First British trooper or "troops" into Germany ?

I have an official 1944 Christmas card with photo of of soldiers on tank. Heading under photo:

Sherwood Rangers in Germany, September, 1944

First British Troops to enter Germany were the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry.
They went in North of the Reichwald Forest, South of Arnhem.

 

(Love it! - any chance you could scan or camera photo it? - I'll have a look to see if there is one of these on google images too - with your description above - online)

Might be some doubts if "official 1944" is official enough here though

Ps.Interestingly I did find this: The Creully Club - Newsletter Which has a very nice (timely) pic of the victory parade in Bremerhaven May 12th 1945. (Not sure why google pics pointed to it but glad it did though!)

Google pics: First British Troops to enter Germany were the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry. They went in North of the Reichswald Forest, South of Arnhem. Christmas post card 1944 - Google Search

 

Wondering if the picture here: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/sherwoodtimes/mckay.gif

From: Harold Larwood

(About 60% of the way down the webpage)

With quote "During the Arnhem operation the Rangers supported the 82nd U.S. Airborne Division and Captain McKay Reconnaissance's Group (SRY)(pictured right) were the first British troops to enter Germany - announced on the B.B.C. News."

Is the one on the "Christmas 1944" postcard?

I found this just now whilst researching - the events at Geilenkirchen - and the awarding of US medals to the SRY - which are the next item mentioned on there: Harold Larwood

With quote "In support of the inexperienced 84th U.S. Division, the Rangers were first across the Seigfriend Line before the battle for the important town of Geilenkirchen (pictured right Umbrellas into battle for Holland : http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/sherwoodtimes/tank.gif ) which was tenaciously defended by the Germans. Some of the Regiment were put up for American decorations.
To help the Americans combat the German counter-offensive through the Ardennes just prior to Christmas 1944, the Rangers joined in an attack on the Roer salient before fighting their way to the Rhine."

Quite a small world actually And everything seems to go round and around :Hydrogen:

Rm.

 

Sherwood Rangers in Germany - September 1944 - sent as an Xmas card in 1944 by Ramiles posted May 3, 2015 at 11:51 PM

[sharedmedia=gallery:images:28238]

An official 1944 Christmas card with photo of of soldiers on tank. Heading under photo:

Sherwood Rangers in Germany, September, 1944

First British Troops to enter Germany were the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry.
They went in North of the Reichwald Forest, South of Arnhem.

(From LesEvansLlanelli - see post # 21 above)

Thanks!

 

I knew I had this info somewhere, from ATB's OMG:

Captain R Williams Troop of Q Battery, 21st Anti-Tank Regiment, Guards Armoured Division were sent to Wyler to support the 508th Regiment at 1400 hrs on the 20th September 1944 and on the way to them they crossed into Germany.



Now can we have more BEF related Q's please - all this NWE stuff is awfully easy to answer :P

 

Thanks Drew,

That reminded me. Most likely, the first Brit was Captain Aubrey Beaty. See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/4177276/Aubrey-Beaty.html

With regards,

(-: Your move, RM

 

Thanks guys and gals,

Always happy to discuss the BEF (first into Belgium, last off the beaches?) - might make for some interesting posts (if not already discussed somewhere out there ) - and if someone knows (which no doubt....) . It's a QI type question I guess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_Eagles_Dare

Has this completely fictional commando raid (by mostly British troops) in Bavaria in the winter of 1943–44.

And I thought that there might even have been some (at least planned) sabotage raids, airdrops and even ideas of mini coastal invasions - perhaps sub based - off Germany (such as seizing some German islands) or assassinating some officials conducted by British SOE that might also come to light?

I think that the "official" news of "troops into Germany" was broken to provide some needed relief, and a lot of the pics might have been slightly staged after the event.

And it was and is intriguing to me - it's juxtaposition to the publicity for flag at Iwo after Feb 1945.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwo_Jima#Battle_of_Iwo_Jima

One of the first objectives after landing on the beachhead was the taking of Mount Suribachi. At the second raising of a flag on the peak, Joe Rosenthal photographed five Marines: Ira Hayes, Michael Strank, René Gagnon, Harlon Block, Franklin Sousley, and U.S. Navy corpsman John Bradley raising the United States flag on the fourth day of the battle (February 23). The photograph was extremely popular, being reprinted in thousands of publications. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography that same year, and ultimately came to be regarded as one of the most significant and recognizable images of the war, and possibly the most reproduced photograph of all time.

And the film in post #10 was a joy, and I wonder what the reception to it was? All in a days work for some I guess....

All the best,

Rm.

 

Please note that at the time the Dutch/German border lay much further to the west than nowadays. The high ground of the Wyler Berg (aka Devills Hill) belonged to Germany. The Dutch/German Border at the time was situated on the eastern outskirts of Beek. After the war the Wyler Berg was annexed by the Dutch and, unlike other annexed parts of German territory, was never returned to Germany. The modern border is now hard west of Wyler.

The map below gives the old WW2 border at Beek:



a. The X-roads location where the Stuart tanks meet the US Airbornes at Beek (Pathe reel at post # 10; at 00:05 and on) ;
b. The border filmed in the Pathe film (post # 10; at 00:36 and on)
c. the location of the parked Shermans of the Sherwood Rangers (picture post 24 # & road followed by Stuart in Pathe film at 00:23)

 

Pathe reels related to the border crossing at Beek (Holland):

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/nijmegen-tanks-and-troops/query/German+border

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/occupation-of-germany-continues/query/Nijmegen

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/nijmegen-tanks-and-troops/query/German+border

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/nijmegen-tanks-and-troops/query/German+border

 

The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 1939-1945

"Sad news today of the passing of Major Doug Nelson MM, Sherwood Rangers.
Major Nelson served with the Sherwood Rangers throughout the war, with A Squadron and later with Recce Troop.
He won his Military Medal in July 1944 in Normandy.
His troop were famously the first British troops to enter Germany on 21st September 1944 during Operation Market Garden, east of Nijmegen.
After the war he commanded A Squadron Sherwood Rangers in the 1950s.
He passed away peacefully at aged 99.

Our condolences to the Nelson family.
Loyal unto Death."

 

https://www.facebook.com/1735590503341671/posts/3131784840388890/

"Trooper Vin Cantrill of Recce troop was the first British soldier into Germany on what was his 23rd birthday on 21st September 1944, east of Nijmegen. He would have been 100 today. Loyal unto Death."

 

The War Illustrated - Vol.8 # 192 - 27th October 1944 edition...

 

Monday 11th September 1944... 11d9m1944...

"US troops cross the border into Nazi Germany for the first time. At 16:30 hours, a 7-person patrol led by Sgt. Warner W. Holzinger of the 2nd Platoon, Troop B, 85th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 5th Armored Division, crossed the river Our at Stolzembourg, Luxembourg and reached Keppeshausen. They studied the pillbox area, and returned safely to Stolzembourg at 18:50 having encountered no German military personnel. This was also the first advance through enemy lines in Germany."

 

2ndF&F - War Diary for 13th September 1944 has...

"The Regt. remained in the area of Peer with 1 Sqn at immediate notice, the remainder of the Regt. being at 24 hrs. notice in order to carry out very necessary maintenance. A. Sqn. moved out to the canal to the east of Bree where they found little sign of the enemy but were able to fire a few rounds of 17 Pr HE into Germany. These are believed to be the first British shells to land into Germany."

"A" Squadron, 2ndF&F...
12th -18th September 1944 :
The Sqn spent in harbour at Peer. One day was spent in patrolling towards the east with the object of, attracting attention in that direction. After reaching some high ground south of Brie, overlooking the Meuse-Escaut Canal some useful shooting was done at targets on the far side. At the end of the day several shots were fired across the narrow neck of the Maastricht Appendix into Germany. These were claimed to be the first British shells to be fired into the Third Reich and were duly celebrated. During this time Capt Loram was posted to the Sqn as second in command, and also Lt Porter. Lt Hales joined Sqn HQ.

 

The War Illustrated - 12d10m1945 edition...

The War Illustrated Archive

 

FIRST BIRTISH SOLDIERS ON GERMAN SOIL

B10438 - Object description
Original wartime caption: Airborne American Infantry riding on the back of the First Recce Honey Car across the Frontier into Germany.

FIRST BIRTISH SOLDIERS ON GERMAN SOIL

B10439 - Object description
Original wartime caption: Capt. Mckay, Sherwood Rangers, of Scarborough shakes hands with a Dutch woman who is married to a German. She was sent away by the Germans to undergo forced Labour. Note the white flag hanging outside the Cafe. It is the first Cafe on the German side of the Frontier.

FIRST BIRTISH SOLDIERS ON GERMAN SOIL

B10440 - Object description
Original wartime caption: A Sherwood Ranger crouches by the side of the Sentry box at the Frontier Post, to give covering fire for the troops crossing.

FIRST BIRTISH SOLDIERS ON GERMAN SOIL

B10441 - Object description
Original wartime caption: The first Sherwood Ranger's Recce Car to cross the Frontier.

FIRST BIRTISH SOLDIERS ON GERMAN SOIL

B10442 - Object description
Original wartime caption: Sgt. Nelson of the Sherwood Rangers shaking hands with Sgt. Leoleis (American Airborne) of New York City. Sgt. Nelson is standing on the German side of the Frontier.

FIRST BIRTISH SOLDIERS ON GERMAN SOIL

B10443 - Object description
Original wartime caption: The crew of the first vehicle across the German Border.

FIRST BIRTISH SOLDIERS ON GERMAN SOIL

B10444 - Object description
Original wartime caption: Driver Cantrill, Sherwood Rangers, of Retford, Notts, who drove the first Recce Car across the Frontier.

FIRST BIRTISH SOLDIERS ON GERMAN SOIL

B10445 - Object description
Original wartime caption: Troop Leader, Capt McKay, who was in charge of the first Recce Car which crossed the German Frontier.

FIRST BIRTISH SOLDIERS ON GERMAN SOIL

B10446 - Object description
Original wartime caption: The troop of the Sherwood Rangers who were the first British troops to cross the Frontier into Germany.