Battle of Bure

[roodymiller]

my dad was Major Andy Mcloughlin of 6th Airborne. He told us of this Battle when we were kids but my recollection is sketchy. Can anyone tell me more? It wasn't until I read this piece that I realised it was the Battle for Buret. My mum told us it was the Battle of the Bulge.

Hi

I just sent you an email. I have a contact who served with your dad. I would love to hear from you, I am researching the 13th bn.

Regards

Andrew.

[Albert]

Have recentlly returned from Bure after following my father's trail from the d-day landings. He was in the 353 (London) Medium Regiment of the Royal Artillery. In the History of the Regiment written some time after 1961 there is a reference to Bure on the 3January 1945. The snow is deep and the 210 Battery of which my father was a sergeant was sharing the village, among many others I'm sure, with the 13th Paratroop Battalion and the Germans. I will now quote from the History: 'Early on 4th January, a Tiger tank and a German counter-attack arrived simultaneously and we defied Larkhill by taking on the Tiger, single-gun close target, with210's D Sub Sgt. Davies (my father) and infantry observation by a company commander. His final order deserves record. 'Can you go south 12 1/2? I'm south 25 from the last round and the target is between that round and me'. Sgt Davies's layer breathed on his dial sight, the Tiger withdrew and the Company Commander came back to congratulate us with that glow of delight ... which is the finest compliment that any infantryman can pay to a gunner'.
I've known about this incident for many years but what I hadn,t realised until visiting Bure and talking to the residents, and coming across your website, was that an important and bloody battle had taken place there resulting in a significant loss of life on both sides. If anyone is able to add any further information to this seemingly forgotten aspect of the 'Bulge' I would be most grateful.

[roodymiller]

Albert. Just sent you an email.

Andrew

[Rommel]

My old man has just informed me that his uncle died at the battle of Bure. He is trying to research all he can about it and wants a photo of the headstone. All we know is that he lays in Hotton War Cemetery row D number 2, we obviously have his name ,rank and number but i think he wants to know what coy he was etc... It is a shame that the Brits are never mentioned in the Ardennes offensive but as my profile states i am more into investigating the German side of the war (not to say i don't think about the poor souls of the allied forces ,i do) It's a shame it all happened at all. But if anyone is heading to Hotton War Cemetery could they please spare one photo and take a picture of my dads uncle for him XX details are

REGAN DANIEL
United Kingdom Private 14746006 (13)Parachute Regiment A.A.C.03/01/1945 Age: 19 VI. D. 2

[Paul D]

Unfortunately all my contacts with 13 Para are now gone , try and contact andrew he is researching the Bn and may be able to help you more !!

[Jumper]

Hi Paul et al,
Just looking over my research files it was also remiss of me to neglect the contribution of 8th(2nd Rifle Bn The London Rifle Brigade) Bn during the Battle for Bure as they were infantry support to the tanks of 2nd Fife & Forfar engaged in the battle and suffered two K.I.A. during the action. A short time ago I endeavoured to calculate the number of troops, artillery and armour involved on both sides during this short but fierce battle in a tiny, hillside village and came to the conclusion that it was a wonder that anyone survived!
Also, as this is a war relics website does anyone know if the area around Bure has been searched for artefacts or if any of the locals have picked up finds from the ground over the years as I would be most interested to view any such material.
All the best, Dave

Hi Dave, my dad was with the 9th bn, one of the sad stories he told me, just recently, was of removing the victims of a massacre carried out by the SS, all the men in one village had been shot and i think piled in a church. A few years ago he went on a tour to Haminkeln for the anniversary of the Rhine crossing and they stopped in the Ardennes on the way at this same place, a man who survived the massacre as a child hugged him in tears for many minutes, very humbling to know what those young men had to go through. Dad was a mortarman at the time, saying how bad it was having to dig the mortar pits in the rock hard ground, finishing them in time to be told they were moving on, he mentions one village having the ironic name of Humane,(not sure on the spelling). Keep up the great work fellas.

[roodymiller]

For over a 100 pages about the Battle of Bure look up my book...

13 - Lucky For Some: The History of the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion

Available at Amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/13-History-L...lucky+for+some

[Paul D]

Well done Andrew probably the only published history about Bure !!!

[roodymiller]

Hello a bit of shameless plugging...

I have just published a book about the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion. It covers this battle in great detail with over 100 of the 622 pages devoted to the battle and the men who lost their lives.

The book was written with the help of around 100 veterans.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/13-History-Lanc ... lucky+for+

Andrew Woolhouse

[Paul D]

Hello a bit of shameless plugging...

I have just published a book about the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion. It covers this battle in great detail with over 100 of the 622 pages devoted to the battle and the men who lost their lives.

The book was written with the help of around 100 veterans.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/13-History-Lanc ... lucky+for+

Andrew Woolhouse

Just got my copy Andrew