Diaries from the 2nd battalion welsh guards WW2

by Poozleyys

So I've very recently unearthed a lot of old letters and pictures of my great-grandad, I've sent off for his service record but I know that takes a while in the UK, so I was wondering if anyone knew any great places to find more about their movements towards the end of the year, from what read so far the 2nd battalion Welsh guard was an armoured reconnaissance unit in the Guards Armoured Division, and at the later push into the Netherlands and Germany, it was part of XXX Corps.

More about him he died on the 1st of April 1945, according to my great-grandma many years ago he died in a tank just down from Nijmegen where he's buried. After looking at fighting in and around the area I think he died in Operation Veritable but the dates don't fully match.

also if you're interested in him:

Morgan Douglas Jones

Service Number: 2738136

Died: April 1st 1945

Aged: 27

Unit: 2nd Battalion Welsh Guards

Thank you in advance!

LordHighBrewer

In terms of books I would recommend you have a look at Buckley, J., Monty's Men which does a good job of covering 21st Army Group's war in North West Europe. The book does a good job of covering the entire war, and pays closer attention to the closedown of the war than most books I’ve come across, looking into the battles fought in the winter months and also the crossing of the rhine and exploitation towards the Elbe. Also worth looking into Earl of Rosse's The Story of the Guards Armoured Division. for a divisional history. For books more specific to Market Garden you should consider looking at Kershaw, J. It Never Snows in September for an updated German perspective, and Clark, L., Arnhem for an updated allied perspective to the campaign. Both of these books are good single volume works on the battle and should offer you a good benchmark for the Division’s activities at this time.

If you want to read something more academic and a bit more generally about British armour in the North West Europe campaign, I would recommend Buckley, J., British Armour in the Normandy Campaign. This book offers a thorough overview of the training, tactics and equipment of British armoured formations during that campaign. If interested more broadly in army composition and development you should also consider looking into French, D., Raising Churchill’s Army . Alternatively Place, T.H., Military Training in the British Army has a number of chapters which specifically focus upon the training and the development of the doctrine utilised by the three conventional British Armoured Divisions (7th, 11th and Guards) earmarked for 21st Army Group.

Finally, if you are really keen to make an effort, I would suggest you contact the UK's National Archives at Kew Gardens, or visit when this is over. It is possible to turn up and get a reading card, and then read the original war diaries of the unit in question. Equally you could consider contacting the UK’s National Army Museum in Chelsea, or visit King’s College London which holds the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Finally, you could consider contacting the Welsh Guards themselves, you will doubtless be able to find some gout-riddled full colonel who will know the campaign inside and out, and will probably be able to give you additional specific pointers to help out with your enquiries.