BATTLE OF s'HERTOGENBOSCH OCTOBER 1944
On the 17th the Regiment was relieved by the 2nd Devons in preparation for an attack on 's Hertogenbosch.
During the next two days the arms and equipment were cleaned and checked; cinema shows were given, and reconnaissances made.
On the 19th all the officers dined at Regimental headquarters.
The attack was to take place at dawn on the 22nd and initially the Regiment was to protect the brigade's start line and later to mop up behind the 1st Highland Light Infantry.
During the night of the 21st/22nd the Regiment moved into position protecting the start line. The attack started well and there was little mopping-up to do.
At 1200 hrs. the Regiment was ordered to swing round to the north and to capture objectives in line with the final objectives of the 1st Highland Light Infantry.
Led by A and D Companies, these objectives were taken without much trouble, but A Company, on reaching its position, found that it was being fired on from the objective which the Highland Light Infantry was to capture.
It was impossible to ignore this fire and the company began moving across in order to neutralize it. As it did so the mortar concentration covering the assault of the Highland Light Infantry came down and killed one man of A Company.
As it got dark the Regiment consolidated its positions, D Company at 388494 making contact with the 160th Brigade on the right, and A Company at 388493 with the 1st Highland Light Infantry on the left.
The night was quiet and patrols found no enemy. At first light the Regiment was ordered to push on and lead the advance westwards through the thick woods north of the main road 's Hertogenbosch—Nijmegen.
C Company led this advance, directed on the track junction at 382487. Isolated enemy posts were wiped out. Fields of fire were short and observation difficult. The method used was to advance until held up, and then for the forward observation officer to bring a heavy concentration of artillery on to the enemy position while riflemen assaulted it.
Shortly after C Company left, A Company was ordered to move round the north side of the woods and clear them.
The company commander, Major R. F. E. Hill, was wounded, but the company destroyed and drove back the enemy and moved on to the west edge of the woods at 383492.
At about the same time Major I. D. Jenkins, commanding D Company, saw two German stragglers in a ditch waving a white rag. He and his servant went forward towards them and were immediately shot and wounded.
After the capture of their objectives by A and C Companies, B and D Companies were brought up, and B Company was moved forward to the cross-tracks at 375486. No opposition was met.
The carrier platoon, along the main road at 385485 and 382486, covered the open left flank.
The 4th Royal Welch Fusiliers on the left had not yet advanced far and the large woods south of the main road between Jachtlust (385485) and Heide (372482) were a constant threat.
Accordingly, A Company was sent down to the road and track junction at 376484 to provide additional protection while C and D Companies were ordered to advance astride the main road and take the cross-roads at 358476.
Darkness had now fallen.
C Company went in front at first. Heide was held, but accurate artillery fire drove the enemy out and D Company drew level, and the two companies advanced together, D on the right and C on the left of the main road. ;
C Company seized the cross-roads, where the company commander, Major N. J. Callingham, was wounded. He refused to be evacuated until the morning.
C Company had come under fire from a house at 359477 and decided not to attack it until daylight.
Regimental headquarters moved into an estaminet in Heide.
In the middle of the night seven Germans wandered up to Regimental headquarters and were taken prisoners.
At 0400 hrs. C Company was counter-attacked by thirty or forty Germans. These were driven off and retired to a house. At 0800 hrs. they surrendered. They included the commander of a German regiment, a battalion commander, a company commander and a regimental serjeant-major.
During these three days the Regiment took over a hundred prisoners.
The Regimental area was now quiet, for an advance by the 158th Brigade on the right had carried the battle up to the outskirts of 's Hertogenbosch itself.
During the next two days the arms and equipment were cleaned and checked; cinema shows were given, and reconnaissances made.
On the 19th all the officers dined at Regimental headquarters.
The attack was to take place at dawn on the 22nd and initially the Regiment was to protect the brigade's start line and later to mop up behind the 1st Highland Light Infantry.
During the night of the 21st/22nd the Regiment moved into position protecting the start line. The attack started well and there was little mopping-up to do.
At 1200 hrs. the Regiment was ordered to swing round to the north and to capture objectives in line with the final objectives of the 1st Highland Light Infantry.
Led by A and D Companies, these objectives were taken without much trouble, but A Company, on reaching its position, found that it was being fired on from the objective which the Highland Light Infantry was to capture.
It was impossible to ignore this fire and the company began moving across in order to neutralize it. As it did so the mortar concentration covering the assault of the Highland Light Infantry came down and killed one man of A Company.
As it got dark the Regiment consolidated its positions, D Company at 388494 making contact with the 160th Brigade on the right, and A Company at 388493 with the 1st Highland Light Infantry on the left.
The night was quiet and patrols found no enemy. At first light the Regiment was ordered to push on and lead the advance westwards through the thick woods north of the main road 's Hertogenbosch—Nijmegen.
C Company led this advance, directed on the track junction at 382487. Isolated enemy posts were wiped out. Fields of fire were short and observation difficult. The method used was to advance until held up, and then for the forward observation officer to bring a heavy concentration of artillery on to the enemy position while riflemen assaulted it.
Shortly after C Company left, A Company was ordered to move round the north side of the woods and clear them.
The company commander, Major R. F. E. Hill, was wounded, but the company destroyed and drove back the enemy and moved on to the west edge of the woods at 383492.
At about the same time Major I. D. Jenkins, commanding D Company, saw two German stragglers in a ditch waving a white rag. He and his servant went forward towards them and were immediately shot and wounded.
After the capture of their objectives by A and C Companies, B and D Companies were brought up, and B Company was moved forward to the cross-tracks at 375486. No opposition was met.
The carrier platoon, along the main road at 385485 and 382486, covered the open left flank.
The 4th Royal Welch Fusiliers on the left had not yet advanced far and the large woods south of the main road between Jachtlust (385485) and Heide (372482) were a constant threat.
Accordingly, A Company was sent down to the road and track junction at 376484 to provide additional protection while C and D Companies were ordered to advance astride the main road and take the cross-roads at 358476.
Darkness had now fallen.
C Company went in front at first. Heide was held, but accurate artillery fire drove the enemy out and D Company drew level, and the two companies advanced together, D on the right and C on the left of the main road. ;
C Company seized the cross-roads, where the company commander, Major N. J. Callingham, was wounded. He refused to be evacuated until the morning.
C Company had come under fire from a house at 359477 and decided not to attack it until daylight.
Regimental headquarters moved into an estaminet in Heide.
In the middle of the night seven Germans wandered up to Regimental headquarters and were taken prisoners.
At 0400 hrs. C Company was counter-attacked by thirty or forty Germans. These were driven off and retired to a house. At 0800 hrs. they surrendered. They included the commander of a German regiment, a battalion commander, a company commander and a regimental serjeant-major.
During these three days the Regiment took over a hundred prisoners.
The Regimental area was now quiet, for an advance by the 158th Brigade on the right had carried the battle up to the outskirts of 's Hertogenbosch itself.
On the 25th October 1952 the Divisional Memorial for the 53rd (Welsh) Division was unveiled in s'Hertogenbosch
