Surrender of 34 Landsturm Niederland Division plus 83 and 84

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Excerpt from: royalartilleryunitsnetherlands1944-1945.com

HQ RA 49th (West Riding ) Infantry Division

1 May 1945: Restrictions on firing still imposed on div arty and enemy mov, if seen, was NOT engaged. 69 and 74 Fd Regts changed locations during the day prior to relief of 56 Bde by 146 Bde night 1/2 May. Each regt of div fd arty had one bty resting. 89 LAA and 55 (SY) Atk Regts remain with all btys under comd affiliated bdes.

2 May 1945: Truce on the whole div front from South of the rly line Ede - Amersfoort to enable food convoys to reach Rhenen. Practice commenced on the div arty practice range East of Harskamp, and continued each day until 5 May.

3 May 1945: Truce with the enemy on div front continued. 74 Fd Regt came out of action. One bn per fwd bde withdrawn for rest and trg.

4 May 1945: 2030 hrs: BBC announced that all enemy forces in Holland had agreed to surrender at 5 May 0800 hrs. There was considerable enemy reaction to this news in the form of flares, etc.

5 May 1945: 0800 hrs: The order to cease fire came into effect.

All fd regts were conc in their respective gun areas. CM org conc at HQ RA. 55 (SY) Atk and 89 LAA regts conc complete n the areas Heelsum - Renkum.

6 May 1945: During the day orders were issued for the fmn of an RA gp to conc and disarm the enemy. 2 Kensingtons came under comd and the second unit of the gp consisted of a comp bn of coys drawn form the three fd and the LAA regts.

7 May 1945: Calibration against 21 A Gp standard guns carried out on Harskamp range and completed 8 May.

1030: CRA met SS Oberfuhrer Kohlenroser comd 34 SS Div Landsturm Nederland, handed over surrender documents and arranged for preliminary meeting with German regtal comds.

PM: During the afternoon surrender documents were handed by RA gp COs to comds 83 and 84 SS regts and div sup ech.

1800: RA gp conc in area Doorn with HQ RA. 55 (SY) Atk Regt responsible with the help of a Dutch bn, for manning the security line from the Zuiderzee to the Nederrijn along the former Grebbe Line.

8 May 1945: During the night there were continual reports of clashes between Dutch resistance members and German Tps who were still armed. Patrols were sent to areas of disurbances. At Amerongen our own tps suffered cas, 1 offr and 3 ORs wounded, when an enemy force opened fire by mistake on a pl HQ. During the day enemy regts were conc and RA bn coys redeployed to protect these areas.

9 May 1945: There were no incidents during the night. Orders were given to the German comd and conc area prepared for disarming the German force in the area.

10 May 1945: 83 SS Regt with arty and Atk bns were disarmed by RA bn and 84 SS regt by Kensingtons during the day without incident. By evening 2800 German offrs and men had been marched into the conc at Elst.

11 May 1945: Remainder of 34 SS Div were disarmed, incl the Div HQ staff. By midnight 5760 all ranks had been conc.

12 May 1945: CRA toured all the RA gp area, visiting burgomasters and congratulating them on their liberation.

13 May 1945: Kensingtons carried out a sweep of the whole RA gp area to round up any remaining German forces.

1000: All RA regts sent contingents to the Div church parade in the cathedral at Utrecht. The thanksgiving service was followed by a march past, the salute being taken by the Comd 1 Cdn Corps.

89 LAA came under comd 1 Cdn Armd Bde for gen gd duties.

14 May 1945: Conc of enemy eqpt and stores continued.

15 May 1945: CRA entertained all local burgomasters to lunch after a conference in the town hall Doorn.

16 May 1945: 1200: RA gp relieved by 8 Cdn Inf Bde. RA bn was relieved by North Shore regt and ceased to exist. 69 and 74 Fd Regts conc in their respective bde areas and HQ RA moved.

17 May 1945: 89 LAA Regt relieved by 4 Cdn Atk Regt and conc at Bennekom.

19 May 1945: 55 (SY) Atk Regt relieved by Ottawa (MG) bn and conc in area Otterloo. Preliminary recce made of Next RA conc area Osnabruck W 20.

20 May 1945: Capt H. Woodman assumed the appointment of Staff Capt RA vice Capt D. Barker.

21 May 1945: CRA visited all regts and talked to offrs and senior NCOs on conduct in Germany.

22 May 1945: Adv parties from div arty left for new area in Germany.

Allied Artillery Units in the Netherlands 1944-1945 | [email protected]


Excerpt from: royalartilleryunitsnetherlands1944-1945.com

HQ RA 49th (West Riding ) Infantry Division

1 May 1945: Restrictions on firing still imposed on div arty and enemy mov, if seen, was NOT engaged. 69 and 74 Fd Regts changed locations during the day prior to relief of 56 Bde by 146 Bde night 1/2 May. Each regt of div fd arty had one bty resting. 89 LAA and 55 (SY) Atk Regts remain with all btys under comd affiliated bdes.

2 May 1945: Truce on the whole div front from South of the rly line Ede - Amersfoort to enable food convoys to reach Rhenen. Practice commenced on the div arty practice range East of Harskamp, and continued each day until 5 May.

3 May 1945: Truce with the enemy on div front continued. 74 Fd Regt came out of action. One bn per fwd bde withdrawn for rest and trg.

4 May 1945: 2030 hrs: BBC announced that all enemy forces in Holland had agreed to surrender at 5 May 0800 hrs. There was considerable enemy reaction to this news in the form of flares, etc.

5 May 1945: 0800 hrs: The order to cease fire came into effect.

All fd regts were conc in their respective gun areas. CM org conc at HQ RA. 55 (SY) Atk and 89 LAA regts conc complete n the areas Heelsum - Renkum.

6 May 1945: During the day orders were issued for the fmn of an RA gp to conc and disarm the enemy. 2 Kensingtons came under comd and the second unit of the gp consisted of a comp bn of coys drawn form the three fd and the LAA regts.

7 May 1945: Calibration against 21 A Gp standard guns carried out on Harskamp range and completed 8 May.

1030: CRA met SS Oberfuhrer Kohlenroser comd 34 SS Div Landsturm Nederland, handed over surrender documents and arranged for preliminary meeting with German regtal comds.

PM: During the afternoon surrender documents were handed by RA gp COs to comds 83 and 84 SS regts and div sup ech.

1800: RA gp conc in area Doorn with HQ RA. 55 (SY) Atk Regt responsible with the help of a Dutch bn, for manning the security line from the Zuiderzee to the Nederrijn along the former Grebbe Line.

8 May 1945: During the night there were continual reports of clashes between Dutch resistance members and German Tps who were still armed. Patrols were sent to areas of disurbances. At Amerongen our own tps suffered cas, 1 offr and 3 ORs wounded, when an enemy force opened fire by mistake on a pl HQ. During the day enemy regts were conc and RA bn coys redeployed to protect these areas.

9 May 1945: There were no incidents during the night. Orders were given to the German comd and conc area prepared for disarming the German force in the area.

10 May 1945: 83 SS Regt with arty and Atk bns were disarmed by RA bn and 84 SS regt by Kensingtons during the day without incident. By evening 2800 German offrs and men had been marched into the conc at Elst.

11 May 1945: Remainder of 34 SS Div were disarmed, incl the Div HQ staff. By midnight 5760 all ranks had been conc.

12 May 1945: CRA toured all the RA gp area, visiting burgomasters and congratulating them on their liberation.

13 May 1945: Kensingtons carried out a sweep of the whole RA gp area to round up any remaining German forces.
1000: All RA regts sent contingents to the Div church parade in the cathedral at Utrecht. The thanksgiving service was followed by a march past, the salute being taken by the Comd 1 Cdn Corps.

89 LAA came under comd 1 Cdn Armd Bde for gen gd duties.

14 May 1945: Conc of enemy eqpt and stores continued.

15 May 1945: CRA entertained all local burgomasters to lunch after a conference in the town hall Doorn.

16 May 1945: 1200: RA gp relieved by 8 Cdn Inf Bde. RA bn was relieved by North Shore regt and ceased to exist. 69 and 74 Fd Regts conc in their respective bde areas and HQ RA moved.

17 May 1945: 89 LAA Regt relieved by 4 Cdn Atk Regt and conc at Bennekom.

19 May 1945: 55 (SY) Atk Regt relieved by Ottawa (MG) bn and conc in area Otterloo. Preliminary recce made of Next RA conc area Osnabruck W 20.

20 May 1945: Capt H. Woodman assumed the appointment of Staff Capt RA vice Capt D. Barker.

21 May 1945: CRA visited all regts and talked to offrs and senior NCOs on conduct in Germany.

22 May 1945: Adv parties from div arty left for new area in Germany.

Allied Artillery Units in the Netherlands 1944-1945 | [email protected]