National Archives catalogue number WO 171/5140.

Abbreviation

185467 2IC AARR Airldg A Tk Bde Bn Br Cas CO Comd Compo Coy Det Div DR Ech Fm GOC H Lt LZ Med MG MR NWE OBLI OC Offr Op OR Pl RAC RASC RE Regt RUR Sp Sqn TC Tk Tp

Map Reference Second-in-Command Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron Airlanding Anti-Tank Brigade Battalion Bridge Casualties Commanding Officer Command Composite Company Detachment Division / Divisional Despatch Rider Echelon Farm General Officer Commanding Hussars Light Landing Zone Medical Machine Gun Map Reference North West Europe Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Officer Commanding Officer Operation Other Ranks Platoon Royal Armoured Corps Royal Army Service Corps Royal Engineers Regiment Royal Ulster Rifles Support Squadron Transit Camp Tank Troop

Month and year : March 1945

Commanding Officer : Major M.G. Dolden

1st to 8th March 1945

Place: Longford Castle

Coy on block leave.

15th March 1945

Place: Longford Castle

Lt. Gillespie-Hall posted from 7 Para Bn.

16th March 1945

Place: Longford Castle

Lt Campbell and 10 ORs emplane for NWE.  This party was responsible for putting out EUREKAS on W bank of RHINE.

18th March 1945

Place: Longford Castle

Lt. KERRIDGE posted from 6 AARR, RAC.

19th March 1945

Place: Longford Castle

1200 - Supply drop dets join units as follows:-

20th March 1945

Place: Glevering Hall

0700 - Main body leaves for GLEVERING HALL TRANSIT CAMP.

21st March 1945

Place: Glevering Hall

1200 - T.C. sealed.

1500 - Address by G.O.C.

22nd March 1945

Place: Glevering Hall

0900 - Briefing commences.  Air op by main body of company cancelled.

23rd March 1945

Place: Glevering Hall

1600 - Maj M.G. DOLDEN joins Div HQ (Glider).  CSM B.P. McGUINNESS, MM injured and unable to go with Coy to NWE.  Sjt H. SMITH promoted CSM.

24th March 1945

Place: Glevering Hall

1000 - Parachute and Glider elements take off from various airfields.

Place: Tilbury

1200 - Main body under Capt J. VISCHER leaves GLEVERING HALL for S4 Transit Camp.

Place: Div LZ

1300 - Lt. CAMPBELL and det put out aids for supply drop.  Supply drop successfully accomplished.

25th March 1945

Place: Tilbury

0600 - Main body embarks.

26th March 1945

Place: Ostend

1200 - Main body disembarks.

1300 - Parachute and Glider elements concentrate area Div HQ MR 185467.  Total casualties on drop:- 1 Killed, 5 missing, 5 wounded.

29th March 1945

Place: Erle

1300 - Main body joins air party at ERLE MR 3950.

Place: Lembeck

1600 - Coy moves by road to LEMBECK and comes under comd 6 AARR, RAC.  4 x 3 tons lorries and one scout car are allotted to make coy entirely mobile.

30th March 1945

Place: Lembeck

'A' Ech joins 6 AARR and moves with Regt to SW of COESFELD.

31st March 1945

Place: Greven

0700 - 6 AARR with coy under comd moves to GREVEN MR 9293; Advance held up here by blown br.

Place: Gimbte

1200 - 2 pl sends fighting patrol into GIMBTE 9384.  GIMBTE found to be unoccupied except for a few stragglers who were rounded up.  Brs over DORTMUND-EMS-KANAL found blown.  Clash with German 88mm gun towed by lorry carrying gun crew which entered village from the East.  Enemy casualties: 7 killed and 18 prisoners.  Own cas. NIL.

1800 - Coy searches wood SE of GREVEN for enemy reported to be 200 in strength.  No enemy found.  Coy billets in GREVEN for the night.

Month and year : April 1945

Commanding Officer : Major M.G. Dolden

1st April 1945

0800 - Move from GREVEN to SCHMEDEHAUSEN.  Enemy sniping from woods on other side of Canal during move into village.  Fairly heavy shell fire.  All quiet after 1200 hrs.  Br over canal being built by RE.

2nd April 1945

1100 - Cross canal and move to farm 060969, West of LENGERICH 0899.

3rd April 1945

0730 - Coy moves with 'B' Sqn 6 AARR to open up new axis of advance.  NATRUP 1201 - HAGEN 1601 - OSEDE 2201.  Considerable shelling, both ground and air bursts from 88mm guns experienced during early part of this route.

1000 - 3 pl clears opposition from houses near GELLENBECK 1400 which had held up leading Recce tp.  Enemy casualties 12 killed and 18 prisoners.  Own casualties NIL.

Place: Georgs-Marien-Huette 2001

'B' Sqn leading tk hit by bazooka.  2 pl attack position and find enemy withdrawn and bazookas left in position.  Harboured at Fm E of KLOSTER OSEDE 2500.

4th April 1945

Place: 430142

0700 - Coy continues advance to MINDEN with 'B' Sqn 6 AARR.  Leading Recce tp held up.  Coy debusses.  3 casualties from snipers in HARPENFELD 4114.  2 pl takes up positions on bridge 430142.  3 pl takes up positions on bridge 412146.  Sp pl looking for snipers in HARPENFELD surprises an enemy coy in billets.  3 offrs and 130 ORs taken prisoners.  Intermittent sniping continues and sp pl sustains two casualties in attempting to clear snipers from rear of village.  1 pl and Coy HQ continue advance to try to link up with 'B' Sqn.

1400 - Pl comd 1 pl informed that part of Recce Sqn ambushed near HOLZHAUSEN II 7616 by 88mm guns.

Place: Holzhausen II

1730 - 1 pl and Coy HQ arrive HOLZHAUSEN II 7616.

1745 - 1 pl under cover of 2 ins mortar smoke and covering fire from Coy HQ and elements of Recce Sqn attack 88mm gun positions.  Enemy casualties 40-50 killed, 3 Offrs and 171 ORs taken prisoners.  Own casualties: 1 wounded.  Enemy positions found to consist of 18 x 88mm guns.  12 MGs and 4 A Tk guns.

2130 - Pl and prisoners spend night in farm near HOLZHAUSEN.  Sjt PEARSON, Med sjt, and escort of two despatched in 3 tonner with the wounded man to locate the MDS.  Vehicle intercepted by enemy on the way back and occupants taken prisoners.

Place: 772094

1700 - Coy less 1 pl and Coy HQ harbour West of MINDEN.

2300 - Sjt LINDORES MM, pl sjt 1 pl, and Recce Sqn DR arrive and report 1 Pl's battle.

2315 - 2 pl and OC set off to try and contact 1 pl, but failing to do so return to harbour 0400 hrs.

5th April 1945

1300 - 1 pl and Coy HQ join remainder of coy.

6th April 1945

Coy move to area 674179.

7th April 1945

Place: Suedhemmern 7114

1600 - Coy moves to SUEDHEMMERN.

8th April 1945

0730 - 6 AARR with coy under command crosses R. WESER and come under comd 6 Airldg Bde.

1130 - Coy searches FORST BAUM 8816 for reported enemy.  No enemy found.

Place: Rosenhagen 9223

1600 - Harboured at ROSENHAGEN.

10th to 15th April 1945

Place: Otterhagen

Coy moves to Otterhagen for rest.

16th April 1945

Place: Sprakensehl

Coy searched woods near FORST LUESS for reported enemy.  No enemy found.  Coy harbours at SPRAKENSEHL 8866.

17th April 1945

Place: Masendorf 9494

1600 - Coy comes under comd 9 Para Bn to take up defensive positions at MASENDORF.

18th April 1945

Place: Molbath 0089

1130 - Coy moves to MOLBATH.

23rd to 30th April 1945

Place: Niendorf 8510

Coy rests at NIENDORF.

29th April 1945

Lt.Col. G.R. de C Stewart, 13/18 H C.O. 6 AARR, RAC inspects coy.

30th April 1945

0715 - Coy moves to area MR 9523.

2130 - Coy moves off to cross R. ELBE at LAUENBURG.

OFFICERS serving with the unit: