WO 171/1349 - 3 Monmouthshire Regiment - October 1944

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
WESTERBEEK	1	1445	Bn HQ with "C" & "D" Coys moved to OPLOO for rest and re-fit and trg. Now under comd 159 Inf Bde. 14 ORs join Bn as Rfts.
OPLOO	2		Bn resting and refitting. Trg Programme arranged.
	2	1200	Bde Comd addresses all offrs, and NCO's commenting on the death of the late CO (Lt Col H.G. Orr, DSO). The new CO Lt Col R.C. Stockley addresses the whole Bn and formally introduces himself.
OPLOO	3		Bn still resting.
	3	1100	Maj Sweetman 2IC leaves the Bn to take the post of Chief Instructor at War Office School of Infantry, BARNARD CASTLE.
	4		Bn still resting and refitting. 30 yds Rifle Range completed in Bn area which was used by "A" Coy in morning and "B" Coy in the afternoon. Allotment of 25 seats for a show was made to the Bn to be held at GEMERT 5730 which went down quite well.
	5		Bn resting and refitting. Coys Range firing and Maintenance.
	5	1800	WS/Capt (T/Maj) G.M. Allen 40660 (R. Norfolks) arrives to take over as 2IC.
	5	2000	13 Rfts arrive including some of our own wounded of previous battles.
	6		Bn still at rest and refitting. Coys on recreational trg. Slight enemy air activity during night of 6/7 Oct.
	7	0600	Warning Order for ops received. Bn commences to pack and make ready.	Appx "E"
	7	1130	CO's "O" Gp - Coy Comds brief. No move before 1600 hrs.
	7	1320	CO and Coy Comds move off on recce. No incidents.
	7	1545	Coys move off in March Route followed by Comd Gp, and all-in posn by 1830.
	7	1830	Active patrolling carried out throughout the night.
Area between OPLOO & OVERLOON	8		All quiet on the front. Occasional shelling and mortaring to the rear and around our F.D.L.'s. Known enemy posns severely shelled by RA supporting us. Fwd sec of "B" Coy used as OP for the fire.
Area between OPLOO & OVERLOON	8	0915	Pioneer Pl employed in removing enemy mines from a rd to our right and suffered three casualties (all killed by mine explosion) when jeep went over a mine. Weather very misty during the morning. Active patrolling by both sides during night of 8/9. 42 Rfts arrived. Kept in "A" Ech two days.
	9	0530	Little or no enemy activity during stand to. "A" Coy mortared by Nebelwerfers during the morning and called for counter fire from our arty. Int Sec OP fwd of "A" Coy hit by mortar bomb - no casualties and OP still in use.
	9	1600	3 Offr rfts arrive at Bn HQ and were in F.D.L. a few hrs after arrival with their respective coys. They were 293245 W/Lt. E.S. Newey, 300749 W/Lt Mountford, R.J. and 268495 W/Lt. J.S.H. Walker.
	9	2300	"A" Coy furnish a fighting patrol of 1 offr and 15 men to destroy a windmill which is being used by enemy as OP (Result - No enemy encountered and windmill destroyed). During the night - NTR.
	10	0530	"Stand to". Slight enemy shelling "A" Coy area, also Mortar fire in Bn area. No casualties. Rain throughout the day - visibility very poor. No enemy activity observed to any great extent.
	10	1750	"D" Coy snipers shoot up enemy patrol of 2 men, wounding one who was taken prisoner. Night was wet and cold but very quiet(.) Our patrols had nothing to report.
	11		Rather a quiet day, still the occasional shelling by 88's and Mortars throughout the day.
	11	0430	Identification needed of enemy. Thus a small attack by "B" Coy patrol was put in on a known enemy posn, but unfortunately after the arty had put down their conc "B" Coy found that the enemy had withdrawn and returned empty handed. Weather was extremely fine and visibility very good. Night of 10/11 very quiet.
	12	1300	3 British Division passes through our posns to attack and clear wooded area to our front and on to OVERLOON, leaving us to protect their rear. Rifle coys reshuffled to suit the situation. On the whole a quiet day. Weather exceptionally good and visibility about 1000 yards. No activity during night of 11/12.
Area between OPLOO & OVERLOON	13		Still the occasional shell and mortar fire, especially in "D" Coy Area apart from which a very quiet day for the Bn. Were moving today, but our friends clearing up to our front found some difficulty so we stay put. Our intention was to pass through 3 British Infantry Division when they had taken the town of VENRAI, on to the town of AMERIKA about 15 miles to the South. Likely move tomorrow. Weather very fine. Night 12/13 very quiet - no activity either side.
	14		Still awaiting orders to move, but none received. A very quiet day, Bn now in semi-operational role at present. Occasional showers. Night 13/14 quiet.
	15		Bn resting in semi-operational role. D Coy is the only coy active, sending out small recce patrols into woods fwd, but no enemy found. Very quiet day, and still no move.
RIPS	16		Orders received for Bn to move to RIPS area (first light 17th) with view to commence ops.
	17	0530	Bn moves off to commence ops. Object to clear woods at 735847. Opposition fairly stiff, but by nightfall coys had cleared wood and firmly established. Roads and tracks very thickly mudded and cooks trucks taking food to Rifle Coys needed assistance of bulldozer, and return journey had to be made in the light.
Area - 735347 - SCHEI	18		Advance resumed. Object SCHEI. Opposition heavier than yesterday.
	18	1700	Objective taken and coys consolidated. Slight enemy activity during night.
	19		Coys firmly established in area SCHEI.
	19	0930	Bde Comd visits Bn HQ. Orders are to stay put until further notice. Fairly heavy but occasional shelling and mortaring in Bn area. Small recce patrol sent out during night 19/20 with little result.
	20		Bn still in posn. Occasional shelling and mortaring. Weather bright but occasionally cloudy. No activity during night 20-21.
Area IJOSELSTEYN	21	1400	Bn moves to relieve 1 Hereford in area IJOSELSTEYN.
	21	1800	Relief completed without incident. No enemy activity during rest of day or in night of 21/22.
Area IJOSELSTEYN	22		Still holding the line. No enemy activity, except the now expected daily occasional shelling and mortaring. Slight enemy patrolling night of 21/22.	No sig log.
	23		No enemy activity during the day. Slight ground mist reduces visibility to "poor". Civilians have been ordered to evacuate, and their exit was for us very trying and tiresome. Active patrolling by Bn during night 22/23 with little result.
	24		No activity throughout the day. Weather fine but visibility again poor due to ground mist. Nine Standing Patrols of 1 NCO and 5 men put out during the hours of darkness until dawn. NTR. "D" Coy sent out a fighting patrol of one pl to wipe out any enemy who may have been in area ERIKA. This failed. The patrol got within 150 yds of objective, and fire sec put down to allow assault sec to move in. Assault sec ran into booby traps and AP mines with result - 2 killed and five wounded (all one section).
	25		Bn and 8 RB change over areas.
	25	0930	Recce and Harbour parties move off. Coys move off in TCVs debussing in area of farm 758241 and proceeds by march route. No enemy interference and change-over completed by 1400 hrs. Slight shelling throughout rest of the day. Two Standing Patrols out during the night of 25/26 by "C" & "D" Coys with nothing to report. Fairly quiet night.
Area of VOOLEN	26		Little activity during the day, except for spasmodic Spandau fire, shelling and mortaring, especially in "A" Coy area. During night 26/27 enemy patrols penetrated "A" Coy lines, killing the sentry and brewing up two tanks of 23 H, who are in support of "A" Coy. "D" Coy sent out one section to occupy small house forward of their posn. Unfortunately, they ran into an enemy ambush, which resulted in 1 NCO and 3 of section being missing.
	27		Owing to result of last night's performance by the enemy, the CO decides to send a pl of "D" Coy to carry out a silent attack on farm 779233, where the section, of which four are missing, was despatched in early morning.
Area of VOOLEN	27	1400	The attack was successful in reaching the objective, but no enemy was found, and no trace of missing men. House thoroughly booby-trapped by patrol and pl returned with no casualteis. During this time, "A" Coy shelled and Coy HQ hit; Maj FHG Higgins (Oxs & Bucks) OC "A" Coy wounded and evacuated.
	27	1800	CO issues special orders to the Bn.	Appx "D"
	27	2000	Pioneers with covering section set out to lay minefield. When completed, one mine explodes. Casualties:- Pioneers 1 killed, 3 wounded; Covering Section 1 killed, 4 wounded. Night of 27/28 was quiet. Only disturbance on Bn front was occasional Spandau fire and shelling.
	28		A quiet day. Defensive minefield completed during the night. Weather exceptionally fine. Slight shelling in Bn area, one OR wounded. 37 reinforcements arrive and remained at "A" Echelon.
	29	0600	By shelling in "A" Coy area with HE and smoke. Coys stand to expecting attack which did not meterialise. Reasonably quiet throughout remainder of day. Fairly heavy shelling near to Bn HQ during night 29/30. Weather not getting much colder, but fortunately remains dry. Should have been relieved today for 4 days rest, but a situation has developed on the American front on our immediate right, making this impossible.
	30		Very quiet day. Some shelling and mortaring in Bn area. Weather still fine with occasional damp and misty periods. During night 30/31 enemy patrol attempted to penetrate to "C" Coy positions. Were driven off by fire.
	31		Bn still holding lines with no sign of being relieved as yet. This make a grand total of 14 days in action. Fairly quiet day; still occasional shelling and mortaring.
Area of VOOLEN	31	0615	Recce patrol from "C" Coy sent out to ascertain whether enemy occupied area 782235 - 758236 - 783237. Result - no emeny in area but a metal object at 782235 was forwarded to RE for investigation.

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