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The Exploits of Key-General Hakewill-Smith and the 52nd Scottish (Lowland) Division (1941-1945)

Write-up by Ross Dix-Peek

The Exploits of Main-General Hakewill-Smith and the 52nd Scottish (Lowland) Division (1941-1945)

ByRoss Dix-Peek

Edmund Hakewill-Smith was the son of George Cecil Smith and Mildred Currey. He was born in Kimberley, South Africa, on the 17 March 1896. He received his education at one of the finest colleges South Africa has at any time made, the Diocesan College, in Cape City, acknowledged as "Bishop's". In 1914 Hakewill-Smith entered the Royal Military School, Sandhurst, with the Very first Globe War imminent. He was commissioned a 2nd-lieutenant in the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1915.He was wounded twice throughout the war, also becoming awarded the military Cross (MC). Following the cessation of hostilities, Hakewill-Smith then served as aide-de-camp to the Governor of Bengal (1921-1922). He thereafter served as adjutant to the regiment (1927-1930), ahead of he was married, in 1928, to Edith, the daughter of Brigadier-Common H. Nelson, DSO. It was then that he attended the staff college at Quetta, in India, whereupon he subsequently fulfilled the duties of workers captain at the war office. Employed on air personnel duties with the RAF from 1936-1937, Hakewill-Smith found himself appointed Deputy Assistant Adjutant General at the war office environment, a position he held until finally 1940, the Second Entire world War having begun in September 1939. For the duration of the early portion of the war, Hakewill-Smith commanded the 5th battalion, Devonshire Regiment, as effectively as the four/5th Royal Scots Fusiliers. Promoted brigadier, he was offered command of the 157th Infantry Brigade (1941-1942), subsequently serving as Director of Business at the War Office environment, with the acting rank of Main-Basic.

Once more given command of a brigade, this time the 155th Infantry Brigade, Hakewill-Smith was then promoted substantive Main-General and it was in November 1943, that this intrepid South African took over command of the 52nd Scottish (Lowland) Division. The 52nd Division was the sister division of the legendary 51st (Highland) Division, which had so distinguished by itself for the duration of the 1st Planet War. Hakewill-Smith was not new to the division as his prior instructions, the 155th and 157th Brigades formed portion of the 52nd Division. The 52nd (Lowland) Division was also recognized as the 52nd Mountain Division, because of to its intended role and specialized coaching in that capability. The division underwent intensive coaching in mountain warfare in the highlands of Scotland from 1941-1944, pro skiing-instructors possessing been attached to the division for the goal of training the men accordingly, and several of the division's adult males actually grew to become very skilled in the artwork of skiing. The toughest training the 52nd Division undertook was in 1943 in Cairngorms, over Braemar, in Scotland. The men, issued with specific garments and machines became used to sleeping in the very icy circumstances prevalent in that element of Scotland. It is without a doubt ironic, that though the division underwent extreme and thorough instruction in mountain warfare, it would as an alternative locate by itself mired in the lowlands of North West Europe, at times fighting below sea stage!

It had currently turn into evident at the time of the Normandy Landings in June 1944, that the 52nd Division would have to abandon its meant position, and it soon became obvious that the division's new specialized part would consider on the form of an Air-Cellular Division. This, in result, meant that the 52nd (Lowland) Division would be transported by air to a designated landing zone (LZ), promptly debouching its soldiers and gear, and all set for combat. The division was, nevertheless, to preserve its authentic strength, that of a common division, and was as a result stronger than an Airborne Division. Once again, the division was not to be used in this ability either, but have been fairly earmarked for use in assault landings on fortified coastlines. The 52nd did not consider portion in the D-Day Landings, at Normandy, which took spot on the 6 June 1944, and only landed on the European continent proper, in September of that yr, obtaining been all of a sudden dispatched by sea to Belgium. The Division, neither used nor examined, and fundamentally "green" then arrived underneath command of the Canadian 1st Army. The Canadian 1st Army (collectively, of program, with the 52nd Lowland Division) have been to be employed to safe the methods to Antwerp. Antwerp had in reality already been captured, but was not safe due to the reality that the German's nevertheless managed the West Scheldt Estuary, the gateway to the port of Antwerp, and for that reason Antwerp would remain untenable until the allies had cleared the estuary of all axis troop concentrations.

It was then that the South African-born Hakewill-Smith, who had by this time spent practically thirty-many years in the British army, was provided command of the operation, not only commanding his division (the 52nd), but also the 4th Commando Brigade and factors of the 79th Armoured Division. The 79th Division was recognized as "Hobart's funnies" right after its eccentric, yet excellent commander, and utilised a selection of innovative and war-successful technology, including the mine-clearance tank and the "crocodiles" or flame-throwing tanks. In the interim, the Canadians had compelled their way into south Beveland, alongside the flooded, winding isthmus that linked south Beveland, jointly with other small islands, with the mainland. It was agreed, however, not to confine the assault to a frontal attack on this kind of a narrow front, as this would undoubtedly have been suicidal and finished in catastrophe. Instead, it was imagined wiser to mount an outflanking manoeuvre which envisaged crossing the estuary. The assault commenced in the small several hours of the twenty five October 1944, with two flotillas of amphibious troop carriers (recognized as "Buffaloes") and amphibious tanks of the 1st assault Brigade, Royal Engineers, 79th Armoured Division. The top infantry were the 4/5th Royal Scots Fusiliers (Hakewill-Smith's old battalion) and the 6th Cameronians of the 156th Infantry Brigade. Even though the mud immobilized the tanks, the infantry assault on the south east corner of South Beveland was entirely effective. The Germans then manufactured haste, withdrawing to the neighbouring island of Walcheren. Even so, the prolonged causeway connecting the two islands, and as a result vital to any assault on the element of the allies, was firmly in German arms. It is not surprising that, though the Canadians and then the Cameronians attacked the German positions alongside the causeway, it held. The Cameronians then made the decision on a evening assault. The subsequent assault was released across the tidal channel, around 1200 yards farther south. The Cameronians, though battling by way of deep mud, managed to secure a bridgehead, a commendable feat on their portion. Nevertheless, sadly, this was not ample and it quickly became clear that an amphibious assault was needed to finally wrest Walcheren from the german stranglehold.

What followed, was that the commandos carried out an attack on Westkappele (situated on the west aspect of Walcheren), operating their way along the coast, the Germans possessing flooded the island. Only the high-lying city, Middelburg (Walcheren's cash), had not been impacted by the flooding. The 155th brigade of the 52nd Division subsequently landed at Flushing on the one November, obtaining crossed from Breskens. Intense street fighting ensued, Flushing forming part of the German coastal defences on the island of Walcheren. Many concrete bunkers, or casemates, had been made and on street corners the Germans had ingeniously fitted tank turrets above manholes.Therefore, even though the axis have been just about everywhere, they were ostensibly invisible to the attacking British and Canadian troops. Even so, right after some challenging fighting, the city was cleared. It is intriguing to relate that the German headquarter's was situated in concrete shelters below the hotel "Britannia", and the Germans assumed it prudent for the duration of the allied assault on the three November, to surrender rather than burn up to loss of life, the hotel obtaining been turned into an inferno for the duration of the allied attack. The city of Middelburg still remained to be conquered, as effectively as the eastern port of Veere, and gun-batteries situated in the northern sand-dunes. Middelburg proved to be a "hard nut to crack", the city engulfed by flood water and the h2o from the Flushing-Veere canal. After little progress had been manufactured attacking from the causeway, it was decided to start an assault from the south-west, aided, it was hoped, by the component of shock! The force picked to apply the assault comprised the 11th Royal tank Regiment and troops of the 52nd Division, the latter transported in the "Buffaloes" of the tank regiment. the assault proved a resounding success, the German commander, Lieutenant-Basic Daser selecting to surrender even although at the time only factors of the attacking force had truly landed! No-significantly less than 2000 German prisoners ended up captured. The gun-batteries in the northern dunes and Veere were subsequently taken, Veere getting captured following a small sharp battle, by the 52nd Division, far more specifically the 6th Cameronians. It now became feasible for the allied minesweepers to clear the drinking water-way to Antwerp and for the allied forward troops to be supplied expeditious trend. The 52nd Division and all the other troops beneath Hakewill-Smith's command had pulled-off one particular of the most difficult functions imaginable. Regrettably, it was unavoidable that they would also suffer large casualties.

Hakewill-Smith and his division ended up then tasked with keeping portions of the western front, between S'Hertogenbosch and Tilburg, as nicely as the location among Geilenkirchen and Sittard. Although not as trying as their "baptism of fire", the extremely cold weather conditions prevalent that time of the yr, nonetheless manufactured daily life rather difficult. In January 1945, the 52nd took element in operations to push the Germans from the triangle, Roermond-Sittard-Geilenkirchen,