1944

     At the end of Apr and beginning of May several short exercises were carried out to practice the various duties of the sub-area, culminating on 1^st May in Exercise FABIUS, lasting four days, when marshalling and embarkation of units of 21 Army Group were practiced, the units afterwards disembarking and returning to their concentration areas – it now known that this was for OPERATION OVERLORD, the invasion of Europe.
     The numerous junior officer movements still continued through May, June, July and August.  In July and August, the number of men passing through the ‘S’ marshalling areas decreased considerably, and it was possible to return to their units a large number of the attached infantry.  In Aug, the ‘S’ marshalling area gradually begun to close down, and on 24th Aug, 141 Fd Regt took over the duties of 63^rd AT Regt RA, and the Regt moved to Easthampstead Park Camp, near Wokingham.
     On 25 August, instructions were received for the Regt, including the LAD, to mobilize for service overseas.  This prompted the posting of certain officers and ORs to ‘Home Details’ [a phrase used when troops are returned to Britain from overseas, or are to remain in Britain], followed by an increase of more officers and ORs to bring the Regt up to its WE strength throughout the month of September.  The Regt had to return all their guns, vehicles and equipment, travelling with just their personal equipment and weapons.
     What had happened to prompt this this re-think ?  There is no mention in the War Diary which explains this ‘change of heart’, but researching through some pages of John Thomson’s personal War Dairy and other documents, I found the following – At the end of June 44, the CO, Lt-Col John Thomson gave an address to the Regiment stating that he was well aware how they all felt – “not being in France and playing our part in the ultimate defeat of the enemy, etc”.  Therefore, he would be contacting our Colonel-in-Chief, none other than the PM, the Rt Hon Winston Churchill, whom he hoped would authorise the necessary instructions to proceed to France.  Through June and July, he made strenuous efforts, with the aid of Birkenhead to get them transferred “into the war”.  Birkenhead went down to Tilbury (where the Regiment was aiding the Allied Invasion) to prepare a petition to present to Churchill.  Freddy Birkenhead had been in the Oxfordshire Yeomanry until 1941 when he went off to join the Foreign Office’s Political Intelligence Department.  It’s not known what the terms of the ‘petition’ he’d prepared with John Thomson, but he was the ideal person to deliver it, as he was the son of one of Churchill’s oldest friends, and also Churchill’s godson !
     Whatever the wording of the petition, it worked, and Churchill backed it and the War Office capitulated – the Oxfordshire Yeomanry were to go to war, again.  However, there was one considerable problem:  there was no requirement for a Divisional A/Tank regiment, the role for which the OY had been equipped and trained for, though there might just be one for a Corps A/Tank regiment.  This decision was not easily accepted by the Army hierarchy.  [Reading ‘between the lines’ of the resulting outcome, I’m of the opinion that the Regiment was made to suffer as a result of this decision made by Churchill.]
     On 6^th September, 69 ORs were posted to the Regiment from 96^th AT Regt RA, with another 37 OR’s posted to the Regiment from 94^th AT Regt RA.  On 7^th September, 15 Officers and 47 OR’s were posted from this unit to ‘Home Details’[remaining in Britain].  On 11^th September, a further 20 OR’s were posted to the Regiment from 94^th AT Regt RA, 3 OR’s posted to the Regiment from 51 RA Training Regt (SP), and 31 OR’s posted to the Regiment from 117 Fd Regt RA.  On 18^th Sep, 6 OR’s posted to the Regiment from 51 RA Training Regt (SP).
     On 2^nd October the Regiment was placed on 6 hrs-notice from 23.59 that night.  On 4^th October, the Regt was moved by two special trains from Bracknell station to Newhaven, East Sussex.  The first train, comprised of RHQ, 250 and 252 Btys, and left about 07.00; with the remainder of the Regt on the second train leaving about 10.00.  They arrived at Newhaven approximately 12.00 and 15.00 respectively.  They stayed at the Transit Camp, Newhaven overnight.
     On 5^th October, at 15.00, the first party (less Maj CH Priestley [BC 250 Bty] and Lt AHI Swift [Intl Offr]) embarked onto 4 LCI’s [Landing Craft Infantry].  On 6^th October, the above party sailed at 07.00 (a rough crossing).  Arrived at 14.00 at Dieppe, Normandy, France.  At 15.00 hrs, 249 and 251 Bty’s (plus Maj Priestley and Lt AHI Swift) embarked at Newhaven and was due to sail the following morning, but postponed until early on the 8^th, due to the bad weather.  At 17.00, the first party (RHQ, 250 and 252 Btys) were conveyed by transport from Dieppe to 51 RHU [Reinforcement Holding Unit] at Intraville, Normandy, France.
     On 7^th October, the CO (Lt-Col J Thomson) and QM (Capt FM Lewis) left by car for Brussels.  The CO to see BRA [Brig RA], 2nd Army.  The QM to see Q, 2nd Army.  On the same afternoon, the Adjutant (Capt ATM Beaven) attended a conference at 6 LofC Sub-Area [Lines of Communication – a route that connects an operating military force with a base of operations and along which supplies and military forces move], and was told the Regt would be moved to Louvain (Walloon Region, Belgium), on 9th October.  Transport and movement would be arranged by Q (Mov) [Movement Control] 2nd Army and 11 LofC Area.  Meanwhile, the remainder of the Regt arrived at Dieppe (having had a good crossing) at 16.00 on the 8^th Oct and were conveyed to Intraville.
     An advance party left in the afternoon of the 9^th October, heading for Louvain, Belgium, with the main body of the Regiment leaving on the 10^th October, with two RASC platoons providing the transport.  The route taken to Louvain was via Abbeville, Doullens, Arras, Doui, Tournai, and Brussels (approx 230 miles), with an overnight stay at Flines (nr Doui), arriving mid-day on the 11^th October.  The accommodation which had been allotted was the College Philosophique, Louvain (a very large Jesuit establishment which had been completely gutted by fire in 1940.  Very cold and draughty – no doors or windows).  At a conference later in the day, the CO informed the BC’s [Battery Cmdrs] that the Regt was to take over, in due course, from a Corps AT Regt which at present was in the line.  In the meantime, a large number of officers and gun No’s 1 would be attached to Corps AT Regts to gain experience.  Also, a certain number of SP M10’s and 17-pdrs would be supplied for training.  On 12^th October, approx half of the Regt’s officers and gun No’s 1 were attached to the Corps AT regiments of 1, 8, 12 and 30 Corps (the CO went to 8 Corps).
     In view of the bad accommodation at the College Philosophique, new billets were recced in Louvain.  Eventually deciding to move 249 and 250 Batteries to the College of Anatomy, and RHQ and LAD to the School of Physical Culture.  Both these billets provided good accommodation.  HQ 63^rd (Oxf Yeo) AT Regt RA and LAD moved to the School of Physical Culture on the 14^th October.  It had been decided it was essential to move all troops from College Philosophique, so hunted for further accommodation for 251 and 252 Batteries.  Accommodation was found in a factory in the north part of Louvain, not too good, but will probably do.  On 16^th October, 249 and 250 Batteries move to School of Anatomy.  Requisitioned Moulin de La Dyle (factory mentioned above) for 251 and 252 Batteries, who moved on 20^th October.  During these past few days several M10’s [Self-propelled (SP) guns] and 17 pdr guns were received providing limited training facilities.
     The Brig RA and GSO1 RA [General Staff Officer Class 1] of the 2^nd Army arrived on 21^st October to discuss the tradesman situation in the 63^rd AT Regt and said that 21 Army Group were trying to arrange special courses for the tradesmen.  They also said that they would try and fix a date for when the take over from 91^st (A&SH) AT Regt must be completed – this would not be early due the tradesman situation.  Officers and NCOs of the first party returned from their attachment to 1, 8, 12, and 30 Corps on 22^nd October, with Officers and NCO’s of a second party leaving for attachment to 8, 12 and 30 Corps on the 23^rd.
     Further training had been arranged and on 28^th Oct, 92 officers and OR’s (Tp Cmdrs, Veh-Mechs and Dvr-Mechs) went by road to Ostend for embarkation to Folkestone, en route to RAMT School at Rhyl, N Wales on M10 and Crusader courses, the courses lasting from 2^nd Nov to 4^th Dec.  Officers included Capt J Sutcliffe (Technical Adjt), Capt NR Walls (Q Capt 250 Bty), Lt HV Gibson (Lsn Offr 252 Bty), and all Troop Cmdrs.
     The Regt moved, on 29^th October, in TCV’s [Troop Carrying Vehicle], to a new location at Waterscheide, Belgium.  This is the first British unit to be stationed here, and the inhabitants were most kind and helpful and gave a great welcome.  In November it had been reported that Sgt Greenaway (252 Bty), one of the NCO’s attached to 12 Corps, had become a battle casualty, being in an M10 hit by an 88mm gun during the attack on ‘s-Hertogenboch, North Brabant, the Netherlands.
     On 4^th November, the SCRA [Staff Captain, RA], 8 Corps visited to tell the Regt it had been ordered by the 2^nd Army, to move up to Mill, North Brabant, the Netherlands.  The Regt was to move the following day and that 2^nd Army was to provide transport to move 800 men.  The CO was to return with the SCRA to see CCRA [Commander Corps Royal Artillery] 8 Corps (Brig AG Matthew, DSO).  In the early hours of 5^th November, the CO returned and BC’s sent for.  He told them the whole Regt must be moved today and was to come under command 8 Corps on arrival in the new location and would be employed partly operationally and partly on training.  In the evening of 5^th November, a message was received that the Army Cmdr would see the CO at 10.00 tomorrow, and that the Regt would remain concentrated with no operational duties until more equipment supplied.  The Regt remains under command 8 Corps, but is administered by 3^rd British Inf Div.  On 7^th November they were informed that the Regt would come under command of 2 HCR [Household Cavalry Regiment] for operations.  The Regt were to be used as infantry and come under command of the 2 HCR, and subsequently the Royal Dragoons, as the 2 HCR were leaving the area on 12th Nov.  The front on which they were to operate was from, including Sambeek on the right, to including St Agatha on the left.  249 Battery was allotted Sambeek area, 250 Battery-Boxmeer area, 251 Battery-Beugen area, and 252 Battery-Ceffelt and St Agatha area.  Each Battery was to dig three strong points in their areas.  These were to be occupied each evening at dusk and remain manned until first light next morning.  The situation when they arrived was that although the River Maas formed the front line between the Allies and the enemy, the Germans has been sending patrols across the river each night and had been entering the above-named Villages.  The Regt’s task was to stop this patrolling and to kill or capture the German patrols.
     On 9^th November, the Batteries moved out of the Mill area to take up their positions on the line of the River Maas.  For a period, their nights were quiet with little to report, then on 16^th November a post of 250 Bty engaged an enemy patrol at 03.15 in the morning.  They suffered no casualties but the post is certain the enemy suffered some casualties.  The ground was examined after daybreak and German small arms, ammunition and other equipment was found.  During the day the area around RHQ came under shelling from German 88mm guns.  At 21.00, a post of 252 Bty had encountered an enemy patrol of 6 at Boxmeer at 18.30 and killed three of them and captured three.  These were sent to 3 British Inf Div for questioning.  They turned out to be from an Intel Coy of 202 Luftwaffe Regt who had been sent on patrol to locate our positions.  On 17^th November, at 08.30, 250 Bty’s location at Boxmeer was heavily shelled.  A direct hit on a trench where a number has taken shelter had caused the following casualties, killed:- Sgt Dyason, L/Sgt Painting, L/Bdr Hankin, L/Bdr Quainton, Gnr Bland, Gnr Cleall, Gnr Wisker.  Wounded:- L/Sgt Coggins, Gnr Butler, Gnr Dowling, Gnr Johnson, Gnr Kilby, and Cpl Bailey (REME).  At 18.00, one of 250 Bty’s posts was heavily mortared, two men slightly wounded.  More shelling at RHQ at various times during day.  On 18^th November, there was nothing to report from any posts during night of 17/18^th, except increased shelling and mortaring.  RHQ also received further attention during the day, but most shells fell about 600/800 yds to the West.  On 20^th November, J Troop post of 252 Bty again encountered a German patrol on the night of 19/20^th Nov.  They opened fire and wounded at least one man.  Next morning, they found three machine carbines on the scene of the action, and a little later a wounded German Sgt surrendered himself.  He said that two of the patrol had been killed and thought the other two had escaped.  On 22^nd November, a post of 250 Bty (F Troop) fought an action with an enemy patrol of 6 during the night of 21^st/22^nd.  One German was killed and body recovered in the morning.  The following of F Tp sustained slight wounds – Gnr Cottrill, Gnr Payne, and Gnr Spillier.  There had been very heavy rain the last three days and the River Maas is rapidly flooding.  It was worst in the Sambeek (249 Bty) area.  If the flooding gets any worse it may be necessary for 249 Bty to abandon their positions.  It is thought the situation has been aggravated by the Germans tampering with the flood banks.  On 26^th November, the weather improved – sun shining in the morning.  There was more shelling of Oeffelt in the morning of 27^th November.  During the afternoon L/Sgt Owens of 251 Bty was wounded by a mortar bomb in Beugen.
     Orders were received on 29^th November for the Regt to move from their present location to the area of Nuenen on 30^th November.  A RASC Platoon with 30 vehicles is to report to RHQ at 10.00 on 30^th to lift personnel.  In the Orders it was stated that there is a prodigious movement programme on tomorrow and keeping to time is of the utmost importance.  Movement on the roads will probably be extremely difficult as it is likely a whole Bde will be moving into the Mill area during the morning.  It is therefore important that ‘B’ Echs make an early start.  It had been feared that 249, 250, and 251 Batteries would get shelled as their convoys moved out of their locations which were under observation from the enemy.  This, however, did not happen although they received some mortar fire during the morning.