Irish Guards, 3 Bn. War Diary, June 1944 -

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IRISH GUARDS BATTLE GROUP
(2nd Battalion and 3rd Battalion)

NORMAL ORDER OF MARCH
(Varied in detail, but not in principle.)

“A” Coy./Sqdn. Battle Group.
One troop tanks.
One troop tanks carrying one infantry platoon.
A detachment of Royal Engineers.
Company and Squadron H.Qs. and Artillery Forward Observation Officer.
Third troop and Squadron H.Q. troop carrying infantry platoons.
Two 3-inch mortars.
Two 6-pdr. anti-tank guns
A section of carriers (for administrative purposes).
Detachment of Pioneer Platoon.

“R” (for Reconnaissance) Group.
Officers commanding 3rd and 2nd (Armoured) Battalions.
Representatives of the supporting arms.
Honey tanks.
Rear link and Command wireless trucks.

“O” (Order) Group.
O.C. Support Company.
O.C. “B” Battle Group.
Pioneer Platoon (less one detachment).
One troop 17-pdr. anti-tank battery.
A section of carriers.
Two detachments 3-inch mortars.
Two detachments 6-pdr. anti-tank platoons.
2nd (Armoured) Battalion Regimental Aid Post.

“B” Battle Group
Squadron tanks.
Infantry company in lorries.
Artillery Forward Observation Officer.
Detachment Royal Engineers.
Two 3-inch mortars.
Section of carriers.
Detachment Pioneer Platoon.
Two detachments 6-pdr. anti-tank platoons.

“C” Battle Group.
Squadron tanks.
Infantry company in lorries.

Reserve Group.
Fourth infantry company in lorries.
Main Battalion H.Q.
Troop 17-pdr. anti-tank guns (towed).
3rd Battalion Regimental Aid Post.
Section of the Field Ambulance.
“A” Echelon, 3rd Battalion.
Medium M.G. Platoon.
“F” Echelon, 2nd Battalion.

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3 Bn Irish Guards

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3 BN Irish Guards

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3 Bn Irish Guards

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Extract from War Diary

September 6, 1944 DIEST
We left BRUSSELS at 10:00 hrs amid the usual scenes of cheering and enthusiasm and move without incident through LOUVAIN as far as DIEST. 32 Gds Bde Gp was leading the advance with the I.G. Gp in reserve. On reaching the ALBERT Canal the W.G Gp found that all the bridges had been blown and we were compelled to halt whilst a bridge was constructed during the night.

The only casualty during the day was one OR wounded.

September 7, 1944, BERINGEN
The Bn took over the Bridge head on the ALBERT Canal from the W.G. Group at noon. The day was an unpleasant one with considerable shelling from enemy S.P. guns which caused several casualties. Capt. W.R.R..S. BRUCE was killed early in the day and Capt.. WHITE and LORD PLUNKETT wounded.
In the early evening, No 3 Coy (Major M.V. DUDLEY) carried out a sweep in co-operation with a sqn of tks to clear the Germans from a slag heap to the WEST of the town which was dominating the bridge head. The attack met with considerable success but was unable completely to clear the large factory area and had to be content with limited consolidation. Several S.P. guns were knocked out and from this moment, the shelling of the bridge head diminished considerably.

Total OR cas for the day were 8 killed and 16 wounded.

September 8, BERINGEN
The Bn remained in the bridge head until 17:30 hours when the town was handed over to 11 ARMD DIV. In an unfortunate concentration of mortar fire during the morning, Capt. R.B.H. INGLEBY, Capt. G.A. JEFFRIES and Lt. M. AIRD were all wounded ["Lt Aird was peppered with shrapnel wounds"] - so the Bn was getting very short of officers.
In the evening, the group moved up to HALCHTEREN and reached the town just as darkness was falling. A sqn and coy of the W.G. group were in possession but had been unable to clear up the local German resistance outside the town. We were therefore compelled to do a night clearing which proved eminently satisfactory and the W.G. moved on to join the remainder of their group.

O.R. cas for the day totalled one killed and 8 wounded.

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September 9
HECHTEL
14:00 hrs
The Bn left to join the W.G. group in the woods to the EAST of HECHTEL. In the village itself the W.G. had met considerable opposition and towards evening were compelled to withdraw from it altogether. The Bn was ordered to by-pass the village on the following day and push N.W. towards the ESCAUT Canal. With this in view, the Bn harboured the night in the woods ready to move on next morning.
O.R. cas for the day were 5 killed and 10 wounded.

September 10
EAST OF HECHTEL
As is often the case, the 1/50000 scale map bore no resemblance to the ground and after one coy and one sqn had been launched on the chosen axis it was proved that the going was entirely unsuitable to tks. Luckily, No 4 Coy, which had been sent forward for this task pf ground recce were able to disengage from the enemy with very light cas and the Bn group followed up the C.L. of the GREN GDS group who had discovered a bridge by means of which tks could cross the otherwise impassable ground. Having reached the main rd to the ESCAUT Canal, the I.G. group were ordered to hook right and make for the bridge over the ESCAUT at de GROOT BARRIER. During the approach march we met no opposition and civilians and elements of H.C.R infmd us that there were no enemy SOUTH of the Canal. We reached the area of the bridge as light was failing and the Commanding Officer, after a rapid recce, decided to try and rush it. No. 2 Coy and one sqn of tanks were detailed for the job. The tks put down a hail of fire on the area of the bridge itself and succeeded in knocking out several un-armed 88 mm AA/A. Tk guns.
Lt. STANLEY-CLARKE’s pl. preceded by a tp of tks then rushed the bridge itself and succeeded in reaching the opposite side. The remainder of No. 2 Coy and No. 3 Coy were quickly pushed across to join them and the posn was rapidly consolidated.
The RE Offr with the Bn succeeded in disconnecting all the charges which were in position to blow the bridge, and the crossing of the ESCAUT had been successfully achieved. [4 Gdsmn H. Trimble, C. Mollard, E. Colethorpe K. Fielding assisted Sapper officer, Captain Hutton, in removing charges and received MMs]
Total cas for the day were one OR killed and 5 Ors wounded.

September 11
de GROOT
At about 09:00 hrs, the posn S.W. of the Bridge was counter-attacked by a mixed group of S.P. guns and inf who were trying to get back across the canal. At one time, one of the S.P. guns was within 100 yds of Bn. HQ but the posn was quickly restored and the enemy driven off with heavy losses.
During the attack, Capt. E.E. RAWLENCE (M.T. Offr) was unfortunately killed whilst trying to stalk a S.P. gun with a PIAT. The RSM also was evacuated suffering from blast and burns about the face and eyes. The C.O.’s staff car and several other vehicles were wrecked by enemy shell fire.
The total O.R. cas were three killed and 10 wounded.

September 12
de GROOT
A quiet day was spent by the Bn in rest and maintenance, and received a visit from the Corps Comd (Lt. Gen. HORROCKS) to congratulate those concerned in the capture of the bridge over the ESCAUT Canal, which had already been christened and signposted “JOE‘s BRIDGE” in honour of the C.O.
The only cas suffered today was one OR wounded.

September 13
de GROOT
The Bn was ordered to move into the Woods N.W. of the bridge head to enlarge it and took up a defensive position in this area during the afternoon.
September 14
de GROOT
08:00hrs
An enemy counter-attack was launched in some strength against the bridge head. A number of the enemy with spandaus and bazookas succeeded in infiltrating into the area held by No 3 Coy on the left, and the whole Bn and the bridge itself were subjected to fairly heavy mortar and shell fire throughout the day. During the evening , although the attack had by then been halted, we were compelled to re-organise to closer dispositions that those we had previously held. At nightfall, the shell and mortar fire intensified and was subsequently proved to be a cover for the enemy’s withdrawal, as there were no signs of them the following morning.
During the day, Lt. KENNARD and six ORs were killed, 23 ORs wounded and five ORs missing, but on the whole, casualties were lighter than might have been expected as the result of a two Bn co-ordinated attack.

September 15
OVERPELT
A Bn of the HAMPSHIRE REGT took over our posn during the morning and the Bn moved SOUTH of the Canal to the area of OVERPELT for a short rest and an opportunity to maintain the vehs, which after the long advances of the past few days were badly in need of attention.
Today’s casualties were one OR wounded and five ORs missing.

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September 16 OVERPELT
A quiet day in the concentration area.
It was decided as result of casualties and lack of reinforcements, to re-organise the Bn temporarily on a three coy basis and to this end, Major M.V. DUDLEY and his Coy HQ were for the time being L.O.B. During the evening an O Gp was held at 5 BDE HQ, under whose command the I.G. group now came, and orders were issued for a break-out of the bridge head on the following day and an advance NORTH to the ZUYDER ZEE.
Today’s casualties were one OR killed and one OR wounded.

September 17 OVERPELT
14:00hrs
The I.G. group was to lead the 5 BDE and effect the initial break-out of the bridge head. We had in support of us, 10 Fd Regts RA, 2 Med Regts RA and one heavy battery RA, and the call on a cabrank of 11 Sqns of TYPHOONS.
The Bn Group crossed the Div S.L. behind a rolling barrage, but we had not gone far before the leading sqn was halted by enemy battle groups with 88 mm guns and spandaus in the woods which flanked the roads. Progress was then slow, but the Typhoons who made 200 sorties during the afternoon, were able to overcome the enemy opposition, and after taking approx 100 PWs we crossed a small bridge just SOUTH of VALKENSWAARD in the evening and entered the town just as night fell.
During the day, Lt. RUSSELL was wounded by an enemy sniper, and seven ORs were killed and 18 wounded.

September 18 VALKESWAARD
After a quiet night, we were due to resume the advance early, but were delayed by the inf Bn of 50 DIV which was to take over form us and did not arrive until about 09:00 hrs. However, we got under way again and advanced along the C.L. as far as AALST where again we encountered a nest of A Tk and MG posts in concrete emplacements supported by inf. Unfortunately, owing to bad weather, we were unable to obtain air support but the gunners did good work and at 17:00 hours the enemy decided to withdraw after destroying their weapons, and we were able to have a clear run through EINDHOVEN 4219 to the WILHELMINA Canal. Here we found tps of a U.S. AIRBORNE DIV who were guarding the canal where the Germans had blown the bridge. The Bn group accordingly harboured the night SOUTH of the canal, during which time an excellent bridge was constructed by the REs.

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Extract from War Diary

September 21 NORTH of NIJMEGEN
The advance was resumed at mid-day, but stiff opposition was encountered soon after leaving the outskirts of the town, which later proved to be thick screens of some 7 x 7.5 cm and 2x 8.8 cm Assault Guns, supported by inf who lined the ditches with spandaus and squeeze guns.
The I.G. group were again in the lead, but the country was totally unsuitable for the employment of armour as the main road was embanked and the country on either side of it dyked and impassable to tks. Lacking the support of Typhoons, the Bn was unable to advance and was compelled to form a tight laager for the night in its present posn area 702662.
During the day, LTS. WILSON and GORDON - SHEA were wounded, which left the Bn with only two Pl Comds, and one OR was killed and 17 wounded.

September 22 NORTH of NIJMEGEN
It was decided that the axis should now be cleared by elements of 43 DIV and accordingly the Bn group was ordered to remain where it was until this operation was completed. During the day, there was a certain amount of shelling in the Bn area as a result of which, a house in which Bn HQ was situated, was unfortunately burnt to the ground.
Capt. G.S. CORBETT was wounded by a shell splinter, six ORs were killed, 21 wounded and one missing.

September 23 NORTH of NIJEMEGEN
The Bn was still holding their positions on the main road NIJMEGEN - ARNHEM while 43 DIV endeavoured to clear the C.L. There was some air activity towards evening and the bridge over the R. WAAL was subjected to constant shelling and air attack. Behind us, the C.L. had been cut by a German battle group and was making supplies of ammunition and petrol an anxious matter.

September 24 NORTH of NIJMEGEN
The C.L. behind us was temporarily cleared of the enemy and Bn. H.Q. moved into the HUIS von OOSTERHOUT 694657 - a very comfortable chateau just WEST of the C.L.
At last we received some reinforcements - 70 men with Lts. REYNOLDS, GALLOWAY, MORRISEY, and WARNOCK.
The only casualty today was one OR wounded.

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September 28 AAM
The Bn received orders to move into a defensive posn in the area of AAM 7170 to relieve 1WG. We had one sqn of 2 (Armd) IG tks in support and the take over was completed by 18:00 hrs. During the night, heavy mortar fire fell on No. 4 Coy area and 5ORs were killed and 5 wounded. Otherwise the day was uneventful. Patrols were sent out to recce the ground to the NORTH of the Bn posn but found no enemy. We also made contact with 7 GREEN HOWARDS on our Eastern flank.

September 29 AAM
Very little happened on the Bde front today and the enemy seemed to have withdrawn slightly from their posns, Patrolling was carried out as on the previous evening and no enemy were found.

September 30 AAM
After a peaceful night the morning was spent in laying defensive mine belts and harassing the enemy with mortar and M.G. fire. In the afternoon, Major FITZGERALD (2 i/c) was ordered to recce a new concentration area N.W. of GRAVE 6253.
6 Offrs and 155 ORs arrived as rfts.
Patrolling was again carried out during the night and proved to be uneventful.
Ten ORs were wounded during the day.

[von Poop]

dbf, having ploughed through this monumental thread (not easy to keep up!) I've just got to say; 'nice one'.
I reckon you do the Irish Guards history a great service, rarely has so much solid stuff been concentrated in one place here. Hopefully the people who potter on while looking for some lost relative or other will really appreciate what you've done, and the obvious amount of work involved.

And as for 'covert pigeon lofts'... that's really led me down some strange Google alleyways.

Cheers,
Adam.