531 Field Battery:
Major S.M. Ginn-CO Captain. W.Taylor- Battery Captain Captain J. Hitchens F.Troop Commander Lieutenant P.McD Spafford E.Troop G.P.O Lt P.M.C.Whitton E Troop C.P.O Captain P.Mangham E. Troop Commander Lieutenant B.D.Scott E Troop Leader Lieutenant M.E.R.Sayers E.Troop G.P.O Lieutenant K.B.Ohlson E.Troop Leader Lieutenant M.Horton A.C.P.O B.S.M. Oldham B.S.M "Dodger"Green E.Troop B.S.M Braine F.Troop
21 September 1944: Battery move into Holland coming into action south of the Wilhelmina Kanaal near Best, the bridge across the canal had been blown and the Seaforths were given the job of making a crossing and siezing a bridgehead, during the evening Capts Mangham and Whitton spotted and disposed a 88mm gun on the far side of the canal and then the CO gave orders that olny one of these two was to remain forward, the other returning to the guns. Captain Mangham won the toss and accompanied the infantry during their succesful night crossing, but next morning those of the Battery on the gun position were shocked to hear that he had been killed and Sig Taylor wounded. The F Troop O.P. party immediately returned to their bridgehead and by now other battalions were crossing the canal and, like the Seaforths, meeting determined opposition. The scene on the far bank, where American airborne troops had been at work,defied description, the ditches being filled with German dead, many of them headless.
23 September 1944: The seaforth were ordered to advance towards the railway which ran into the town of Best and despite their already lamentably small numbers, put in a most gallant attack. Both E. and F Troop OPs took part in the attack, having necessarily to go on foot over the open country. Back with E troop carrier Sig Clarke was wounded in what was known as "spandau alley" and Captain Whitton and Sig Stevenson going forward with C Company found themselves pinned to the ground for a time and Capt Whitton got a small piece of shrapnel in what he reffers to as "the base of his spine". One platoon of C.Company actually reached the railway but found themselves isolated, infantry morale, however revived enormously at the sight of Captain Whitton back at his carrier, shouting orders for a smoke screen into his wireless set with his trousers about his ankles and Bdr Ryder applying a shell dressing to the necessary place!. Under cover of the smoke screen the missing platoon got back safely and the infantry dug in.
24 September 1944: After a typhoon attack , the Seaforths captured the factory by the side of the railway and Major Ginn using F.Troop No.1 gun, had great fun "sniping" an enemy communication trench. The battery had moved up just short of the canal and Captain Spafford took over E Troop. A big german meat dump had been discovered in Best and BSM Oldham brother in law, A sergeant in Divisional anti-tank Regiment, kept the OPs well supplied with off the ration delicacies.
29 September 1944: The Battery moved across the canal to a Wellsian among the gliders which landed a\week or so earlier and everyone began to sport very natty lanyards made of parachutecord while Sergeant Dunsbury made friends with the first of a succession of Dutch "Nellies". Officers MacLaurin and Ohlson taking spells in the OP at the Bata shoe factory had some exciting moments and agreed with that factories do not make ideal OPs.
3 October 1944: The battery went out to rest at Bakel (Brabant) near Helmond, after having been continously on to go since August 19th.
9 October 1944: The Battery moved to Oploo (Brabant) to help support another formations effort to clear up to the river Maas. During the period of their attack it rained almost continously, everyone got the flu, the Battery fired more than at any time since normandy, on one occasion after a short move to the other side of Oploo "F' troop "E"sub gun firing 49 rounds in four and half minutes.
17 October 1944: The Battery returned to the Helmond area.
20 October 1944: Move to Rupchen area, were we again subject to some enemy counter battery fire and Gnr Duckett of F.Troop was wounded.
25 October 1944: Moved to Best, and then advanced and went ahead rapidly, the Battery making two moves, the first one short to Moergestel, the next day Seaforths had yet another railway line to attack this time at Oisterwijk (Brabant), and after they had established temselves in the town, Major Ginn's half track received a direct hit, but luckily the Major had previously removed his whole party to the comparative safety of a cellar where even an unexpected burst of spandau fire through a window left them unharmed.
27 October 1944: The Battery moved forward again to Moergestel, next day battery moved into Tilburg.
29 October 1944: Into action near Asten (Brabant). Our arrival proved more then welcome to the Americans, but the luftwaffe took considerable exception to us and one "E" troop bivy was severely holed by bomb fragments. During the next forthnight the division and GAB first held the enemy and then pushed them back yard by y across the Pard down the Deurne-Heitrak- Meijel Road. It was hard fighting all the way and the OPs, often in tanks and the Battery were kept fully employed, two guns during one night each having to fire 600 rounds. Moves to Rinkvelt and Maria Hout (Brabant) made short interruptions for the Battery in the succesion of fire plans and smoke screens they were called upon to fire, and F Subsection of "F" Troop enlivened existance on the gun position by burning their bivvy together with all their accumulated possessions.
19 November 1944: Move to Heitrak, 3 days later through Meijel and across the canal up a dreadful track and into position in the middle of nowhere. The rain poured down but the infantry continued to make headway across the Peel and on.
25 November 1944: The Battery made a long round about move to the left flank at Horst (Brabant), going to Maasbree on the last day of the month. By now the whole of the west bank of the Maas was in our hands except for the town of Blerick opposite Venlo. Blerick was defended by an anti tank ditch and was within range of the guns of the Siegfried line which frequently plaid attention to our gun area and F.Troops "George" truck and jeep temporarily out of action.
3 December 1944: Captain Whitton with A.Company Seaforths had to go forward on foot from the anti tank ditch and F Troop signallers did a good job of work getting a line laid despite heavy shelling and sniping along the railway line, Major Ginn established himself with the Seaforths HQ in a house on the near side of the railway, but early in the evening the HQ was hit, Though it was a miracle that everyone inside was not killed, it was a tragedy for the battery that Major Ginn was the one casualty. He died almost imeddiately before Captain Whitton could reach him and it was a heavy hearted party which returned to the guns the next day. We moved back to Asten for a real rest, where Major Wingate took over the Battery. For 5 weeks we remained at Brumholt (Limburg) occupying some three different positions and mainly trying to keep warm. F troop being unexpectedly shelled and having a limber hit.
25 January 1945: The Batterty left Brumholt at last and moved towards Tilburg where everyone was billeted in civilian houses.
5 February 1945: In conditions of great secrecy, the Battery moved up to the woods between Nijmegen and Groesbeek and plan for the great assault on the Siegfried line.
8 February 1945: The mightiest barrage yet opened and F. Troop OP with its wonderful view over the valley towards Kranenburg and Reichswald Forest, grim obstacle rising into the middle distance left, gave Captain Whitton and his party a grandstand view of the first stages of the attack.
9 February 1945: Battery moved into Germany.
28 February 1945: Battery moved to Tilburg, although we did not arrive until well after midnight everybody was up, the street were decorated with bunting and welcome banners and hot drinks were waiting for us in every house.
3 March 1945: Moved to Belgium.
20 March 1945: Moved back to Venlo and into harbour within striking distance of the river at Wesel.
