Day by Day – The Fight for Europe – 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment (Wessex)

Day by Day – The Fight for Europe

earlier: jun 24 1944
sinking of the derrycunihy

later: MAY 1945
peacekeeping

Explore what happened, day-by-day, from the regiment’s first landing in Normandy Jun 24 1944, through to VE Day on May 8th 1945.

Source: IWM B11222. Photographer: Unknown

43RD (WESSEX) DIVISION GOES INTO ACTION ON THE ROAD TO AUNAY-SUR-ODON

Imperial War Museum (IWM) film attributed to 2 Aug 1944.

43rd Recce were not in action until 5th Aug, but are included in this 2 minute film. Copyright IWM, so opens in a new window on the IWM website.

Between 1:10 and 1:33 we see 3 x Universal Carriers and a Halftrack of 43^rd Reconnaissance Regiment. The Halftrack is named ‘BELFREY’ indicating B Squadron.

Coming soon. Documents and history for this period are being collected, and will be shared here as soon as possible. This is a work-in-progress and we know there’s much more to add. Everyone is an unpaid volunteer, so please bear with us while we continue to populate these pages.

A summary account of the regiment’s fight through Europe – by Major Desmond Scarr

June 1944

24 June – Derrycunihy sunk. 189 killed. 150 wounded. Casualty list for 24 June 1944

July 1944

August 1944

HQ B Echelon in the Advance – By Major B Vigrass

26th Aug 1944 – Crossing the Seine – By Major B Vigrass

September 1944

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17 Sep – Leopoldsburg, Belgium. XXX (30) Corps into action, as the ground force (Garden) element of Operation Market Garden. British Second Army , which included the whole of Wessex Division, supported by Guards Armoured Division, within XXX (30) Corps.

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25 Sep – Conclusion of Operation Market Garden.

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October 1944

Oct 1944 – Running Rations over Nijmegen Bridge – By Major B Vigrass

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26 Oct – C Squadron’s Assault Troop ambushed at For St Andries, Waaldijk, Holland, with heavy losses.

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November 1944

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December 1944

The 1944 Christmas Rations – By Major B Vigrass

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January 1945

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February 1945

12 Feb 1945. A war correspondent’s impression of the Regiment – By H E Ells

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March 1945

23 March 1945 – HQ B Echelon over the Rhine – By Major B Vigrass

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23 Mar – Crossing the Rhine

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April 1945

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14 Apr – Cloppenburg

15 Apr – North East to Ahlhors

16 Apr – Into Germany again

17 Apr – Lingen to Ahlhorn

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May 1945

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8 May – Victory in Europe. The evening the war ended – By Major B Vigrass

earlier: jun 24 1944
sinking of the derrycunihy

later: MAY 1945
peacekeeping