Reusel Holland/belgium Border

Discussion in 'NW Europe' started by gaztwrO, Aug 19, 2008.

  1. gaztwrO

    gaztwrO Member

    My fathers uncle, Raymond Owens was involved in a battle in a town called Reusel which was in Holland right on the border of Belgium just south of Tilburg and Eindhoven. Raymond was an infantry man with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, from my fathers talks with our late uncle he told my father that it was feirce fighting for the town, at one point both allied and german soldiers were within the towns church on oppsoite ends fighting. He also told my father that there had been a sniper in the belfry of the church which was queitened when a tank round went through it destroying the belfry. Is there anyone else out there who has info on the battle at Reusel we think it would have been around August/Sept time of 44'

    Also has anyone got experience on how to go about recovering information from the National Archives in London, regarding lost relatives of WW2. Raymond's brother was killed not far from Leopoldsburg he was a member of the 20th Anti Tank Royal Artillery, we visited his grave in March of this year but we would like to try and identify exactly where he was killed, i've been told by Paul REED that the archives may hold more info of each Regimants losses, anyone got any tips ......!!!
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi,

    I don't know if this site will help? It may be a little later than what you are looking for but the guy appears to have a wealth of knowledge plus its a great site.

    Remember September '44

    Goodluck
     
  3. gaztwrO

    gaztwrO Member

    thanks drew i'll take a look at it
     
  4. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Through personal circumstances I don't have much time at the moment, but I have someting about the WD in my papers ready for my webpage
     
  5. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    At the 20th the Battery was a Petit Breugel, but no mentioning in the WD of any casualties.
     
  6. gaztwrO

    gaztwrO Member

    thanks philip that's great information i take it from your reply that the 20th anti tank was at petit breugel on the 20TH sept 44'.....???
    Further from my father he has examined Edwin's service papers and it states that he was admitted to the hospital on the 19TH but his recorded death was for the 20TH.
    would love to hear any more information you have for the 20th AT at that date.
    very much appreciated......Thankyou.
     
  7. gaztwrO

    gaztwrO Member

    Can anyone assist with the location of Petit Breugel or what does it mean...?
     
  8. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Kleine-Brogel is the Flemish name that you'll find on modern maps. It is a current Belgian Airforce base.

    It is a feature of British maps of the period that they replicated the French language names supplied by Brussels regardless of the language of the local population.

    Sometimes it's obvious like De or La Panne and Ieper or Ypres.

    Now that Belgium is administratively divided on language grounds, wartime accounts can be quite confusing to those of us who have never learned the French names.
     
  9. gaztwrO

    gaztwrO Member

    thank you for your reply rich much appreciated
     
  10. gaztwrO

    gaztwrO Member

    Hello all,

    After speaking to my Dad i've got more info, Edwin was admitted to the feild hospital on the 19th of Sept it is believed that his Bren Gun carrier was hit by an 88' round. He was by all accounts alive when he arrived at the feild hospital and pleaded that a message be passed to his brother Raymond who was not far from the hospital. The message eventually got to Raymond (RWF) who was on the frontline at the time, his C.O allowed him to take a vehicle to the feild hospital to see Edwin. According to Raymond the vehicle was a comandeered German officers car!!
    By the time Raymond arrived at the hospital Edwin had died of his injuries and was then buried in a feild along with the other dead in a feild behind the feild hospital.
    Raymond told my father that Edwin was later moved to the Leopoldsburg CWG.
    Can anyone assist further with the location Kleine-Brogel, were the Royal Welch Fusiliers of the 20th Anti Tank in the area around the 18TH-20TH of Sept 44'....??

    Kleine Brogel is a lot closer to Leopoldsburd which would make sense i suppose but i'm no expert!

    Thank you Phil and Rich for your leads so far.
     
  11. gaztwrO

    gaztwrO Member

    i know i can't spell field!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or Leopoldsburg
     
  12. arneken

    arneken Member

    Time for a Belgian Civilian to help? Leopoldsburg and Kleine Brogel are untill today Belgian Army/Airforce bases.

    Kleine Brogel is situated in Belgian Limburg.

    [​IMG]

    In 1944 besloten de geallieerden er een tactisch vliegveld met codenaam “B-90” aan te leggen.

    In 1944 the allieds decided to lay an Airstrip with codename "B-90."

    B90

    About the groundfights around "Petit-Broghel" I could find much Dutch info. I've got some relatives living in Kleine-Brogel (one was a mechanic in the Airforce-base) but I doubt that they will know more. I can always trie the dutch forum. is that fine for you?

    greetings Arneken
     
  13. gaztwrO

    gaztwrO Member

    ARNEKEN THANKYOU FOR YOUR REPLY YES IT WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED ANY FURTHER INFO YOU COULD GET. FROM SPEAKING TO MY FATHER FURTHER WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT EDWIN WAS ADMITTED TO THE FEILD HOSPITAL ON THE 19th SEPT 44' AND DIED ON THE 20th SEPT. FROM HIS INJURIES, HE WAS PART OF THE 20th ANTI TANK REGIMENT SO ANY INFO OF THEIR LOCATION TO KLEINE-BROGEL DURING THE PERIOD OF THE 18th SEPT ONWARDS WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
    ONCE AGAIN THANKS TO EVERYONE SO FAR FOR COMING FORWARD WITH INFORMATION.
     
  14. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    I have e-mailed someone I know in Belgium who is very knowledgeable about his country during WW1 and WW2. If he can give me any details I will pass this on.
     
  15. gaztwrO

    gaztwrO Member

    thanks ramacal let me know how you get on....much appreciated
     
  16. Finbar Saunders

    Finbar Saunders Junior Member

    Great Stuff Gaz & ramacal.

    I feel another visit to Belgium coming on!!
     
  17. Finbar Saunders

    Finbar Saunders Junior Member

    At the 20th the Battery was a Petit Breugel, but no mentioning in the WD of any casualties.

    Gaz, in case I don't speak to you on the phone!

    The CWGC identifies him as being with 20th Anti Tank, R.A. and dying on 20th September, 1944. However, his TA Record of Service papers records him as being in the 21st Anti Tank, R.A., and that he was admitted, dead, to the 14th Field Dressing Station on the 20th September, 1944. Both 21st and 14th formed part of the Guards Armoured Division, who were in action during Market Garden. Not that 20th Anti Tank weren't either. The plot thickens!:confused:
     
  18. steversvr

    steversvr New Member

    I know this is a very old thread but my Grandad was captured in Reusel recovering wounded comrades on 25th September 1944.
     
  19. Noel Van Elsen

    Noel Van Elsen New Member

    2nd 21st Anti-Tank Regiment / Unit "Q" (Sanna's Post) Anti Tank Battery R.A.
    19 September 1944: Resume advance, crossing WILHELMINA CANAL at SON just before 0900 hrs. Advance without incident to area where HQ and 'C' Tps again came under comd of Gren Gp for WAAL crossing at NIJMEGEN. Moved in support 3 Coy (reserve coy) to the PLOEG. 'C' Tp (less one tank) sent to support 4 Coy on southern approaches to road bridge in NIJMEGEN returning 0830 hrs 20th Sep. Battery less detached troops harboured MALDEN. 'A' Echelon moving up under 5 Gds Armd Bde control attacked by enemy infantry and tanks on SON bridge. A. 6 3-tnr Z casualty. Gnr. H.D. SMITH killed. L/Bdr KERFOOT, Gnrs HURREN, ASPINALL and OWENS wounded.
    Q Battery


     
  20.  
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2021
    CL1, 17thDYRCH, smdarby and 3 others like this.

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