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THE LOWLANDER - BIG WEEK
183 Plays10 months ago
April 1945, and the men of the 52nd Lowland Division are following in the footsteps of friends, countrymen and Romans - they're heading over the Teutoburger Wald. Andy and Merryn dig into the war diaries....
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Transcript
Introduction to The Lowlander
00:00:05
Speaker
From 1944 to 1945, the 52nd Lowlander Division is fighting its way across Northwest Europe. The writing is on the wall, but it's also on the page. The Army Education Branch sends a newsletter out to thousands of men, all pulling together, pushing the enemy back. This newsletter is called The Lowlander.
Podcast Format and Focus
00:00:41
Speaker
Hello, Andy. Hello, Mary. Hello, hello. Welcome to The Lowlander. This week we are doing things a little bit differently, aren't we? Yeah, radical. We're still technically looking at the editions of The Lowlander from the 2nd of April to the 8th of April 1945, but there just isn't as much content and actually the whole point about this exercise is to explain why it's so short. So, do you want to tell us where the jocks are this week and what they're getting up to?
Crossing the Rhine and Advancing North
00:01:08
Speaker
Oh well, I suggest you pull up a sandbag, Mirren, because this is going to be a long one. Sit yourself down, take yourself a coffee. We've talked about all sorts of different battles and things that the 52nd Lawland have done. Some of them complicated, some of them not so complicated. This week, the episode we're covering this week from the 2nd,
00:01:26
Speaker
to the 8th of April is I think one of the busiest weeks in the 50 seconds history. Lots and lots of movement, lots and lots of fighting, not necessarily all joined up but with a real purpose and a real drive. So last week, at the end of last week, we said we'd crossed the Rhine and they turned north and they were now pouring northwards towards the key features of the cities of Bremen and Hamburg and that really is their objective. They're going to try and get there as quick as they can.
00:01:53
Speaker
Before they get there, about 70 miles north of the Rhine Crossing, they're going to come up against some big, strong features that they must force a crossing and an attack. And there's a couple of them. Now bearing in mind at this point, 50 seconds under 12 Corps, under our friend General Ritchie, within 12 Corps you've got 7th Armoured Division, you've got 53rd Welsh Division, 52nd Lowland, and you've got the 4th Armour Brigade.
Challenges of Natural and Industrial Barriers
00:02:20
Speaker
Now,
00:02:21
Speaker
If you can imagine the ground about 70 miles north of the Rhine, it's kind of fairly low lying flat farmland, nothing particularly interesting going on. There's a few little towns, there's a couple of villages, there's some fields, there's some farms, nothing particularly interesting.
00:02:37
Speaker
until you get to this feature called the Dortmund Ems Canal. Now the Dortmund Ems Canal is a major industrial canal that runs from Dortmund in the south, southeast, all the way up to the North Sea coast at Emden and it combines with the River Ems at various different points. This is a huge, huge feature bombed by the RAF for the war but also it still has water in it and it's still a major obstacle. So that's a major obstacle. Now
00:03:03
Speaker
There's a little town, or I should say there's a little city, a fairly large town, called Reiner. Now Reiner sits on the River Ems, which is not far from the Dortmund Ems Canal. And that's going to be one of the objectives of the 52nd Lowland Division. Reiner is really, really important because it's a crossing on the River Ems, but it's also on the far western tip of a really strange but dominating geological feature called the Teutebergewald.
00:03:32
Speaker
Now the Teutoburgavald, now Roman fans amongst you, your ears will be picking up at this point. You may have heard of this before. The Teutoburgavald in history is where the Roman legions under Varus, after they crossed the Rhine, moved up to take on the German tribes under the German tribal leader of
Strategic Importance of Teutoburgavald
00:03:50
Speaker
Arminius. And it's where they were destroyed. The Roman legions were absolutely destroyed. Varus was killed, and it sent shot ways throughout the Roman Empire in the first century AD.
00:04:00
Speaker
and they actually crossed the Rhine not far from where the 52nd lowland did it, Zanton. This is Victor of Zanton, isn't it? Yes, we were there recently and we saw that there's a big Roman fort in the museum there and we got all excited and we promised the next time we go there, we're going to visit because we're sad like that.
00:04:17
Speaker
Lots of crossovers here between... Yeah, definitely, definitely. Well, actually, the Teutobergaval battle that happened in the Roman times, that wasn't actually at this location, but this place still has that name. The feature itself is very odd. I said it was low-lying, flat farmland for miles and miles and miles around.
00:04:35
Speaker
The Teutoburgafald is this really weird geological ridge line that runs from the northwest just next to Reiner all the way down to the southeast near Paderborn. British Army listeners to this will know Paderborn pretty well. It's one of the areas where they used to be based through the Cold War. Now this feature is strange because it's
00:04:54
Speaker
maybe about 100 meters higher on the ground around about it but it's a snake-like ridge that runs down that course and it's sometimes only maybe 100 meters 200 meters wide at the top with very very steep sides and it's covered in very very dense woodland and some rocky outcrops so you imagine if you're a defender this is a very key feature because it dominates the diamond.mms canal
00:05:17
Speaker
and it also dominates the town of Reiner. Now, if you capture Reiner, you cross the River Ems, and then the Dortmund Ems Canal, you can actually get round the feature, so you can imagine the strategic importance of the town of Reiner.
00:05:31
Speaker
But there's also, once you cross the Darkman's Canal at various different points, you've then got to tackle this feature as well. You can't just go round it, you have
Allied Advancements and War Diaries
00:05:38
Speaker
to tackle it, and that's going to be one of the objectives for the 52nd at the same time. And beyond Reiner, where the ground opens out again, nice flat country, there's a couple of other crossings. There is, again, the Darkman's Canal just further up, and then there's a couple of other rivers, and that's going to culminate around a little village called Dryarvalda, where there's going to be some big battles and there's another river crossing.
00:06:00
Speaker
So there's lots and lots of stuff going on there. When we get into the episode, we'll actually explain how those little bits join up and how they meet, and hopefully we'll give you a little bit more context. So what I think we should do is probably include a map that explains some of this on the show notes, on Twitter, etc. And there happens to be an exceptionally good one on the front page of The Lowlander for April the 4th, 1945.
00:06:30
Speaker
Fourth of April, 1945, German disasters mounting. The disaster which has befallen the German army in the West is daily growing more serious. Last night, more spectacular progress was reported from the 21st Army Group Front, as well as from other sectors of the Allied line. In the North, Canadian and British units have made further progress towards the cutting of all enemy communications with Northern Holland.
00:06:59
Speaker
They have entered the small town of Nordhorn and have here cut the last direct railway used as a supply route to the V weapon sites. One railway only is now left of the enemy and that is a long one running beside the Zida Z. On Monday night, much German traffic was seen moving eastwards and it came under attack from our mosquitoes. Between Nijmegen and Arnhem, other troops have cleared the so-called island.
00:07:27
Speaker
Even better news comes from the head of the Allied drive. Munster has been completely cleared by the 6th Guards Tank Brigade and the US 17th Armoured Division, and far to the east, the cities of Osnebrooke and Bielfield have been surrounded.
00:07:42
Speaker
The former, a vital railway centre, had a peacetime population of 100,000. On the left flank of this drive Scottish troops have successfully forced a crossing of the Ems River. The trapped Germans in the Ruhr, whose encirclement has been described by General Eisenhower as a magnificent feat of arms which will bring the war more rapidly to a close, were yesterday still trying to break the iron ring that has been drawn around them.
General Patton's Strategic Progress
00:08:08
Speaker
they have failed completely and the American First Army has broadened its long salient by the capture of Warburg, 23 miles southeast of Paderborn. The enemy appears to be attempting to form a line between Paderborn and Castle with the object of then breaking into the Ruhr. This has been thwarted by the capture of Castle by General Patton's Third Army.
00:08:30
Speaker
To the east, at Nordhausen, barracks and army installations were yesterday heavily attacked by RAF Lancasters escorted by Mustangs. To the southeast of Castle, the famous 4th Armoured Division has crossed the Wehr at Eisner and is moving along the Great Motor Road leading to Leipzig and Berlin.
00:08:49
Speaker
Southeast of Frankfurt, fighting is still going on in the town of Aschaffenburg, where a fanatical group of Germans are putting up determined resistance. This opposition has not prevented 3rd Army units from pushing on eastwards and 7th Army columns driving parallel, but further to the south, are now beyond the town of Wรผrzburg.
00:09:09
Speaker
Now there's a lot there, an awful lot there, but I spy somebody conspicuous by their absence and that's the actual mention of 5K OSB. What I suggest we do is have a look at there and other people's war diaries.
5th Battalion's Mission to Capture Reiner
00:09:22
Speaker
What do you reckon? That sounds like a good idea. 5th Battalion, the King's own Scottish Borders. 2nd of April. New and Kirken. 0130 hours.
00:09:38
Speaker
Battalion moves and TCVs to Nรผrnkirchen taking F and A echelons B echelon comes under brigade admin area 0600 hours Battalion arrives at Nรผrnkirchen and awaits further orders 0900 hours Battalion order to relieve 9 Durham Light Infantry and area northeast of Nรผrnkirchen 1045 hours relief complete
00:10:02
Speaker
1200 hours. Battalion ordered to capture Reine west of Ems and to mop up any opposition not already cleared by tank patrols who entered the town on 1st of April at dusk. 1445 hours. Battalion, having moved by March route, clear the town of Reine west of River Ems, D right, C left, followed by A right and carriers left. 1445 hours. Attack proceeds successfully
00:10:30
Speaker
Only trouble from snipers on far bank of river ends. Self-propelled 17-powered nerves in support used to deal with houses in which snipers are located. 1800 hours. Battalion established in Raina. Very slight shelling and fire from flat gun on far side of river. C and D companies support crossing of river ends by seven Cameroonians. 2100 hours. A and D companies and carriers are withdrawn leaving C company on river bank
00:11:00
Speaker
A and D carriers take up positions, see appendix. A, to deal with any counter-attack from the north. B, remain in woods southeast of town. Yep, 2200 hours, three bombs dropped by jet plane, slight shelling on and off for three hours, no casualties. Move of B echelon during the day to Neuenkirchen. 3rd of April, Reiner. 0100 hours. The town consolidated a new position, no enemy activity during the night, seven camera unions clear up east and end of Reiner.
00:11:29
Speaker
1430. Patrol from sea companies sent out to area northwest of town, north of airfield. 30 Italian prisoners and some mines found on road, otherwise no enemy. 1600 hours. Seven camps prepared to move up from Bridgehead over Dortmund Ems Canal, east of town. B and C companies and carry a platoon ordered to cross the river and take over from them.
00:11:53
Speaker
1800 hours. Bridge over River Thames complete. Class 24. B and C established in eastern part of Reiner with carried platoon. Two 6-pounder anti-tank guns. Three and 17-pounders in support. With their F and A echelons. During day 157 Brigade revert to command of 52nd Lowland Division. Twenty hundred hours. Seven cams attack start. Quiet night on battalion front. No reports of enemy at all. Fourth of April. Greiter. 0500 hours.
00:12:23
Speaker
Bridge over River Ems complete to Class 40. Bridgehead proceeding satisfactorily over Canal, 5 HLI, 1 Glasgow High Unders in Reina, also Brigade HQ.
00:12:33
Speaker
0600 hours. No enemy activity in town near battalion area. Battalion of Royal Welsh Fusiliers pass through the Grillehold Ground north of airfield, northwest of town. 1700 hours. Battalion order to go in assistance of 7 Cameroonians and to block approaches to Reina from the road from bridge over Dortmund Dens Canal from north and to move forward towards large wood, Stadforce Reina. 20 hundred hours. Battalion move in TCVs followed by F echelon to area Grouter.
00:13:03
Speaker
O group proceeding in advance 22 20 hours after orders A left and D right cross start line to occupy an area forward of seven cams between canal and river ends 22 40 C company cross start line to occupy reserve company area hopster no enemy encountered but slight shelling 23 50 hours all positioned occupied except D company who are having trouble with sniping from far side of canal
00:13:30
Speaker
Wow, any questions?
Rapid Advances and Military Legends
00:13:32
Speaker
Well, not so much questions, not so much a question as an observation. And this goes some, if not most of the way to explaining why we've only got four issues of the Lowlander this week. This is crack on at pace, isn't it?
00:13:48
Speaker
Yes, I mean, they've rushed, as I say, they've gone for probably about 70 miles in a straight line from the rain crossing. And they're banged. All of a sudden, they're here in this town of Raina and they've got to move quickly through that. They've got to secure the crossing in Raina and they've got to get across that because about a mile or so north of Raina is the Dortmund Ems Canal. So they really have to push on. And you'll notice the minute they're across, the next battalion or the next companies are passing through them onto the next objective.
00:14:14
Speaker
that you start to be able to triangulate the names of the different battalions as we go through. I've got one question, and that's going back to the 2nd of April, 9 o'clock in the morning, where the battalions ordered to relieve 9 DLI. That only takes an hour and three quarters. So is that a case of almost pulling onto an area and watching 9 DLI pull off in front of you, or is it more complex than that? Let's try not and say pull off.
00:14:44
Speaker
You know exactly what I mean. So without knowing the context of what DLI are in front of, it could be a relief in place, which means you're under observation from the enemy and you're in contact with the enemy. That's a very difficult thing to do. And I would say that probably doesn't, probably wouldn't be taken as quickly as that. Probably what's happened is they're just holding an area, Northeastern Neinkarken, with no particular threat. And it's a simple case of between the battalion, the company, the platoons,
00:15:10
Speaker
you just arrange who's going to take over too. And you do it in sequence. So A company relief, whatever company, DLI, then B company, then C company and that. So it just depends. But I think this is probably not under direct observation from the enemy. So it is like bumper cars. It's a case of pull up, nudge and off you go. OK. Thank you very much.
00:15:30
Speaker
Now, from this you would assume, quite rightly, that the 5th Battalion Kings on Scottish Borders captured the town of Reiner. If we revert to Mountain and Flood, the 52nd Law and Division's history, we have another take on this and I was wondering if perhaps you could summarise this, Mary. I certainly can. So this is from Chapter 14 of Mountain and Flood, across the Dortmund Ems Canal.
00:15:59
Speaker
The Lowlanders cherish an agreeable legend to the effect that the town of Reiner was really captured by the divisional Bath Unit. Civilians and old soldiers may have to be informed that the Bath Unit was one of the most valuable amenities of the up-to-date civilian army of 1944-45.
00:16:17
Speaker
Managed by the Royal Army Ordnance Corps carried in monstrously heavy trucks, it consisted of portable tanks, furnaces and perforated pipes that could be rapidly assembled to give battle weary soldiers a hot spray with a welcome change of underclothing and socks thrown in. It was rightly regarded as an essential of welfare that the bath unit should closely follow the fighting troops and wherever a suitable site was to be found,
00:16:43
Speaker
set up its paraphernalia and prepare with dispatch to refresh tired bodies just out of the slip trench or the gun pit.
00:16:51
Speaker
It is a military fact of no small importance that the bath units of the British Army in the Low Countries and Germany were zealous in their office and could be relied upon to rumble up to the nearest fixed position to the line and, in the vernacular of the services, lay on hot showers with admirable promptitude. The legend of the 50 seconds bath unit in the Heine battle is well authenticated.
00:17:16
Speaker
It appears that when the division started to move from the Neuenkirchen area towards the town, the River Ems and the line of the Dortmund Ems Canal beyond, its great trucks took their proper, if hardly exalted, position in the long column of vehicles heading for the North German ports. Whether the sergeant in charge felt his large vehicles were tending to delay more urgent traffic,
00:17:38
Speaker
or was inspired to essay a little fancy map reading of his own, the fact seems to be he did divert his outfit from the ordained route and, by devious side roads, enter Guyana without opposition.
00:17:51
Speaker
Somewhere in the heart of that solid town he found a railway bridge spanning a main street and, sensibly, decided this was a good place in which the bath unit might set up in business. The pipes, the tanks and the rest of it were duly unloaded and reassembled and soon the fires were burning and the hot water was coming up nicely.
00:18:10
Speaker
Just as they were about ready to serve hot showers, according to regulations, the Ordnance Men saw a platoon of one of the Lowland battalions advancing up the street, holding close to the wall in single file, their weapons at the ready in the alert manner appropriate to street fighting. The astonishment of both parties may be imagined, but that, so the story goes, is how the bath unit of the 52nd Lowland Division captured Reiner.
00:18:37
Speaker
The strict historian would ignore this pleasing moment as an accidental irrelevance, precisely the sort of thing that's apt to happen in a battle of pursuit. In fact, troops of other formations had ventured into China before the Lowlanders relieved them and completely secured the town. The exploit to the bath unit was no more than a typical symptom
00:18:57
Speaker
of the lack of exact knowledge of enemy dispositions which inevitably prevailed at that stage of the campaign and in a geographical situation favouring a stand, if not sharp counter-attack, by the enemy. Now, this is payback for you making me read out Hungarian names. This is past the loofah, definitely, isn't it? Yeah. Well, I mean, this is the story stood out when I first read Mountain Flood years ago. This is the story that stood out.
00:19:26
Speaker
Dear listener, I have checked the 35th mobile laundry and bath unit of the 52nd lowland divisions war diary and it makes no mention of this. Same as the 5th battalion which you've just heard. They make no mention of this at all.
00:19:40
Speaker
It's clearly one of those rumours that goes around the division and, oh, I don't know. It makes it into the history. Yeah, perhaps more scrupulous academics might want to ignore this, but it's a nice story anyway. And you know what we've got to do the next time we go to Rhino, don't you? Yeah, definitely. We've got to find that railway bridge. Definitely.
Cameronians' Assault and Casualties
00:20:05
Speaker
7 Batawian the Cameronians, Scottish Rifles. Reiner, 2nd April. Party move to Reiner and Seal gave orders for the assault crossing at 1500 hours. The opt to take place that evening. Advanced PHQ was established at 801-089 at 1500 hours. The part of Reiner west of River Thames was held by 5KOSB
00:20:29
Speaker
and bridge 088 099 was already demolished. Int reports indicated that eastern part of Raina was held by about 600 enemy troops. Battalion assembled in area 198 088 and prepared to make an assault crossing at 802 089. Six assault boats were used and six kept in reserve.
00:20:52
Speaker
Anti-tank platoon acted as ferrymen for the op. B Company began the crossing at 2005 hours after the first wave of boats had crossed the crossing place and assembly area came under heavy small arms fire and gunfire. Two boats were sunk and others became unserviceable. B Company completed the crossing by 2050 hours and rapidly occupied the factory at 807-092.
00:21:17
Speaker
A company crossed by 2120 hours and moved to centre of town at 804 095 with some fighting on the way. G company followed A company and occupied factory at 799 097 by about midnight.
00:21:33
Speaker
The casualties were 1 officer, Lieutenant Brennan, A company and 6 other ranks killed and 22 other ranks wounded. Enemy prisoners included 1 officer and 64 other ranks of the Gursa-Dyshland Regiment. C company made a peaceful crossing at 0200 hours and moved to approximately 807-096. The CO amended company positions for the first light and a perimeter defence of the bridge was established.
00:22:00
Speaker
Pioneer platoon took over the ferry duties at the crossing place while 5-3 Division Royal Engineers were engaged in building a belly bridge at 800 099. This task was completed by 52nd Division Royal Engineers. 1-5-7 brigade reverted to command of 52nd Lownd Division. After crossing by ferry on routine duties, RSM Elwood captured five enemy, a spandau team, in a position covering the crossing place.
00:22:27
Speaker
Sea Company set patrols up to Dortmund Ems Canal and reported bridges blowing an enemy in approximately area 8311. Reiner was cleared by patrols completely by about 1400 hours
00:22:39
Speaker
At 1620 hours, Brigade Commander gave orders to CO to move the battalion to Dorp Nems Canal and secure a small bridgehead, or if this was not possible, to secure the near bank of the canal as a firm base for an assault crossing by another unit. Advanced battalion headquarters and O Group moved on foot to 810098 for orders.
00:23:00
Speaker
Bridge 800 099 was completed by 1845 hours and all battalion troops were granted priority by the brigade commander so that the op could proceed with all speed. No time had been allowed for wreckage however and information about the canal was scanty. Advanced battalion headquarters was established at 829 108 and at 23 35 hours the company moved down to assembly area near battalion headquarters prior to crossing. 4th of April Dortmund's Canal.
00:23:29
Speaker
despite the promise, many casualties. By 0800 hours, D Company had about two platoons across in addition to C Company and reinforced the bridgehead on the left. C Company managed to work forward to some houses and eventually a small bridgehead of a few hundred yards' depth was established. The casualties suffered were five other ranks killed, three other ranks presumed killed, two officers, Major George MC and Captain Combine, R.A.M.C and 27 other ranks wounded.
00:23:56
Speaker
Casualties due were due to very active snipers and airbus from SP or AA guns. Battalion area was constantly shelled and mortared. Presidents of Ward captured, numbered one officer and 102 other ranks.
00:24:10
Speaker
A company moved northwards along the west bank and cleared the enemy from the lock gates area 820120 and made contact with 5KOS-B. A carrier mortar group under command of Captain Miller occupied area 810117 previously and was relieved by a company of 5KOS-B at 0030 hours on the 5th of April.
00:24:33
Speaker
So there's an awful lot there. And I've got four things have jumped into my mind. First, I could listen or read these all day long. And I know we said in the introduction that this was going to be a long one because we're going to do the war diaries. But every single sentence here prompts a question for me about what they were doing and how they were doing, which is brilliant. So the second thing is 12 assault boats. Where did they get these assault boats from?
00:25:01
Speaker
Royal Engineers. They just happen to have 12 assault boats up their left knicker leg. Well, yeah. Well, so you within the division and the Corps as well. So they have you have your field companies, which are which are the Royal Engineer squad does that go out and do the actual work. Yeah. You've got a bridging platoon, which does the heavy bridging. You also have something called a field park company and a field park company has all of the engineer stores.
00:25:27
Speaker
and manages all of them, workshops and all those sort of heavy stuff. So that when you get a task like this, you have a selection of equipment to do the job. And what they're talking about is these fold up assault boats. They're a bit of canvas with a metal frame and you can stick an outboard or you can use them in paddles. And we'll put a picture of these up. So is it more like a coracle than a rib?
00:25:48
Speaker
Somewhere in between, yeah. So what would happen is the battalion we've had an orders group to do this assault crossing, the orders, the plan would have been made and as part of that you would have had the royal engineer party to do the engineer recce and then they would have said this is how many boats you need, this is how you're going to use them and it's interesting they used the anti-tank platoon to do the ferry.
00:26:14
Speaker
Normally that would have been the pioneer platoon and it even says they took over later on. OK, so that was two things. The third thing was, is it me or do you guys go on a course so that you know exactly when to say five three division role engineers as opposed to 53 division or 52nd lowland? Is it you just pick it up? Modern, modern terminology. You say that you say the letters, the numbers individually.
00:26:43
Speaker
back in the day it was it's there's that they were actually well i'm happy to be credited there isn't really a hard and fast rule but nowadays you would never say 52 or 53 you would only have a 65 to unless it's three numbers so if it's a three you would say 100 so for example if it was a if it was a hundred company you would say 100 you would say 100 company so if you want it would be 157 brigade rather than 107 yeah but i
00:27:11
Speaker
In my mind, in my brain, especially when I'm reading stuff out, I can't make the switch to the 157th Brigade. I always say 157 or 155.
00:27:22
Speaker
OK, so the fourth thing was there's a mention in here, two, three, four, five times of the lock on a canal. And for me, it's only when we go through this line by line like this, and I know it may sound laborious to people who are listening, that suddenly the Dortmund Ems Canal for me is no longer just a name or a line on a map. It's actually something far more physical and more challenging to deal with if you've got a body of water that's got locks and a flow and and you've got to get across it.
00:27:52
Speaker
Yeah, and one of the challenges with the Dortmund Ems Canal, because the RAF had been hitting it for the best part of two years, is it was significantly lower than it would have been normally. So whereas before you could have rode your boat across and you wouldn't have needed to sort of clamber down, there's actually photographs of the Dortmund Ems Canal in various different places. It was interesting, I was not far from this place, my first trip over there when I was following in the footsteps of Peter White and the Jocks.
00:28:20
Speaker
I was in a restaurant, a local real proper old school German restaurant, there was beer stains, there was kind of, you know, input music in the background, exactly what you'd expect. And they had a book of the area through the history, so from about the 1800s through to modern times. And they have this bit in the middle where they show the picture of the Dortmund Canal
00:28:40
Speaker
in the 1940s, and it was significantly lower than it was before, and there was lots of boats that had been destroyed, but it made no mention of the reason why that was the case. It's just one of those things, but it's really interesting. And actually, some of the great, I mean, the Darmenames Canal is incredibly deep because you've got these huge river barges that are transporting thousands of tons of stuff up and down them.
00:29:03
Speaker
That lock, incidentally, is still there and you can actually see it. It's one of the ways they got across. They put some crossings across there because there was a little bit of an island where the lock was and they could get across it. Final thought on this one. RSM Elwood capturing the five enemy, the Spandau team. Do you know, I shall never listen to Spandau ballet the same again? Well, that's where they get the name from, isn't it? I know, I know. Or is it Spandau present? I don't know.
00:29:35
Speaker
5th Battalion the Highland Light Infantry, 9 Kirkham, 3rd of April, 1500 hours. Artillery laid smoke in area where patrols fired on and vehicles were retrieved, 1600 hours. Advance party left for new area Heine 7909 and advance party of 2nd Monmouthshire Regiment arrived to take over battalions area.
00:29:57
Speaker
2200 hours to 2300 hours. Battalion leaves under company's own arrangements for new area at Reina. Casualties, one other ranks killed, 11 other ranks wounded, 10 other ranks missing, three prisoners of war taken. Fourth of April, 0100 hours. Orders received for battalion to enlarge bridge head formed by seven cams over Dortmund Ems Canal, area 8311, so that a bridge may be built.
00:30:27
Speaker
Ten hundred hours to fourteen hundred hours. C and B companies passed through seven cams and took objectives 831127 and 837119 respectively. A and D companies crossed canal and took objectives on either flank at 823129 and 838112 respectively.
00:30:46
Speaker
During this time, TAC Battalion HQ 830110 was shelled heavily. One shell striking the roof and causing four signal personnel casualties, also Captain Murphy, S Company commander. Fourth of April, Dortmund M's canal area. 1400 hours, enemies sniping from front and flanks, also shelling of the HQ and B Company's area heavily mortared. Total casualties, one officer, 2nd Lieutenant Ray 331906 and four other ranks killed.
00:31:16
Speaker
One officer, Captain E. Murphy, 198251. Twenty-two other ranks wounded, eight missing, fifty prisoners of war taken. Infiltration throughout the night of company areas. 0400 hours, enemy fighting patrol attacked B Company and was beaten off with heavy casualties. 0900 hours, 156 brigade passed through the battalion area.
00:31:37
Speaker
to take the area Dรผrichwalda, some sniping, mortaring and shelling from flanks during the day. Casualties, one other ranks killed, five other ranks wounded, two officers and 26 other ranks prisoners of war taken.
00:31:52
Speaker
6th of April, 0300 hours. A company patrolled the wood at 821126 and reported it clear of enemy. 0800 hours. 52nd Division recce passed through to take Hopston. Also, a battalion RUR passed through to clear left flank. 1400 hours. Companies ordered to concentrate in tight company areas. TAC HQ moved to 831113. 7th of April, admin and maintenance throughout the morning.
00:32:21
Speaker
Well, well done for getting through that. What the listeners won't realise is this is written like somebody's homework at school. It's done in pencil. Yeah. And then actually there's such a variance in the way it's done. Some people write and type it. Some people use sort of ink pen, but this is actually done in pencil, which is quite unusual and it's quite hard to read. And we should probably mention, even though there was this casualty, Captain Murphy, who was in the S Company commander,
00:32:49
Speaker
The way it's written, and you'll appreciate, we obviously, this is the death of somebody and we have to be respectful and we have to think about what happened. It's written down as Captain Murphy's boy band, which we tried very hard not to laugh at because it is the death of somebody, but it really, we spent, bear in mind, Marin does words for a living. We spent at least 15 minutes trying to work out what is a boy band? Boyzone?
00:33:19
Speaker
I don't know. Now, as mentioned in the 52nd Division, the recuritionment coming through there. Yeah, and the reason why I put this war diary in, the 5th Battalion, is it links between the couple of war diaries we read before and what we're going to go on to. And they mentioned Dreyavalda and Hopston. Now, the recuritionment got to Hopston, but another battalion is actually going to attack it because it turned out he was held in strength. Yeah.
00:33:48
Speaker
6th Lanarkshire Battalion, the Cameroonian Scottish Rifles. Noekirk in 5th April. 0120 hours, Battalion moved to Reiner in TCVs. 0200 hours, Battalion debust in Reiner and marched to Dortmund Ems Canal.
00:34:04
Speaker
Owing to lack of assault boats, Battalion unable to cross. Leading elements of Battalion under light shell fire. 0900 hours, O-Group was held to issue new orders for a change of plan. Battalion to cross Canal by Bailey Bridge and attack and to capture Trievalda 8514.
00:34:23
Speaker
Special task, secure river bridge in Trivalda if possible intact to enable armour to pass through. In support, one squadron of squats grows. 1330 hours, commenced approach march. 1630 hours, D company fighting in west end of Trivalda. B company held up by heavy small arms fire in east end of village. 1800 hours,
00:34:46
Speaker
Italian HQ established in-house, MR 854145. 1800 hours, battalion headquarters established in-house, MR 854145. A company, 847157. B company, 845155. And C company, 854145. Bridge blown, all companies on objectives, 200 prisoners of war taken.
6th Lanarkshire Battalion and Enemy Resistance
00:35:11
Speaker
45 Royal Scots fusiliers in kangaroos passed through. Casualties sustained were as follows. A company, 1 killed, 8 wounded. B company, 1 killed, 2 wounded. D company, 3 killed, 3 wounded. 3 of Alder, 6th April. Battalion passed a quiet night. 10 hundred hours, O group at Battalion head queue, orders issued for move forward. 1700 hours, Battalion advance party left for new location.
00:35:40
Speaker
1800 hours, main body moved off. 1900 hours, Italian established in new locations. 1800 hours, D company placed under command 45 Royal Scots Fusiliers, some enemy shelling of battalion area, no casualties. 7th April, change of plan during the night of 6th, 7th of April. C and A companies to attack main road south of Hopston, MR 9120, objectives to be consolidated at first light, 7th of April.
00:36:08
Speaker
0720, sea company objective consolidated. 0845, all objectives taken and consolidated. Enemy mortars concentrate area Hopston. 1030 hours, nine prisoners of war pass back to Cage.
00:36:23
Speaker
The interesting thing about that one is, it mentions that the 4th 5th Battalion, Rose-Scott's Fuziliers, are passing through in Kangaroos and they're heading for the next objective, Hopston. So at Dryavalda, it's a relatively small village and they were held up by a number of assault guns and infantry dug in and around the bridge, which they mentioned that was blowing. In fact, there's two bridges.
00:36:46
Speaker
and they were both blown. And then once that was captured, the bridge was thrown across and the 4th 5th Battalion passed through. And that's where we're going to go next. We're going to follow the 4th 5th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. I note the lack of assault boots, however.
00:37:00
Speaker
Yes, yes, it's a tiny little, piddly little stream that runs through Dreyewelder. And it's actually one of the most famous pictures of this time from the Army Film and Photographic Unit is from Dreyewelder. There's an assault gun. Now, they say it's a Gross-Dowsland Regiment, which is kind of hard to pinpoint because they're technically speaking on the Eastern Front. But I think it's remnants of that unit that have been brought over by the Germans and sort of assembled. Because at this point, the German defences are really hard to identify who they are.
00:37:29
Speaker
and there's an assault gun that's been bogged in next to the Dreyavalda Bridge. I'd also like to point out here that it seems like the divisional typewriter has been passed with a sixth landing ship. Yes, yes, they have got a typewriter on my 5th HLI. 4th 5th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. April 6th, Dreyavalda.
00:37:55
Speaker
2200 hours. Planning notes received with continuance of advance moved to be expected after 0600 hours on completion of bridging at Dreyavalda. Plan was to take Hopston three miles north of Dreyavalda and exploit forward. Battle route consists of a company with forward observation officer, tanks and the company in kangaroos, armoured vehicles and under command of major area company commander. remainder of the town is in company groups as attached order of march.
00:38:26
Speaker
Order of March dated 6th April 1945 attached. 0900 hours, Battle Group advanced over the newly erected bridge and advanced till the any opposition was met on the outskirts of Hopston where the bridge was found to be demolished. 10 hundred hours, leading platoon was held up and pinned on the approaches to the bridge by enemy fire. Major J.M. Eliot attempted the flanking movements which was met by fire.
00:38:51
Speaker
11 1500 hours, Major J.M. Eliot returned from seeing his 4 platoon was killed by an enemy sniper and Seo decided to flank and move east in attempt to take another bridge. B Company moved off and was met by fire at the bridge. One platoon managed to get over but owing to the roadblock no tanks could get over. 1500 hours, enemy resistance became stronger and B Company suffered casualties.
00:39:16
Speaker
1700 hours. Sea Company moved to this area in support of Bee Company. Enemy resistance was still strong and a barn occupied the leading platoon was set on fire by the enemy. Casualties were caused by own artillery foreign lands to Bee and Sea Companies.
00:39:32
Speaker
1830 hours. RecuPistrol from D Company found bridge between A and B Company still intact and it was decided that D Company should exploit this area with one company of six Cameroonians now under command to pass through D Company and into the town.
00:39:48
Speaker
D Company found bridge blown and enemy resisting. With assistance of Crocs, resistance was overcome and a bridge was lowered, allowing tank support for the company and their advance forward. C Company at the same time exploited for B Company and managed to clear the roadblock, allowing tanks to support also. 7th of April, Hopstead, 0300 hours. Companies made their objectives and face of enemy resistance. A Company came under command of six Cameroonians.
00:40:18
Speaker
0500 hours. In clearing up and in the action some 70 prisoners of war were taken and a number of enemy killed, casualties being also suffered on own sight also. Lieutenant T.J.D. Morris was a casualty. Battalion stretcher bearers and field ambulance did magnificent work throughout this operation. 0700 hours. Enemy artillery was active in Hopston. 2200 hours. Brigade Ogrip at 2200 hours where plans were received for continuous advance in the following day.
00:40:48
Speaker
8th of April, 0900 hours. Battalion moved to area north of Hopston to cover open flank of Divisions Advance. It being reported that the battalion of SS troops were in the area of Speila, defence positions were prepared, Kangaroos left the battalion. 20 hundred hours. Orders received for the battalion to move as from 0900 hours, this order was followed by another giving alterations.
00:41:16
Speaker
So we've just spent the last, God knows how long, talking about the actions around Reiner, the River End, the Dormnembs Canal, Dryavalda, and then onto Hopston. And that is 157 and 156 brigades battle during this week, from the 2nd to the 8th of April. I mentioned that the other key feature was the Teutobergwald, so that feature, that geographical feature that runs from basically northwest to the southeast.
00:41:44
Speaker
Well 155 Brigade was detached from 52nd Glowing Division this week and it was attached to the 7th Armoured Division. So 155 Brigade came under their command and they actually crossed the Dortmund Ems Canal about 15 miles to the east of Reiner.
00:42:01
Speaker
and they crossed to little tiny little village called Berghta. That crossing was forced on the 2nd of 2nd of April by the 53rd Welsh Division and the 52nd Lowland Division or 155 Brigade passed through them on the morning of the 3rd. So we're now going to join 155 Brigade specifically we're going to start with the 7th 9th Royal Scots who start the attack on the Teutobergavald.
Royal Scots and Friendly Fire Incident
00:42:32
Speaker
7th 9th Royal Scots, area V958058, 3rd of April. Colour parties moved off at 1030 hours approximately and main bodies at 1215 for concentration area V8704. Battalion, as part of 155 infantry begrade group, came under the command of 7th Armoured Division with effect from 0500 hours. CO left in advance of main body to meet begrade commander in area Berthe V59
00:43:00
Speaker
Berchter V9505, orders received for relief of 2 Devon 7th Armoured Division in area 9506 same evening, and for an attack eastwards on 4th April to clear enemy pockets from high ground overlooking the main access site of Ibn Burin 9808. Main body marched from 907062 and relief complete by 2200 hours. CO again visited brigade for final details for attack on 4th April. 4th April
00:43:29
Speaker
Area V, 975060. Leading companies, C, right, A, left, cross battalion start line at 0710 hours and reach objectives 966064 and 975065 respectively by 0815 without reposition. D company passed through to high ground 973059 and B company moved to area 973070 without incident. 6HLI passed through the town
00:43:58
Speaker
6th HLI passed for the battalion at 0900 hours and after some steady fighting during which D Company became involved with small pockets of snipers, battalion moved forward to east side of main axis in area 9706. D Company were later detached for close defence of bridge at 953054, 5 prisoners of war taken during the day. 4th Battalion the Kings own Scottish Borders
00:44:26
Speaker
Ebb and Burin 4th April 1500 hours Brigadier McLaren with warning order for battle 1540 hours CO, O group for the taking of bridges at 982079 and 988079 Ebb and Burin, battalion move off at 1800 hours Plan and orders A company and D company will be the forward companies B company to pass through A company and C company through D company onto the objective
00:44:55
Speaker
A company proceed up track 9680562 crossroads at 979075 and secure while B company passes onto objective bridge at 982097. A company objective will be code sign pen, B company objective code sign will be pencil.
00:45:15
Speaker
D company will go up main road 972050 to road junction 985073 to secure and hold while C company pass through to secure objective bridge at 988079. D company objective will be code sign, Inc. C company will be code sign, Chalk. In support, two field regiments and one medium regiment, brigade heads to be secure and held. 1540, carry platoon will command a command of D company.
00:45:46
Speaker
1800 hours. Battalion moves over Starline into battle. 1900 hours. Major H-Ray comes back to Tach HQ to report his company's pin down with heavy small arms fire and spandau fire. Heavy casualties and leak platoon. Tach HQ at 980061. Company held up at 985072. Lieutenant TJ Gardner, fatally wounded.
00:46:12
Speaker
1915, A company pinned down and held by heavy small arms fire, enemy in number in trenches and houses, request tanks if possible or flamethrowers. 1920 hours, A company requests more ammo.
00:46:24
Speaker
Twenty-hundred hours, C orders A company and B company close up to B and A to consolidate position which is at 987070. C company to move up to D company and consolidate position at 958072. Tack HQ at 981062 with mortars, carriers to remain with D company. Twenty-zero five hours, stretch of errors need by D company.
00:46:50
Speaker
20 zero eight hours. Carriers have gone round roadblock at 982 064 and joining D company.
00:46:58
Speaker
Twenty-ten hours, stretcher bears for seven casualties at A company, Lieutenant F Thurgour, wounded. Twenty-fifteen hours, A and B companies call for company carriers to come forward to their positions. Twenty-forty hours, A and B companies want to know if carrier route and their stretchers. A route was later found and wreckied by Private F Brown, B company, and was highly commended by CO. Twenty-forty hours, companies consolidated and cleared, wounded. Major Ross put down harassing fire on various DF tasks by Emmy Quiet
00:47:28
Speaker
Nothing to report. 5th of April, 0430 hours. SEAL orders troop of SP guns to engage Upmire at 981069 and clear of enemy. 0505 hours. Officer ICSP guns wants DF on Upmire and reference. This could not be given as our own troops are in locality. 0630 hours. SP guns report on target about to fire.
00:47:58
Speaker
0640 hours request for one platoon for covering protection by SP guns as enemy sighted 0652 hours A company be fired on by RSP guns 0652 hours
00:48:12
Speaker
A company being fired on by our SP guns who have taken the wrong target and are firing at houses 981067. 0654 hours. B company positions being fired on by our own SP guns. Casualties reported at house 981067. 0655 hours. C orders SP guns to cease fire and return to this HQ.
00:48:38
Speaker
So I'm going to interject here because these two days, and what happens here at Ibn Buren, are an endless source of fascination. But it's just occurred to me seeing it written down yet again. A company's objective's code sign is pen. B company's objective is code sign pencil. Which idiot did that?
00:48:58
Speaker
yeah with the with the yeah with the radios the way they were yeah yeah i mean i should i should bring some context this is the fourth battalion the king's own scottish border as we mentioned and this is area that's very very um well known to us so we they crossed the the dark nims canal on the uh on the third and on the fourth on that morning we watched
00:49:21
Speaker
Directly in front of them, only a few hundred metres in front of them, the 7th Nimes Royal Scots and 6th H.L.I. clear the top of the Teutoburg, literally running from left to right, from west to east. And that cleared the approach routes for the 4th Battalion who were meant to attack later on in the day on the 4th Battalion as you followed through this. And they do it in a two-pronged attack.
00:49:41
Speaker
The main effort was down the main road to Ebenburen from the Dortmund Ems Canal and that was that was D&C companies with the town headquarters. That's a road cut through the Teiterberg vat. On the left hand hook
00:49:58
Speaker
A bit of kilometre to the west of that. There's this little track, a little trail that runs up from the Dortmund Ems Canal, up over the Teutobereveld, and we may have walked that many times. Very heavily wooded, very steep, very sighted, but it's a covered route.
00:50:13
Speaker
and A company leading with B company close behind them, they march over that on the afternoon of the fourth. And of course, if you want to read a description of that, it's described with the jocks written by Peter White. Really well. Yeah, really, really well. And they come across some bodies of their own men as they're going up over it. And they are the bodies of the 7th and 9th Royal Scots who we've just talked about.
00:50:37
Speaker
and they get down onto the other side of the Teutobero Valley overlooking the valley below which has Ebenburin. It's a fairly large town, industrial town, that is the ultimate objective of the battalion. And as they look across there's some open farmlands and fields until they get into Ebenburin where the houses and all that are. An aid company after a coin toss set out and they move down
00:51:02
Speaker
across the open fields towards the town. And Peter White and B Company, they're watching this happen and they've got seven of Manchester's and support the machine guns. And as they get halfway through the fields towards the town, the enemy open up and they basically pin a company down. And that's where B Company are brought forward and Peter moves forward with his company.
00:51:24
Speaker
They come under fire as well and they take cover in a tiny little farmhouse just forward of the main positions. And we can show that on a map when we come to do the social media for this. They spend the night in there. Now, for some reason, there's a breakdown in communications. Peter's platoon specifically are forward of the company positions to be a sort of a kind of a forward alarm if the Germans decide to counterattack. And as we've heard there, what happens is
00:51:52
Speaker
Some support self-propelled guns. There's three self-propelled guns from the 54th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery, which are the anti-tank regiment that are within the 52nd Law and Division. And these are 17-pounder SP guns, which are otherwise known as archers.
00:52:06
Speaker
And for some reason, the commander of those SP guns misidentify where the enemy positions are and instead they think the farm where Peter is, which is just forward of the B Company main position, is the enemy. And they see people moving around. In fact, they probably see some of Peter's men moving around.
00:52:24
Speaker
They ask for permission to fire on it, they double check and for whatever reason they think that's where the Germans are. Is that what that DF is in the war diary? Wants DF on Upmeyer and reference? Yeah, defensive fire, exactly.
00:52:38
Speaker
And for the space of 10 minutes, these 17 pounders at a range of about 400 yards, probably not much more than 400 yards, they absolutely obliterate this tiny little farmhouse and outbuilding. And of course within that farmbuilding is Peter White and his platoon HQ and a number of these men. And in the space of 10 minutes, eight men of Peter's men are killed.
00:53:01
Speaker
plus the forward observation officer with the artillery and a number of men are wounded as well. And it's the single biggest loss suffered by Peter in any one action. And so it's interesting to see it written down in the war diary versus what way Peter describes it. And of course, in Peter, he describes it over of probably one of the biggest chapters in the book.
00:53:23
Speaker
Yeah, and that book, as we know, is a proper doorstep. There is so much content for this period of time. Reading through the war diaries like this, do you think it gives an accurate reflection of just how confusing it was, or is this just how it was in every battle?
00:53:41
Speaker
Generally speaking, you find the battles confusing. Of course, it's confusing because you only see what's directly in front of you. Very rarely do does anybody have a full clear picture of what's going on. I mean, I mean, we talk about the incident, so it's recorded there in the actual war diary, the timestamps. It takes about 15 minutes from the start of the of the anti-tank guns, saying I think there's some Germans over there to basically killing
00:54:08
Speaker
or wiping out an entire platoon of infantry. 15 minutes. Now Peter, when you read his book, he describes the intimate detail of that attack from his perspective, but you have no other context for it. And then you have, and this is a really interesting thing with the 4th Battalion. Directly at the end of the war, at the end of 1945 into 1946, they produced their own battalion war diary, war history, sorry.
00:54:37
Speaker
They had a committee chaired by Frank Coots, who we've mentioned before. Frank Coots was Peter's close friend. He was the company to ICB company. They came very well known, very famous in the British army, became a brigadier, colonel in chief of the Kings and Scottish Borders, chair of the Poppy Fund in Scotland. And they wrote the War History book and they omitted this bit out of the book. They actually didn't talk about it. They didn't mention it.
00:55:04
Speaker
that eight men were killed and several wounded by a blue on blue action on this day. Now I understand why they did that because every family member who had somebody killed was sent a copy of this book. So I understand why they would do that but it's interesting that without Peter a writing about it
00:55:25
Speaker
And unless you went to find the Wardys, you would never know about this particular individual action, even though every single person in the battalion would have known about it, and it would have been one of those things perhaps they talked about on a reunion when nobody else was around. So even Mountain and Flood doesn't mention it. They sustain a lot of casualties. It's a very tough battle, they write, but they don't mention this incident, which is absolutely horrific when you think about it.
00:55:51
Speaker
I think that's probably the thing that I'm taking out from between the lines here, and I know this has been a long episode. There's actually a reason to go and get not just the diary you're interested in, but also the diaries of every other unit that you can that was involved at the same time, because we tend to refer to just one diary at a time.
00:56:10
Speaker
And actually I drew out the 54th anti-tank regiment war diary as well, it makes no mention of this. What's interesting is Peter says that the troop commander of the anti-tank guns, the Archer anti-tank guns, later on he was devastated but later on that day he was killed on a mine.
00:56:30
Speaker
He didn't, because there's no mention of that in a war diary if you were a troop commander or an officer. You would be mentioned in the war diary who's been killed on that day. And I wonder if that's just somebody up at the battalion, a rumor saying, oh yeah, it might make people feel better or wishful thing. I don't know what it is, but it clearly, it didn't make Peter feel any better, but it kind of closes off that bit where you can be angry at him because the individual has been killed as far as Peter's concerned.
00:56:58
Speaker
So it's an interesting thing. So again, if you triangulate the war diaries, you get a much better idea of what's actually going on. And actually, you know, things like the maps, you know, getting the map of the area and then the aerial photography. So you can actually see the little farm in relation to the company farm, which is only about 100 meters away. It's fascinating when you pick a small battle at this, a tiny little thing that happened, but with eight people killed in the space of 15 minutes from your own side.
00:57:29
Speaker
So I think that's one of the things that I've taken away from this, and I know this has been a big episode, is that probably some of my favorite books are those that don't just dig into one regiment's view of a battle. They're those that actually take a much higher level and say, well, okay, let's go and find out everything. And it's going to be complex, and there's no way to put it all on the page at the same time. Let's go through it one after the other and just build up that picture for ourselves of what was happening where and when. On that note, I think it's probably time to wrap it up.
00:57:59
Speaker
Well, there's no more football, so yeah, that's a good idea. All right, big episode. See you next week. See you next week. Bye. Thank you for listening to this episode of The Lowlander. The Lowlander was written, produced and presented by Andy Aitchison and Meryn Walters. This was a hellish good production.
00:58:40
Speaker
They went in there and they just saw the bloody Germans off. They were hideous goods.