Operation Torchlight 15th Div cross the Rhine

Operation Torchlight was the code name for the 15th Scottish Division part in the assault crossing of the Rhine. My former battalion of the 8th Royal Scots positioned on the left had the 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers on their right and 6th KOSB (the third battalion) of 155 Infantry Brigade were in reserve.

Two large-scale rehearsals for the crossing had taken place on the River Mass earlier in March prior to their assault crossing in Buffalos on 24th March Zero Hour 0200. Once established in their bridgehead they were to make contact with the 6th Airborne Division. By the morning of the 23rd all was ready and the 8RS spent the day in their marshalling area on the west bank, held by the 7th/9th Royal Scots for more than a week, and had a most uncomfortable time under the vast choking pall of smoke that had been laid for fifty miles along the valley to screen the preparations being made.

At 1800hrs the British Artillery opened up with a mighty bombardment. Punctually at 0200 hours the Royal Scots were water-borne. They crossed in three waves at four-minute intervals and without incident made to their way to the East bank.





‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies took their objectives without great difficulty, although some of the Spandau posts dug in on the far side of the bund defended themselves stubbornly, having suffered little damage from our artillery bombardment. ‘C’ Company met the fiercest opposition and had great difficulty in disposing of one resolute post. Soon all the Rifle Companies were on their objectives and patrols were sent to clean up any enemy who might be lying up in houses or entrenched in their respective areas.

‘D’ Company sent a platoon to ‘B’ Company area to allow them to extend to Gossenhof. This latter farm was captured after a sharp fight in which casualties were suffered. The farm was occupied by a stray party of the enemy which included and artillery OP team, who were either killed or captured.

The counter-battery operation had been highly successful, and there was little shelling and mortaring in the Battalion area. The 8RS Mortar Platoon was unlucky, however, when a shell landed right in the middle of their position whilst they were firing on enemy targets.

The enemy still occupied Vissel and Jockern, and at 0945 hours an attack was made to capture both these villages. ‘B’ Company was directed on to Vissel and ‘D’ Company on to Jockern, supported by a Squadron of the 44th Royal Tank Regiment. Both operation were successful and prisoners taken in each village.
At 1000 hours came a sight never forgotten by Veterans of the 8RS. The full strength of the Allied air armada passed across the sky overhead. Countless aircraft with paratroopers and towed gliders came over the Battalion area and released their loads right in front. The landing and dropping zones of the 6th Airborne Division were about three miles ahead of the Battalion. Intense light anti-aircraft fire opened up at the airborne troops but the great majority of the force was accurately landed and their aircraft returned safely. It was said to be a wonderful sight against the clear blue sky.

Joe Brown.

 

Owen.

Thanks.

Joe

 

Thanks for the insight Joe , i'm interested in the advance to join up with the 6th Airborne etc , could you post your memories of that as well please ?

regards

Paul

 

Hi Joe
I am a new member here and I joined because my mum’s husband was Cpl Arthur Wynn, 6th RSF who crossed the Rhine on 24 March 1945 into Bislich . He was wounded there and moved back to the St Elisabeth Hospital in Venray, Netherlands, where he died of his wounds on 31st March. He is buried (reburial) in the CWGC cemetery in Venray. I now live in the Netherlands and have recently adopted his grave which means attending memorial services and telling his story so he is never forgotten. I am going to his grave this week, then local researchers have located where his temporary grave was which I want to see and then driving on to Bislich for more research trying to establish how and where he was wounded - gunshot or mine. I have virtually ruled out he was in D.Coy so researching B and C Coys. Hard going though. Thought this might be a useful intro having read your post from some years back.

 

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

As a new member you won’t be aware that Joe Brown has sadly passed away since he created this topic almost 8 years ago.

Joe Brown 1921-2015

Steve

 

Hi Keith,

I am grew up in Bislich and Bergerfurth (where the paras of 3rd Para Bde were dropped) - and I am also an historian who researched the wartime events in our area. So, if you have any questions I'd be happy to help.
Best
Alex

 

Thanks Steve, I certainly wasn’t aware otherwise I would never have messaged him. I will find out how to delete my message and then maybe post the same as a newcomer.
Best
Keith

 

Hi Alex
Many thanks for your reply. As you know 6th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers landed in Bislich at about 2.30am on 24 March. As far as I understand they initially waited on the bund, where the spot is now marked, before moving off to their next objective. If you are able to help with two aspects I would be very grateful:
1) Records show that whilst on the bund they took fire from three houses across the road. Do you know those three houses and do they still stand today? Presumably they are on Marwick?
2) D.Coy took a direct hit from allied artillery and the casualties are documented and named. Arthur is not among them. That leaves B and C Coys as A.Coy was in reserve. How can I find the path that each took after leaving the bund to reach their second objectives. I believe one was into the town and the other was a crossroads on the eastern edge of the town. Ideally I would like to narrow down how Arthur was wounded.
I have some personal accounts (in German), particularly from Pastor Kuhnen. Is there a public record of such accounts - I wrote to the museum in Bislich but sadly they did not respond.
If you are interested in Arthur's story I have written one or about 20 pages and would be happy to share with you. Sadly my parents never spoke about Arthur although as a kid growing up in London we often visited his brother but at that time I did not know of the relationship with my mother. It was only in her final years that she spoke with me which started my research but she had nothing to give me except a photo of his field grave at Sint OdaKapel which I understand was a mass grave and will visit the site in Venray tomorrow.
Best
Keith

 

Hello Keith,

incidentally, just last week I took a walk along the bund in Marwick. The scenery and the buildings in the area are more or less unchanged. All houses are still standing, some a bit redecorated - very few houses have been added, some of the old farms had modern stables built in the past decades. However, the overall look of th area is very much as it was back then. And it is a beautiful walk indeed!

The only thing that disappeared is the "factory" mentioned in some reports. It wasn't a factory but a plant where roof tiles were produced using the special clay found along the Rhine in our area. This plant had large sheds for drying and chimneys for the baking process, hence the "factory"-look.

I recorded an eye witness account of a farmer who was 15 years old and lived in the Marwick area - I used it in a book I published some yeras ago. Some other accounts are also available in a booklet published in Bislich in the 1990s, I need to look for my copy. Do you read German? I suppose that you do, living in the Netherlands...
The Bislich Museum is under new management - the new director is not terribly well informed on the details of the events in 1945. She has other fields of interest and I am trying to get her to upgrade the presentation of 1945 in the museum... but it is a difficult sell. I will send you a map later (when I am back home) with what I perceive to be the lines of advance of the coys.

Best
Alex

 

Six men of 6 RSF were buried in the area marked with the red circle, grid reference 137322. This is in the D Coy area and some are probably victims of the "friendly fire" incident

 

Hi again Alex
Wow, I have read the account of the 15 year old boy. He was warned to take his hat off in case he was mistaken for a soldier. I did not know to attribute that account to you. Wow, that is brilliant.
Thank you so much for your kindness.
Yes, five men were killed by friendly fire: Sgt Linard, L/Cpl Ward, L/Cpl Corner, Fusilier Ward and Fusilier McCaffery. I might do some research to see where they are buried now. Fusilier Rogers had been killed a short while before, I think whilst clearing the three houses that I mentioned earlier. He could then be the 6th man from 6RSF buried there.
I can get by with German so anything you have to share, I will be fine. It is just so fascinating to come across a researcher like you, it is a small ask to work with German and I am very happy to do that. The booklet would be brilliant but I am also interested in your book, is it available for sale? I am sorry to burden you but if you have any indication of the line of advance of B and C Coys I would be very appreciative.
I hope it may be possible to meet someday.
I attach the photo that my mother had of Arthur's grave prior to his reburial in December 1945. I believe it was a mass grave. So the photo was taken some time between March-December 1945. The location has been plotted locally and so I will take some photos to share with you of that plot and hopefully be able to locate where the photo was taken. I also attach me when I last attended is grave and my recent adoption certificate.
Thanks to you, I am now extra excited about my drive to Bislich tomorrow.
Best regards
Keith

 

Keith - where did you find the account by Alfons Meyboom? It is in my book - so you must have accessed it somewhere. The book itself is still for sale. If you write to the Stadtarchiv Wesel, An der Zitadelle 2, 46483 Wesel (or: archiv@wesel.de ) they will send you a copy. You could also go there if you're in Bislich tomorrow.

A marked map will follow later!

 

Alex
I googled personal accounts and it came up under Bislich.de -
"Bislich in der Hand alliierter Soldaten".
It has a reference - Erstelt and a date 24 March 2020 and so I think it must have something to do with the 75th commemoration.
Hope that helps.
Cheers
Keith

 

Ah ... ok. Wasn't aware of that...
Anyway - this map shows what I gleaned from a close reading of the regimental history:

 

I could imagine that the BN HQ for 6 RSF was established either in a smallish farm in front of the dyke or the tall house just behind the dyke at the crossroads street/dyke road. Can't tell for sure. In the regimental history it says: "Battalion Headquarters was set up at the extreme left of 'D' company area, almost on 'C' company's line of advance."


The map below is from the "Battlefield Tour Op Plunder" after the war. Black shows first positions, green second, orange final positions for March 24th. It is a little bit at odds with the regimental account of 6 RSF. This probably means that 6 KOSB took over the village of Bislich after C and B coys of 6 RSF had finished their initial attack on the village. Still, this helps to understand the movements of the brigade. The War Diary for 6 KOSB says: "6KOSB crossed at approx 0330 and advanced towards objectives, which were secured before first light, prisoners being taken. Bn HQ was estd in BISLICH 140435. The airborne dropped in front of our line at 1000 hrs and we contacted them on the 300 set, they say everything is going well and that they captured all their objectives. C & D Coys ordered to contact them at 157457 &
175436. D Coy patrol could not get as far as junc pt as they came under heavy fire from 156457 & wood 163453. 'C' Coy were able to link up with airborne."

 

Alex
A million times thank you. You have given me insights I only dreamt of finding.
From what I have read the Btn HQ was to be establish in the middle of the three houses I mentioned. Apparently it was stiffly defended ending in close quarters combat. I will list my reference material later in case there is something of interest to you. And of course I have 15th Scottish and 6RSF war diaries which you probably have plus there is Arthur’s service record. Just trying to balance the books as you have given so much.
Again, thank you so much

 

Keith, enjoy your trip to Bislich. Unfortunetely, I cannot meet you there tomorrow because I don't live there anymore - I regularly come for visits, though. Maybe we can arrange something at a later point.
Here's my nice walk - a good 25 minute tour through the Marwick area (although that's where D Coy saw action):

 

Also, go to the church in Bislich - this part of the village gives you an idea of the "old Bislich". At the church is also the site where an unfortunate trooper of 6 KOSB was buried - Private Sharkey. That is his grave:

 

Alex
My main references have been:
- 6th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers 1939-46
- The History of the Royal Scots Fusiliers 1919-59
- The Middlesex Regiment 1755-1966 (part of 51st Highland Infantry Division with references to 6RSF in Bislich)
- Operation Plunder by Tim Saunders.
As we say in NL - tot de volgende keer. Hope to see you soon. Will report back.