North Irish Horse World War II Diaries

October 1944 CO: Lt Col The Lord O'Neill
Oct 44 North Irish Horse
1/10/44 C.M.F.
Regt comes under comd 10th Indian Inf Div.
2/10/44 C Sqn concentrates in area POGGIO BERNI.
3/10/44 C Sqn are under comd 25th Indian Inf Bde ordered to cross RUBICONE to relieve 6th RTR and accomplish this task by evening.
4/10/44 Lt Hubbard's troop support 1st Kings Own in abortive night attack on SAN MARTINO. A & B Sqns move to area POGGIO BERNI.
5/10/44 A Sqn is affiliated to 20th Indian Inf Bde. Lt Water's troop with Lt Irwin's Recce troop of Shermans ordered to support 2/3rd Royal Gurka Rifles in attack on SOGLIANO. Tanks were road bound owing to heavy rain and when the leading tank was blown up on a mine on the MONTALE – MONTEVECCIO road they were unable to proceed further. C Sqn supported 1st Kings Own in a very successful attack on SAN MARTINO.
6/10/44 The night was spent by both C & B Sqns looking for a possible crossing of R. FIUNICINO. B Sqn were lucky to find an un-blown bridge but C Sqn did not discover a possible crossing until the following night.
7/10/44 B Sqn supported 20 Ind Inf Bde in a very successful attack on MONTE FARNETO, the objective being taken before first light. Numerous counter-attacks were beaten off during the day and the tanks were very heavily shelled. Major WM Mackean MC was unfortunately hit late in the afternoon and died almost immediately. The tanks remained for the night just behind the leading infantry Coys and the supply column brought up by Capt Hern had a very unpleasant task owing to the heavy harassing fire.
8/10/44 C Sqn move off before first light to support infantry into SAN LORENZO and on to an objective right of RONCOFREMLO, but find the going impossible owing to very heavy rain and are soon bogged down.
9/10/44 Rain continues and whilst B Sqn remain on MONTE FARNETO in counter-attack role, C Sqn try to get out of their morass. Supply problem is difficult, rafts having to be used to float supplies across the river in some cases.
11/10/44 Two troops of A Sqn ordered to support 1st DLI. Owing to ground conditions tanks are road bound and having helped to clear the village of SAN PAOLO they find the road mined and are forced to take up positions on it. B Sqn remain on MONTE FARNETO whilst C Sqn re-organise in RONCOFREDDO.
12 – 18 Practically all this period was spent by the majority of Trp Ldrs in looking for routes forward as the movement of tanks on the roads was disastrous.
20/10/44 Spent in Recce of R. SAVIO.
21/10/44 C Sqn moved from RONCOFREDDO to CELLO in torrential rain just getting across the SAVIO before it rose.
22/10/44 C Sqn pushed on to BORELLO using the bed of the R. SAVIO as their route.
23/10/44 B Sqn moved to BORELLO. C Sqn come under comd 43rd Lorried Gurkha Bde.
24/10/44 43rd Lorried took TESSELLO followed up with great difficulty by C Sqn. B Sqn moved up the M. CAVALLO road to support the 3rd/5th Mahrattas. Whilst on a foot recce, the CO was killed and Major RSH Sidebottom wounded, by enemy shelling.
25/10/44 B Sqn were with the 3/1st PUNJABS by first light, the latter having taken Teodorano during the night. B Sqn were unable to advance further owing to the roads being impassable. C Sqn eventually reached POLENTA after a very trying day on roads which hid at least 8 different types of mines.
Supplies were now the most difficult problem, B Sqn could only be reached by Jeeps and C Sqn were not reached for 2 days.
26 –28 Numerous recces carried out but no moves allowed.
29/10/44 Regt ordered to concentrate in CESENA.
30 – 31 Blocks of flats taken over for Regt in CESENA, echelons and RHQ move in. information received that Regt is likely to be released on 1st Nov.

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