49th Division's Recce WD - mid-April 1945

Discussion in 'Recce' started by Chris C, Jan 11, 2022.

  1. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Hi all,

    I am looking for a few pages of the Recce Regiment of 49th (WR) DIvision, if anyone has them. (49th Recce Regiment...?)

    Specifically from 16-20 April when the regiment fanned out - I think both north and west - after the capture of Arnhem. There are references to Jock columns(!) and to being under command of the recce in the divisional anti-tank regiment's war diary.
     
  2. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    1 page only :)
     

    Attached Files:

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  3. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Thank you Philip although I am a bit confused. Are you sure that is from April 1945? It talks about Sphinxforce which must involve 56th Brigade or elements of it, but Ochten and Wely are both located south of the Nederijn in I think what was called the "Island" area which I thought was cleared by that point, and that all of 56th Brigade was north of the Nederijn. Maybe that's wrong - maybe they only cleared the Island opposite Arnhem.

    This is the relevant page of the divisional anti-tank reg't WD and as you can see it talks about operations north of Arnhem... but maybe I'd better look at the 1st Canadian Corps records about the "jock column". I had just assumed that the whole of the recce regiment would have been up north.

    100_4812.JPG
     
  4. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Will ask they guy who send it to me to check for sure!
     
  5. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Ahh a mix up this is REME WO171/4243 instead of WO171/4234 for 49th Recce!, and he doesn't have that, sorry
     
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  6. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Ok, thanks Philip!

    I still wish I had it as it would fill in some gaps for me, but I found a log of updates in a 1st Canadian Corps file which give me quite a bit of information. Sadly who was with 49th Recce is unclear but they were operating west of Arnhem in the area of Ede until (I think end of day) April 18, then on April 19 went north up the road to a place called Kampen. Lots of checking of bridges, not surprisingly.

    It's spread across a lot of pages but here's one with a lot of info as a sample.

    oocihm.lac_reel_t1848_data_sip_data_files_0023.jpg.jpg
     
  7. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    I will see if I can find anything in the WDs that i have.
     
  8. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Kampen, 17 april 1945,Oude straat
     

    Attached Files:

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  9. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    found something in WD 145 Bde HQ Naamloos.jpg
     
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  10. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

  11. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    On April 16th, 45, the 49th Div, pushing northward along the west bank of the IJssel River, made contact with the 1st Cdn Inf Div at Dieren. The Canadians had made a river assault on the 11th at Gorssel (between Zutphen & Deventer. Aka Operation Canonshot see: Tour of Northeast Holland).

    There is a small plaque to commemorate the link-up between the British and Canadians: Memorial Temporary Bridge Dieren - Dieren - TracesOfWar.com)
     
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  12. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Thank you very much, Philip! I think I can include their presence in my book.
     
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  13. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Mentioned here:

    oocihm.lac_reel_t1847_data_sip_data_files_2253.jpg.jpg
     
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  14. jon debnam

    jon debnam Member

    Here's the entries from the C Squadron 49th Reconnaissance Regiment diary for the dates, Hope this is helpful.
    April 14th - Followed the Infantry into ARNHEM

    April 15th - Concentrated North of ARNHEM

    April 16th - Broke out of the Northern outskirts of ARNHEM and swept out onto the the Eastern flank of the Division. Most successful day, 93 prisoners taken. Harboured in ARNHEM
    Lunteren - April 17th.
    Squadron ordered to move West, pass through ‘B’ Squadron in LUNTEREN and patrol towards the GREHE LINE.
    Apeldoorn - April 18th.
    Sudden move to concentrate with the Regiment near APPELDOORN for Operation ‘BLITZ’
    Elburg - April 19th
    Operation ‘ BLITZ’ - a lightening sweep due north to the ZUYDER ZEE with Tanks, S.P. Guns, Sappers and Infantry under command. Only a few stragglers were picked up. No opposition. Squadron Leader's Light Reconnaissance Car shot up near ELBURG by 2 aircraft thought to be Spitfires. Direct hits by 20mm and .50 shells were made, wounding the Wireless Operator (Cpl Nixon) and writing off the car and 'brewing up' the Squadron Leader's valise and bedding. Squadron harboured near ELBURG
    Appeldoorn - April 20th
    News received that Cpt Baker was in a German Military Hospital at APPELDOORN. Visited by Squadron Leader and found badly wounded, but very cheerful and about to be flown to England. Tpr Chevinsky had died of wounds a few weeks earlier in the same hospital. Squadron concentrated in LUNTEREN
     
  15. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Thank you very much, Jon! I don't suppose there is any more information about the troops attached for "BLITZ"?
     
  16. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Op Blitz.jpg

    The area between the 5th Cdn Armoured Division, which by 18 April had reached Harderwijk on the edge of the IJsselmeer (former Zuyderzee - until this sea inlet was closed in 1933 by the Afsluitdijk), and the 3rd Cdn Inf Div advancing north to the east of the River IJssel, had still to be cleared (area in the red circle on the map). This task was given to the 1st Cdn Inf Div and the 49th Recce Regt. The latter was involved because the Recce Regt of 1st Cdn Inf Div had not yet crossed the IJssel River.

    The 1st Cdn Inf Div deployed the 1st Cdn Inf Bde for this task. The Brigade was preceded by the 49th Recce, with under command B-Sqn Ontario Bn, 507 Btty of the 143rd Field Regt (RA), 220 SP Btty 55th ATk Regt RA, B-Coy KOYLI and 3rd Plt 756th Coy RE. The Operation stood under direct control of 1st Cdn Corps (source: Evert van de Weert/Peter Veldheer/Gerjan Crebolder, "Bevrijdingsatlas Veluwe", SDU 1985).
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2022
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  17. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Will see if I can find something about the location of the knocked out Sdrn Leader car, near Elburg.
     
  18. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Nothing in the books, so maybe it was between Nunspeet and Elburg Foto_2022-01-31_115911.jpg Foto_2022-01-31_120343.jpg
     
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  19. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Hi Jon,

    Do you happen to know what the other squadrons were doing 16-18 April? Did they also head west of Arnhem on the 17th?

    I wonder what tanks they took with them.

    EDIT: that wasn't so hard, thanks to online records: it was a whole squadron of 11th Canadian Armoured Regiment (the Ontario Regiment). Courtesy of project44.ca:

    A Sqn 60472

    B Sqn EPE 8018

    C Sqn 611784

    The Regiment less B Sqn u/c 49 (WR) Inf Div. B Sqn u/c 49 Recce Regt task of cleaning up area west of R. IJESSEL and NORTH of line DEVENTER APELDOORN completed. No opposition. 3 troop A Sqn with 56 Bde Infantry went on short patrol reaching area of 5381 and 5383. No enemy. 12 troop C Sqn moved to 534872 to sp Leicesters. 15 troop remained at LUNTEREN with RSF. Northing to report. The line is settling down and except for contact patrols there isn't any work to do. The Dutch give a lot of assistance on these patrols, rendering information as to locations and strength of enemy disposition. B Sqn having the time of their lives. After doing a patrol from EPE to KAMPEN and ELBURG they returned to EPE. Total mileage about 100 miles. Travelling at top speed down main roads "liberating" village after village seems to be quite the thing these days. The Burgomaster of EPE put on a big dance for the Sqn.
    Edit: and I see that stolpi actually already reported the entire composition of the column. Ugh. Why don't I read what's in front of my eyes?

    Chris
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2022
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  20. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Hi Philip, thank you for posting the photos. Do you know where they were taken?

    I gather that the column got as far as Kampen but I am not sure whether they went there on the first day and then headed southwest. But what you write suggests (that you know that?) they went north and through Nunspeet?
     

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