WO 171/1260 - 2 Welsh Guards - September 1944

Place	Date	Summary
	1	Bn advanced at first light in the lead of G.A.D. and went as far as ECURIE NORTH-WEST of ARRAS. Large number of prisoners were taken and casualties inflicted on a very disorganised enemy.
	2	Night 1/2 Sep was spent at ECURIE: a few casualties sustained by the Bn on 1 and 2 Sep. A summary of Bn's total casualties to date (28 Sep) is attached at appendix 'A'. 2 of our 3-tonners were mistakenly shot up by our own aircraft.
	3	Night 2/3 Sep was spent at DOUAI aerodrome, Bn having moved through ARRAS from ECURIE on p.m. 2 Sep. Bn moved out from DOUAI grouped in a Battle Group with 1 W.G. at approx 0500 hrs 3 Sep with objective BRUSSELS. After a day's miscellaneous fighting, W.G. Battle Group arrived first into BRUSSELS, the Bn being rather split up the night 3/4 Sep, some tks of 3 Sqn at the Luxembourg Station, some of 1 Sqn at the Gestapo HQ in BRUSSELS, and the remainder of the Bn on the Avenue Louise. A couple of actions at the Royal Falace and Gestapo HQ were fought, otherwise the entry went smoothly, the chief diffiiculty being to cope with the populace who were very effusive in their welcome.
	4	The Bn left BRUSSELS and moved to area QUATRE-BRAS, where Bn HQ was installed at the Royal Belgian Golf Club for nights 4/5 and 5/6 Sep. Tps had to be sent out to man Road Blocks during the day and one small operation to clear the Northern road from BRUSSELS to LOUVAIN was undertaken. 1 tk was lost by 1 Sqn in BRUSSELS on the night 3/4 Sep and 1 by 3 Sqn on 4 Sep when a tp was sent down to bring in some Panthers which were said to be willing to surrender, but which in fact were not.
	6	Bn, with 1 W.G. moved out of QUATRE-BRAS through LOUVAIN and DIEST to PAEL near BEERINGEN. 1 W.G. got a Company over the ALBERT CANAL at BEERINGEN and the remainder of the group had to wait until 0600 hrs 7 Sep to cross the canal by Bailey Bridge.
	7	Resistance became much stiffer after BEERINGEN but leading Sqn managed to push up to half way between HELCHTEREN […] of the […] spending night 7/8 Sep in area HELCHTEREN.
	7	During night 7/8 Sep Germans reinforced HELCHTEREN and HECHTEL and stiff fighting in both places took place. The I.G. Battle Group took over in HELCHTEREN about dusk on 8 Sep, leaving the W.G. Group free to move on up to the wooded area SOUTH-WEST of HECHTEL. Bn HQ moved up to this area on 9 Sep a.m.
	8	From 8 to 12 Sep severe fighting took place in HECHTEL and casualties were siffered, including Major J.O.Spencer, killed in action (Lieut. H.K. Padfield was wounded and missing in HELCHTEREN). HECHTEL was evantually taken on 13 Sep, producing 400 prisoners and an unkown quantity of dead.
	13	From 13 to 18 Sep, W.G. Battle Group rested in area OBERPALT on the ESCAUT CANAL.
	18	Night 18/19 Sep was spent in area VALKENSWAARD, W.G. Battle Group operating on the Right C.L. towards HELMOND. On 19 Sep, Group was diverted to Left C.L. and moved up behind Gren Group and Coldm Group to area SOUTH-WEST of NIJMEGEN. Nights 19/20 and 20/21 Sep were spent in this area.
	21	On 21 Sep, Bn crossed the Bridge over the RHINE and spent nights 21/22, 22/23, 23/24 and 24/25 just NORTH of the Bridge. Sqns were sent out to take part in battle for villages on the neck of land on which the Bridgehead was by then established.
	26	Bn moved forward to Sqn Areas SOUTH of ELST Sqns again going out daily on small ops with 1 W.G. and with Bns of other Brigades of 43 Div operating in the Bridgehead. A total of 4 tks were lost up to 27/28 Aug, Casualties amounting to approx 2 killed, 10 wounded, and 1 missing.
ELST area	29	0540 hrs NIJMEGEN Br damaged by swimmers placing explosive charges.
BOSCHKANT	30	Bn moves back to BOSCHKANT area between the two rivers.

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