December 1944

December 1944

Boitsfort Church at night (wikimedia)

 

Unit: 703 Art Wks Coy RE

Commanding Officer: C. I. Pennington Major RE

Place	Date	Weather[i]	Summary
Vilvorde[sic]	1	Fair	Company on works. No 1.Pl. Lt. Ashton i/c engaged on construction of roads & hardstandings at 6ESBD. No 2 Pl. Lt. Hill i/c on construction of Base Transit Camp at 6ESBD. No 3 & No 4 Pls., Lts. Westerman & Wilson, engage on accommodation work & roof repairs at 4 E.B.W.
“	2	Fair	Coy. on works. Army Forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	3	Wet	Sunday. Coy. on works. Major Pennington attends CREs’ conference at 10.30 hours.
“	4	Fair	Coy. on works. Capt Hawey seeking accommodation for 3 & 4 Pls.
“	5	Fine	Normal works.
“	6	Fair	Coy. on works.
“	7	Wet	Coy. on works. Major Pennington & Capt Hawey examine accommodation at Belga Lamp Works. Very suitable for cookhouse, mess-room & SMT stores & housing for one Pl.
“	8	Fine	Coy. on works.
“	9	Snow	Coy. on works. Major Pennington inspects barracks – reasonably clean & tidy. Army forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	10	Fine	Sunday. Nos 1,2 & 4 Plns on works. No 3 Pl. moving into new accommodation at Belga Lamp works. Major Pennington attends Coy. Cdrs conference at HQ 19 CRE Wks.
“	11	Fine	Coy. on works. Construction of OPs[ii]. For Major Harrison[?] R.A. to be undertaken by 3 Pl. starting on OP. at Rue des Noyes, Brussels.
“	12	Wet	Coy. on works. Major Pennington reports that work on roads & hardstandings at 6ESBD cannot be completed by the 18th unless much more transport is allotted.
“	13	Fine	Coy. on works.
“	14	Fine	Coy. on works. No 4 Pl. undertake demolition of reinforced concrete roof at 4EB.W.
“	15	Frost	Coy. on works.
“	16[iii]	Fair	Coy. on works in morning; afternoon off. Major Pennington meets Lt Col Dunn CRE 19 Wks & DCRE 200 Works Section at 2000 hours and is given urgent work at Mollenbeek Hospital for 75 Br. Gen. Hospital[iv]. AF W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	17	Fair	Sunday. Work commenced at Mollenbeek Hospital, Lt. Hill in charge, plumbers, carpenters & joiners & bricklayers, painters & decorators assembled from all Pls. 10 plumbers attached from 760 A.T. Coy. R.E. Work to proceed 12 hours daily, seven days per week. Lt. Westerman to collect all necessary stores & provide loading party from No 3 Pl.
“	18	Fine	Coy. on works.
“	19	Fog	Coy. on works. Major Pennington visits Mollenbeek Hospital – The C.O. Col. Wells RAMC. Is satisfied with the progress being made.
“	20	Fog	Message received 0530 hours from Major Jarvis for 19 CRE Wks. to despatch 200 men & all reserve ammunition to 575 A.T. Coy. RE. at Chateau val Duchesse, AUDERGEHEM[v] to be in position by 0800 hours. 5 no. 3 ton GS. Trucks from 575 AT Coy.R.E. arrive at 0700 hours. 5 no 3 tonners from own unit transport also allotted & party despatched with Capt Hawey & Lt. Wilson. Major Pennington arranges for stoppage of all works except 75 Br. Gen. Hospital, then reports to Lt. Col.Dunn RE at Audergehem. Lt. Ashton & Lt Hill ordered to join the Coy. at Audergehem. Lt. Westerman to remain at Coy. Office Vilvoorde i/c. Rear Party. Coy. form a mobile column at 15 mins readiness; role – to counterattack and kill the enemy should he endeavour to push through towards Brussels. Patrols sent out to Overyssch[vi] - half platoon at a time. Local defence posts sited around gun-houses near Chateau val Duchesse.
Audergehem	21	Fog	Road patrols – Audergehem – Overyssch continued throughout the day. Coy. ordered to stand-down at 1600 hours & return to normal accommodation & routine.
Vilvorde	22	Fine	Normal works. Lt. Ashton posted to 712 A.W.Coy. R.E. in the rank of Capt for duty as Second-in-Command. Lt. Greatrix joins this unit from R.H.V.
“	23	Fine	Normal works. AF W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached. As from 1800 hours unit provides a mobile striking force of 1 officer & 67 ORs. and an inlying[?] piquet[?] of 1 officer & not less than 25% unit strength – for action against enemy paratroops.
“	24	Frost	Mobile Force called out at 0130 hours – proceed to Boitsford[vii] Church Square, Capt Hawey in charge. Message received from Capt Hawey at 0300 hours that CRE wants at least 120 more men. Major Pennington, Lts Greatrix, Hill and Wilson and 120 ORs in unit transport report to Boitsford Church 0430 hours. Stand down at 0800 hours & return to barracks. Coy. Parade in Mess Room at 1500 hours. 1 Officer & 68 ORs. stand to at Boitsford Church from 2300 hours until 0730 following day.
“	25	“	Christmas Day – Off works. Lt. Col. Dunn R.E. CRE 19Wks. visits Christmas dinner. 1 officer & 68 ORs. report 4 LofC HQ & stand by from 2300 hrs until 0730 hours.
“	26	“	Works re-commenced. Mobile reserve at Boitsford Church continues – report 4 LofC HQ. 2300 hrs. Stand down 0930 hours. Major Pennington in command – detachment of 1 officer & 68 ORs. from 575 A.Tps.Coy, 760 A.Tps.Coy & 703 A.W.Coy.RE.
“	27	“	Coy. on works. Platoon officers changed over as follows – No 1 Pl. Lt. Hill, No 2 Pl. Lt. Westerman, No 3 Pl. Lt. Wilson, No 4 Pl. Lt. Greatrix. Mobile column stand-by in billets at 15 mins. readiness from 2230 until 0930 hours.
“	28	“	Coy. on works. All A/Paratroop precautions relaxed as from 1750 hours.
“	29	“	Coy. on works. No 4 Pl. undertake ceiling repairs at Schaerbeek Hospital. Transit camp at 6ESBD completed.
“	30	“	Coy. on works in morning – half day off. Army Forms W.3008 & W.3009A(RE) attached.
“	31	“	Sunday. Coy. on works. Major Pennington attends Coy. Cdrs conference at HQ 19 CRE Wks. at 1030 hours.

 

---

[i] Taken from situation reports. “Hours” column not used in December War Diary.

[ii] Observation Posts?

[iii] Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge) begins 150 km SE of Brussels, aimed at denying the Allies the use of the port of Antwerp, 50 km N of Brussels

[iv] Number 75 British General Hospital, moving from Bayeux to Brussels at this time: see www.scarletfinders.co.uk/112.html

[v] SE Brussels

[vi] Overijse? 10 km SE of Audergehem

[vii] Boitsfort, SE edge of Brussels

 

 

Map Reference data:

Dec 1-19: HQ at corner of Blondieau (Etienne) Straat and Benoit Hanssenslaan, Vilvoorde. 19 CRE Wks.

Dec 20-21: HQ on Aleyde van Brabantdreef, Auderghem, 19 CRE Wks.

Dec 22-23: HQ at corner of Blondieau (Etienne) Straat and Benoit Hanssenslaan, Vilvoorde. 19 CRE Wks.

Dec 24: HQ at intersection of Drève du Duc and Rue de L’Abreuvoi, Boitsfort.

Dec 25-31: HQ at corner of Blondieau (Etienne) Straat and Benoit Hanssenslaan, Vilvoorde. 19 CRE Wks.

               Dec 26: No 1 Pl. at intersection of Drève du Duc and Rue de L’Abreuvoi, Boitsfort.

Dec 27: No 3 Pl. at intersection of Drève du Duc and Rue de L’Abreuvoi, Boitsfort.

Extract from the Memoir of Wally Littlewood RE (703 Coy)

However, Christmas Eve of 1944 approached and the 21st. Army News-sheet announced that "Every Serviceman and Servicewoman, whether in the Front Line or not would enjoy a real Christmas dinner! If not turkey, then pork or fowl!" The same thing was broadcast on the news in Britain, which certainly cheered up my wife and family.

Well well ... if they had only known! What we actually did have for our Christmas dinner was three or four potted-meat sandwiches, a dixie of tepid tea and as a special treat - two 'ersatz' cigars.

It all happened like this! The day before Christmas, in the very early hours, about 02.00 hours we were rudely called out of our billets into the freezing cold morning air and ordered "Get into battle order - rifles - all ammunition - Bren Guns - blankets and gas-capes! Come on, get moving! All NCOs report to your Platoon Sergeant!"

My whole frame shook both with the cold and with a nasty thought. "Oh no . . . not again! ... Not another blasted evacuation! ... Don't tell me that Jerry has broken through again!" The billets were in a turmoil as everyone grabbed his weapons, equipment and clothing in a mad scramble to fall in outside in the street. It was pandemonium, with lorries revving and shuttling to and fro, NCOs issuing muffled orders and sappers cursing and swearing in the darkness. Our platoon shivered in some semblance of unity as our platoon sergeant called for his NCOs and allocated us into our particular trucks. He bawled at me, "Make sure you have a Bren-gun in your truck, corp. and plenty of ammo. Right?" "Right sarg!" I called and started to ask him what it was all about but he bellowed, "Get your men on that bloody truck, and get moving!"

Within minutes we were crowded on to the trucks, not knowing where nor why we were going, and we moved off in convoy, into the dark and into the unknown. We had been herded and shuffled into the trucks by our leaders without giving us an inkling of what it was all about. I was certain within my own mind that we were pulling out once more, and realised that ironically we were not so very far from the area where we had started running from the Wehrmacht in 1940. Of course, none of the others were aware of it, as they had been in Gibraltar at the time [not until later that year].

There were very few words exchanged in the swaying truck as it sped along the bumpy road, followed by others. Each man had his own thoughts and dare not voice his own opinions or even questions. It had all happened so suddenly. The drumming of the tyres on the rough road seemed to mesmerize us into a cold clammy stupor and we lost all idea of time. Suddenly we came to an abrupt halt. Our sergeant major half-shouted, "Come on ... pile out! Get fell in ... where’s the corporal?" We could only pick out each other's forms by the kind of glow from the hoar-frost on the shrubs and grass around us. We were out in the country, at some cross-roads or junction ... somewhere [Boitsfort, on the edge of Brussels].

"Here I am, sir!" I shouted and heard the gruff voice of our platoon sergeant, "Set your Bren-gun up over there, and get your men settled in that building." We could just make out the roads and the dim outlines as he added, "Get settled, lay down, keep quiet and keep your eyes peeled! Load your rifles, ... one up the spout and watch for anything coming from that direction!" With my mind in a Whirl I asked, "Who are we looking for, sarge?" "Jerry!" came the blunt reply, "He might come from that direction . . . so, let him have it! Right? ... I'll be back later when I've got the others settled. So, bed down, keep quiet."

He disappeared into the frosty morning air with the rest of the convoy. Instantly my few sappers started banging their hands together and stamping their feet in an attempt to get warm. "What's this, then, corp ... another sodding scheme?" growled one sapper. "Not ruddy likely," I replied, "It's too bloody real for a scheme ... besides, we've got live ammo. and he said 'let em have it', and that's just what we'll do, if there aren't too many of them." Another sapper, who was pressing clips of bullets into his magazine grunted, "And what if they're bloody tanks?" "Oh, shut up!" I snarled, giving vent to my jittery feelings, "Get settled down and keep your rifles at the ready!"

Cold, tired and nervous, we waited - hearing very faint sounds in the distance with occasional droning of aircraft activity also far away. Never have a small squad of men been at a cold miserable loss. We checked on how much ammo. we had, to find we had seven charged magazines for the Bren, full pouches of clips of ammunition per man and a few extra bandoliers of .303 cartridges. Luckily we had all brought two blankets each, so we wrapped ourselves in them over our great coats then covered with gas capes.

The conversations went something like this. "Does tha think they'll come, corp?"

"Buggered if I know!" I replied."

"Does tha reckon they'll be tanks?"

"They'll not be bloody push-bikes, will they?" I snarled, "Now shut up and listen!""

As always, in the dark, and pent-up with nervous expectation our ears and eyes played tricks with us. Sometimes we thought we heard engines approaching, or even imagined we saw things moving towards us. One Yorkshire sapper muttered, "Are tha freetened, corp?" My reply came straight out, "Of course I'm bloody freetened . . . who wouldn't be? . . . I'd feel a bit better if we had an anti-tank rifle, even." Another wit half chuckled," I'd feel a lot bleedin better if I weren't here!" That little assertion was greeted with a few chuckles and agreements. So, we waited.

The frosty night turned slowly to the grey of early morning and we found it necessary to stamp about and flap our arms to keep the circulation working. Throughout the last few hours I had been wondering just what I would do if or when anything did come down that road. There were so many ‘ifs' to it. If just a patrol, we might stand a chance! If panzers, we would not stand a 'cat-in-Hell's' chance. And what if they were wearing Yankee uniforms? Would they be Yanks or Germans? I gave up in the end and tried to make my mind a blank (that was so easy).

Came the dawn! Jerry had not come, and so far I had missed the chance of my dear wife receiving a posthumously awarded Victoria Cross. Things seemed altogether different in daylight and after a few hours one of our trucks arrived from the rear bringing us sandwiches, a dixie of tea and a rock bun. To be perfectly truthful I cannot remember how long we stayed there, but I do know that for our Christmas dinner we celebrated with the usual potted meat sandwiches and a dixie of tepid tea or cocoa. Our officer arrived with a special treat of two German 'ersatz' cigars per man to celebrate the festive season.

We tried the 'ersatz' cigars, but found them tasting and smelling more like 'over-ripe infantryman's sweaty socks’. Actually, if my failing memory serves me well, I think we did have a belated Christmas meal when it was all over, and we did stand down. We did hear the explanation of it all later, and it was known as the 'Rundstedt Push' and, or, the 'Battle of the Bulge'.