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Category: Community
Forum: Chat Room
Thread: On this Day |
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Thread Status: Locked Total posts in this thread: 716
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thursday, 8th March 1945
One blessing we had was up to date information. We still did not know exactly where we were on the map, but we knew something the press seemed not to know - the whereabouts of the Second Army - as we were now back in it and presumably the rest was not far off, since we got daily signals, rations and dispatches. It seems two more Rhine bridges were in our hands. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Friday, 9th March 1945
The three airborne divisions now formed an independent corps, the Airborne Corps, and with another river crossing in the offing, this seemed significant. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Saturday, 10th March 1945
I received two days’ Brussels leave. I shared a room with two others in the Hotel West End. I arrived first and the other two arrived together and turned out to be the bridge master who suffered an injury on the Escaut Canal six months ago, and his sergeant. I gave them the double bed and moved to the single one. I then went out on a personal recce and came back with a map of Brussels, an officer’s khaki tie and tickets for two concerts, one of which was for the same night, a light concert by E.N.S.A. at the garrison Music Hall. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Sunday, 11th March 1945
My hospitality appears to have been wasted as the two recipients seem to have some sort of accommodation elsewhere! They turned up for breakfast and left again together, leaving me to enjoy the sights and culinary delights of Brussels followed by an afternoon tour of the Waterloo battlefield. The evening concert, at the Palais des Beaux-arts, was a Czechoslovak gala by the orchestra de la Chapelle Musicalle de la Reine Elizabeth, with works by Smetana and Dvorak. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Monday, 12th March 1945
Back with the unit, the current situation was not too healthy for me, as I was now suffering from tenesmus. I visited the M.O., who prescribed castor oil. It was moving time, (no pun intended) and the company now packed up for the next move. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Tuesday, 13th March 1945
Moving day, indeed. The company was on the move and so, in a manner of speaking, was I. We did not have to set up a casualty collecting post as we were in the assembly area, not the support area. In any case, there was no sign of any casualty. The mopping-up operation seemed to be over and there was no long queue of P.O.W.s marching past us. There was no M.O. either - he must have got lost on the way, or been called to H.Q. for a briefing. Well, we could manage without him for a day or two. Nobody else was ill, and I could manage my own illness. Guts were no better, so I took a lead and opium tablet, as there were no Sulphathalidine or Sulphasuccidine tablets available forward of the hospital zone. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Wednesday 14th March 1945
----------------------------------------Guts somewhat better. MO returned. He approved of the opium but not the lead. What was more important is the plan for the next operation. We were to stay where we were until a smoke screen obscured the whole riverbank from the far side. We would then approach our concentration area, receive a number for each vehicle, and proceed to a parking place near the jumping off area, to cross the river when they call our number. The crossing would be one way only. There was no way any casualty could be brought back over the bridge until all troops were across, but there were special arrangements for the treatment of casualties on the other bank. There were also military ferries of one sort or another, but these were limited in number. [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at Mar 14, 2008 5:26:03 PM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thursday, 15th March 1945
Guts settled. We seemed to have no military function. Casualties (if any) would go straight to Clearing Station or hospital. Our only occupations were writing home and sitting watching the military build-up beyond the smoke screen. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Friday, 16th March 1945
We now had something to read and discuss. The new edition of "Soldier" arrived, together with a printed instruction sheet from General Eisenhower. The main article dealt with our instructions for the treatment of the local residents. In short, we were not to fraternise with them. On the other hand, we have now repealed the Nuremburg Laws. This means that people robbed of their German citizenship were now Germans again. How do we treat them? Do we tell them that they were now Germans and we were sending them to Coventry? |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Saturday, 17th March 1945
Now that we were no longer Canadian, and were once more part of the Second Army, it was the Airborne Corps' turn to be isolated behind the line. Were they going to cross the Rhine on foot or in wagons - like ordinary soldiers? I think not. Our M.O. seems to be briefed, and had told us something of the battle plans, but not everything. There had been no mention of guns or tanks, which is not surprising. Those canvas boats may not be able to carry much heavy equipment. Maybe Hobart's "funnies" * would follow when the bridges were rebuilt, as there were bound to be more rivers to cross. *The 79th Armoured Division, consisting of special "Heath Robinson" armoured vehicles, such as flail tanks (anti-mine), Ark Royals (bridge carriers), roadway builders (carrying rolls or fascines of chestnut paling), bulldozing and grading tanks, DD’s (swimming tanks), kangaroos (Armoured Personnel Carriers), Bailey bridges and ferries, DUKW’s (ducks), crocodiles (flame throwers) and bishops (self propelled guns). |
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