
|
|
0530
|
"A"
coy reported ARGOS. |
|
|
0540
|
"C"
coy reported ROUGH RIDES. |
|
|
0550
|
"B"
coy reported TIGERS. |
|
|
0600
|
F each under
control of Capt JM BOSTWICK were dispatched
immediately to coys when success signals
were reported. |
|
|
0615
|
Tac HQ moved
to farm at 616199. On arrival in the
farm house six PW [Prisoners of War]
were taken who had been hiding in the
cellar. |
|
|
0630
|
Four more
PW were taken from a dugout in the yard
of BnHQ. |
|
|
0645
|
A squadron
of tanks from 10 Cdn Armoured Regt arrived. |
|
|
0700
|
Coys reported
their positions consolidated but that
the enemy which had been bypassed in
the advance were causing some discomfort
and would have to be cleaned up. |
|
|
0730
|
Runners reported
to BnHQ and locations were as follows
- "A" coy 618207, "B"
coy 615200, "C" coy 619204,
"D" coy 614204. |
|
|
0745
|
Groups of
PW arrived from all coy fronts. |
|
|
0800
|
Approximately
fifty PW were brought in including one
officer in the artillery. |
|
|
0900
|
The CO held
an "O" gp where it was ascertained
that seven casualties had been suffered
by the carrier platoon who were caught
on the SL when the barrage opened and
that all coys had suffered a few casualties
from our own shells, which was expected
as the troops hugged the barrage closely.
"B" coy under Major HA WELCH
was ordered to exploit WEST to clear
that end of WOENSDRECHT. "C"
and "A" coys were ordered
to hold. "D" coy was ordered
to exploit forward to clear up resistance
remaining in its area. |
|
|
1000
|
"A"
coy reported that they were attacked
by a SP [Self-Propelled] gun and that
9 platoon were being shelled severely.
Hand to hand fighting ensued and one
of our 6-pounders section commanded
by B36517 Sgt SOUTHERN, AW fired point
blank at the enemy before the gun was
hit and put out of action. |
|
|
1015
|
Capt STEVENSON,
the artillery observation post from
4 Field Regt reported in and stated
that his carrier had been hit and was
burning. |
|
|
1045
|
A runner
reported that 9 platoon of "A"
coy had been overrun by two enemy SP
guns and that the other two platoons
had been withdrawn to "C"
coy area after suffering heavy casualties
from mortaring and shelling. Hand to
hand fighting was fierce in "A"
coy area. |
|
|
1050
|
The CO ordered
"A" coy to come under command
"C" coy as "A" coy
strength at this time approximately
twenty. |
|
|
1130
|
Major JM
PIGOTT, OC "C" coy, reported
that his coy was being heavily shelled
and that one SP gun and one tank were
in his coy area causing considerable
trouble. Major PIGOTT was slightly wounded
in the head by a shell fragment but
declined evacuation. Forty more PW were
sent back to PW cage incl some of 6
Para Regt. |
|
|
1135
|
The CO liaised
with Major WA JOYCE, OC "B"
Squadron 10 Armoured Regt with the object
of cleaning up the tanks. |
|
|
1200
|
"C"
coy reported that our 6-pounder had
been successful in knocking out one
SP gun but that our 6-pounder with "A"
coy was lost and the one with "C"
coy hit and knocked out. |
|
|
1215
|
Major JB
HALLADAY, OC "A" coy was wounded
and evacuated. |
|
|
1220
|
Major HA
WELCH, OC "B" coy was ordered
to send one platoon to assist "C"
coy in holding its area. Some enemy
were reported seen moving in the WEST
end of WOENSDRECHT. "D" coy
reported that its 6-pounder anti-tank
gun had been knocked out. |
|
|
1230
|
"C"
coy reported enemy forming up 200 yds
to the EAST of their area, and the CO
ordered the 4 Field Regt to fire a YOKE
target with mediums and field artillery,
which completely broke up the enemy
attack. |
|
|
1400
|
The tanks
reported that they were out of ammunition
and would have to be pulled out to refill. |
|
|
1410
|
The CO contacted
Brigade HQ by wireless re our thinness
on the ground. Estimated strengths at
the present time were - "A"
coy 1 officer 18 ORs, "B"
coy 2 officers 39 others, "C"
coy 2 officers 40 others, "D"
coy 1 officer 60 others. |
|
|
1415
|
A large force
of Spitfires shot up probable enemy
assembly areas for counter-attack dropping
fifty tons of bombs. |
|
|
1510
|
Lt. DR BROWN,
our mortar platoon officer, while endeavouring
to organize his mortar positions near
"C" coy, was hit by an enemy
shell fragment breaking his leg. He
carried on for some time getting his
platoon organized. |
|
|
1600
|
A troop of
tanks assisting "D" coy were
called on to shoot up an enemy machine
gun post and infantry who were forming
up in area 614204. Lt. GPJ DES GROSEILLIERS
went out with 16 platoon with the tanks
and cleaned out the post and occupied
it. |
|
|
1605
|
Typhoon bombers
attacked enemy position on our front
and dropped approximately 25 tons of
bombs |
|
|
1700
|
Heavy mortaring
and shelling was reported by all coys
causing some casualties. The RAP [Regimental
Aid Post], under the capable direction
of Capt JW WINSTOOK, evacuated over
ninety casualties up to this time. Included
in the casualties were Major JB HALLADAY,
Lt. JT CLARK, Lt. KT BUSBY, and Lt.
DR BROWN. |
|
|
1800
|
"B"
coy of ESSEX SCOT, under Major REEKIE,
former 2 IC [second in command] of "A"
coy came under command and were placed
in the rear of "C" coy in
area 620200. |
|
|
1900
|
Major EL
FROGGETT of "B" coy reported
that his area was being entered by enemy
in several sectors. Lt. DES GROSEILLIERS'
platoon was overrun by a force of 30
to 40 enemy and were all believed killed,
wounded or missing. |
|
|
2200
|
All sub-units
reported the situation under control. |
|
17
|
0900
|
Snipers were
very active on "C" and "D"
coy's fronts, and Lt. JA WILLIAMSON,
the scout platoon officer, was ordered
to send snipers to both coys. |
|
|
1100
|
Thirty-nine
reinforcements arrived, practically
all of whom were personnel who had been
remustered from CAC [Canadian Armoured
Corps], RCA [Royal Canadian Artillery],
RCASC [Royal Canadian Army Service Corps]
and other corps to CIC [Canadian Infantry
Corps]. |
|
|
1300
|
Company Sergant-Major
R MORGAN of "C" coy had a
narrow escape when shot by a sniper.
The bullet went through his steel helmet
and just broke his scalp causing only
a slight wound. This was the seventh
or eighth time CSM MORGAM has had narrow
escapes. He has been in four carriers
which were destroyed by mines but miraculously
escaped serious injury. |
|
|
1600
|
B37156 CSM
KC LINGEN, of "D" coy, was
killed by an enemy sniper near "D"
coy HQ. |
|
|
1740
|
The pioneer
platoon under Lt RW WIGHT was ordered
to lay trip flares in front of "D"
coy FDLs to prevent enemy infiltration.
We did not have enough bodies on the
ground to completely control the WOENSDRECHT
Feature and it was possible for the
enemy to infiltrate. The enemy appeared
to suffer very heavy casualties from
our artillery fire which was used unsparingly,
but he continued to reinforce his positions.
We were prevented from probing forward
as the average coy strength was forty-five
and the casualties amongst our officers
and NCOs and older men were very heavy.
The bulk of the men in the battalion
at the present time had not had very
much infantry training, but had been
remustered from other branches of the
service. At this time "D"
coy had one officer, Major EL FROGGETT.
"B" coy had Major HA WELCH
and Lt. DA BONNALLIE, "C"
coy had three officers incl Major JM
PIGOTT. "A" coy had one officer,
Capt HL HEGELHEIMER. |
Canada in WWII
