大象传媒

Once released from the actions of the Teutoburger Wald and having forced their way through the other road at Tecklenburg, the 11th Armoured Division became the spearhead Division 鈥� travelling North Eastward towards Osnabr疟ck and Hannover, which were bypassed as Armoured units are not able to capture and secure such areas. Progress was partly impeded by the capture of so many German prisoners and also by the release of so many slave workers, captured Russian soldiers and civilians and of many other nationalities. Many British and Canadian Army and Royal Air Force prisoners of war were also released, with much celebration.

Upon arrival at the River Weser on the 5th/6th April 1945 it was found that all the bridges were demolished at Schlusselburg, Stolzenau and Petershagen. The 1st Herefords had assembled on the West bank of the fast flowing river and 鈥淐鈥� and 鈥淒鈥� Companies were ordered to cross by the use of rubber assault boats to form a protective bridgehead at Schlusselburg while the demolished bridge was examined for its repair suitability.

After excavating their slit trenches on the opposite bank of the river, No 13 section comprising Tom Freeman, Ray Griffiths and others set out to reconnoiter the area, taking the roadway which led from the demolished bridge, while No 14 section which included Cedric Holdnall took their path through the adjoining orchard on the right of the road. Both sections came under heavy machine gun and small arms fire from a distant farmhouse, No 14 section taking the full brunt of this. We were all ordered back to the river bank and about 30 minutes later, two of our Medical Orderlies, suitably identified with a Red Cross flag, walked up to the farmhouse, met the Germans therein and negotiated the removal of the dead and wounded. We learned later that Cedric had been killed and four others wounded, one of these, the section Corporal died of his wounds later. ( Refer to 鈥楾he Search for Cedric鈥� and 鈥楨nlisted鈥� by Ray Griffiths )

It was a sad day, we had lost a quiet and gentle friend in Cedric.

Our sadness was also tempered by the later knowledge that our crossing of the Weser by the full force of the Armoured Division would now be at Petershagen at a bridge, repaired and secured by the 6th Airborne Division. Despite being attacked during the daytime by enemy fighter bombers our unit remained intact, although the bridge building Sappers and Engineers suffered many casualties.

The 11th Armoured Division continued eastward and crossed the Rivers Leine and Aller and after bypassing Hannover, headed northward towards the major River Elbe. Early on the 13th April 1945 a delegation of German Medical Corp arrived, under a white flag, at the Cheshire Regiment HQ and told of a concentration camp at Belsen, 10 miles north east of Engenhausen and warned the Division not to approach within 3 miles of the camp as a serious outbreak of typhus had reached epidemic proportions.

The story of Belsen is well recorded elsewhere but at this moment in time the horrors had yet to unfold to the young 18 year old infantry soldier.

We halted some distance from the camp and were ordered to a farm building where we were sprayed with a white DDT powder, which filled every crack and crevice it could find, including our battle dress, overalls and equipment. Upon our dispersal to our canvas sided TCV (troop carrying vehicles) we sat and waited for the order to proceed to the distant camp. The area we were in was like a nature reserve, trees, heather, grassy plains; a place of peace and quiet but it was spoilt by a distinctly horrible smell pervading the air, as if we were close to a large sewage works or agricultural compound.

Thankfully, our small group did not reach the camp although some Officers visited the place and regretted doing so. The camp was finally liberated on 15th April 1945 by other members of the Division.

After the trauma of Belsen, the 11th Armoured Division advanced rapidly northwards and after many skirmishes and minor battles were the first to reach the River Elbe. This was later recorded as a magnificent advance of over 300 miles over a period of 21 days, involving the crossing of three major rivers, the Ems, Weser and Aller and the Dortmund/Ems and Dortmund/Weser Canals and the major battle at the Teutoburger Wald.

The rapid advance continued after the River Elbe was crossed and the Division was halted only a few miles from the Danish border when it was known by 3rd May 1945 that the German High Command had surrendered unconditionally and that at last the hostilities in Europe would cease.

Peace at last but at what cost.

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