320931 Lt. D.G. Wilkinson-Cox, MC, 1/5th Battalion The Queen's Royal Regiment (Panheel Lock)

Lt. David Gordon Wilkinson-Cox, 1/5th Battalion The Queen's Royal Regiment, 131 Infantry Brigade, 7th Armoured Division, 12 Corps
Award: Military Cross
Service Number: 320931

​

IWM (B 15317)​

WO 373/51/205​

 

320931 Lt. David Gordon Wilkinson-Cox, 1/5th The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) KIA 9th April 1945 aged 23 buried Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany

15.30 hrs. C Coy are dealing with opposition just W.[est] of railway, not too heavy but sniping is unpleasant and has caused some casualties (Lt. Wilkinson Cox MC was killed.

Born: 31st December 1921 Hammersmith, London
Education: Ardingley College 26.05.1944
Commissioned: The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) [emergency commission] 26th April 1944
Married: 1941, Northumberland South district, Northumberland) Audrey Smith, of Gosforth, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

 

1/5th Battalion The Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey) War Diary
​

9th April. Monday (D+298).
Weather, bright and sunny.

06.20 hrs. Sitrep to Bde. N.T.R.
Task for Bn. (in co-operation with 8 Hus.) was first to clear the village of SUDWEYHE 7688 and KIRCHWEYHE 7689, these would allow enable the Tks. with other reserve Coys to carry on up the C.L. and attack BRINKUM 7091.

09.20 hrs. C.O. from 772859 reports that there are 250 S.S. in DREYE 7792 & our fwd. elts. are now engaging enemy in SUDWEYHE 7688 (A Coy).

09.50 hrs. D Coy to move up to 772859, Tac & C Coy to follow & B Coy to remain at present location.

10.00 hrs. Tac Bn. HQ at 772859.

11.05 A Coy clearing SUDWEYHE, satisfactory progress being made, when completed they will firm base there & D Coy pass through to clear KIRCHWEYHE. While this operation was proceeding Bde. were having rather a scare with enemy supported by 2 Tks. & some S.P’s pushing very close to them in SYKE 7920 from directly W.

12.00 hrs. A Coy have cleared SUDWEYHE, D Coy should have an easy task in KIRCHWEYHE as S.S. men are moving N., Tks. are engaging them.

12.30 hrs. Carriers send in Civrep reporting BRINKUM held by S.S. men, all rds. to S. & W. mined. Bridge at 762921 is mined & as is that at 720935.

12.35 hrs. Carriers report 2 POWs from 18 Ersatz Bn. 1855 R. Gren. Div.

12.45 hrs. C.O. reports D Coy are starting their attack on KIRCHWEYHE should not need much fighting, the enemy are showing white flags & the local Burgomaster is prepared to arrange for surrender of place etc. C Coy are to move fwd. so that they can proceed up C.L. towards BRINKUM. B Coy are to come fwd. to 772859.

12.50 hrs. A/Tks. are to leave 2 guns at 765675 covering the main C.L.

12.55 hrs. Tac Bn. HQ move fwd. to 768873.

13.00 hrs. C.O. reports that Pln. of A Coy has just killed 15 S.S. men & taken 14 POWs.

13.35 hrs. C Coy to move up C.L. follow Tks who are now engaging some Inf.

13.50 hrs. D Coy entering KIRCHWEYHE following the Burgomaster who says S.S. men have gone. C Coy are on move behind Tks. on Kangaroos.

14.00 hrs. C Coy come u/c 8 Hus. & net to them.

14.25 hrs. D Coy report 5 POWs taken.

14.30 hrs. C Coy have reached railway at 747881.

15.00 hrs. 8 Hus. report engaging S.P. gun at 766925.

15.15 hrs. D Coy have pushed out a patrol to rly. at 753894.

15.30 hrs. C Coy are dealing with opposition just W. of railway, not too heavy but sniping is unpleasant and has caused some casualties (Lt. Wilkinson Cox MC was killed.

16.14 hrs. 8 Hus. have POW who reports that S.S. Trg. Bn. has 6 Coys of which No. 3 has 400 in BREMEN, No. 6 200 in area 7791 & No. 5 is 450 strong in area 7289.

16.40 hrs. 8 Hus. report enemy very sensitive in area 7791, have guns there which are active.

16.45 hrs. 8 Hus. report operation to W. of railway going well but slowly as enemy have to be winkled out of each house.
.
17.00 hrs. 8 Hus. report 3-4 S.P. guns firing in general area 777815.

18.20 hrs. Orders from Bde. indicate that we shall stay with them.

18.53 hrs. 8 Hus. report some mortar and arty fire coming at their subunits to West of railway. 19.00 hrs. B Coy who had moved up to near C Coy are now moving fwd. to their N. towards LEESTE and have got about halfway to their objective.

19.45 hrs. Tac Bn. HQ moves up to 758883.

19.50 hrs. M.M.G’s are to go to D Coy.

19.50 hrs. Carriers report mines on tracks at 738886.

19.52 hrs. B Coy reports enemy met. at 733897, with bazookas when engaged retreated leaving bazookas behind.

20.00 hrs. B Coy report near LEESTE and being very heavily engaged by enemy in some strength, their location is 727895

20.05 hrs. D Coy have 4 POWs.

20.07 hrs. B Coy need arty support at 722888, they are being mortared from approx. 700 yds range on bearing of 255 degrees grid from 728898.

20.20 hrs. 8 Hus. report bombing by Typhoons to their front is very impressive in right place. Also they have taken many POWs and killed many enemy.

20.25 hrs. Our fwd. Coys give good report on bombing to.

21.35 hrs. B Coy report that heavy enemy met. movement has being heard from area 726890, S.P. gun has fired from that area at them, H D Tpt. Is moving from sq. N. in sq. 7289. Locations, Bn. HQ 758883, A Coy 769889, B Coy 733896, C Coy 737881, D Coy 761895, Carriers, Mortars, A/Tks. near Tac Bn. HQ, M.M.G’s at 741899. It transpired that B Coy ran into really stiff opposition near LEESTE 7289, being met with Hy. M.G. fire Mortars, etc. & had to get back from exposed positions by crawling. They were neat and tidy at 21.40 hrs.

22.40 hrs. Lt Bond, 2/Lt. of C Coy Reports at Tac Bn. HQ in a Slightly wounded and shaken state. His carrier with Capt. Marsden and two POWs on it were returning from the fwd. pln. when it was blown up either by a mine (unlikely) or by a bazooka, he dragged driver from blazing carrier saw Capt. Marsden walk away from the back of carrier, probably dazed at least, of the two POWs he could report nothing. Capt. Marsden was missing for some time and concern was felt but at 2250 hrs. C Coy reported finding their O.C.

23.45 hrs. B Coy who were too far fwd. Where to to withdraw their positions and consolidate around MMG positions and this was completed by 03.50 hrs.

April 10th.
Bagrep, POWs 27 O.R’s (varied flak Regt. 6 S.S. PZ. GR., 124 SS Bn., 18 SS Ersetz Bn.)
Casualties, Lt. D. Wilkinson Cox MC & 4 O.R’s killed.
Lts. G.H. Bond & H MacDonald wounded and also 8 O.R’s.

https://www.queensroyalsurreys.org....-regiment/1945/1-5th-War-Diary-April-1945.pdf

 

Some more details for Lt Wilkinson:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial...jg2YiRvNDQyJGcxJHQxNzc4MzIxOTQzJGoxNSRsMCRoMA..