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

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Adam,
Thanks, I hope it may yet help someone to find info about a relative.
Unfortunately can only limit myself to 3Bn although I do naturally stray in to 2Bn now and again.

As for pigeons, I think they might just deserve a thread of their own sometime. Was interesting ref. made to them in article on Boer war thread too. Led me to spend an entire day looking for refs. to their contribution to the war effort over the years. Sad I know ... who ate a carrier pigeon - was that a true WWI incident or just one of those myths ...? Then there's the ref in Longest Day to the war correspondent's 'traitor' who flew the wrong way.

d

Pigeon Carrier Service in Africa.

From St. Nicholas.

The pigeon post at Durban, in South Africa, was the beginning of the pigeon experiments conducted in recent campaigns between the English and Boers, and scores of messages were carried from one part of the English Army to another by means of the birds. Col. Hassard of the Royal Engineers, a staff officer at the Cape, had made a life study of the carrier pigeons, and before the war broke out the had established pigeon posts between most of the beleaguered cities. From Ladysmith, Kimberley, and Mafeking, pigeons early in the sieges regularly brought messages from the English soldiers cooped up in the towns. Sir George White's first message from Ladysmith was carried by a pigeon, and this means of communicating with the outside world continued until the number of birds in the city was exhausted. It was only a short time before that The English Government had decided to establish a service of carrier pigeons. In the navy pigeon posts were recognized means of carrying information as early as 1896, and there are over a thousand birds recorded on the books of the royal navy. The first naval loft was at Portsmouth, and now there are two others. In the English Army the posts have been confined almost exclusively to the Cape, where the nature of the country makes the homing pigeon service of more value than in England.

Published NY TIMES, June 16, 1901.

[Philip,ABRG]

If you go to Google Earth you can see that only a small part of numbers 10,3 and 4 are still around even that has altered, the rest of the area has been now built on and it holds the A325 from Arnhem to Nijmegen

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Hallo Philip,
Having checked google I see what you mean about how much it has changed, at least I think I do.
Is the A325 large M shaped junction to the bottom right, and then to the North the Roman names? Can you please explain the significance of the use of the latter, Tiberius, Claudius and other Roman refs?
Thanks,
d

[Philip,ABRG]

That was all fields, and the company I work for had to clear it all for ammo/explosives, it is now estate and houses, if fact it has been larger then on Google, as you can see Elst has expanded a lot(the area is well know for roman period archeoligy, hence the roman street names), as has Arnhem, if you go to the north and you see all the new build up area on the east of Driel some 13 bodies has been found in that area during development, German and British

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I would like to add a big thank you to our pals Philip and Peter for helping to expand the cemetery details. Hard work guys and I appreciate it.

If anybody would like to check out the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order on page 3 and sees one which they have photos for, please let me know by PM.

It would be nice to fill this up a little more.

Much appreciated,
dbf

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http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...farewell-1.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...farewell-2.jpg


"Monday, June 11, 1945

Armoured Guards' Farewell

From R.W. Thompson 'The Sheffied Telegraph' Special Correspondent

Rotenburg Airfield, Germany, Sunday. [10th June, 1945]

Field-Marshal Montgomery, escorted by a squadron of the Household Cavalry, yesterday drove up to a small white pavilion from which four Union Jacks flew beside the Standard of the Guards Armoured Division for the ceremonial farewell to armour of the Brigade of Guards on their return to take their rightful place as the cream of Britain's infantry.

With every gun at an angle of 45 degrees and every tank spotless, new painted and glinting with the wide open eye of the Guards Divisional sign, it was, despite the display of military might, more of a peacetime scene than anything else I have yet seen.

Massed Bands

Greeted by Major-General Allan Adair, commmanding the Guards Armoured Division, the Field-Marshall immediately took the general salute, and the massed bands of the Coldstream and Welsh Guards struck up.

As the Field-Marshall and General Adair took the salute the infantry of the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards together with representatives of all support troops in the Division, marched past with the magnificent smartness of the highest traditions of the Brigade of Guards.

In a short speech the Field-Marshall said that in the realm of armoured warfare the Guards had set a standard that would be hard for others to reach and maintain.

This closed one of the finest episodes in the history of the Brigade of Guards. Their exploits in armour will never be forgotten.

It was told that the Household Cavalry would keep their armoured vehicles in the division, but a squadron each of the Life Guards and the Royal House Guards (Blues) would become horsed cavalry again in London."

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March past of 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards, 6th June 1945, Gen Sir Allan Adair

[Owen]

Diane ,
What happened on 11th August 1944?
I see one of the casualties is the younger brother of 7th Marquess of Lansdowne who was killed in Italy in the Royal Wilts Yeomanry.
The Bowood Estate is not far from me.
CWGC :: Casualty Details

7th Marquess of Lansdowne. Son of Lt.-Col. Henry William Edmund Petty-Fitzmaurice, D.S.O., M.V.O., 6th Marquess of Lansdowne, and the Marchioness of Lansdowne, of Bowood, Wiltshire. B.A. (Oxon.). His brother Edward Norman also fell

.

The brother is,
Lord EDWARD NORMAN FITZMAURICE
Date of Death:11/08/1944
CWGC :: Casualty Details

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Originally Posted by Owen

Diane ,
What happened on 11th August 1944?

Sourdeval - back in a mo.
d

[dbf]

Owen, seems a sniper shot him in the head ... quite a few officers were killed and some of those mentioned as taking over were sadly killed later in the year ... Sourdeval is something my Dad only shakes his head at.

Going by JOE V's description think that IWM photo of the IG men in transport with their faces covered up may well fit in before this. [Edit, photo taken near Cagny 18th July.]

Will paste up accounts in a minute, here's diary entry for that day

3Bn WD

Again this morning the forward coys were attacked by an enemy force - thought to be on recce - but were easily repulsed by S.A. fire.

The Bn, supported by a sqn of tks of 1 (Armd) COLDM GDS and one Fd Bty carried out an attack to gain the line of the main VIRE-VASSY road SOUTH of SOURDEVALLE, being phased in with the remainder of the 32 Gds Bde directed on the village of CHENODELLE, and in concert with 1 MOT. GREN GDS and 2 (Armd) GREN GDS directed on the village of VIESSOIX. We were in the centre of a Div effort directed Southwards.


The leading Coys, right - 2 Coy and left - 4 Coy, were supported by two troops of tanks, medium mortars and a Field Bty RA, came under intense fire on a convex slope running Southwards, as soon as they crossed the Start Line. The leading tks immediately suffered casualties from enemy A.Tk guns or dung in tanks SOUTH of their objective. The forward coys pushed on through root and cornfields, suffering very heavy casualties before they reached their objective at approximately 400 yds NORTH of their objectives.


The enemy then crumpled heavily with arty and mortar fire on the forward slope of the hill down which the attack had been directed and at 1600 hours a contact patrol was sent forward to (a) locate the centres of enemy resistance, and (b) inform all possible survivors that they were to withdraw to the line of the F.D.Ls as soon as a smoke screen was laid to cover them. This contact patrol was led by Lt. A.N. DREWE of X Coy, who was himself wounded, one man of the patrol killed and another man wounded.


The smoke screen was laid, duration 30 mins, and Lt. DREWE with stretcher bearers, again went forward into the smoke and did all he could in supervising evacuation of all possible wounded.


Very heavy casualties were suffered by 2 and 4 Coys. Officers killed were Major A. EARLEY-WILMOT (2 Coy Comd), Lt. LORD FITZMAURICE (4 Coy) and Lt. P. BOURKE (2 Coy) and Major D.A. REID (4 Coy Comd), Lt. KINGAN (4 Coy) and Lt. RYDER (2 Coy) were all wounded. ORs suffered to the extent of 33 killed and 72 wounded.


The men were splendid, advancing in spite of the severe opposition, and nothing further could be done to support them owing to the proximity of the opposing posts, and the fact that the bulk of the fire power had to be retained for the 32 GDS BDE attack on CHENODELLE.


In the evening, the remnants of 2 and 4 Coys were successfully withdrawn to the reserve Coy area and their original positions were taken over by Nos 1 and X Coys.

Nos 2 and 4 Coys were amalgamated into one coy, now known as No 2, under the command of Capt. HENDRY.