15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment
15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment | |
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Operation Greenline Operation Bluecoat Operation Gallop Operation Pheasant Operation Nutcracker Operation Veritable Operation Plunder Ricklingen Bridge Nettelkamp Operation Enterprise | |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Lt Col James Grant Peterkin |
The 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment[a] was a World War II unit of the British Army's Reconnaissance Corps, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. Formed from a variety of infantry units, it served with 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division in the North West Europe campaign in 1944–45.
Origin
I5th (Scottish) Division was a Second Line
15th Reconnaissance Battalion
The BEF's operational experience showed that infantry divisions required a motorised component for battlefield reconnaissance. 15th (S) Division formed its reconnaissance group in 1940 with men drawn from the brigade anti-tank (A/T) companies and every infantry regiment in the division contributed some personnel. At first they were mounted on a variety of civilian motorcycles and heavy motor vans, but later these were exchanged for Universal Carriers ('Bren Carriers').[3][4][5][6]
The Reconnaissance Corps ('Recce Corps') was formed on 8 January 1941 and took over the brigade reconnaissance groups to form battalions. 15th (S) Division's groups and 44, 45 and 46 Brigade A/T Companies combined to become 15th Battalion, Reconnaissance Corps at Kirkee Barracks, Colchester, on 13 January under Lieutenant-Colonel R.J. Sandeman as commanding officer (CO), with Major N.C. Hendricks as second-in-command (2iC).[1][4][6][7][8]
At the time 15th (S) Division was stationed in Essex, moving to Suffolk in February 1941, still in a coast defence role but increasingly undertaking division-level training exercises. However, in November 1941 the division was moved to North East England and reduced to a lower establishment, acknowledging that it was unlikely to be deployed overseas for the foreseeable future. Under this establishment it only required a recce company, and 15th Bn Recce Corps (now commanded by Lt-Col Hendricks with Maj J.I. Faircloth as 2iC) was broken up at Consett, County Durham, on 1 January 1942. It formed three independent recce companies for three lower-establishment divisions:[1][4][6][7][9]
- 15th Independent Recce Company – remained with 15th (S) Division[1][4][6][8]
- 48th Independent Recce Company – assigned to 5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment) had been transferred to 43rd (Wessex) Division[10]
- 77th Independent Recce Company – assigned to 77th Division being formed from the Devon and Cornwall County Division.[11]
15th Independent Recce Company, commanded by Maj P.T.I. MacDiarmid, became 15th Independent Recce Squadron on 6 June 1942 when the Recce Corps adopted cavalry nomenclature (regiments, squadrons and troops rather than battalions, companies and platoons; privates became troopers).[1][4][6][7][8][12]
21st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
21st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers was one of a large number of new infantry battalions raised for home defence in the aftermath of Dunkirk. It was authorised on 4 July 1940 and formed on 5 September at Marbury Hall, Northwich, in Cheshire, under the command of Lt-Col E.L. Ricketts. On 11 October 1940 No 14 Infantry Training Group was reorganised as 214 Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), incorporating the 19th, 20th and 21st Battalions, Royal Fusiliers, and the 6th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. The battalion moved to Newbury, Berkshire, and then in November the brigade took over the defences of the Isle of Wight as part of the Hampshire County Division. 21st Battalion was stationed at The Needles Batteries, Ryde, and later Sandown.[4][13][14][15]
On 15 July 1941 21st Royal Fusiliers was withdrawn to the mainland and sent to
54th (EA) Division was also reduced to the lower establishment and on 1 January 1942 54th Recce Battalion was broken up as follows:
- 54th Independent Recce Company – remained with 54th (EA) Division, stationed at Orford, Suffolk[4][16]
- 45th Independent Recce Company – assigned to 45th Division, stationed at Danbury, Essex;[4] 45th Recce Battalion had been transferred to 70th Division being formed in Egypt[17]
- 76th Independent Recce Company – assigned to 76th Division being formed from the Norfolk County Division.[18]
(48th, 76th and 77th Independent Recce Companies were later combined to form 80th (Holding and Training) Recce Regiment within 80th (Reserve) Division.[19])
15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment
On 7 December 1942 15th (S) Division was informed that it was to be raised to a higher establishment once more, as part of Second Army for the planned Allied invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord). This time it was a 'Mixed' division of two infantry brigades and one tank brigade. A new 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment was formed on 15 February 1943 at Felton Hall, Northumberland, with the following organisation:[1][7][8][12][20][21][22]
- Regimental Headquarters (RHQ)
- HQ Squadron, including Signals and Mortar Trps and A/T Battery
- A Sqn – previously 15th Independent Sqn
- B Sqn – previously 45th Independent Sqn
- C Sqn – previously 54th Independent Sqn
- Light Aid Detachment, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The regiment thus had a dual heritage, one-third from Scottish Lowland units, two-thirds Londoners from the Royal Fusiliers and men from East Anglian units. Two days after formation, 300 additional recruits arrived from Infantry Training Centres and Primary Training Wings. These men had little training, but later trained reinforcements were drawn from 162nd Regiment,
Regimental and squadron training exercises were held across Northumberland in the summer of 1943, and the squadrons developed relationships with their affiliated brigades:[28]
- A Sqn – 46 Highland Bde
- B Sqn – 227 Highland Bde (replacing 6 Guards Tank Bde)
- C Sqn – 44 Lowland Bde
In September 1943 the regiment moved to a training area in West Yorkshire, where 15th (S) Division was to join VIII Corps. 15th Recce Rgt was based at Pontefract, with B and C Sqns on the Racecourse, A Sqn at nearby Castleford, and the A/T and Mortar Troops of HQ Sqn in the village of Darrington, though the units were rotated in January. Training for the invasion included waterproofing vehicles and driving them on and off landing craft. A detachment took part in wading trials off Weymouth, Dorset, where all the Humber Armoured Cars ended up 'drowned' in a few feet of water. The A/T Troop carried out firing practice on the range at Harlech. The regiment participated in a series of divisional exercises with particular emphasis on crossing rivers and minefields, culminating in VIII Corps' 12-day Exercise Eagle on the Yorkshire Wolds in February 1944.[1][29][30]
The Reconnaissance Corps officially became part of the
In mid-April 1944 15th (S) Division was ordered to move to its invasion concentration area in
Normandy
15th Scottish Recce Rgt's landing craft touched down on Nan Sector of Juno Beach on the evening of 27 June and began unloading, but after the signals office M3 half-track was drowned in an underwater crater the beachmaster halted landing until the following morning. The convoy then moved off to its concentration area at St Gabriel. When the regiment arrived the rest of 15th (S) Division had already been in action since 26 June in Operation Epsom (the 'Battle of Scottish Corridor'). On the evening of 29 June the regiment was ordered up to become divisional reserve next day. There was little scope for reconnaissance units in the close fighting in Normandy, so the regiment was used piecemeal for 'odd jobs'. Its first assignment was for C Sqn to act as infantry to fill a gap on the boundary between VIII Corps and XXX Corps. Coming under mortar fire, the squadron suffered the regiment's first battle casualties. RHQ at Putot-en-Bessin also came under shellfire. Next day A Sqn was sent forward to fill the wide gap between C Sqn and XXX Corps. At first the dismounted squadrons had no A/T guns, because they only landed that morning. Formally, the regimental A/T battery was part of HQ Sqn, but once the regiment was in Normandy Grant Peterkin divided it among the recce squadrons, each squadron being joined by a troop of two 6-pounders towed by Loyd Carriers with another Loyd ammunition carrier.[35][36][37][38][39]
Operation Epsom ended on 2 July and 15th (S) Division was relieved from the front line. The recce regiment went into camp at
15th (S) Division's next action was
On 23 July 15th (S) Division secretly moved to the extreme right of Second Army's front and relieved US troops at Caumont. It was then in position for VIII Corps' planned breakout attack (Operation Bluecoat). 15th Recce Rgt was at Balleroy, with C Sqn in the line a few miles ahead, linking 15th (S) Division with the neighbouring US division. 'Bluecoat' was launched at 06.55 on 30 July with a massive air attack. 227 (H) Brigade attacked on the left of 15th (S) Division, supported by Churchill tanks from 6 Guards Tank Bde and B and C Sqns of 15th Recce Rgt (one with each follow-up battalion). The brigade group enveloped Lutain Wood and moved on to la Récussonnière and Les Loges, the recce squadrons following the tanks and mopping up enemy pockets. The rest of the regiment came behind, awaiting an opportunity to seize the high ground round Le Bény-Bocage ahead (C Sqn had been told it was to lead Second Army's breakout). However, after the division had advanced 6 miles (9.7 km) it was halted by Germans holding out in Saint-Martin-des-Besaces. Patrols of 15th Recce Rgt and 11th Armoured Division reconnoitred St Martin during the night. Next morning A Sqn, together with armoured cars from the Inns of Court Regiment and 2nd Household Cavalry Regiment (the recce units of I Corps and VIII Corps) probed forward but were again held up at St Martin until 11th Armoured Division cleared it after 11.00. C Squadron went over Quarry Hill at dawn but was similarly held up at La Mancellière-sur-Vire; it had to make yellow smoke signals to indicate its identity when RAF Typhoon fighters attacked the village. There was still fighting round Quarry Hill on 1 August; in the evening B Sqn assisted 46 (H) Bde in clearing La Mancellière and 6 Trp suffered casualties in an engagement with enemy A/T guns. Guards Armoured Division now took up the lead, advancing on 2 August with 15th Recce Rgt protecting its flank, skirmishing with German patrols and next day the British armour began the breakout, swinging left. On 4 August the regiment's car patrols made contact with 43rd (W) Division at Le Mesnil-Auzouf. Two days later B Sqn accompanied 46 (H) Bde in an attack eastwards through Le Codmet, finding no opposition until they reached Gourney. 227 Brigade and C Sqn found Estry strongly held and suffered a number of casualties. For the next few days 15 (S) Division was stationary, the front protected by 15th and 43rd (W) Recce Rgts and the Inns of Court. However, the rest of VIII Corps pivoted on 15th (S) Division and continued advancing, so by 13 August the division was able to occupy Estry. The Germans were now in full retreat as the Falaise pocket closed round them, and 15th (S) Division was withdrawn for rest.[44][45][46][47]
To the Seine
For 10 days 15th Recce Rgt rested, first at
Belgium
After three days at Marlers the regiment had been left far behind the pursuit, and on 5 September it drove more than 60 miles (97 km) to
The Germans decided to make a stand on this canal line, and put the Aart bridgehead under severe pressure. On the night of 15 September a party from 15th Recce Rgt guided 2nd Gordon Highlanders to the lock gates 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the destroyed bridge at Donck, where they attempted to create a second bridgehead, but were pinned down by machine gun fire. On 17 September C Sqn took over guarding the canal bank in the Donck area, the assault troop setting up a daytime strongpoint in one of the factories. Next day two of the troopers were captured by an enemy patrol, and to prevent larger German incursions back over the canal the regiment had under command the 8th Royal Scots and two companies of the 1st Middlesex Regiment (divisional machine gun battalion). By now Second Army had launched Operation Market Garden and XII Corps was to advance up the west flank of the narrow advance. 15th (S) Division was therefore ordered to hand over its bridgehead and cross the canal through 53rd (W) Division's bridgehead at Lommel.[53][54]
On 20 September Lt-Col Grant Peterkin was transferred to a staff position with 43rd (W) Division,[27][55] but shortly afterwards he was sent to command 1st Gordon Highlanders in 51st (Highland) Division. According to his new 2iC, Grant Peterkin was said to be 'a superman to whom Army wanted to give a few months' experience of commanding a battalion [after a recce regiment] before he went on to command a brigade'.[27][56] At the end of the war Grant Peterkin did command a brigade in 51st (H) Division.[27][57] Major K.C.C. Smith was promoted to succeed him as CO of 15th Recce Rgt, with Maj MacDiarmid becoming 2iC.[26]
Netherlands
On 21 September 15th Recce Rgt drove through Lommel, crossed the Escaut Canal and continued on to recently liberated Eindhoven. It found 53rd (W) Division facing the enemy over the Wilhelmina Canal and US paratroops holding the bridge at Zon. That night 15 (S) Division's infantry crossed the canal and secured the crossroads at the town of Best, but there was no break-out and 15th Recce Rgt was not called forward. Later its patrols up the Boxtel road failed to find any gaps in the German defences. RHQ remained south of the canal. While the infantry were involved in bitter house-to-house fighting the regiment could do little. On 27 September it moved up to Vleut and went into the woods dismounted as infantry, to hold a gap and to carry out foot patrols until 15th (S) Division was relieved on 2/3 October. 15th Recce Rgt then went into billets in Helmond.[59][60][61]
While 15th (S) Division rested, the recce regiment was loaned to 11th Armoured Division and for a week the squadrons took turns to patrol and hold positions on the eastern side of the
On 27 October at Meijel the Germans counter-attacked and drove back the 7th US Armored Division some 10 miles (16 km) from Helmond. 15th (S) Division was hurried back from Tilburg to meet the threat. By 29 October the division was in action astride the roads the Germans had been advancing along, and the task of pushing them back began next morning. A Squadron reconnoitred Liesel, finding it enemy-held and lost two cars, while the Bren carrier crews of 10 Trp, C Sqn, watching a wood near Liesel, came under heavy attack until the Glasgow Highlanders arrived. On 31 October the regiment was protecting the division's flank and maintaining liaison with the US troops; a troop of B Sqn captured an enemy-held school in 7th Armored's sector and held it as an artillery observation post. The regiment supported the advance down the Liesel–Meijel road by 15th (S) Division and 6 Guards Tank Bde, which was under heavy fire. Wheeled vehicles could not leave the road in this boggy area (the 'Peel'), but the tracked carriers proved useful. On 3 November the regiment required the help of flail tanks to clear a way through minefields, but still could not get much further down the road. B Squadron provided flank protection for the division's failed attack on Meijel on 5 November. It then spent two weeks with one squadron watching the flanks in the bogs as far as the canal at Deurne, one in reserve at the school, and one resting at Helmond. The Germans withdrew from Meijel on 11 November.[66][67][68]
Maas
Second Army now began operations to clear the Germans from their remaining bridgeheads on the west bank of the Maas (Operation Nutcracker). 15th (S) Division cleared the German rearguards from the Duerne Canal to the Maas. Lieutenant-Col Smith obtained some Weasel semi-amphibious vehicles for the regiment to cross the mud as it reconnoitred the division's two routes ('Skye' and 'Ayr'). They fought the rearguards and roadblocks back to the river on 26 November. 15th (S) Division was then given the task of capturing Blerick on the west bank opposite Venlo (Operation Guildford). This was carried out on 3 December as a fullscale assault, with all the resources of artillery and specialised armour. On the preceding two nights B Sqn and the Glasgow Highlanders carried out a diversion north of the town, including playing gramophone records of tank movements. During the attack C Sqn handled traffic control.[70][71][72]
15th Scottish Recce Rgt then began a period of watching the Maas. It was an assigned a long stretch of riverbank north of Blerick, which was held by each squadron in turn for a week at a time. The rest of the regiment was quartered at Lierop. German patrols regularly crossed the 150 yards (140 m) river and penetrated the thinly-held lines at night and once took nine prisoners from an A Sqn position. From 22 December this section was held by a stronger infantry unit and the regiment's Maas squadron moved upriver to Hout-Blerick and was reinforced by elements of HQ Sqn. From 8 January 1945 the regiment also provided a squadron for the division's mobile reserve at Roggel.[73][74]
Reichswald
Between 22 and 28 January 15th (S) Division was relieved from its positions along the Maas and concentrated around Tilburg, where it joined XXX Corps for Operation Veritable to clear the Reichswald. On 7 February 15th Recce Rgt moved up to wait at Nijmegen while C Sqn went forward to handle traffic control when the attack went in next morning (it was allotted six Churchill tanks as armoured control posts). The attack broke through the Siegfried Line, and on 9 February the regiment was sent up to reconnoitre routes forward from Kleve. However, huge traffic jams through Kleve (beyond C Sqn's control posts in the Siegfried Line) slowed the advance. B Sqn was ordered to try to get round the southern outskirts of Kleve in the dark to seize the railway embankment between the town and the forest. The move was assisted by searchlights but ran into opposition, and only got through by morning with the help of tanks. Kleve was still not sufficiently clear to allow A Sqn through to reconnoitre the roads, and by 13 February the regiment had got no further than Hasselt when the Germans blew up a dyke and flooded the countryside. The thrust of the advance was switched to higher ground, involving tanks and infantry, and there was little for the regiment to do. By 21 February XXX Corps had reached Goch and 15th (S) Division was engaged to its south. B Sqn was sent into the woods round Schloss Calbeck and was engaged in sharp fights and under shellfire for two days. On 23 February the patrols were relieved.[75][76][77][78]
Rhine
15th Recce Rgt rested at Tilburg, then on 5 March moved to Bourg Leopold in Belgium where 15th (S) Division went into training for the assault crossing of the
To the Elbe
In early April, 15th (S) Division moved up to the
15th Recce Rgt patrolled forwards while the 6th Airborne Division expanded its bridgehead over the Leine, then on 11 April 15th (S) Division came through to continue the advance towards Celle. The recce squadrons patrolled ahead, skirmishing with rearguards and rounding up prisoners. At nightfall 9th Cameronians and some tanks caught up and tried to fight their way into Celle, but were held up by a group of German officer cadets resisting fiercely. Next day 227 (H) Bde entered Celle and crossed the River Aller. Once the river was bridged, 15th Recce Rgt spread over a wide area ahead of the advance to Uelzen on 13 April, finding routes around numerous demolitions. 227 (H) Brigade only just failed to capture Uelzen by surprise that night. After pushing forward south of the town next day, C Sqn concentrated for the night at Nettelkamp. At midnight the position was attacked by Panzer Division Clausewitz, largely composed of veteran troops from reserve units and instructors from training schools, with heavy armour. The troop positions were overrun, though squadron HQ fought on in the village before withdrawing.[b] When a patrol from B Sqn reached the survivors, it found that C Sqn had lost seven killed or fatally wounded, 14 wounded, and 39 missing, together with eight carriers, four armoured cars and a half-track. The regiment reorganised as two squadrons (A & C), and stayed mobile by using numerous captured vehicles. Fighting continued at Uelzen until 18 April. When 15th Recce Rgt moved out towards the River Elbe, it was in conjunction with 2nd Special Air Service Regiment, which had been operating ahead of Second Army in Operation Archway. The group was also accompanied by a 4.2-inch mortar platoon of 1st Middlesex. The group reached the Elbe on 19 April, fighting retreating Germans and liberating British and US prisoners of war (POWs).[84][85][86]
After rest and preparation at the Elbe, 15th (S) Division carried out an assault crossing (Operation Enterprise) early on 29 April. 15th Recce Rgt had relieved the division's post along the river the day before as the brigades concentrated for the attack, then waited its turn to be ferried over. First to cross in Buffalos was the regiment's A/T battery supporting 1st Commando Brigade. C Squadron followed in the afternoon, having suffered casualties from air attack while waiting to cross. The squadron's patrols and the SAS jeeps were six miles beyond the river by nightfall. Next day A Sqn probed as far as Hamwarde, finding it strongly held, but C Sqn occupied Schwarzenbek on the main Hamburg–Berlin road. While Second Army pushed on to Hamburg, 15th (S) Division cleared the Sachsenwald forest area. On 2 May a patrol of A Sqn was approached by German officers under a white flag, who were passed up to 227 (H) Bde HQ and began the negotiations that resulted in the German surrender at Lüneburg Heath on 4 May. Before the ceasefire, C Sqn captured Ahrensburg, which became divisional HQ, and the acting CO (Maj MacDiarmid) and the SAS Co were able to drive unhindered to Lübeck. However, the regiment was still in action as late as 10 May, the reformed B Sqn forming stop lines as the German Army rounded up armed Waffen-SS parties in the Forest of Segeberg.[87][88][89]
Postwar
On 7 May 1945, the regiment began occupation duties: A Sqn went with 46 (H) Bde to occupy
Uniform & insignia
From its formation in February 1943, 15th Scottish Recce Rgt wore the Scottish Balmoral bonnet as the headgear for all ranks, in khaki with a green square backing for the Recce Corps badge. However, on 23 May 1944 the regiment adopted the Royal Armoured Corps' black beret with the Recce Corps badge. Officers purchased collar badges at their own expense: these comprised the Recce Corps badge in silver, with a superimposed silver disc bearing the Scottish red lion of the divisional badge.[22][92]
Memorials
The 15th (Scottish) Divisional memorial to those who died in North West Europe between 26 June 1944 and 5 May 1945 was unveiled on 26 June 1949 at Tourville-sur-Odon.[93] Another divisional memorial, depicting a bagpiper sculpted by Frans Broers, was unveiled on 27 October 1989 at Tilburg, which had been liberated by the division on 27 October 1944.[94]
The 15th Scottish Recce Regiment Old Comrade's Association planted a Scots Pine tree at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire, in September 2000. A wooden regimental plaque bearing the red lion superimposed on the Recce Corps badge was installed in the chapel at the National Arboretum. Similar plaques are at the Pegasus Bridge and Arromanches museums in Normandy, and were presented to the mayors of Tilburg and Helmond; the regimental flag has been at Arromanches since 1991.[95]
Footnotes
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g Joslen, pp. 58–9.
- ^ Martin, pp. 1–8.
- ^ Forty, p. 96.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 1–4.
- ^ Martin, p. 9.
- ^ a b c d e f Reconnaissance Corps at regiments.org.
- ^ a b c d e Frederick, pp. 11–12.
- ^ a b c d e "Houterman, Reconnaissance Regiments RAC 1939-1945". 2013. Archived from the original on 6 September 2006. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- ^ Martin, pp. 10–5.
- ^ Joslen, p. 77.
- ^ Joslen, p. 100.
- ^ a b Martin, Appendix C.
- ^ a b c Frederick, pp. 12, 289.
- ^ a b Joslen p. 377.
- ^ a b Parkinson, pp. 16, 31.
- ^ a b Joslen, pp. 89, 350–1, 362.
- ^ Joslen, pp. 49, 73.
- ^ Joslen, p. 99.
- ^ 80th Reconnaissance Regiment at The Reconnaissance Corps website.
- ^ Martin, pp. 15–6.
- ^ Order of Battle of the Forces in the United Kingdom, Part 2: 21 Army Group, 24 July 1943, with amendments, The National Archives (TNA), Kew file WO 212/238.
- ^ a b c "15th (Scottish) Reconnaissance Regiment". The Reconnaissance Corps website. 2009. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- ^ Forty, p. 51
- ^ Frederick, pp. 13, 208.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 9–10.
- ^ a b Martin, Appendix B.
- ^ a b c d Houterman, Cameron Highlanders officer.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 10–13.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 13–29.
- ^ Martin, pp. 17–23.
- ^ Forty, p. 68.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, p. 22.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 31–41.
- ^ Martin, pp. 23, 27–8.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 41–9.
- ^ Martin, p. 48.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, Appendix IV, Pt II.
- ^ Anon, Bluecoat, Table 6.
- ^ a b Forty, p. 167.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 50–2.
- ^ Martin, pp. 60–4.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 52–4.
- ^ Martin, pp. 66–7.
- ^ Anon, Bluecoat, pp. 12–9; Appendices G & J.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, pp. 388–94, 401–2, 409–10.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 65–74.
- ^ Martin, pp. 78–105, Maps 3 & 4.
- ^ a b Ellis, Normandy, pp. 453–5, 466–7.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 85–94.
- ^ Martin, pp. 104–19, Map 5.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 95, 105–11.
- ^ Martin, pp. 120–34.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 111–2.
- ^ Martin, pp. 134–48.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 112–3.
- ^ Lindsay, p. 125.
- ^ Joslen, p. 337.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, p. 144.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, p. 44.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 129–32.
- ^ Martin, pp. 149–70.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 99, 123–5.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 133–6, 141–7.
- ^ Martin, pp. 173–84, Map 8.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, p. 156.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 159–60.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 153–8.
- ^ Martin, pp. 184–206.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, p. 161.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 160–1.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 161–9.
- ^ Martin, pp. 208–19.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 173–83.
- ^ Martin, pp. 219–22.
- ^ Anon, Veritable, pp. 31, 41, 124, Map 11.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 257–71.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 190–204.
- ^ Martin, pp. 223–48, 265–70.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 289, 291–3.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 213–17.
- ^ Martin, pp. 277–8, 294–5, 302–3.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 221–36.
- ^ Martin, p. 307.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, p. 309.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 239–48, 269.
- ^ Martin, pp. 307–16.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, p. 337.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 270–4.
- ^ Martin, pp. 321–37.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 274–5, 285–9, Appendix B..
- ^ Martin, pp. 338–43.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, p. 33 and photographs.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 298–9.
- ^ 15th Scottish Division Memorial at Netherlands Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei.
- ^ Kemsley, Riesco & Chamberlin, pp. 370–2, 385.
References
- Anon, British Army of the Rhine Battlefield Tour: Operation Bluecoat, Germany: BAOR, 1947/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2021, ISBN 978-1-78331-812-4.
- Anon, British Army of the Rhine Battlefield Tour: Operation Veritable, Germany: BAOR, 1947/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2021, ISBN 978-1-78331-813-1.
- Maj L.F. Ellis, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West, Vol I: The Battle of Normandy, London: HM Stationery Office, 1962/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-58-0.
- Maj L.F. Ellis, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West, Vol II: The Defeat of Germany, London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-59-9.
- George Forty, British Army Handbook 1939–1945, Stroud: Sutton, 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1403-3.
- J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
- Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/London: London Stamp Exchange, 1990, ISBN 0-948130-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-843424-74-6.
- Capt Walter Kemsley & Capt Michael R. Riesco, The Scottish Lion on Patrol: Being the History of the 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment, 1943–46, Bristol: White Swan Press, 1950/Revised edn (Tim Chamberlin, ed), Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2011, ISBN 978-1-39901-874-6.
- Lt-Col Martin Lindsay, So Few Got Through, London: Collins, 1946/Arrow Books (pbk; nd)/Leo Cooper, 2000, ISBN 0850527546.
- Lt-Gen H.G. Martin, The History of the Fifteenth Scottish Division 1939–1945, Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1948/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2014, ISBN 978-1-78331-085-2.
- C. Northcote Parkinson, Always a Fusilier: The War History of The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 1939–1945, London: Sampson Low, 1949.