War Diary wanted....1st Bn Black Watch, October & November 1944.

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by 17thDYRCH, Sep 26, 2015.

  1. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    CANLOAN Officer number 14, Richard Bennett Coates was awarded the MC in November 1944.
    Would anyone be able to forward the war diary for 1st Battalion Black Watch, 51st Highland Division for October and November 1944.
    ( I am not sure of the date of the action as the citation is difficult to read - hence the request for the 2 months of WD )

    I do know the action took place at the Hal Bridgehead. Would anyone have the war diary for that specific action including the Map Reference.
    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Moved from Battlefields today to Allied units, amended title also to incl unit and date.
     
  3. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    Diane,
    Noted with thanks...
     
  4. Aeronut

    Aeronut Junior Member

    17th DYRCH,
    There's a PM inbound to you. The date you are looking for is 25th October 1944 and the location was the Boxtel to Vught road.
     
    dbf likes this.
  5. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    Aeronut,

    PM received. Many thanks!
     
  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    From WO 171/1265 1 Black Watch 1944 war diary

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  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    He joined the battalion on the 14th April 1944
    [​IMG]
     
  8. Aeronut

    Aeronut Junior Member

    Drew5233, thanks for that roster on the last sheet, it confirms the dates when my late father, C A Mellor (line 23) joined the Regiment and took up his post as Signals Officer.
     
  9. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    Andy,
    thanks for the follow-up and apologies for not replying sooner.
     
  10. Wim Kievits

    Wim Kievits Member

    Hi Drew, we're a history workgroup from Vught, trying to re-establish the day-to-day progress during october 24th-27th 1944 when Vught was liberated. Do yo mind if we use your 'Black Watch diarie reports' pictures for our research/exposition purposes ? Please let me know and thank you for your cooperation! Wim
     
  11. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    Just remembered, 1st Gordons were in Beukenhorst estate.
     
  12. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    wrong thread
     
  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi - If its something I have posted on here feel free to use it.
     
  14. Aeronut

    Aeronut Junior Member

    Wim, I have an unpublished account of the 1st Black Watch's operations from D-day to VE day written by its Commanding Officer. I'd be happy to send you the part that covers the operations around Vught if it helps you tell the story.
     
    stolpi likes this.
  15. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    Just thought I'd show this plaque I picked up in a Glasgow market about 15 years ago, no idea who Jimmy was or his unit

    Alistair P1020363.JPG P1020364.JPG
     
    4jonboy, Wim Kievits, stolpi and 2 others like this.
  16. Wim Kievits

    Wim Kievits Member

    Hi Aeronut, that is a great offer that I gladly accept! Since I am fairly new to the forum and do not know an alternative way kindly send the few pages to me, at wamkievits@ziggo.nl. Thank for your effort! regards, Wim
     
    17thDYRCH likes this.
  17. Wim Kievits

    Wim Kievits Member

    Hi all, the last few weeks I have done extensive research on the available documentation regarding the fighting in this area. I have looked at reports form the engaged British forces as well as the battle reports of the German units. Because I had a lot of extra information from British commanders such as Colonel Hopwood and Major Robinson we made quite some progress. The only archive material that is causing some trouble in transcription are 171-1265 1st Bn Black Watch 1944 and 171-1267 7 Bn Black Watch 1944 because of the poor photocopies. I have attached them below. Does anyone know how to get a better reproduction, or maybe someone has one of these in his/her possession that we might use ? Thank you for your response! regards, Wim
     

    Attached Files:

  18. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Can I ask if you purchased those diary pages from the National Archives in London? I'm curious to know if that is the quality of the work they charge £1.30 ish a page for.
     
  19. Wim Kievits

    Wim Kievits Member

    Hi Drew, thank you for your response! To be honest I never purchased those diary pages, but received them through the relationship of one of our projectteam members. Did you get a chance to look at the diaries ? They are of far worse quality than the diaries of the 1st Black Watch diary that I have attached below. The diaries also made me wonder why there seem to be two apparently 2 different diaries form the same battalion. Cheers, Wim
     

    Attached Files:

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