Private Papers of A Saxton

Informative ms diary (120pp) with brief entries recording his active service as a Bombardier with the 119th Battery, 75th Anti-Tank Regiment RA supporting the 29th Armoured Brigade (11th Armoured Division) in North West Europe, June 1944 - September 1945, including embarkation for and arrival in Normandy (June 1944), participating in the Battles of the Odon (Operation EPSOM, June - July 1944), Bourguebus Ridge (Operation GOODWOOD, July 1944), and Mount Pincon (July 1944 - August 1944); the Break Out advancing from France into Belgium and Holland (August 1944 - September 1944); the Battle of the Nederrijn (September 1944) and operations in Holland (September 1944 - December 1944), Belgium (December 1944 - February 1945 and March 1945), and Germany, advancing from the Rhine to the Elbe, capturing Munster, and then to Lubeck on the Baltic (February 1945 - May 1945), notably Operation BLOCKBUSTER near Cleve (February 1945); and occupying Germany near Lubeck and then Emtinghausen (May 1945 - June 1945), transferring to the Guards Armoured Division (June 1945); guarding Russians, who were being repatriated, in a camp near Aachen (June 1945 - September 1945) and mentioning his movements; the targets engaged; providing artillery support for other units, notably a 'terrific' barrage to beat off a 'violent' enemy infantry attack 'with heavy losses' (1 July 1944); the casualties; an officer being killed by a sentry returning from a patrol (4 July 1944), another 'accidently shot through the shoulder' (23 July 1944) and the acting CO killed by a sentry on the Dutch border (June 1945); the German shelling, the terrific air and artillery bombardment prior to the start of Operation GOODWOOD (18 July 1944); destroying Panther and Tiger tanks; using new low velocity HE shells (7-8 November 1944); visits by senior commanders, notably General Sir Miles Dempsey and Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery (January 1945); enemy night patrols; looting by Poles and Russians; celebrating the war's end, which was waited for with eager anticipation by the whole Battery, VE Day and VJ Day; rounding up Wehrmacht troops and hunting for the SS and weapons; his off-duty entertainment, including an ENSA show; the 'Farewell to Armour' parade at Rotenburg aerodrome, attended by Montgomery (9 June 1945); and fraternisation with the Germans.

Catalogue date 2002-09-19

Cataloguer SNR