National Archives catalogue number WO 171/4759.
Abbreviation
|
256466 2IC Adm Adv Arty A Tk BC Bde BHQ Bn Br Bty Cas Cdn Cl Cmd CO Comd Conf Det Dist Div En Estab Fwd Gt HE Inf LZ MC NY OBLI Op Pdr RA Rd Regt Regtl RUR RV Sc SP Sup Tk TOA Tp Trler u/c Veh |
Map Reference Second-in-Command Administration Advance Artillery Anti-Tank Attached Battery Commander Brigade Battery Headquarters Battalion Bridge Battery Casualties Canadian Class Command Commanding Officer Command Conference Commander Royal Artillery Detachment Distance Division Enemy Establish Forward Great High Explosive Infantry Landing Zone Motorcycle Northamptonshire Yeomanry Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Operation Pounder Royal Artillery Round Regiment Regimental Royal Ulster Rifles Small arms Scottish Self-Propelled Support Tank Time of arrival Troop Trailer Under-command Vehicle |
Month and year : March 1945
Commanding Officer : Maj J. Woodrow RA
1st to 7th March 1945
Place: Bulford
Battery on leave.
8th March 1945
Place: Bulford
Battery returned from leave.
9th March 1945
Place: Bulford
Nothing to report.
10th March 1945
Place: Bulford
Lieut P.R. DEWDNEY RA. proceeded on leave.
11th March 1945
Place: Bulford
Nothing to report.
12th March 1945
Place: Bulford
Nothing to report.
13th March 1945
Place: Bulford
Nothing to report.
14th March 1945
Place: Bulford
1100 - Bty moved to KIMMERIDGE practice camp.
15th March 1945
Place: Bulford
Bty firing at KIMMERIDGE. Returned 2130 hrs.
16th March 1945
Place: Bulford
0700 - 8 17 pdr dets complete u/c LIEUT WILSON moved to TARRANT RUSHTON to be loaded into Hamilcars. Lt H.G. BARKER joined unit from 65 (NY) Anti Tk. Regt. R.A.
17th March 1945
Place: Bulford
2200 - B.C. and 2.I.C. briefed for OP. VARSITY. Bty loading vehs to flying scale.
18th March 1945
Place: Bulford
2200 - Preparation and move to transit camp. Coordinating conferences with 6 Bde.
19th March 1945
Place: Bulford
2200 - Preparation for move to transit camp. Final coordinating conferences with OBLI, Devons & R.U.R's.
20th March 1945
Place: Shudy Camps
2200 - Bty complete less 8 17 pdrs moved to transit camp area SHUDY CAMPS, ESSEX. Arrive 1800 hrs.
21st March 1945
Place: Shudy Camps
Troops briefed for OP. VARSITY.
22nd March 1945
Place: Shudy Camps
Briefing & Gliders loaded at EARLS COLNE & WOODBRIDGE & GT DUNMOW. Hamilcars flown to advanced airfields.
23rd March 1945
Place: Shudy Camps
Briefing for OP. and final arrangements.
24th March 1945
Place: Earls Colne
0530 - Bty moved to 3 airfields. 0700 Emplaned. 0710 Take off. Flew over KENT, N. FRANCE, BELGIUM & HOLLAND. Crossed the RHINE 1030 hrs.
Place: Hamminkeln 2048
1035 - Bty HQ and A Tp landed HAMMINKELN. 2 guns only arrived. Objectives taken. Scattered landing. Cas. heavy. Bty R.V. 1400 hrs. B.C. evaded capture. A Tp shot up [Five/Jerry?] 88: POW's taken. D Tp landed in 3 Bde area. B and C on Div L.Z. Cas heavy. Objectives taken 6 of 16 guns arrived.
25th March 1945
Place: Hamminkeln
2200 - Bty joined by all of its sub units. All objectives held. Bty HQ with 6 Bde HQ. A Tp shot up occupied houses. D Tp supported 3 Bde.
26th March 1945
Place: Hamminkeln
D Tp moved fwd with 3 Bde. B & C Tp with 5 Bde with 4 Bty. A Tp Hamminkeln area. Adv BHQ moved to 256466.
27th March 1945
Place: 256466
Bty revert comd. 3 Para Bde. D Tp moved with 8 Bn. B & C moved fwd with 5 Bde. Bty HQ & A Tp moved from Hamminkeln 0900 hrs. 3 Bde relieved 513 Regt. Guns positioned 256466. A Tp. sup Cdns, D Tp. 8 Bn, B Tp. 9 Bn. Objectives taken before schedule. B Tp had good action with 9 Bn.
28th March 1945
Place: Lembeck
2200 - Joined by sea party. 3 Bde moved through 5 Bde. ERLE - RHADE - LEMBECK 393498. D Tp with 8 Bn leading. Battle at Lembeck. B Tp supp. 9 Bn in left flanking attack.
29th March 1945
Place: Lembeck
2200 - Consolidation of LEMBECK. A Tp with 1 Cdn Bn. C Tp operationally existent. Rest.
30th March 1945
Place: Greven
2300 - Adv. to GREVEN with tk support. LEMBECK - KL REKEN - GR REKEN - COESFIELD - BILLERBECK - ALTENBERG - GREVEN. TOA 2300. Approx Dist 40 miles. Cdn. with A took GREVEN.
31st March 1945
Place: Greven
908886. Opposition. 1100 Shelling of BHQ. Enemy [?] - Stand to. 6 pr moved over Ems bridge to Dortmund-Ems Canal.
Month and year : April 1945
Commanding Officer : Maj J. Woodrow RA
1st April 1945
Place: Greven
BHQ moved 0830 to farm 906885. Bde objective brs. over Dortmund-Ems Canal. D Tp over with 8 Bn. Shelling by en. S.P. Arty. 1 Cdn Bn with D Tp take LADBERGEN 001930.
2nd April 1945
Place: 977907
1000 - En. Arty active. Br. over canal established 978893. 17 pdrs cross. B Tp deployed on bridgehead. Roads bad.
3rd April 1945
Place: Wissingen 322071
2200 - Moved to WISSINGEN. Arrival 2030. Bty HQ in station. B Tp had battle with enemy. Sgt [?] [chased?] on M/C.
4th April 1945
Place: Bolhorst 791093
1800 - Adv. continued. 392071 - SCHLEDEHSN - WAHRHENDORF - HARPER FELD - BAD ESSEN - HOLZHEN - BLASHEIM - LUBBECKE - EILHSN - BOLHORST 791093. En. shelling. Cdns with A Tp take MINDEN 0200. 9 Bn with D Tp in MINDEN.
5th April 1945
Place: Holzhausen
MINDEN consolidated. Bty HQ recce party sniped. Bty assembled HOLZHAUSEN. C Tp supported 6 Bde at LAHDE.
6th April 1945
Place: Holzhausen
Bty concentrated. Cleaning & maintenance. C Tp at LAHDE.
7th April 1945
Place: Wiedensahl
Adv. continues. HOLZHEN - TODTHSN - PETERSHAGEN - LAHDE - RADERHORST - WIEDENSAHL. C Tp rejoin 6 Bty. BHQ WIEDENSAHL.
8th April 1945
Place: Bokeloh 2027
1800 - 1100 left WIEDENSHAL - SACHENSHAGEN - BOKELOH - BHQ. Arrived 1400. D & B Tp in WUNSTORF. A Tp supported Cdn attack on RICKLINGEN to relieve battered recce unit. Panthers seen.
9th April 1945
Place: Bokeloh
A Tp pulled back to LUTTE. Rest & reorganisation.
10th April 1945
Place: Wennebostel 3739
Adv continues BOKELOH - METTEL - WUNSTORF - NEUDSTADT - SCHARREL - NEGENBORN - BRELINGEN - MELLENDORF - WENNEBOSTEL. E & H Tps. 4 Bty u/c. H Tp deployed Brelingen. E & D Tps Mellendorf. A Tp Bde HQ. B Tp. BUSENDORF.
11th April 1945
Place: Wennebostel
15 (Sc) Div passed through 1000 hrs on axis CELLE - UELZEN. 3 Bde consolidation. 1 hr notice to move.
12th April 1945
Place: Wennebostel
1200 - Reorganisation and cleaning. Tps still deployed. C.O. arrived 1100 hrs. Rest
13th April 1945
Place: Wennebostel
2200 - Reorganisation and rest. Bde Adm. Conf. 1830. 1845 Recce of billets in CELLE 5649
14th April 1945
Place: Celle
2200 - Rev. VAUGHAN-JONES joined us yesterday. Preparation for step up on Corps axis to CELLE. E and H troops revert to comd 4 Bty. 1400 hrs Bty moved to CELLE in concentration area. Regtl and Bty conferences.
15th April 1945
Place: Celle
PARA. Troop formed u/c LT. MOCKLER. MAJOR WOODROW detached for special assignment. CAPT. MADOCKS took over comd. 2 Tps formed from remainder of Bty. 2 Tps 4 Bty come under comd. 3 Bty. Preparation for move to fwd. concentration area S of UELZEN.
16th April 1945
Place: Celle
1000 - Bty less tps u/c 5 PARA BDE moved to concentration area in STADENSON 9097. A Troop u/c 1st CANADIAN PARA BN in area NETTLEKAMP 9280. B Troop u/c 9 PARA BN in area WRESTEDT 9082. 1330 hrs Bty HQ estab STADENSON. 1700 hrs Bty HQ moved to BOLLENSON 9381.
17th April 1945
Place: Bollenson
1500 - Bty HQ moved to RATZLINGEN 9790. A Tp u/c CDNS area RIESTAU 9593. B Tp u/c 9 BN area MASENDORF 9494. Under cmd of Bty 3 Troops of 63 A. Tk Regt, deployed in areas MOLZEN 9393 and RATZLINGEN.
0600 - Gnr PATRICK run over and killed by 17 pr. One 17 pr of 4 AIRLANDING A TK BTY u/c 3 BTY taking wrong route out of RATZLINGEN shot up by 88's. Quad destroyed but det escaped intact with inf of enemy tks which was passed to div. Troop of 4 Bty u/c shot up with SA fire coachload of Germans entering MOLZEN. Veh & trler entering MOLZEN from east engaged & destroyed with 1 rd HE. Tracked veh knocked out by 17 pr u/c 4 Bty at 927954. Att troops from 63 A Tk Regt shot up (with HE) German infantry approaching from South towards MOLZEN.
18th April 1945
Place: Ratzlingen
No movement. Nothing to report.
19th April 1945
Place: Ratzlingen
0930 - B Tp moved to area STOCKEN 9793 u/c 9 PARA BN.
20th April 1945
Place: Ratzlingen
Maj WOODROW reassumed cmd of Bty. Parachute troops at 1 hrs notice to move with 5 PARA BDE. A Troop moved to area HANSTEDT (9798) u/c 1 CDN PARA BN.
0930 - B Troop moved to area NATELN 0390 u/c 9 PARA BN. Parachute troop moved to area RATZLINGEN.
21st April 1945
Place: Ratzlingen
Nothing to report.
22nd April 1945
Place: Ratzlingen
Nothing to report.
23rd April 1945
Place: Ratzlingen
0900 - Parachute troop moved to area LEHMKE 9585 u/c MAJOR WOODROW.
1300 - BTY moved to concentration area WESSENSTEDT 8299.
24th April 1945
Place: Wessenstedt
Bty on maintenance in area.
25th April 1945
Place: Wessenstedt
Nothing to report.
26th April 1945
Place: Wessenstedt
Nothing to report.
27th April 1945
Place: Wessenstedt
1145 - Bty visited by C.R.A. Parachute troops moved to Bty area WESSENSTEDT u/c 2nd AIRLANDING A TK REGT. Bty training.
28th April 1945
Place: Wessenstedt
Training. 1700 hrs Reinforcements u/c LIEUT. H.G. BARKER R.A. arrived from BULFORD.
29th April 1945
Place: Wessenstedt
Reorganisation of Bty into four troops. Preparation for move across River ELBE.
30th April 1945
Place: Wessenstedt
0400 - Troops left WESSENSTEDT and moved to Bn locations. A Tp u/c 1st Cdn Para Bn. B Tp u/c 9 Para Bn. D Tp u/c 8th Para Bn. C Tp in Bty reserve.
0715 - Bty HQ moved to area NEETZE 9322.
1830 - Bty HQ crossed River ELBE by Cl 9 bridge and was established in BOIZENBUR 9835.
