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.
Albert. Just sent you an email.
Andrew
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
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 !!
The gates of hell were opened and we accepted the invitation to enter" 26/880 Lance Sgt, Edward Dyke. 26th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers , ( 3rd Tyneside Irish )
1st July 1916
Thought shall be the harder , heart the keener,
Courage the greater as our strength faileth.
Here lies our leader ,in the dust of his greatness.
Who leaves him now , be damned forever.
We who are old now shall not leave this Battle,
But lie at his feet , in the dust with our leader
House Carles at the Battle of Hastings
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.
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
Well done Andrew probably the only published history about Bure !!!
The gates of hell were opened and we accepted the invitation to enter" 26/880 Lance Sgt, Edward Dyke. 26th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers , ( 3rd Tyneside Irish )
1st July 1916
Thought shall be the harder , heart the keener,
Courage the greater as our strength faileth.
Here lies our leader ,in the dust of his greatness.
Who leaves him now , be damned forever.
We who are old now shall not leave this Battle,
But lie at his feet , in the dust with our leader
House Carles at the Battle of Hastings
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
The gates of hell were opened and we accepted the invitation to enter" 26/880 Lance Sgt, Edward Dyke. 26th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers , ( 3rd Tyneside Irish )
1st July 1916
Thought shall be the harder , heart the keener,
Courage the greater as our strength faileth.
Here lies our leader ,in the dust of his greatness.
Who leaves him now , be damned forever.
We who are old now shall not leave this Battle,
But lie at his feet , in the dust with our leader
House Carles at the Battle of Hastings
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