51 Highland Division

On the 21st of October orders for our next operation were issued. For the operation, our brigade had under command the 2nd Derby Yeomanry (initially), the 241st Anti-tank Battery, the 274th Field Company R.E., with one platoon of the 275th Field Company, B company 1/7th Middlesex, and 60 kangaroos, which were armoured vehicles for the purpose of conveying troops. As usual, in support of us were the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry.

The intention of the brigade was:

1. To clear the woods south of the Zuid Wilhelms Canal.
2. Secure bridges crossing the River Dommel at St.Michels Gestel and the Halsche Water at Halder, or crossing places and bridgeheads later in the event of the bridges being blown.
3. The 2nd Derby Yeomanry were to relieve the 7th Argylls in their area on the 22nd of October and the 7th .Argylls were then to concentrate in the area east of Eerde.

The attack was divided into three phases. In phase 1 the 7th Argylls, with in support one half squadron of the 1st Northampton Yeomanry, were to clear the woods south of the canal. The 7th Black Watch, with in support one squadron and reconnaissance troop of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, were to pass through the 152nd and the 153rd Brigades and exploit to St. Michels Gestel to carry out the following tasks-in the second phase:

1. If the bridge was intact, to secure all approaches both east and west of the River Dommel.
2. If the bridge was destroyed, but little enemy opposition was encountered en route, to secure all approaches east and west of the River Dommel, and secure a bridgehead on the west bank to allow the 1st Black Watch to pass through.

In the third phase the 1st Black Watch, with in support one half squadron of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, were initially to hold the firm base, and be prepared to carry out the following alternative tasks later:

1. To relieve the 5/7th Gordon Highlanders in Weibosch.
2. In the event of the 7th Black Watch being successful in forming the bridgehead, to secure a bridge over the Halsche Water at Halder.
3. In the event of the 7th Black Watch being unsuccess­ful, to assault across the River Dommel at St. Michels Gestel and secure a bridgehead to allow bridges to be built.

The 2nd Derby Yeomanry were to hold a firm base and cover the right flank between Zuid Wilhelms Canal and .the road Schijndel-St. Michels Gestel, and particularly the approaches from Dungen and Stokhoek.

The 7th Argylls were to be launched at 8 o'.clock in the morning of the 23rd of October, followed by the 7th Black .Watch, who were not to be launched before 9 o'clock. Lastly came the 1st Black Watch, who were not to be launched before .midday. The axis of advance was via Koevering-Heertveld-Weibosch-Schijndel-Schutsboom, and St. Michels Gestel. In all three phases of the attack considerable artillery support was available. On the afternoon of the 22nd of October Typhoons shot up enemy positions as a preliminary to the softening up by fragmentation bombing which was to come later.

On the morning of the 23rd of October the fragmentation bombing commenced and appeared to be extremely accurate. This was necessary, as the other two brigades of the Division had started their offensive at midnight on the 22nd of October, and any inaccuracy in the bombing .might have seriously affected them. The 7th Argylls were launched at the arranged time, but found the going rather difficult on account of mines which held them up considerably. Not until 11.30 a.m. did the 7th Black Watch set off. To begin with they met little opposition, and by 1 o'clock had reached Brookstraat. The tanks in support of the 7th Black Watch encountered some enemy opposition at a road block, but this was soon overcome. About half an hour later the 7th Argylls had overcome the last of the mines, and. reached their objective without meeting any strong resistance. The Argylls were then placed under command of the 153rd Brigade, and in their place the 5/7th Gordons came under the command of our brigade. The 7th Black Watch, although not hampered so much by mines as the Argylls were, met more opposition, and were continually running into enemy fire where small pockets of resistance were left behind by the enemy. One such pocket was encountered by the tanks at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, but by 2.45 this was overcome. By 4 p.m. the 7th Black Watch had reached the river line and found the bridge at St. Michels Gestel blown. The task was now to get across the river, and at 6 o'clock in the evening a squadron of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry were ordered to guard the north flank while the 7th Black Watch made a crossing by class 111 raft. A certain amount of enemy shelling was encountered at the river crossing, but this did not deter the Black Watch, who had the class 111 raft completed and two companies across the river by 9.30 p.m. Later class 9 and class 40 bridges were constructed over the River Dommel near the site of the old blown bridge. By 2 o'clock. in the morning of the 24th of October the 7th Black Watch were all across the Dommel and meeting only minor opposition on the other side. The 1st Black Watch then began to cross, and they, along with a squadron of tanks, were successfully across by 5 o'clock in the morning.