NIJMEGEN BRIDGEHEAD: II.SS Pz Corps' counterattack in October 1944

GJW - on basis of the material you sent me per PM, I've added his name to the casualty list in my post. He was a RAMC soldier attached to the 7th Green Howards. Killed on October 1st, 1944, he undoubtedly was involved in the battalion's action near the Heuvel Farm.

See: NIJMEGEN BRIDGEHEAD: II.SS Pz Corps' counterattack in October 1944

 

My apologies for hijacking this thread but I have found it very useful/interesting. My grandfather was Lt RDF Cameron who was 6HLI and was wounded on 9 October 1944 in 'NW Europe'. This always confused me as I understood that the 52 Lowland Division were not committed to battle until the middle of October. As a result of this thread I now know that 6HLI was attached to 50th Division at the beginning of October, which explains the date. I have a copy of the casualty list for officers from the first week or two of October (see attached), but unfortunately I don't currently have any other information about his time in the Netherlands (apart from some vague memories of him telling me the story of his evacuation back to the UK). He died in the early 1980s and I am in the process of applying for his army records, but it's a bit tricky at the moment and am unable to get a copy of the 6HLI war diary for October 44 as the PRO at Kew is currently closed.

 

I would just like to say a big thank you to Pieter (stolpi) for kindly sending me a copy of the War Diary for 6 HLI for October. It not only mentions my grandfather being wounded and admitted to 157 Field Ambulance, as a bonus it also mentions the birth of my mother back in Scotland in November 1944.

As an aside I have seen on this thread (and others) mention that 52 (Lowland) Division landed at Ostend and travelled up through Belgium into the Netherlands. Whilst that is true for most of the Division, 6HLI along with the Reconnaissance Regiment and 79 Field regiment RA travelled from Tilbury docks in London to the Mulberry at Arromanches at the beginning of September, before making their way (slowly) up to the front line north of Nijmegen.

Also there are a couple of references in this thread to 'The Regimental History - 6th Bn Highland Light Infantry', does anyone know where I can get a copy of this document?

Finally I have included a photograph of my grandfather, with my mother, taken a few months after he returned home from Europe.

.

 

Dear Stolpi, we are in contact with former lt. Mylchreest, age 96. His friend Willie Ashley died in combat the day before david Mylchreest got wounded. On october the 2nd 2022 we will do a ceremony in the Elst surroundings and at Oosterbeek War cemetary, maybe we can get in touch? Yours sincerely, Arnout Rinkes,

 

Arnout, I've sent you a PM, which you can find in your Inbox on this site.

 

Bump ... this week it's 78-years-ago that the Germans conducted their counter-offensive on The Island.

The Nijmegen bridge turned out a 'Bridge too far' for the 2nd SS Pz Corps and the Arnhem bridge was demolished by Allied air.

 

My father Eric Waldo Spicer was killed on the 1st October (his remains were moved to the Oosterbeek war grave Arnhem) and is burried with my mother. He was in the 59th Recci regiment which was disbanded and he was sent to 7th Bat Green Howards

 

Paul - Just in case you did not notice. He is mentioned in the casualty list my post on the 7th Green Howards action at the Heuvel Farm: NIJMEGEN BRIDGEHEAD: II.SS Pz Corps' counterattack in October 1944

 

GJW75 - A bit belated, but your relative is also mentioned in the casualty list in my post on the 7th Green Howards. He was a medic attached to the battalion.

See: NIJMEGEN BRIDGEHEAD: II.SS Pz Corps' counterattack in October 1944

 

Another victim of the October 1944 battle for the Nijmegen Bridgehead has been given a final resting place. His field grave was discovered in 2020 during road construction work near Bemmel. A rifle, a helmet and a fountain pen were also found with the soldier's body. The remains were taken to Soesterberg for identification.



Killed during the action at the Heuvel Farm: NIJMEGEN BRIDGEHEAD: II.SS Pz Corps' counterattack in October 1944

From the official news bulletin of the Dutch Army:

Henry Moon

Private Moon, born in 1922, served with the Yorkshire Regiment, also known as the Green Howards, since 1942

With the 7th battalion he took part in the invasion of Sicily from North Africa in 1943. Moon was wounded but returned to England later that year. There the preparations for D-Day began; the Allied landings in Normandy.

Private Moon landed on the Gold Beach invasion beach on June 6, 1944 and fought his way through France and Belgium with his unit. The soldiers crossed the Dutch border on September 17. They were part of the ground offensive that had to relieve the American, British and Polish airborne troops

At the end of September, the 7th Battalion had taken up positions north of Bemmel. Henry Moon was killed there during a German mortar bombardment on 1 October 1944 and was reported missing. His field grave was found during work on the A15. Thanks to the DNA of his cousin David, Henry was identified. A detachment of the Yorkshire Regiment carried him to his final resting place.





Stoffelijke resten Britse soldaat gevonden bij werk aan A15

 

Bump ... 80 years ago 2nd SS Panzer Korps launched a counterattack against the British positions on The Island (Nijmegen Bridgehead). After almost a week of heavy fighting, the Germans had to abandon the attack. The operation was a failure. The British had entrenched themselves firmly in the bridgehead and inflicted heavy losses on the Germans. The operation led to the demise of the Arnhem Bridge, it was destroyed by American medium bombers on October 7th, 1944.

 

Quick question apart from the "Tank " Memorial at Heuvel are there any other memorials in the area around Bemmel ? , i am going to the area in May with a group from the DLI Association.

 

Loop closing:

Memorial at the Vernon assault crossing point, France.
RIP