WO 171/304 - 8 Corps CA - October 1944

Place	Date	Hour	Summary
GELDROP	1		SO 2E (Maj RC Peltzer) visited 203 A Det at EINDHOVEN to arrange hand over to them of all area South of HELMOND – DEURNE.
	1	1500	SCAO (Col GH Pipps-Hornby) and SO 1E (Lt.Col AWE Crawford) visited 217 and 218 Dets.
MILL	2		HQ moved to MILL (E 649449).
	2		SO 1s E and A ( Lt.Col RS Manley) visited 218 Det at OVERASSELT where 300 refugees had arrived from GROESBEEK district. Arranged for 2000 rations to be issued to 218 Det and for tpt from 3 Div to move refugees to HELMOND and EINDHOVEN.
	3		6,000 emergency rations collected and issued to dets.
	4		SO 1A and SO 2A (Major AG Puttock) visited 304 Det at UDEN and local food commissioner to discuss potato situation.
	4	2000	Reps from 218 Det arrived to say that 3,000 refugees at OVERASSELT. Food required. 218 given emergency ration and told that tpt would report at 1400 hrs 5 Oct to start evacuation.
	5	1030	DAAG (Major HR Leslie) visited SCAO and discussed question of responsibilities for civilian internees. PW and DP's in GERMANY.
	5	1630	12 lorries of refugees from OVERASSELT arrived and were sent on to WEERT where accn was available as result of recce and arrangements made by Major Stok (NCAO).
	5	1800	SO 2s E (Majors WL Brown - RC Peltzer) and NCAO visited 218 Det to discuss refugee situation and evacuation problem. Refugees scattered in four villages and outlying farms making collection difficult. Decided tpt for 6 Oct not reqd until 1400 hrs.
	6	1430	SCAO and SO1 A attended conference at CA 2 Army Main.
	7	1400	SO2 E (Major Brown) and S02 A (Major AG Puttock) visited 218 Det. 49 lorries for refugees had arrived and sit was well in hand.
	8	1500	SCAO 2 Army (Brig RMH Lewis MC) visited.
	9	1430	Conference of Det comds to discuss future ops and report forms and to answer queries on MG in GERMANY.
	9	1600	2/Lt Diercyk and two sjts (all Belgians) reported for duty as official interpreters.
	10	1700	Major O Prior and Major Daltry (Legal Officers) joined HQ. Two other legal offrs sent to 218 and 224 Dets.
	10	1830	SO2 E visited 224 Det with instrs for them to liaise with 3 Div in forthcoming ops. More detailed instrs would be issued later.
	11		As a result of requests by CE for assistance in recruiting and org of the available Dutch labour in Corps area, NCAO obtained services of a lab organiser from GRAVE to take up duties with CRE Corps Tps.
	11		Instrs issued to 218 Det to hand over their area to 220 Det (30 Corps) and come into Corps res.
	13	0800	Major Jeans (OC 212 (R) Det) reported on way to est CRTA South of DEURNE.
	14	1100	SO 2s E visited CA 2 Army and 517 Det HELMOND to arrange TC arrangements for control of bridge in HELMOND on receipt of code word.
	14	1100	SO2 A (Major AG Puttock) visited 212 (R) Det.
	15	1245	SO2 E CA Second Army visited HQ to discuss inter det bdys. DEURNE to revert to control 8 Corps instead of 517 Det (Army). 513 Det and 524 (DP) Det to come under comd 8 Corps. Both located at WEERT.
	15		SCAO and SO 2A (Major DJ Mitchell) visited 224 and 218 Dets.
	17	2000	Report received that lunatic asylum at BRABENDER 777278 with more than 1,700 female inmates was likely to be uncovered. 224 Det were ordered to recce and report. 5,000 rations, MD and Public Health officer were prepared to go up as early as possible on 18 Oct.
	18	0200	Report received from 224 Det that there were 1,700 persons (1,400 inmates and 300 staff) living in the cellar of the asylum, they had no food for two days and med attention was required. No water supply and all the six buildings were uninhabitable.
	18	1100	SCAO and SO2 A (Major Puttock) visited the asylum and met ADMS and rep RE from 3 Div. The 5,000 rations were issued as well as 448 lbs of soap and Public Health officer and RE managed to get the water supply working. The Mother Superior was told that evacuation would shortly take place and that food would be provided. She told SCAO that there was another asylum (male) between VENRAIJ and OOSTRUM (not yet uncovered with 1,700 patients and staff and approx 1,300 refugees and an Orphanage about 400 yards from her asylum with 400 refugees (mostly children). The latter place was then visited and it was found that although the party had been in the cellars for over a fortnight there was no immediate problem as there was sufficient food for three days. SCAO ordered 224 Det to move immediately to the Asylum.
	18	1245	Full position reported to CA 2 Army who were asked to find accn for evac of asylum. Major Stok (NCAO) went out to try and obtain accn in addition.
	18	1530	-1730. SCAO and SO1 E visited the Asylum and made arrangements for 500 patients to be evac on 19 Oct to BOEKEL.
	19	1130	SCAO 2 Army called to discuss asylum question.
	20		SO2 E visited 217, 218, 212, 524 and 513 Dets.
	20	1500	SCAO and SO1 E visited 224 Det. Burgemeister of VENRAIJ had returned. Verified 700 bed cases at male asylum. SCAO arranged for 200 bed cases from female asylum and the 400 refugees from the orphanage to be evac 21 Oct.
	21		SCAO, SO1 A and Brig A/Q visited:- (1) 3 Div Refugee Collecting Point (OVERLOON), where evacuation was proceeding smoothly, 320 refugees having been evac and passed to CRTA (212 (R) Det - DEURNE) on 20 Oct. 60 were being loaded on to lorries and a further 50 were awaiting tpt. Brig A/Q undertook to provide cocoa for children at DCP and to provide further tpt for evac. (2) Female asylum where it was found that due to delay in EINDHOVEN on the previous day only one convoy had evacuated. The second convoy had loaded up at 1100 hrs 21 Oct. At 1215 hrs 14 Ambs arrived to evac invalids. (3) 224 Det discussed question of total evac of VENRAIJ. OC Det (Major Miles) to discuss with Burgemeister. Decided to evac refugees from male asylum as soon as possible but to leave mental cases pending further discussion. (4) Orphanage 250 orphans had been evac during the morning 21 Oct. The remaining 150 to be evac as soon as possible. (5) Fwd Collecting Point in VENRAIJ Shuttle service to DCP was being run. A 3 ton lorry (218 Det) arrived with a number of Nuns, children and other persons. The lorry had been shot up by German MG fire, one nun and one man killed, four persons wounded.
	22	0930	Capt LW Murphy (AUS) having completed tour of duty left this HQ.
	22	1400	SO2 E (Major Brown) visited DCP at OVERLOON. Evac going on satisfactorily. OC 224 Det gave figures for future evac as 450 mentals and 300 refugees for 23 Oct and 250 mentals and attendant for 24 Oct. On return to HQ SO2 E passed infm to SO 2 (A) (Major Puttock) who arranged tpt with Q 8 Corps.
	22	1600	SO1 E visited 224 Det with Brig Hansen and SHAEF Mission to Norway.
	22	1600	SO2 E (Major Peltzer) and SO2 A (Major Mitchell) visited 11 Armd Div Main ref evac of village LEUNEN. Found that Div had already contacted 218 Det (DEURNE) and made arrangements. Tpt being provided by 11 Armd Div and evac to CRTA to start at 0600 hrs 23 Oct.
	22		p.m.: SO1 A visited CRTA (212 Det) and 524 (DP) Det at WEERT and discussed question of available accn for refugees.
	23	1500	Lt. HC Williams joined this branch as att offr (SO3 E).
	24		SCAO Army visited and discussed evac of refugees. Brig Lewis said that evac could only take place up to dispersal limits of Corps op area. Applications for dispersal beyond this area must be authorised by G Army.
	24	1115	-1900. SCAO and SO1 E visited (1) CA Army discussed with Col Adm (a) policy for evac 3 Div area. Similar restrictions as given by Brig Lewis (see above) (b) Retention of CRTA Camp. Col Wood to ask Netherlands authorities for extention of permission to use present camp which is destined to become a trg unit camp for Netherlands. (c) Question of putting lunatics in WEERT. Col Wood to investigate possibility of accn in institutions in Belgium (d) replacements of American MO and PH Offr by Br Offrs - already been taken up by Army (2) 524 Det and inspected bks at WEERT. Decided accn suitable for lunatics if necessary. Cooking and serving utensils required, civil authorities could continue to feed 2,500 people for 14 days. (3) 513 Det WEERT reported to be short of fats, oil, butter and no electric power. SO1 E expIained Reports reqrd by Corps HQ.
	24	1500	Fin Offr (Major FWS Roberts) visited 513 Det and discussed financial report in WEERT dated 20 Oct. Explained to det the action already taken by NCAO (Major Stok) in the matter.
	25		Fin Offr and Major Stok visited SO1 (Fin) Army and discussed Fin matters at WEERT.
	25		At request of 3 Div evacuation of VENRAIJ postponed until 27 Oct.
	27	1100	Meeting of Burgomeister, Tax and Post Office Officials held by Fin Offr at WEERT.
	27	1130	SCAO Army visited VENRAIJ with SCAO evacuation in progress.
	27	1600	Fin Offr visited VENRAIJ and arranged evac of funds, securities etc from bank, Post office and church.
	29		SO2 E (Major Brown) and S03 E (Lt Williams) visited 224 Det at VENRAIJ to inform them that due to op sit CRTA (212 (R) Det) would move from DEURNE to VLIERDEN. Went on to DEURNE to tell 212 (R) Det to move. Found that they had already moved to BAKEL and that op sit would not allow them to move to VLIERDEN. Informed CA Corps by phone (message sent to 224 Det).

Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. For historical research, always check the originals.