| Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs., Vol. 1. and the Staff Manual respectively Title pages will be prepared in manuscript. |
WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY |
Army Form C.2118 |
| Unit: 1st Bn The Herefordshire Regt. | ||
| Month and Year: May 1945 | (Erase heading not required). | Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. G.R. Turner Cain. |
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kollow | 1 | 0500 | Bn. arrives Kollow, orders to proceed with minimum delay through Schwarzenbek 8248. | |
| 1 | 0630 | Hfd. group start advance. Mines encountered at intervals in road from X rds. 808500 to Havehorst 8152. knocking out 3 tanks and one carrier, causing cas. to bn. of 3 O.R's killed and one officer wounded. (Capt.Curtis, 2 i/c "A" Coy.) | ||
| 1 | 1230 | Halt at Basthorst 8156 to allow R.E's to clear mines and time bombs from C.L. Various prisoners collected, most of them giving themselves up, and chiefly from 245 Div. | ||
| 1 | 1430 | Advance continues to Hamfelde 8059 and Trittau 7780.Slight opposition met in latter town and artillery stonk laid on key cross rds. Enemy a/c attempted to bomb and strafe column. Small no. of enemy met South of Gronwold 7764 (1x88 K.O'D) and Bn. took up night positions in this town.During day 300 POW taken. Total cas. 3 O.R's killed 7 - 8 O.R's wounded. One officer wounded. | ||
| 2 | KSLI Gp. passed through early A.M. and captured Bad Oldesloe 7482 | |||
| 2 | 1200 | Hfd.Gp. advanced to capture Reinfeld 8175. Route. Schesenberg 7868. Eicheide 7672, Stubben 7874, Gr.Boden 7977 Rethwischdorf 7880, Frauenholz 8081, Reinfeld 8185. At Rethwischdorf many POW's taken, mainly from local AA units and wounded making their way from the Russian front to Hamburg to seek medical aid. Reinfeld captured with little opposition, and large numbers of Germans gave themselves up. Town was held by R.A.D. unit who "Downed weapons". Approx 2,000 P.O.W's taken during the day and night from various Wehrmacht, and Lutwaffe Units. | ||
| REINFELD. | 3 | Two German POW selected from yesterdays batch were placed on one of the leading tanks to effect the surrender of Bad Segeburg. | ||
| 3 | 0800 | Hfd.Gp. moved and surrender of Bad Segeburg effected at 1110 hrs. Slight mopping up necessary in outskirts only.The town sports ground was selected as a POW collecting point, and all Germans in services directed to it. Many thousands eventually made their way to the field during the day and night. | ||
| BAD SEGEBURG | 4 | Collection of POW's continues unabated all night and all day and again many thousands pass through. "B" Coy clear wooded area NW of Segeburg and effect the surrender of a complete LAA unit with its equipment. Bn. maintains same positions with control points on all roads. Stand still order to 21st. Army Group and un-conditional surrender in NW Germany to be enforce from 0800 hrs 5th. 10 Reinforcements to the Bn. | ||
| BAD SEGEBURG | 5 | 0800 | Germans surrender unconditionaly NW. Europe.Bn. maintains same positions and control points.POW collecting pt. cleared of all Germans and the former Army Major for the town - Major Chlebrushe placed in charge of any further remnants under Bn. supervision. | |
| BAD SEGEBURG | 6 | 1000 | Church Parade. | |
| 6 | 1100 | Battalion March past. Brigadier J.B.Churcher DSO taking the salute. | ||
| BAD SEGEBURG | 7 | 15th, Scottish Div. pass through to occupy Kiel and canal area. End of European War announced. | ||
| BAD SEGEBURG | 8 | VE Day celebrated ............... | ||
| BAD SEGEBURG | 9 | Nothing to report. | ||
| BAD SEGEBURG | 10 | Deputation from Russian civilian camp at Wahlstedt 6298 reported a shooting incidents in the village on May the 8th. When some Russians were shot by German Wehrmacht personnel. Investigation proved this report to be correct and six bodies of Russians were found. The German villagers were made to collect the bodies and dig the graves, after which the Russians buried their dead. A full report of the incident, together with names of persons suspected to be responsible for the murders, was forwarded to Field Security Police. The Russian D.P. and PWX camps were afterwards visited by an officer every 12 hours. | ||
| BAD SEGEBURG | 11-12 | Nothing to report. | ||
| BAD SEGEBURG | 13 | Bn. moved to occupy Flensburg, Route Neumunster 4751 Rendsburg, 2636, Schleswig 2663, Flensburg 2294 was reached during the afternoon, the Brigadier taking the salute in the town square as the motor vehicles passed through. | Appendix A (1) | |
| Flensburg | 14-15 | Battalion settles in Grenzland Barracks. All German with the exception of 12 Retained for maintenance duties quitted the barracks. | ||
| Flensburg | 16 | Training commences. C.O.!s policy to train young soldiers over age service group 25 in specialist roles and to prepare old soldiers under that group for their civilian posts. For this policy to be carried out, men were posted to "S" and "H.Q." Coys. for training in specialist roles leaving the rifle Coys. of relatively low strength.Great stress was to be placed on sporting activities on an organised basis. | ||
| 17 | Nothing to report. | |||
| 18 | Nothing to report. | |||
| 19 | Nothing to report. | |||
| Flensburg. | 21 | The Brigadier inspects the barracks. Meyn. 0993 and Meynfeld patrolled by area patrol. | ||
| 22 | Schafflund 9306 patrolled. 405871 Pte Roberts H of 'C' Coy Awarded GC's Certficate | |||
| 23 | Operation Blackout - the object of which was to liquidate the puppet German Government formed by Admiral Doenitz, with the 15/19 Hussars and the 1st. Cheshire co-operating. | |||
| 23 | 0930 | Phase I. The Bn. moved off, and divided into two groups.(1) The Carrier section followed by "A" and "C" Coys. in T.C.V's and Command Post moved up the Flensburg Glucksburg Rd. via Flensburg 245953 and halted with the head of the column at road junc. 24991. (2) "B" and "D" Coys. in T.C.V's moved up the coast rd. from Flensburg to MURWIK 246964 and halted at rd. junc. 246962. | ||
| 23 | 1000 | The Bn. was ready and in position. | ||
| 23 | 1005 | The Bn. received the order to commence.Phase II "D" Coy. moved to seal the South and South West escape ways at 248964 and 249963 while "B" Coy searched the buildings at 249964, and "C" Coy sealed the road from the coast at 249969 to 253966 whilst "A" Coy searched Admirals Doenitz house and the marine barracks, also hospital at 253970. The 15/19th. Hussars sealed the S.E.corner of the area and the carrier A remained in reserve.Command Post and the prisoner collecting point were at 253966.The Germans were taken by surprise and the operation was successful, a total of 756 prisoners were taken, among whom the following were the most important: - Grand Admiral Doenitz, Admiral Lindeman, Korv.Kpt.von Krosig, Min.Rat.A.D.Stellrecht, Min.Rat.Seifort, Oberst.i .G.Wirsing, Oberstlt.Antonuis, Gen.Lt.Thomase, Major i G.Heich, General Major Scheffer. | ||
| Flensburg | 24 | Nothing to report. | ||
| Flensburg | 25 | Town patrols arrested 12 German military personnel for being on the streets without passes. | ||
| Flensburg | 26 | Nothing to report. | ||
| Flensburg | 27 | 159 Inf. Bde. held a thanksgiving service at the Garrison Church, followed by a march past, with the Brigadier takin the salute. | ||
| 28 | Nordhackstedt 0591 patrolled. One German arrested in Flensburg for not observing curfew. | |||
| 29 | Hemp 9201 Reistriek 8801, Proding Forst 0994 patrolled. | |||
| 30 | Langerau 0878 patrolled. 15 Reinforcement to the Bn. | |||
| 31 | Lindwith Forst 0787 patrolled. | |||
| 31 | R.C. Fripp Lt. Col.Commanding Officer.1st Bn. The Herefordshire Regiment. |
Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. For historical research, always check the originals.
