When returning after their patrol, they had made contact with the enemy some 3000 yards
to the NORTH and were cut off by an
SP gun.
A
FOO was despatched to assist them in
getting back into town.
The first report that was received which indicated anything out
of the ordinary was when an officer from the
GGHGs
informed 37 battery command post at 2300 hours there were some 200 enemy
2000 yards NORTH of their position.
The day of the 17th April started with a bang at 0001 hours with 76 battery
sentries reporting that enemy were moving SOUTH down the road between
E and F troops.
Fire was opened on them and
RHQ informed.
This was passed to all batteries, the
IrRC
and
HQ RCA.
All troops in the area immediately “Stood To” and weapon slits were manned
for local defence.
Lt. J.H. Stone, the
CPO of 76 battery, kept reporting
the situation to RHQ Command Post on the
R/T.
Communications were all by R/T since the initial mortaring
cut all our lines.
76 battery reported that they must have help but would hang on as long as they could.
This was reported to HQ RCA and to the IrRC with a request for help.
Lt. J.H. Stone later reported that he thought they could hold out if they could have
a couple of tanks and they were requested repeatedly but to no avail.
When 76 battery Command Post was first surrounded E. 46592 Gnr BOUCHARD, R
took a White Scout Car in an attempt to get through to the IrRC for assistance, put his
foot on the floor and drove down the road with
SA fire bouncing
off his vehicle at point blank range.
He was successful in reaching Battalion HQ where he reported the situation.
Lt. J.H. Stone then called for fire on a mortar at about 200 yards from his Command Post.
*) 60 battery brought down fire in that area and silenced the mortar, firing
ranges of from 1000 to 750 yards.
37 and 60 batteries harassed the roads running NORTH and NORTH EAST out of
OTTERLOO and 2/11 Medium Battery of 3 Medium Regiment
RA
harassed the concentration camp on
the main road running NORTH.