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COMMANDO · 05-05-2008, 09:24 AM

2nd Battalion The Devonshire Regiment (Lt. Col. Sir John G Carew Pole, Bart.)

16 September (Night)
The night was spent in careful patrolling with the object of pin pointing the enemy positions as exactly as possible for Guards Armour. The night passed with the almost constant chatter of Spandaus.

17 September
During the morning final preparations were made for our part of the operation. For this the Battalion was split into two – B and D were tob e under the Command of 635978 T/Major G B Browne, and were to clear the woods, skirting the East and West of the road to HOEK and A and C Companies were commanded by the Commanding Officer, the woods further west of the road.
The operation for us was timed to start at the same time as Guards Armoured with Z Hour at 14.35 hrs.

13.00 hours. Just after 13.00 hrs softening up of the enemy positions began – Typhoons, Lightings, 25 pounders, medium shell’s and heavies all joined in and worked up to crescendo. In the distance we could see the troop-carrying aircraft passing in on their destination stretched richt across Holland.

14.35 hours. At 14.35 hrs the First tanks and the First Infantry (from 2nd Devons) pushed ahead and the advance began. Soon after the start Guards Armoured tanks were held up by a SP gun and 6 of their tanks were ‘brewed up’. B and D Companiesmeanwhile continued their part of the operation and captured up to 60 prisoners. Air support by now was terrific. Typhoons were swooping down at al langles and there was a constant hail of rockets and machine gun fire from them on the enemy.
B Company being rather far forward came in fors ome of this straffing causing a few casualties.
Eventually Guards Armoured ware able to move on and A and C Companies under the Commanding Officer prepared to clear thier big wood, which was reputed to contain the HQ of the [enemy] Parachute Battalion.
We had artillery support on to the wood and tanks accompanied our advance across the open country.

17.30 hrs. Major Browne’s Group reached HOEK by 17.30 hrs. – their main trouble had been in the initial stages, and as soon as they had broken through the enemy defences they reached HOEK in very good time and organised themselves into a defensive position with Anti-Tank guns and MMG’s.

The Commanding Officers Group by now was clearing the big wood. It was impossible to do all of it before dark, so it was decided to form a defensive position on the forward edge of the wood, and stay the night there with the intention of clearing the rest of the woods on the morrow.

19.00 hrs. Communication between the two halves of the Battalion became very difficult owing to the fact that by an unfortunate chance the M14 containing the Adjutant 180290 T/Capt. K Boatswain and the Signal Officer 308477 WS/Lieutenant Thornes F.A. 2 Signallers and the rear link wireless and codes had been blown u pon a mine on the verge of the main road.
DR’s were our most relible form of communication and by this means we let 231 Infantry brigade know where we were and what we were going to do.
A DR was also sent off tob ring food, which in due course miraculously appeared at midnight.
To our credit sof ar in this battle were 70 Prisoners, about 50 German dead – (these to major Browne’s Group) – 1 SP gun which had been abandoned wit hits engine still running and five Prisoners – those to the Commanding Officers group.
This the battalion spent the night with one half at HOEK and the other in a big wood about 5000 yards away wit hno inter-communications except DR.

Soldiers of this Battalion killed on the 17th and burried at Valkenswaard (this list may not be complete)

Private Ernest Harold Bray 5735116
Corporal George Henry Carrol, 5337571
Private William Fredrick Dare, 5617238
Private Arthur Hargraves, 4545568
Private Ernest Charles Kelly, 5342613
Private Clarence Edwards Newbery, 1625771
Private Harry John Oakley, 14696512
Lance Corporal James William Potter, 14557274
Private George Robertson, 14233445
Private Norman Albert Sharman, 14700699
Private John Arnols Stealy, 4463980

Captain Ivan Gerald Sopwith, 117084, Durham Light Infantry, seconded to the Devonshire Regiment

Buried at Leopoldsburg Cemetery, Belgium (this list is not complete)

Lieutenant Frank Arthur Thornes, 308477, East Surry Regiment, seconded to the Devonshire Regiment
Corporal Harold james Ash, MM, 5620098

05-05-2008, 09:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
COMMANDO Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 88	2nd Battalion The Devonshire Regiment (Lt. Col. Sir John G Carew Pole, Bart.) 16 September (Night) The night was spent in careful patrolling with the object of pin pointing the enemy positions as exactly as possible for Guards Armour. The night passed with the almost constant chatter of Spandaus. 17 September During the morning final preparations were made for our part of the operation. For this the Battalion was split into two – B and D were tob e under the Command of 635978 T/Major G B Browne, and were to clear the woods, skirting the East and West of the road to HOEK and A and C Companies were commanded by the Commanding Officer, the woods further west of the road. The operation for us was timed to start at the same time as Guards Armoured with Z Hour at 14.35 hrs. 13.00 hours. Just after 13.00 hrs softening up of the enemy positions began – Typhoons, Lightings, 25 pounders, medium shell’s and heavies all joined in and worked up to crescendo. In the distance we could see the troop-carrying aircraft passing in on their destination stretched richt across Holland. 14.35 hours. At 14.35 hrs the First tanks and the First Infantry (from 2nd Devons) pushed ahead and the advance began. Soon after the start Guards Armoured tanks were held up by a SP gun and 6 of their tanks were ‘brewed up’. B and D Companiesmeanwhile continued their part of the operation and captured up to 60 prisoners. Air support by now was terrific. Typhoons were swooping down at al langles and there was a constant hail of rockets and machine gun fire from them on the enemy. B Company being rather far forward came in fors ome of this straffing causing a few casualties. Eventually Guards Armoured ware able to move on and A and C Companies under the Commanding Officer prepared to clear thier big wood, which was reputed to contain the HQ of the [enemy] Parachute Battalion. We had artillery support on to the wood and tanks accompanied our advance across the open country. 17.30 hrs. Major Browne’s Group reached HOEK by 17.30 hrs. – their main trouble had been in the initial stages, and as soon as they had broken through the enemy defences they reached HOEK in very good time and organised themselves into a defensive position with Anti-Tank guns and MMG’s. The Commanding Officers Group by now was clearing the big wood. It was impossible to do all of it before dark, so it was decided to form a defensive position on the forward edge of the wood, and stay the night there with the intention of clearing the rest of the woods on the morrow. 19.00 hrs. Communication between the two halves of the Battalion became very difficult owing to the fact that by an unfortunate chance the M14 containing the Adjutant 180290 T/Capt. K Boatswain and the Signal Officer 308477 WS/Lieutenant Thornes F.A. 2 Signallers and the rear link wireless and codes had been blown u pon a mine on the verge of the main road. DR’s were our most relible form of communication and by this means we let 231 Infantry brigade know where we were and what we were going to do. A DR was also sent off tob ring food, which in due course miraculously appeared at midnight. To our credit sof ar in this battle were 70 Prisoners, about 50 German dead – (these to major Browne’s Group) – 1 SP gun which had been abandoned wit hits engine still running and five Prisoners – those to the Commanding Officers group. This the battalion spent the night with one half at HOEK and the other in a big wood about 5000 yards away wit hno inter-communications except DR. Soldiers of this Battalion killed on the 17th and burried at Valkenswaard (this list may not be complete) Private Ernest Harold Bray 5735116 Corporal George Henry Carrol, 5337571 Private William Fredrick Dare, 5617238 Private Arthur Hargraves, 4545568 Private Ernest Charles Kelly, 5342613 Private Clarence Edwards Newbery, 1625771 Private Harry John Oakley, 14696512 Lance Corporal James William Potter, 14557274 Private George Robertson, 14233445 Private Norman Albert Sharman, 14700699 Private John Arnols Stealy, 4463980 Captain Ivan Gerald Sopwith, 117084, Durham Light Infantry, seconded to the Devonshire Regiment Buried at Leopoldsburg Cemetery, Belgium (this list is not complete) Lieutenant Frank Arthur Thornes, 308477, East Surry Regiment, seconded to the Devonshire Regiment Corporal Harold james Ash, MM, 5620098 Last edited by COMMANDO; 05-05-2008 at 09:37 AM.